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As a student going from class to class on the San Benito High School campus, Eugenia Renteria could not yet envision the profession she would be deeply immersed in several years later.
Renteria was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and moved to California when she was 12 years old.
“I migrated to Hollister as a teenager. When I was a student at San Benito High School, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew my parents would want me to attend college,” she said in a recent BenitoLink interview.
“Once I was at CSU Monterey Bay, I discovered the film department and fell in love with it.” Renteria graduated with a B.A. in Cinematic Arts & Technology.
“I now own a production company, Inspira Studios, in Watsonville, where I produce content for the Central Coast and beyond,” she said. Renteria has helped produce many local and community projects, including some for BenitoLink.
Interested in creating films about her part of the world, she recently wrote and directed “Amor en Cuarentena,” “Strawberry Picker,” and the award-winning documentary “Tierra Fértil.”
Renteria’s work has since been showcased at San Diego Latino Film Festival, San Francisco Latino Film Festival, Official Latino, and ShortsMexico. She was an inaugural fellow for the Watsonville Film Festival’s Cine Se Puede Fellowship and is an inaugural PBS Ignite Mentorship Program mentee.
The film that got her nominated for the Imagen Awards is an episode she produced in “Sound Field” for the Public Broadcasting Service exploring Sierreño music through the work of Gen Z musicians. The segment introduces the viewer to young Latino musicians and a style of music that seems new and fresh but also harks to the past.
Renteria said, “Working on the Sierreño episode for Sound Field PBS was an incredible experience and opportunity,” she said. “I was able to highlight a genre of music that I grew up listening to while showcasing how younger Mexican-Americans are evolving this music.”
She noted that her family, friends, and community “have been instrumental in helping me achieve my goals. The filmmakers I get to collaborate with make working in this field a fun and rewarding experience.
“I am excited to continue producing projects that reflect my community’s experiences,” Renteria said. “I’m currently working on a few documentaries and aspire to produce more narrative films in the future.”
The Imagen Awards Ceremony, which recognizes an array of Latino talent with groundbreaking performances, storytelling and powerful diverse programs, takes place on Sunday, Sept. 8, at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles.
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