Mariah Barrera (she/her) is a Mexican-American filmmaker and writer born and raised in Michigan. She is based in New York City as a first- generation student at Columbia University. Her films have been shown at film festivals such as Urbanworld, Cleveland International Film Festival, and DOC NYC and highlighted by NowThis, Stylecaster, The Washington Post, Women Make Movies, and Adobe Gen Create. Mariah’s films aim to amplify themes of social justice and equity, drawing from her family’s & communities’ experiences in the urban Midwest. Using these stories, she is passionate about bridging the gap between narrative and documentary through poetry. Currently, she is exhibiting her film Still Here (2023), which follows three brothers affected by violence, poverty, and prison.