Joel Perez Irizarry

Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he developed an interest in photography and visual arts from an early age. As a teenager, he spent most of his free time wandering the streets of Old San Juan with an old film camera, documenting the life of people in the historic city. This passion for visual arts later evolved into a long-lasting interest in how images can communicate in a more powerful and profound way than any other medium.

While studying comparative literature at the University of Puerto Rico, his interest in filmmaking began to grow. This led him to study filmmaking at The London Film School, where he directed several short films, including "Sheepdog," which was shown in several international festivals and won the top prize at Cinefiesta, Puerto Rico's premier film festival.

Since then, his body of work has expanded to include many award-winning commercials - winners at festivals such as Cannes Lions, Clios, and El Ojo Iberoamericano. His commercial work has extended beyond Puerto Rico, directing ads in Los Angeles for the US market and in Mexico for their local market, showcasing his versatility and cross-cultural appeal.

In addition to commercials, he has created music videos and short films. Notable among these are "Tokío," a short film about the struggle of a community being evicted from a Puerto Rican slum, which went on to compete in the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Ícaro, and Cinefiesta. Another significant work is "El Regalo," which not only garnered acclaim and won prizes at various international festivals, but also secured the Best Actor award at the prestigious European Film Festival in Puerto Rico.

He wrote and directed "Colapso," a genre-bending Puerto Rican feature film. This thriller, which marks his debut in feature-length cinema, explores unique aspects of Puerto Rican culture and identity while pushing the boundaries of traditional genre conventions.