Desi del Valle
Desi del Valle is an actor who came to filmmaking due to a lack of Latina lesbian images on screen. Since the release of her 1994 short, Cruel, Desi has appeared in dozens of LGBT films including Marta Balletbo's Costa Brava, Mary Guzman's Desi's Looking for a New Girl, and Heidi Arnesen's Some Prefer Cake. In addition to furthering the positive portrayal of Latina's on screen, Desi has also sought to further the visibility of transgender persons as demonstrated in her role of "M16" in Jon Moritsugu's cult classic, Mod-Fuck Explosion, and her work with director Jules Rosskam (transparent, F. Scott Fitzgerald Slept Here, Against A Trans Narrative). With over 14 years' experience in non-profit film distribution (Women Make Movies, Frameline, Third World Newsreel), Desi has served as a consultant to countless filmmakers, and has been a juror/screening committee member for the San Francisco International Film Festival, image+nation (Montreal), and NewFest. She currently self-distributes her second short film, Back to Life.