The little artist after re-performing an entire Solid Gold routine. They would’ve pursued dancing lessons if it had been an affordable option for her mom. Age: 4 years old and counting. Watch out mundo!
BIO
Adelina Anthony (she/they), originally from the Payaya Territories (San Antonio, TX), is a critically acclaimed Two Spirit, genderqueer, Xicana/x, lesbian feminist artist whose entire artistic trajectory of twenty-five years has centered characters/stories from Xicana Indigenous Lesbians, Two Spirits, LGBTQ+, Womxn of Color, and other historically aggrieved communities. Prior to embracing filmmaking, Adelina was known as a prolific theater artist/producer and solo performer (twice nominated for the Herb Alpert Award in Theatre).
They shifted most of their artistic energy to independent filmmaking in 2012. That year, along with Marisa Becerra, they co-founded AdeRisa Productions. The independent company has been a vehicle for Adelina and other collaborators to grow artistically as filmmakers/ screenwriters/ artists. (Several works have been funded by the Latino Public Broadcasting and streamed as part of the PBS Online Film Festival.) Since the company’s inception, they have devised and implemented a holistic production work-model, which includes bringing a spiritual elder onto set: nancy Chargualaf martin.
Adelina’s first short film as a writer-director, Forgiving Heart, premiered at the Outfest Fusion Gala Film Festival in 2013. Since then, her award-winning short screenplays include You’re Dead to Me (2013), Get the Life (2016), Amigas with Benefits (2017/director), Ode to Pablo (2019/director) and The Daily War (2021). Her first feature film, Bruising for Besos (2016/director), premiered at Frameline, and found audiences internationally and on the university circuit. In 2019 they also directed the short films, Guarding Santos (written by Marisa Becerra) and La Serenata (written by Ernesto Javier Martínez). La Serenata won the Official Latino Film and ARTS Festival’s the HBO Latinx Short Film Competition. (She has co-written the feature film length version with EJM). They are currently in pre-production for La Serenata feature film and will be in production in 2024.
Adelina is a fellow of Film Independent’s Project Involve (Screenwriting), participated in the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Intensive, a fellow of the Arts Matter Foundation, and a three-time Imagen Award winner in the short film category (as writer, writer/director, and director). They were selected as a 2021 HBO Pa’Lante Promise/ Warner Media OneFifty Artist.
Adelina continues to create original works, mentor artists, and commits to meaningful collaborations with fellow artists in film and other genres. She acknowledges all of her teachers along her journey, especially Prof. Patrick Kelly, Cora Cardona, Cherríe L. Moraga, Celia Herrera Rodriguez, Ruth Atkinson and nancy Chargualaf martin.
Regardless of genre or medium, the artistic works created by Adelina are always presented as “offerings.” Adelina, ever grateful for the sacrifices of their ancestors, especially those made by her mother, holds this indigenous tenet close to their art praxis: STORY IS MEDICINE.