Marissa Velez is an award-winning Director and Creative Producer living in Brooklyn, NY. Born in Miami, Florida to Puerto Rican parents, she was raised on a steady diet of movie-going and travel—experiences that continue to shape her storytelling today. Her films have premiered at top festivals, including Tribeca, Milan, and New York, and are known for their visually compelling storytelling. Drawing inspiration from 1960s and ’70s cinema, she often shoots on 16mm and 35mm film to craft rich, nostalgic visuals.

Her latest short film, PANTIES (2024), has received multiple festival awards and was featured on platforms like Director’s Library and Nowness, further cementing her reputation for exploring themes of identity and community through a bold cinematic lens. Earlier in her career, her short films Why Can’t We Get Along (2018) and Time of Day (2018) earned critical praise for their distinctive storytelling and visual approach.

Currently, Marissa has multiple projects in development, including Birds of Paradise, a dramedy set in Staten Island, and a period drama set in Puerto Rico. Her work is driven by a deep love for place, culture, and the complexities of human connection, always seeking to capture the beauty and contradictions of the world around her.