Biography

As a director, writer, and producer, Hugo Perez's career has straddled documentary, narrative and branded storytelling. Perez most recently wrote and directed "Omara", a feature documentary on Afro-Cuban music icon Omara Portuondo (PBS 2025 broadcast.) Perez produced the feature documentary "Once Upon a Time in Uganda", a SxSW competition documentary which premiered theatrically in 2023. Perez recently served as writer on John Leguizamo's national PBS series "American Historia", and a director for PBS Kids "Alma's Way: My Way" live action broadcast shorts. Perez served as Editor and Co-Writer for Elliot Page and Ian Daniel's feature documentary directorial debut "There's Something in the Water" which world premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, and was released on Netflix in 2020. Perez also served as Editor, Co-Producer, and Co-Writer on the feature documentary "Island of Baseball" on Cuba's role in integrating Major League Baseball. Perez is in production on a feature documentary on Latino icon Ricardo Montalban with support from Latino Public Broadcasting. Perez was the recipient of the prestigious 2009 Estela Award for Documentary Filmmaking presented by NALIP - the National Association of Latino Independent Producers.

Perez was the recipient of the prestigious Rockefeller Foundation/Tribeca Film Institute Emerging Artist Fellowship in support of his feature screenplay "Immaculate Conception". Perez' short film "Betty La Flaca" was the winner of the HBO/NYILFF Short Film Award and was broadcast across the HBO networks. Perez previous short film "Julieta y Ramon" was broadcast as part of the Showtime Latino Filmmaker Showcase, which spotlights the work of emerging Latino directors. Perez' short film "Seed" was part of ITVS/PBS groundbreaking original online science fiction series FutureStates. Perez has studied storytelling with Gabriel Garcia Marquez, collaborated with Pulitzer prize-winning novelist William Kennedy, and served as a guest artist for acclaimed theater director and artist Robert Wilson.

Perez is Producer, Director, and Co-Editor of "Neither Memory Nor Magic" a feature documentary that explores the life, work, and legacy of the Hungarian poet Miklos Radnoti who died in 1944 during the Holocaust. The film is narrated by the Academy-Award Nominated® Patricia Clarkson and celebrated actor Viggo Mortensen. "Neither Memory Nor Magic" is the recipient of a 2010 NEH Chairman's Grant. Perez is also the Producer and Director of the PBS documentary "Summer Sun Winter Moon" about a musical collaboration looking at American History from the perspective of the Blackfeet Indian tribe. Perez served as Executive Producer and Co-Writer of Rodrigo Reyes feature documentary "Purgatorio" - a poetic and philosophical journey along the U.S. border with Mexico that was the recipient of a post-production grant from ImCine, the Mexican Ministry of Film.
- IMDb mini biography by: Hugo Perez