Manuel Villarreal is a queer, first-generation Mexican-American writer and director based in Los Angeles. His short film, Deep Dish Dimples, starring Angelica Ross (Pose) and Brian Michael Smith (9-1-1: Lone Star), is set to make its world premiere at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival.

In 2024, Villarreal was one of four filmmakers chosen for the mitú x Walmart Filmmaking Mentorship Program. With the support of the program, he wrote and directed El Colibri, which has since amassed over 30,000 views on YouTube. He was also selected for Film Independent’s Project Involve Directing Fellowship.

With an MFA in Directing from the AFI Conservatory, Villarreal is passionate about exploring grief through a fantastical lens, often using magical realism to tell Latinx and LGBTQ+ stories. He hopes his work helps audiences believe in magic again, because there’s nothing like the power of a story.