Daniel Maldonado

Writer Director Producer

Featured in publications such as The New York Times and on NBC News, Daniel is a multi-award-winning, internationally recognized, LatinX filmmaker rooted in New York’s downtown Avant-Garde.

Former assistant for legendary NY producer Ben Barenholtz, Daniel’s formative years earned him several Kodak grants and invitations into the renowned Actors’ Studio observation program. Under the mentorship of acclaimed film poet Manfred Kirchheimer, he wrote and directed several inclusive shorts which toured German movie theaters in 1998 as part of the “Blue Hearts Of N.Y.”.

Committed to a personal and intuitive process with a passion for singular storytelling, his work was awarded Best Short Film at festivals such as the HBO/NY Latino International Film Festival. A few years later, he completed his debut feature, H.O.M.E., starring Mexican Ariel winner Jesús Ochoa. Co-Produced by Darren Dean (Tangerine, The Florida Project), the film premiered at NY’s Museum of Moving Image, followed by the American Cinematheque, and at over 25 prominent festivals. Completing its journey, the film received a Best U.S. Latino Film nomination from Cinema Tropical along with festival awards for Best Feature & Best Director.  Subsequently, it was released through multiple VOD platforms as well as nationally broadcast on cable.

As a Creative Capital- On The Radar Co-Artist, Daniel has also showcased his handmade experimental works in galleries & museums such as The Museum Of Modern Art,  Brooklyn Museum Of Art, Rome’s Maxxi Museum BNL, Cineteca Nacional, Harvard’s CamLab, and Miami’s Superblue Art Center. Currently, Daniel is finishing a new poetic short film based on a feature screenplay, which was a participant in both the Stowe Story and Cine Qua Non screenwriting labs.

As a working filmmaker,  he also has 20 years as a Propmaster in NY. He has collaborated with legendary auteurs from Pedro Almodóvar and Michael Almereyda to Shinya Tsukamoto, while working directly with esteemed talent including Sean Penn, Julianne Moore, Geoffrey Rush, and Tilda Swinton. He has contributed to the production design on films such as A24’s The Farewell and Friendship, along with Sundance winners A Thousand And One (Focus Features) and The Forty Year Old Version (Netflix).