Sharing Courage at the Raizado Film Festival

This past week, I had the honor of presenting my film Courage at the Raizado Film Festival in Aspen, Colorado. It was an incredible experience to share the film with an audience made up largely of members of the Latino and Hispanic community.

As someone who is half Mexican on my father’s side, it meant so much to connect with this community through the film. The response was heartfelt—many people grew emotional during the screening, and afterward we shared a powerful Q&A session.

The conversation was guided by George Valencia, an accomplished filmmaker and writer, whose thoughtful questions opened the door to a deep dialogue about culture, representation, and the themes woven into Courage. His perspective helped us explore the ways film can both reflect and challenge the stories we tell about ourselves and each other.

I left Aspen feeling both inspired and grateful. To see the film resonate so strongly with this audience reminded me of why I made Courage in the first place—to use storytelling as a bridge between communities, to spark connection, conversation, and healing.

Moments like these reaffirm the importance of representation and the power of film to bring people together.