Biography

Aric Julian Lopez is a filmmaker from the 805. He's known for his community-oriented approach to collaboration that bridges cultural divides within his Mexican-American heritage through contemporary storytelling. His films have been supported at the American Cinematheque, CAFILM, American Documentary and Animation Film Festival, San Diego Latino Film Festival, and Phoenix Film Festival. He is also an Entrepreneur Fellow at The Gotham Film & Media Institute, supported by NBC Universal.

He started making films at age 16 when, going directionless in his life, he picked up a camera for the first time and became fascinated with the world around him when seen through the barrel of the lens.

Dedicating himself to the love of making films, he attended California State University, Northridge, graduating with a B.A. in Cinema and Television Arts with an emphasis in Screenwriting (2018). From there, he was accepted to USC's School of Cinematic Arts, receiving the prestigious George Lucas Family Foundation Scholarship and Cheech Marin Scholarship in pursuit of his MFA in Film and Television Production (2025).

While at USC, Aric directed "Palmas", one of six documentary projects fully funded by USC’s School of Cinematic Arts in 2024. The film went on to earn the "Best Documentary Short" award at the San Diego Latino Film Festival, the "Collegiate Filmmaker Spotlight Award" at the Burbank International Film Festival, and the "Best Student Documentary Film" at the Glendale International Film Festival. His co-directed documentary, "Compas", also earned the "Best Latinx Short" at the Phoenix Film Festival.
- IMDb mini biography by: Aric Lopez