In 2024, mitú | Walmart launched the second season of their Filmmaker Mentorship Program. In addition to $50,000 in funding, the program gave four amazing creatives the chance to tell their stories through short films.

Four Latino filmmakers — Matthew Serrano, Kaila Gutierrez, Manuel Villarreal, and Sofia Ayerdi — got their shot at being mentored by mitú | Walmart to produce, direct, and bring their deeply personal stories to life, using the program as a launchpad in their careers.

Now, a year later, we’re catching up with them as their films have traveled to festivals, sparked meaningful conversations, and opened new doors in the industry. Here’s where they are now.

Matthew Serrano

Los Angeles-based director Matthew Serrano has always been fascinated by storytelling. A first-generation Salvadorian American, his passion for making films started after a middle school trip to Universal Studios. Years later, his viral documentaries on theme parks caught online attention, eventually leading him to mitú | Walmart Filmmaker Mentorship Program.

With the program’s support, Matthew directed Pick One, a heartfelt short film inspired by a childhood experience of having to identify a “race” on a standardized test.

“As a biracial Latino kid, that moment left me confused and questioning if I was ‘enough’ of either side of my identity,” he shares. “I wanted to capture that feeling in a story that was both funny and heartfelt, so other kids (and adults) who’ve felt the same way can know they’re not alone. My hope is that audiences walk away feeling seen and reminded that no box or form can ever define who they truly are.”

Through the mentorship, he learned to take something deeply personal and craft it into a universal story that still resonates with audiences today.

“Having the support of mitú and Walmart gave me access to resources and mentorship that elevated my vision far beyond what I could have pulled off alone,” he adds. “From production design to casting, every detail got stronger because of the guidance and resources I received. The program pushed me to become a much stronger filmmaker overall, but especially a much stronger director.”

Now, he’s giving back as a filmmaking mentor at the Youth Cinema Project, teaching students across Los Angeles to tell their own stories. Looking ahead, he’s determined to keep centering identity and culture in his work.

“I hope this film resonates most with kids who’ve ever struggled to feel like they belong to just one group, culture, or identity,” he says. “I want them to see themselves on screen and know that they’re not alone, and that being “in between” is actually a strength. I hope the film sparks conversations in families, classrooms, and communities about how identity is more than a checkbox—it’s layered, personal, and worth celebrating.”

Kaila Gutierrez

Abuelas live in our hearts forever, and Kaila Gutierrez knows this all too well. A writer and director from the Coachella Valley, mitú | Walmart program offered her a chance to honor her family uniquely. Her short film, Nana Carmen, was based on a childhood memory of her grandmother babysitting her despite them not sharing a common language.

“Looking back, I understand why that memory stuck with me,” she explains. “Despite the language barrier, my nana did her best to connect with me, and it’s special to have that moment live on through this film.”

Nana Carmen went on to make waves, premiering at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival, and becoming an audience award finalist at the Oscar-qualifying New York International Children’s Film Festival. Gutierrez also earned the Best Director award at the Mexican American Film & Television Awards, cementing her as a fresh voice in the Latino community. It also premiered at Bentonville Film Festival sponsored by Walmart.

She says the mentorship process taught her to trust her instincts. “Because the program moved so quickly, I had to really trust myself. As someone who tends to overthink everything, that was a gift.”

Even more, with the gift and the program learnings, doors have opened for her that she could never have imagined.

“Since this program, I’ve actually already made another film. I just finished High Beam, a short I made through the LFI Inclusion Program sponsored by the Netflix Creative Fund. The mitú | Walmart  mentorship has opened up doors for me to not only make more films, but it has also given me the confidence to push my creativity further,” she says. “It also gave me the courage to take on bigger projects. High Beam is a sports drama set in the world of gymnastics, so now I even have sports and stunts under my belt. I’m excited to keep growing, and remind myself that this is a fun job I get to do, so I’m gonna have some fun with it.”

Manuel Villarreal

For Manuel Villarreal, storytelling has always been about balancing grief and magic. A queer, first-generation Mexican American director with an MFA from the AFI Conservatory, he’s built a reputation for films that weave fantastical elements into deeply human stories.

During his time at the mentorship program, he directed El Colibrí, a short film inspired by the loss of his aunt Olga, which participated in the Bentonville film festival.

“My aunt Olga died when I was very young, and a lot of my films explore grief through the point of view of a child,” Villarreal shares. “El Colibrí is my way of exploring that theme through an object and how the repairing of the object brings a community together. At the end of the day, I want to leave my audiences better off than how they came in.”

The program allowed him to refine his creative process while working in a fast-paced professional setting.

“It was an interesting experience because I’d never worked with a client before, so having feedback on the creative process from two entities was quite the learning experience. I also felt that the speed of the program was a blessing in disguise in many ways because I didn’t have the double-edged sword of overthinking everything,” he says. “It was go, go, go! Mitú offered a lot of resources that set us up for success. From the equipment they loaned to the mentors they enlisted to help us achieve our visions, it was a journey that felt guided – which is what these mentorships are meant to do.”

El Colibrí has since amassed over 30,000 views on YouTube, while Manuel’s newest short, Deep Dish Dimples, starring Angelica Ross and Brian Michael Smith, premiered at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival. He also earned a spot in the Film Independent’s prestigious Project Involve Directing Fellowship.

“I’d like to show people outside my culture that Latinos are not a monolith. Our cultures are different depending on where we’re from and how we were brought up,” he says.

Sofia Ayerdi

Director Sofia Ayerdi found inspiration for her film Aguamadre in the women of her family. She drew from their diverse life experiences, strength, humor, and sacrifices to show the world through her film that “it’s never too late to rediscover oneself.”

Ayerdi hopes audiences will see their own families reflected in the characters and feel a sense of pride and connection, whether through the shared tenderness, chaos, or laughter.

For her, the mentorship program provided the structure she needed to refine her creative process.

“I knew the tone and feeling I wanted, but not always how to get there. The mentorship gave me structure and guidance that helped me sharpen my storytelling tools,” she says. “Having access to resources and mentors who believed in the vision of Aguamadre gave me the confidence to lean into bold creative choices while staying true to the heart of the story.”

Adding, “I want Latino mothers, daughters, sons, and grandmothers to feel seen in this film. I also hope people outside of our culture connect with the universal themes of family, sacrifice, and love. Ideally, Aguamadre sparks conversations about the strength of matriarchs, the complexities of identity, and the beauty in the little moments that define family life.”

One of the ways in which she took advantage of the mentorship was for her underwater shots.

She says, “I knew they were crucial for the film, but at first they seemed impossible to achieve. Thanks to my team and mentors, what once felt unattainable became a reality.”

In addition to Aguamadre’s success, Ayerdi is an alumna of the Gold Rising Program from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, a fellow of Blackmagic Collective, and part of the Chicana Director’s Initiative and LALIFF and Netflix inclusion Fellowship. Aguamadre also participated in the Bentonville Film Festival.

Creating a lasting impact

From childhood memories to family connections and cultural heritage, Season 2 of the Filmmaker Mentorship Program provided these four artists with the space and support to transform their personal experiences into powerful, universal films.

A year later, they’re charting bold new paths. Their success is proof that when Latino creators are given resources, trust, and opportunities, they don’t just make films—they make history.