Cinema Culturas Storytelling and Film Student Competition seeks to encourage and enhance K-12 students’ 4 C’s of 21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration and Communication. Cinema Culturas expands on this learning model by incorporating two additional C’s in its educational program: Culture and Community. Our organization’s key tenets of diversity and inclusion are observed through fun and educational forums for all students to participate via storytelling and visual dynamics of film, and having both local and global communities come together to support students. We want the youth of today to be resilient dreamers, and for all of us to create a promising and inclusive future with every story they imagine.

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WINNERS

WINNERS

Early Elementary School Students from 1st to 3th grade

1st Place / Short Film

Anastasia Shinkarenko (Belyaeva)

"Attack of the Furry Fish"

Artistic Theme

Children's Cartoon Studio "KROK"

3rd Grade

Ukraine

Ukraine

2nd Place / Short Story

Brianne Ourn

"Plant Hero"

Artistic Theme

Lake Mathews Elementary School

3rd Grade

Riverside

USA

2nd Place / Short Story

Luciana Radaelli

"The Rainbow Girl"

Artistic Theme

John F. Kennedy Elementary School

3rd Grade

Riverside

USA

3rd Place / Short Story

Sofía Mirghafouri Herrera

"My Heroine"

Artistic Theme

Lake Mathews Elementary School

3rd Grade

Riverside

USA

3rd Place / Short Story

Ella García

"Dad Hero"

Artistic Theme

César Chavez Elementary School

2nd Grade

Coachella

USA

3rd Place / Short Story

David Sánchez

"Mi Héroe"

Artistic Theme

César Chavez Elementary School

2nd Grade

Coachella

USA

WINNERS

Upper Elementary School Students from 4th to 6th grade

1st Place / Short Film

Vinh Ly Biggs

"Noodles"

Artistic Theme

George Washington Elementary School

5th Grade

Riverside

USA

2nd Place / Short Story

Elizabeth Pudussery

"Vaccine for DDTILC"

Artistic Theme

University Heights Middle School

6th Grade

Riverside

USA

2nd Place / Short film

Eva Limones

"The Power of Mirror"

Artistic Theme

Taller Telekids

5th Grade

Seville

Spain

3rd Place / Short Film

Josue Lopez

"Spiderman"

Artistic Theme

Castle View School

4th Grade

Riverside

USA

3rd Place / Short Film

Lauren Stewart

"Little Girls Today, Black Woman Tomorrow"

Artistic Theme

Mt. View Elementary School

6th Grade

Riverside

USA

WINNERS

Middle School Students from 7th to 9th grade

1st Place / Short Film

Kien Ly Biggs

"Rebuild"

Artistic Theme

Poly High School

9th Grade

Riverside

USA

2nd Place / Short Film

Michelle Wan

"Everyday Hero"

Artistic Theme

Mark Twain Elementary School

5th Grade

Riverside

USA

2nd Place / Short Story

Melody Diaz

"The Library's Hero"

Artistic Theme

Sierra Middle School

7th Grade

Riverside

USA

3rd Place / Short Film

Logan Tan

"Symphony of Fate"

Artistic Theme

Marthin Luther King High School

9th Grade

Riverside

USA

3rd Place / Short Story

Emmanuel Pudussery

"When Your Lights Turn Off"

Artistic Theme

Riverside STEM Academy

9th Grade

Riverside

USA

WINNERS

High School Students from 10th to 12th grade

1st Place / Short Film

Xuan-Ly Anh Biggs

"Zero is a  Superhero"

Artistic Theme

Riverside Poly High School

11th Grade

Riverside

USA

2nd Place / Short Story

Juliet Paiz

"The Artist's Touch"

Artistic Theme

Vista del Lago High School

11th Grade

Moreno Valley

USA

2nd Place / Short Story

Magnolia Hyon

"Thank you Mrs. Lupsaiu"

Artistic Theme

Martin Luther King High School

12th Grade

Riverside

USA

3rd Place / Short Story

Iris Hyon

"You Look Like a Rainbow"

Artistic Theme

Martin Luther King High School

10th Grade

Riverside

USA

1st Place / Short Film

Kien Ly Biggs

"Rebuild"

