Fernando Arrioja

Fernando Arrioja, a Mexican born Canadian, recently completed his feature film debut BLIND TRUST. Based on real life events, it follows the story of an immigration lawyer who is unwittingly entangled in a money laundering scheme. His short film, A MAN'S STORY, a pivotal depiction of living in exile in the aftermath of war, received national acclaim, having been screened at festivals around the world. It was the winner of the IMPACT award for Best Short Film at the ReelWorld Film Festival. Earning a BFA in Film Direction from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Arrioja is also an alumnus of the prestigious Cineplex Entertainment Film Program, Director’s Lab, at the Norman Jewison’s Canadian Film Centre. As a visual storyteller, Arrioja is committed to creating personal and compelling films that transcend boundaries. For the past two decades, he has travelled the world directing and writing more than several hundred commercials for prominent companies and brands, such as Coke and BMW. Arrioja’s innovative style and universal approach has received many accolades for his work, including, "Best New Talent", Canadian Marketing Awards and "Best Director", ANP Awards. He has been featured in “Leading Image Creators” edition of Mexican Leaders Magazine and is also a founding partner of Émigré Film Mexico. Arrioja is currently in production of feature documentary NACIDOS PARA TRIUNFAR, a touching and exhilarating chronicle about the first Mexican Special Olympics alpine ski team and their journey to compete in the Winter Special Olympics. This is in addition to personal projects in development, including ABBA, a feature portraying how young girls are raised as boys in rural Mexico to avoid sex trafficking and the hidden consequences of an unjust war. An eternal advocate of diversity, human rights, and inclusion, Arrioja is in constant contemplation of the plight of all those in search of their underling identity and purpose of place.