Award-winning screenwriter and director from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Her feature work includes Summer of Three, which she co-wrote and which premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Festival, receiving awards for Best Screenplay and Best Performance in the U.S. Narrative Competition. Her short film En Duda Siempre a la Izquierda was recognized at the Puerto Rico Queer Film Fest with awards for Best Short Film, Best Director, and Best Performance.

Exploring culture, language, gender, and the relationships between people and places, her work is grounded in character-driven storytelling. Her screenplay Poor Animals was named a Quarterfinalist at the Manchester Film Festival and was an Official Selection at the Paramount Film Festival, as well as at the Orlando and Napoli Film Festivals.

Mariana holds an M.A. in Cinema Studies from the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Filmmaking from Columbia College Chicago.