Curriculum Vitae
Agustín Cruz
(he/him/his)
Chicano Cinema • Filmmaker • Programmer • Film Critic
I am an undergraduate at U.C. Berkeley where I’m majoring in Ethnic Studies and have been awarded a research fellowship by the Latinx Research Center (LRC). I have the unique opportunity to conduct my own research on Xicane and decolonial cinemas, with the mentorship of a faculty member and Chair of the LRC, Dr. Laura E. Pérez. My electives were all courses in the Film and Media Studies department. I have completed all my required coursework and moved back home to Los Angeles (Echo Park) where I am focusing on field work, the final component required for my degree. I have two objectives for my field work: to gain hands-on production experience, and to launch a decolonial cinematheque.
Education
University of California, Berkeley
Bachelor of Arts - Chicanx Latinx Studies • Spring 2025 (Expected) • GPA: 4.0 (major), 3.73 (cummulative)
Relevant Coursework: Chicana Feminist Writers and Discourse, Mexican and Chicano Art History, Spirituality as Resistance: The Politics of Day of the Dead in meXicana/o Art Practice and Culture, Navigating Cal: Social Capital Theory in Action; Chicanx and Latinx Film Since 1990; Black Film and Visual Culture, Humanities Methods in Ethnic Studies, Video Projects, Film & Media Theory.
Los Angeles City College
Associate in Arts - Liberal Arts: Arts & Humanities, Summa Cum Laude • June 2021 • GPA 3.96
Relevant Coursework: The Mexican American in the History of the United States, The Mexican American in Contemporary Society, Mexican Art-Modern, The Chicana/o and Latina/o in Schools, Mexican Civilization, Beginning Motion Picture Workshop, Media Aesthetics and Design for Film and Digital Media, History of Motion Pictures, History of Documentary Film.
GRANTS & HONORS
Norma Alarcón Award for Superior Contributions to the Humanities, UC Berkeley (2024)
Faculty Mentored Undergraduate Research Fellow, Latinx Research Center (2022-2023)
Dean’s List, UC Berkeley (Fall 2022)
Honors, UC Berkeley (Fall 2022)
President’s Honor List, Los Angeles City College (June 2021)
NavCal Fellowship (Fall 2021)
Student Support Services Scholar (TRiO) (2021-Present)
William Henry Snyder Scholarship (2020-2021)
Douglass Blasdell Outreach Scholarship (2020-2021)
Ralph Bunche Scholar (2020-2021)
Wells Fargo Scholar (2020-2021)
President’s Honors, Los Angeles City College (Spring 2021)
Full-Time Dean’s Honor List, Los Angeles City College (2020-2021)
RESEARCH INTERESTS
• Rēvisioning the Archive
• Hidden Messages of Rēsistance in Film
• Popular Culture of 1990s
• Indigenous and Mesoamerican Ontology
• Xicane Cinema
• New Queer Cinema
• Oppositional Gazes
• Chicana/Xicane Visual Culture
LEADERSHIP AND VOLUNTEER WORK
Wachale Cineteca
Founder • January 2023-Present
Plan and document the launch of a decolonial cinematheque which can be replicated in various sites. Host a weekly film series where members are treated to lectures and film screenings about topics such as: Cinema of Rēsistance; Anti-Mexican Tropes in Mass Media; New Queer Cinema; The Colonial Gaze; Cholx Epistemology; We Are Not a Monolith: When Panlatinidad Falls Flat; New Mestiza Consciousness in Film and Television. Provide a safe third space for people to exchange and produce knowledge. Produce texts (e.g., films, research, essays, artworks) and make them accessible to marginalized communities.
Cine+Mas: San Francisco Latino Film Festival
Volunteer Programming Screener/Reviewer • June 2024-Present
Screen and review 50 film submissions for the 2024 season. Analyze and write thoughtful and thorough reviews of each film. Recommend programming blocks based on film submissions.
Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival
Programming Intern • March 2021-March 2022
Launched online platform for 2021 festival season in compliance with covid measures. Support programming department in reviewing and organizing film submissions. Manage digital screenings, virtual catalog, and native site during festival dates.
Ralph Bunche Scholars
Fellow • 2019-2021
Took more rigorous coursework at Los Angeles City College, received mentorship from RBS professors, produced honors projects and research papers for each course. My favorite project involved producing a podcast episode that traced Xicane art history beyond the 1970s and instead connected it to the Pre-Classical Period in Mesoamerica (1,500 BCE).
Outfest
Volunteer, Theater Operations • 2010-2013
Supported theater operations and hospitality teams at the primary venue in Hollywood. Ushered guests to their seats; coordinated set-up and tear-down of conference and banquet furniture between each screening; passed drinks and tended bar; and filled in anytime either team was short on staff.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Latinx Research Center at UC Berkeley
Film Director • August 2023-June 2024
Led a team in the documentation of programmed academic events which involved filming, capturing sound, lighting, editing footage, scheduling team, and training.
Morgan Publicity
Creative Director • Apr 2018-Dec 2020
Collaborated with the publicity department and the agency's roster of clients to align marketing strategies with public relations initiatives. Designed content, style guides, and websites to increase earned media results.
Visit Pasadena [Pasadena Convention and Visitors Bureau]
Senior Manager, Creative Services and Marketing • May 2015-Apr 2018
Led creative services department with the goal of increasing visitation to Pasadena, California. Produced still photography and video, designed advertisements, and managed website content.
LANGUAGES
English
Native proficiency
Spanish
Advanced competence
Spanglish
Native proficiency
Nahuatl
Beginner competence