Daniel Maldonado

Writer Director Producer

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

Former intern & 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, his work has earned international recognition at festivals such as the HBO/NY Latino International Film Festival, where it was awarded Best Short Film. He completed his debut feature, H.O.M.E., in 2016, starring Mexican Ariel winner Jesús Ochoa. Produced by Darren Dean (Tangerine, The Florida Project), the film premiered at NY’s Museum of Moving Image, followed by screenings at the American Cinematheque, and at almost 30 prominent international festivals. Completing its journey, the film garnered a Best U.S. Latino Film nomination from Cinema Tropical and several awards for Best Feature & Best Director.  Subsequently, it was released through multiple VOD platforms as well as 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, while having work on the festival circuit, Daniel is also developing a poetic feature set in Puerto Rico, 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 auteurs such as Pedro Almodóvar, Michael Almereyda, and Shinya Tsukamoto, working with actors including Sean Penn, Julianne Moore to 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 Grand Jury winner A Thousand And One.