About us

FILA20 is a New York City-based film production company.

Our story began over a decade ago in the 20th row (fila in Spanish) of the Cuban Cinematheque, where our teenage selves gathered daily to indulge in our passion for cinema. From those cinephile beginnings, we grew into filmmakers ourselves and started working together as FILA20, one of the first independent production groups in Cuba (where independent media is banned). As we all emigrated to New York City over the past decade, we reestablished FILA20 as a U.S. company.

FILA20 films have been screened at many festivals, including Venice, Sundance, Warsaw, Glasgow, New Orleans, Rooftop Films, HollyShorts, and Short of the Week. We have also directed projects for renowned organizations such as Galleria Continua, Louis Vuitton, MoMA, and The Bronx Museum of the Arts.

Whether in Cuba or NYC, films or commercials, long or short… we approach every project with passion. At the heart of our wide-ranging films lies one common thread – personal stories of timeless and universal value, just like those that inspired us as teenage cinephiles.

Juan Pablo Daranas Molina (Juampa)

Juampa runs FILA20. He received his MFA in Filmmaking from NYU Tisch School of the Arts and has been selected for the Spike Lee Fund, the NYU Purple List, the HEAR US Awards, the NYU Production Lab Development Studio, Berlinale Talents Guadalajara, and the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards.

Juampa is currently in post-production with his debut feature, Domestic Animals. His second feature, as a writer-producer, just wrapped principal photography in Italy.

Ana A. Alpizar

Ana’s short The Fisherman played at Sundance, Miami, NALIP, Rooftop Films, and many other festivals. The Premiere won the top prize at the China Women's Film Festival. Hapi Berdey Yusimi in Yur Dey was an official selection of the New Orleans Film Festival, the Brooklyn Film Festival, and more. Ana is currently enrolled in NYU Tisch School of the Arts MFA in Filmmaking.

Alejandro Medina

Alejandro’s multidisciplinary work includes everything from photography to video art and GIFs. He runs CIFARRA, a branch that channels commissioned projects. His first short as a writer-director, Alejandrito and the Bogeyman, premiered at the Warsaw International Film Festival. Customer Service had its world premiere on Short of the Week.