ME MiRaS

When a lonely romantic meets a stranger no one else can see, their connection blurs the line between desire and something far more real.

  • Set over the course of a single night in a Mexican cowboy bar, Me Miras unfolds in a space where performance and vulnerability collide. Beneath the music, the flashing lights, and the ritual of desire, there’s a quieter search happening, the need to be seen for who you truly are.

    As the night deepens, the line between reality and something more otherworldly begins to blur, transforming a fleeting encounter into something that’ll last forever.

  • Me Miras is a story about the difference between being desired and being truly seen. Through a blend of grounded realism and subtle magical elements, the film captures the intimacy of queer nightlife while exploring the emotional weight beneath it.

    Visually, the film lives in contrast. Cool and warm, shadow and light, mirroring the tension between surface-level attraction and deeper connection. We want the audience to feel like they’ve stepped into a memory: fleeting, electric, and just out of reach.

  • Me Miras is led by writer-director Manuel Villarreal, an AFI-trained filmmaker whose work explores grief and identity through magical realism. He’s joined by a team of collaborators committed to capturing the film’s emotional truth.

    Together, we’re creating a film rooted in queer Latino experience while reaching for something universal, the desire to be seen.

    This project is supported by the NewFest + Concord Originals Sound + Scene program, which has provided initial funding and music rights for the film.
Support the film directly (non tax-deductible)

“Me Miras” is fiscally sponsored by Level Ground, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations made through Level Ground are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.

Please reach out directly for more information on supporting the film.

Featuring

“Todos Me Miran”

An anthem of visibility for the Latino Queer community. Gloria Trevi’s iconic song pulls Valentín into the rhythm of the night, no longer watching, but taking up space.

Music provided through our partnership with Concord.

Song

Meet the Team

  • Manuel Villarreal

    WRITER-DIRECTOR

    Manuel Villarreal is an award-winning queer, first-generation Mexican-American writer and director. His short film Deep Dish Dimples, created through Film Independent’s Project Involve, premiered at the 2025 Slamdance Film Festival. His AFI thesis film, La Bruja, has screened at over 20 festivals across the country and won the Audience Award at the Hola Mexico Film Festival. In 2024, he directed El Colibri as part of the mitú x Walmart Filmmaking Mentorship Program, which has reached over 30,000 views on YouTube. Through his work, Villarreal weaves Latinx and LGBTQ+ narratives to remind audiences of the enduring power of magic.

  • Evelyn Angelica Martinez

    PRODUCER

    Evelyn Angelica Martinez (she/her) is a queer first-gen Mexican-American producer based from Los Angeles. Her narrative focus is on heartfelt stories that intertwine with the surreal and fantastical featuring LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities. She is a 2024 PGA Create Fellow, a 2022 Women In Film Mentee (Producing Track), and a 2021 Film Independent Project Involve Producing Fellow. Her projects have received support from the SFFILM Rainin Grant, Latino Public Broadcasting, and the Latino Film Institute. She has also produced content for clients such as Apple, Interscope, Warner Records, and TikTok.

  • Mon CastrO

    PRODUCER

    Mon Castro is an award-winning Mexican filmmaker based in Los Angeles, After earning her MFA at the American Film Institute Conservatory, she has produced numerous narrative films and music videos, including Yugo BAFTA Longlisted and Imagen Foundation Award Nominee BAJO LA TIERRA; Owen Roizman ASC Winner IM FINSTERN; and Spotlight Dorado Finalist CUANDO VOLVIMOS A LA TIERRA, Most recently, she coproduced the feature film ME, AFTER YOU, set to release next year. Mon holds a special affinity for all things horror, genre and camp. She is also interested in feminism, LGBTQIA+ stories, animals, and changing her hair color.

  • Edward Enriquez-Cohen

    PRODUCER

    Edward Enriquez-Cohen is a Latino/e LGBTQ+ producer, actor, publicist, and activist, and the Founder and CEO of Olive Productions and Publicity. His producing credits include the award-winning shorts Bibi and El Tesoro, both starring Oscar nominee Adriana Barraza. In publicity, he has supported the career of prominent and rising talent Latino/e talent such as Barraza, Patricia Riggen, Dolores Huerta and our filmmaker Manuel Villarreal. He has served as Talent Producer for NALIP's annual summit among others. As a survivor and advocate to stand against domestic violence for all, his passion is to be a voice for all who have suffered in silence within the LGBTQIA communities.

  • Alan Luna

    CASTING DIRECTOR

    Alan Luna is a Casting Director and Producer for television and film in live action and animation. His recent credits include "The Long Game" premiering at SXSW, winning the Narrative Spotlight Audience Award and premiering #1 on Netflix on its opening weekend, "Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" premiering at TIFF, which was produced by Lin Manuel Miranda, Eugenio Derbez and Kyra Sedgwick, "Jenni" a musical biopic about Jenni Rivera, the horror film "Rosario" directed by Film Independent Project Involve and USC alum Felipe Vargas in his feature debut.

  • Eli Cooper

    CINEMATOGRAPHER

    Eli Cooper is a Los Angeles-based cinematographer. Originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, he grew up surrounded by free spirits, delicious food and a tight-knit community. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cinematography at Columbia College Chicago. After graduating from Columbia, he moved to Los Angeles where he received his MFA in Cinematography from AFI (American Film Institute).

  • Georgina Gutierrez

    PRODUCTION DESIGNER

    Georgina Gutierrez is a production designer from El Paso, Texas, with a background in architecture and an MFA in Production Design from the American Film Institute. She believes in using design as a tool to evoke emotion and deepen audience connection. Her recent work on La Bruja earned her Best Production Design at the 2024 Burbank International Film Festival, along with two additional nominations.

  • Marco Rosas

    EDITOR

    Marco Rosas is a Mexican-American editor from the Chicagoland area, now based in Los Angeles. With over a decade in post-production, he’s cut everything from commercials and music videos to films and television. His recent credits include HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty and Sender — a feature film produced by Jamie Lee Curtis. His short films An Almost Successful Dating App Love Story premiered at Sundance, while Iron Lung earned a Grand Jury Prize at Slamdance.

  • Juan Carlos Enriquez

    COMPOSER

    Juan Carlos Enriquez is a multi-instrumentalist composer from Guadalajara, Mexico. He is a three-time CLIO award-winner, two-time Hollywood Music In Media Awards (HMMA) nominated composer, and a selected participant of the prestigious Recording Academy's "GRAMMY Next" Program. In addition, Juan Carlos has composed additional music for Golden Globe and BAFTA nominated projects.