José María Cabral
- Writer
- Director
- Producer
José María Cabral is a Dominican film director and producer recognized for his bold, socially-charged storytelling and his distinctive voice within Caribbean cinema. He began his filmmaking journey at just 18, quickly gaining acclaim for his unflinching approach to political and historical themes. In 2017, Cabral became the first Dominican filmmaker to enter the Sundance Film Festival with his breakout film Carpinteros (Woodpeckers), which earned multiple international awards and cemented his reputation as a visionary voice in Latin American cinema.
His films often confront uncomfortable historical truths and contemporary injustices, balancing emotional intimacy with political urgency. In 2021, his period drama Hotel Coppelia-which portrays the lives of sex workers during the 1965 Dominican civil war and U.S. intervention-premiered on HBO Max, further expanding his global reach. In 2022, he won the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival for Parsley, a poignant retelling of the 1937 Haitian massacre orchestrated by dictator Rafael Trujillo. Most recently, in 2025, Cabral premiered La 42 at SXSW-a groundbreaking doc-drama that captures the heart, rhythm, and resistance of one of Santo Domingo's most misunderstood neighborhoods-earning rave reviews for its hybrid form and authenticity.
His films often confront uncomfortable historical truths and contemporary injustices, balancing emotional intimacy with political urgency. In 2021, his period drama Hotel Coppelia-which portrays the lives of sex workers during the 1965 Dominican civil war and U.S. intervention-premiered on HBO Max, further expanding his global reach. In 2022, he won the Audience Award at the Miami Film Festival for Parsley, a poignant retelling of the 1937 Haitian massacre orchestrated by dictator Rafael Trujillo. Most recently, in 2025, Cabral premiered La 42 at SXSW-a groundbreaking doc-drama that captures the heart, rhythm, and resistance of one of Santo Domingo's most misunderstood neighborhoods-earning rave reviews for its hybrid form and authenticity.
