Gerardo Coello Escalante

Gerardo Coello Escalante is a Mexican filmmaker whose short Viaje de Negocios (Business Trip) premiered at Sundance in 2024 and went on to Palm Springs ShortFest, Morelia and LALIFF. He shot it at the Mexico City school he attended as a child, casting mostly students and teachers, and said he wanted to avoid the most tragic portrayals of life in Mexico. He codirected his next short, Susana, with producer and cowriter Amandine Thomas; it also premiered at Sundance. Shot over five days in Mexico City with natural light and a small crew, Susana follows an older American tourist and questions gentrification. The pair are developing two features.