Biography

Julie Rubio is an award-winning film director, producer, writer, and actor whose work focuses on uncovering overlooked stories through deeply researched, character-driven filmmaking. She is the founder of East Meets West Productions, established in 2002, and serves as President of Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area, where she is dedicated to empowering women filmmakers and fostering a vibrant creative community.

Rubio most recently wrote, directed, and produced the award-winning feature documentary The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival, which received the Best Documentary Award at the Paris Clown International Film Festival and the Best Cinematography Award at the United Nations Association Film Festival (UNAFF). The feature documentary reexamines the life and legacy of Art Deco icon Tamara de Lempicka. Through years of international archival research, the film uncovered previously unknown evidence surrounding the artist’s origins, Jewish heritage, and identity, reshaping historical understanding of one of the twentieth century’s most important and influential artists.

Premiering to sold-out audiences at the Mill Valley Film Festival, the film became part of the landmark Tamara de Lempicka retrospective at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Since its premiere, it has expanded to more than 300 theatrical, museum, festival, and cultural screenings worldwide, including a nationwide theatrical release at AMC Theatres, Film at Lincoln Center, the New York Jewish Film Festival, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Centre Pompidou Málaga, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Artis Naples Baker Museum, the Polish Museum of America, Peoria Riverfront Museum, the Roxie Theater, Laemmle Theatres, VIFF Centre, New Plaza Cinema, Independent Picture House, and many more. The film has also secured international television and streaming distribution through Canal+ Poland, further expanding its reach across Europe, and is currently in discussions with major streaming platforms for additional worldwide distribution.

As a producer, Rubio is also recognized for the critically acclaimed feature film East Side Sushi, which won 16 film festival awards and received nominations for Cinema Tropical’s Best U.S. Latino Film of the Year and Mexico’s Diosa de Plata Award for Best Picture. The film achieved international distribution through Samuel Goldwyn Films, Sony Home Entertainment, HBO, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.

Her additional directing, writing, and producing credits include Too Perfect, Six Sex Scenes and a Murder, Soledad Is Gone Forever, Oakland B Mine, Del Cielo, Everything Is Temporary, and Impression. Her films have screened at leading festivals and cultural institutions around the world, including Cinequest, the Miami International Film Festival, the Napa Valley Film Festival, CAAMFest, the San Francisco Latino Film Festival, the Los Angeles Film Festival, and the World Film Festival of Bangkok.

In addition to her feature films, Rubio has directed and produced numerous commercials, music videos, branded content, short films, and a wide range of other creative productions, continuing to tell compelling stories across multiple formats and genres.

Through her work, Rubio explores themes of resilience, identity, artistic courage, immigration, survival, and social justice, connecting audiences across Jewish, Polish, Art Deco, fashion, and LGBTQ+ communities while bringing overlooked stories to audiences worldwide.
- IMDb mini biography by: Julie Rubio