Akiva Penaloza is a lesbian woman of color specializing in dramedies about queer life in the 21st Century. After a distinguished 13-year career in publishing, Penaloza rebooted and returned to her love of film. She attended the American Film Institute (AFI), where, as a Screenwriting Fellow, she studied with Oscar Nominee Anna Thomas (Frida, El Norte.) She was chosen, by Oscar Winner Diane Keaton, to receive a $10,000 scholarship. Her short, Shelia Bloom, is considered by AFI as a benchmark for achievement in screenwriting.

Straight out of AFI, she wrote and directed her first film, La Chiva, winning $10,000 from Mercury Latino Lens. The Mexican-themed film won Best Short at the Long Island, Miami and Boston International Film Festivals. By popular vote and an esteemed judging panel, La Chiva earned a screening on Channel 13_x0019_s Reel 13 shorts program. She was then named a Fellow for the Urban Artist Initiative in New York City.



Her script, Hannah Henri, was an official selectee of the Tribeca F