Daniel Maldonado

Writer Director Producer

Featured in the New York Times, Remezcla and on NBC News, Daniel is a multi award winning LatinX/é screenwriter, director and experimental film artist. He’s found success with an intuitive and personal practice within the several genres he’s explored.

 Former assistant for legendary NY producer Ben Barenholtz, Daniel’s formative years earned him several Kodak grants and invitations into the renowned Actor’s Studio observation program. Under the mentorship of acclaimed NY film poet Manfred Kirchheimer, he wrote and directed several inclusive shorts, his first of which toured German movie theaters as part of the “Blue Hearts Of N.Y.”  traveling festival of short films.

Since then, Daniel's work has earned recognition at over a hundred international film festivals, museums, galleries and micro cinemas . This includes the narrative short LALO, featuring Billy Magnussen (Best Short Film- HBO/NY Latino International Film Festival).  He  also completed his debut feature H.O.M.E. starring Mexican Ariel winner,  Jesús Ochoa. The film premiered at the Museum Of Moving Image followed by screenings at the American Cinematheque and around the world. It received a nomination for Best U.S. Latino Film from the Cinema Tropical Awards which added to several other festival awards for Best Feature & Best Director. 

As a Creative Capital- On The Radar Co-Artist, Daniel has also showcased his handmade analog films at places such as Rome’s Maxxi Museum BNL, Mexico’s Cineteca Nacional, Brooklyn Museum Of Art and Miami’s Superblue Art Center.

Currently, Daniel has just completed two experimental documentaries and produced a narrative short for the festival circuit. He’s also developing a 2nd feature script set in Puerto Rico which was recently selected for both the 2023 Cine Qua Non and Stowe Story screenwriting labs.

He also works as a Prop Master by trade. He has worked with indie auteurs from Michael Almereyda to Tim Sutton and has contributed to the production design of Sundance winners: Crown Heights, The Farewell, The Forty Year Old Version and current Grand Jury winner, A Thousand And One.