I'm Via Bia
Writing Is My Bag
HELLO, MY NAME IS VIA
I'm an LA-based filmmaker,
alumna of Sundance's Latino Screenwriting Project,
and current Cine Qua Non Lab fellow.
My first short, THESE COLORS DON’T RUN,
was shot on Super 16 film and distributed by HBO, while
my second, POST COMEDY, is in post-production.
POST COMEDY is the story
of a Salvadoran-American comedian
who struggles through a stand-up set
while dealing with PTSD.
I guess you could say it's both funny "ha-ha," and funny "sad."
POST COMEDY was shot on an Alexa Mini
thanks to a camera and lighting grant from DC-Camera & WIFV DC.
Before becoming a filmmaker,
I worked in the social justice field, and as an ESL teacher.
Over the years, I worked with over 2000 kids!
In undergrad, I studied anthropology, linguistics, and music,
and I later received a masters in education.
I love writing features, episodics, consulting on scripts,
creating comedy content...
and I'd love to work with you, so contact me below!
Via's FILMOGRAPHY & MEDIA
A peek into some of my stuff for film and web
Featured on Funny Or Die's Tweet Roundup
How did a SPORTS TWEET I wrote get play? By talking about our country's forefathers and a teeny tiny itty bitty piece of the male anatomy.
Click on the "sports tweet" imbedded link and scroll to @viadear's entry
Funnytweeter.com selected tweet
Click on the imbedded link or logo to see the legacy I shall leave my grandchildren.
Tweet in the comedy section of Paste Magazine :)
Growing up on Long Island somehow made its way into this tweet about appointing a Supreme Court Justice. (click on the hyperlink above or Paste logo, then scroll to #13 in the tweet gallery by @viadear)
Silly theoretical mathematics tweet featured on Mashable.com, y'all!
What do Trump, Boris Johnson, and Gary Busey all have in common? They're in one of my tweets featured on Mashable.com. Click on the hyperlink above or Mashable logo, and scroll to the tweet by @viadear.
Shown on Oprah and MSNBC. This award-winning documentary spotlights an innovative process between victims and offenders of violent crimes - facilitated dialogues held in prisons - created for both parties to discuss the crime, its effects, and to give and receive answers to their most persistent questions.
Guest Post for Women In Film & Video: Storytelling at Sundance
Short essay on the importance and reach of storytellers. Click on hyperlink above or Women In Film & Video icon for link ------->
"... a film with self-discovery at its heart."
Eliza Berkon's article on DC Shorts, featuring These Colors Don't Run :)
"... a young girl realizing [her] own independence... explored with humor and honesty..."
Full-length interview gets personal about These Colors Don't Run and Via (gracias, Carmela Baranowska!)
"I made my film because stories have the power to humanize."
Thank you for the shout-out, Kodak - we loved shooting on film!
"I was looking for a slightly dreamy, cinematic quality that felt like memory itself..."
[Click on Kodak icon to see post]
TCDR is part of Northern Virginia Magazine's #2 "culture story" of 2017. 😍🎥😍
"Local filmmakers such as Via Bia shine a light on the overlooked [short movie] art form, earning accolades for films that are written in our own neighborhoods..."
[click on Northern VA Mag hyperlink above to read more]
Interviewed for Final Draft article about the Austin Film Festival by Asmara Bhattacharya
"I feel... focused on writing work that is uncynical with honest emotionality."
An article I wrote for Stowe Story Labs on my favorite films of 2017.
"[QUEST is a story about] holding tightly to each other and contending with an America that doesn't always care how good you are or how hard you work. It is filled with love and truth."
THESE COLORS DON'T RUN
Trailer
Check it out!
Official Trailer for HBO Latino!
The story of a first communion gone down the shitter.
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Copyright 2014