Wesley Rodriguez

Wesley "Wes" Rodriguez is a writer, director, and cinematographer with experience in narrative feature films, commercials, and short films. He is a first-generation Cuban-Guatemalan American born in Hialeah, Florida. Disconnected, his most recent short film about the psychological devastation of Hurricane Maria premiered at the 2018 HBO Presents New York Latino Film Festival in Manhattan. Wes was also awarded an opportunity of a lifetime to work closely with acclaimed director Werner Herzog in Cuba in 2017. During Wes' short stay in Cuba, he co-wrote, directed and shot Palante, a short film about an impoverished Cuban family immigrating to the United States during the economic crisis in the 90s. Palante has garnered multiple accolades from film festivals across the US and abroad, as well as media attention from former Univision reporter Maria Elena Salinas. Wes works part-time as a mentor for the Latino Film Institute's Youth Cinema Project under the guidance of its founder, Edward James Olmos. He can be regularly seen sipping on a cup of Cuban coffee and eating guava and cheese pastelitos.