NYWIFT Blog

By Itu Phalane

Welcome to NYWIFT, Juanita Umaña!

Juanita Umaña is a filmmaker from Bogotá, Colombia, who divides her time between the Bay Area and the East Coast.

Her films and documentaries explore intimate moments of family life, often with a focus on social commentary. Her autobiographical short film, Before the World Was Big, about her relationship with her mother, was recognized by the Sundance Institute in 2021, earning her a spot in the Adobe x Ignite Fellowship.

In addition to directing and writing, Juanita enjoys working on studio sets and recently assisted on Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another in California’s remote desert.

She has produced and shot short films, documentaries, and music videos in Colombia, Nicaragua, and the U.S., focusing on stories from underrepresented communities and American subcultures. Her goal is to bring these narratives to mainstream cinema.

NYWIFT Member Juanita Umaña

Can you give our readers a short introduction to who you are?

I’m a filmmaker based out of New York City. My Colombian background informs my films and documentaries, which often dive into themes of family bonds and the relationships between multiple generations across cultures.

What brought you to NYWIFT?

One of the producers on my feature, Cecilia R. Mejia, introduced me to NYWIFT when I first moved to New York earlier this year. 

What inspired you to explore themes of family life and social commentary in your films and documentaries?

I’m inspired to tell stories about conflicts I see in my everyday life. Most of that includes familial quarrels and social issues in the United States. 

Juanita on the set of Un Hombre De Integridad.

Could you describe some of the challenges and rewards you encountered while creating your short film, Before the World Was Big? How does the film connect to your home country, Colombia?

Before the World Was Big was made in my senior year of college. Post on that movie aligned with the start of the pandemic, which posed many challenges as we lost access to the facilities at our university as well as our ability to really roll it out at many festivals. The film deals with an immigrant family that is struggling to assimilate into their new economic roles.

How did being recognized by the Sundance Institute and selected as an Adobe x Ignite Fellow impact your creative process?

The Sundance fellowship I received widened my scope of collaborators and peers. That has impacted my creative process in the best way possible. 

Juanita behind the camera.

From your experience working on large projects such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, what skills or insights have you gained that you plan to apply to your future independent films?

Working on a larger scale has allowed me to gain valuable insight as to how something with a large budget operates. I learned the ins and outs of production from working on those shows, and now I take that same level of professionalism on to any size shoot I’m on now. 

Juanita on the set of Volver Otra Vez.

How do you manage your time between writing, directing, and working on set, especially when projects take you to different locations like New York and the Bay Area?

I’m still learning how to manage my own schedule; it’s a work in progress.

Juanita on the set of Something Blues as a cinematographer.

What themes or ideas do you hope to explore in your debut feature film, Amor y Medicina?

In Amor y Medicina I hope to showcase the tight bonds between immigrant parents and their children. It’s an unbreakable, dramatic, and all-encompassing relationship that is rarely explored otherwise, and I really hope to make the film someday in order to see those ideas through.

Connect with Juanita Umana on LinkedIn and her website, and follow her on Instagram at @juanita_umana.

(All images courtesy of Umaña.)