Camila Vidal is a storyteller. Through her films, photography, and writing, she seeks to create
empathy and make connections between people. Her ultimate goal is to write and direct films
that can emotionally, intellectually, and politically move people.

“My grandma was a big fan of classic Hollywood movies,” Camila says. “I grew up in Perú
watching films like ‘Citizen Kane’ and ‘Casablanca’, and when I was nine years old, I told my
mom that I wanted to be like Steven Spielberg—literally—and from that moment, I have not
stopped chasing the dream of dedicating my life to cinema.”

After graduating from the University of Palermo in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Camila’s pursuit of
her dream is continuing at CalArts, where she is an MFA student in the School of Film/Video in
the Film Directing Program. And while the Institute might physically be far from home,
ideologically, it is very close to her heart.

“My dream was always to come to L.A. because, in Peru, we do not necessarily have a film
industry, but I will come back home to make the films that I want to show the world.” she says. “I was looking for a place with a special approach to storytelling. A space that could allow an
opportunity to find breathing room among the bounds of the urgent issues in the world, and I
have never found another school that can make enough dialogue for that.”

A recipient of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Scholarship, Camila is grateful for the
additional financial and emotional support that it has provided as she pursues her dream. “This
scholarship inspires and motivates me to keep working at what I love and keep improving my
skills to show something meaningful and authentic to the world.”

As a member of the global nonprofit, Free the Work, an organization looking to level the playing
field for creators from around the world, Camila is very in tune with issues of equity and
inclusion. And, as she has grown as an artist and filmmaker, these issues have only become
more of a focal point in her work.

“I’ve started to understand that my goal as a Peruvian and Latinx storyteller is to give access to
the audience,” she says. “To empathize with cultures from developing countries like mine, which
the world isn’t as familiar with.”

While she is already well-established as a director and photographer in Latin America, Camilla
hopes that her experience at CalArts will be able to deepen her understanding of her artistry
and further propel her down the path toward her childhood dream.