Sebastián Rea is an Ecuadorian-American writer and director from New York City. As a queer, Indigenous, Latino immigrant, his stories provide unique perspectives of intersectionality and identity. His work is influenced by his Ecuadorian and Kichwa roots, creating a fusion of  modern folklore. In 2022, his short film HERITAGE received the Indigenous Inclusion Fellowship Grant sponsored by Netflix and the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. He was also selected as a Notable Writer at the Outfest Screenwriting Lab with the pilot version of “Heritage”. His previous short films, RUTA VIVA won best short at the New York Latino Film Festival and was licensed by HBO. And SKIN can be streamed on HereTV.

After studying cinema and political science at SUNY Purchase, he served as content manager for Tribeca Enterprises for 7 years, overseeing digital content across the festival and on-demand platforms. His award winning work has been recognized by the Industry Academy and Artist Academy at Film at Lincoln Center, the IFP No Borders Lab, The Council of Urban Professionals, and The Aspen Ideas Fellowship. Always giving back to the community, he is co-founder of Diversity & Inclusion Film Festival, which screens films from diverse filmmakers. He is a mentor for the Smithsonian Institute Latino Center's Young Ambassador Program. He volunteers his skills shooting documentaries for relief missions in cities affected by natural disasters or poverty.

Recently, he was personal assistant to director Jason Moore on SHOTGUN WEDDING (2023). Currently, he is the personal production assistant to Jennifer Lopez at Nuyorican Productions in Los Angeles. He has worked on THE MOTHER, ATLAS, THIS IS ME…NOW: THE FILM, and UNSTOPPABLE: THE ANTHONY ROBLES STORY .

Netflix & LALIFF’s The Indigenous Inclusion Grant: https://deadline.com/2021/12/laliff-latinx-inclusion-fellowship-cohorts-1234890578/

The Outfest Screenwriting Lab: https://deadline.com/2022/12/outfest-names-2022-screenwriting-lab-fellows-1235188015/