Artistic Theme

Poly High School

9th Grade

Riverside

USA

2nd Place / Short Film

Michelle Wan

"Everyday Hero

Artistic Theme

Mark Twain Elementary School

5th Grade

Riverside

USA

3rd Place / Short Film

Xuan-Ly Anh Biggs

"Zero is a Super Hero"

Artistic Theme

Riverside Poly High School

11th Grade

Riverside

USA

FINALISTS

Click on each window to read / see the stories

Early Elementary School Students from 1st to 3th grade

Rusty fisher

"Rust Hero"

Artistic Theme

Desert Rock Academy

3rd Grade

Apple Valley

USA

Ramón Jesús Ramírez Olvera

"Súper Héroe Científico"

Scientific Theme

Colegio Bilingüe San Luis A.C.

2nd Grade

Sonora

Mexico

David Mateo Elizalde López

"Un Héroe de Cuatro Patas"

Artistic Theme

Cobach I: Luis Donaldo Colosio Murrieta

5th Grade

Nogales

Mexico

Alejandro Blanco González y Noa de los Reyes Botrel

"Nora, a very capable girl"

Artistic Theme

Taller Telekids

5th Grade

Seville

Spain

Karla Avila Herrán

"Héroes Fantásticos"

Artistic Theme

Secundaria General Arqueles Vela

7th Grade

Queretaro

Mexico

High School Students from 10th to 12th grade

Christofer Imannol Duarte Gallardo

"Héroes de la vida real"

Artistic Theme

Cobach I: Lic. Alberto Flores Urbina

12th Grade

Obregon City

Mexico

King Smith

"A Day in the Life of Plastic Bottle"

Artistic Theme

Jasper County High School

11th Grade

Georgia

USA

Yuchi Zhang

"The Decision"

Artistic Theme

Shangai Starriver Bilingual High School

11th Grade

Shangai

China

COMPETITION JURY

Carlos Cortés Navarrete

OSCAR, BAFTA and CAS winner for Best sound on his work in the feature film El sonido del metal (2019) Carlos completed his audio engineering studies at the Recording Workshop in Ohio, USA. He began his career as an engineer touring with different bands throughout the US and his sound design career began working in theater with SAVIA and YOGAMI, which were presented at the Festival de I'Imaginaire in Paris, France.

Dan Zlotnik

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Dan Zlotnik was born in Genova, Italy. He spent his childhood in Buenos Aires Argentina. At the age of 23, he moved to Mexico City. For 10 years he did over 180 shows a year, all around the world with different Pop Artists, Jazz groups, and different kind of musicians and music. He has been a saxophone player, producer and arranger for over 200CDs, six of Those CDs won Latin American Grammys, and 3 won the American Grammy. He has worked as a film and tv composer in HBO and Netflix, Amazon, and many movies. In 2016 he was nominated for the ARIEL award (by the Mexican Film Academy) for the score of The Thin yellow line (produced by Guillermo del Toro) And in his spare time, he composes music for different performances and mapping shows with visual artists and choreographers from the US, Europe, and Japan.

Ricardo Villarreal

Is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. He co-directed and produced the inspiring film “Ride with Larry” and directed “The Dominguez”, a documentary about one family who shaped the history of California. He wrote and self-published the book “Gracias África” about his experiences as an international humanitarian-aid volunteer in the slums of Kibera in Kenya. He is an avid literature reader passionate about historical novels, classic literature, and Latin American contemporary works. He studied Communication Sciences at Tec de Monterrey in Mexico and has an MBA from the University of Tampa. He lives in Oceanside California.

Brenda Lorenzi 

Brenda Lorenzi is co-owner of Sunwest publishers of Inland Empire Magazine, a nationally recognized regional magazine serving the Inland Empire now in its 43rd year of publishing and Tastes Of Italia Magazine, a recipe oriented food magazine distributed nationally and internationally.

Brenda is also co-owner of Lorenzi Estate Wines which opened a tasting room in Temecula wine country in November of 2013.

Albert Lee

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Cinema Culturas’ media specialist, is a professional videographer and photographer who has focused on honing his visual aesthetic acuity. Having participated in the casting process of models/actors, storyboarding, editing and other production areas, he has the full range of experience in pre-production, production, and post-production for video and photography. One of Albert Lee’s specialties is video and photography lighting: both constant and strobe, both daylight and artificial.