Carlos Rafael Betancourt

Cuban filmmaker and AFI Directing Alum based in Los Angeles. Stylized Visuals, Magical Realism, Nature and Social Drama intertwine in my work, like jigsaw puzzles combining pieces from different boxes. Together with Oscar Ernesto Ortega, we created EL CENTRAL, one of the first production companies in Cuba, with award winning titles like “La Isla de Corcho”, winner of the Ibero-American contest CINERGIA, NYCIFF and IFQ Festival in the US. In 2012, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue graduate studies in film, becoming the first Cuban Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute. Our AFI Thesis Film, “Running Shadow” played at NALIP, Skins Fest, Red Nation Film Festival, Catalina Film Festival, Worldfest Houston, LA Diversity Film Festival, among others. After graduating AFI, I joined forces with Oscar Ernesto to write and direct our first feature film, “The Last Rafter”, a very personal story that mines from our immigrant experience. The film had a successful festival run from the Miami Film Festival, LALIFF, NYLFF, Dallas International, Boston Latino, Seattle Latino, St. Louis International, Oklahoma Latino, San Fransisco Latino and Santa Fe Independent Film Festival, landing on HBO Max for distribution. Our new feature film "Borrowed" produced by Tony, Emmy and Pulitzer Prize Winners Jim Kierstead and William Fernandez, starring Jonathan Del Arco (Star Trek, Major Crimes) and Hector Medina (The Last Rafter, Viva). Borrowed premiered at the Miami International Film Festival and was selected for the Sundance Latino Filmmaker Network Distribution Program.