Vanessa A. Cruz is a writer-director and documentarian. She is deeply committed to storytelling and social justice. Most recently, her first film, “The Making of a Matriarch,” premiered at Paramount Global in Manhattan (August 2024) & was awarded Best Documentary Film at Reel Works Film Festival at SVA Theatre (Nov. 2024). As a Dominican-American filmmaker, she aspires to tell dramedy, coming-of-age stories that center around Dominican culture & minority experiences. Vanessa is also interested in documenting local New Yorkers & social justice groups; she wants her work to resonate with universal human experiences but hold a special significance for those physically and culturally represented on screen.