Dylan Verrechia

Verrechia is from Saint Barthélemy (French Antilles), spending years in hospital due to severe ankylosing spondylitis. He is a Barthélemois French-born Dane, of US citizenship, born in Paris, of Italian, Irish-Breton, Sami-Swedish, and Sephardic Spanish origins. After the national service, Verrechia studied cinema under the direction of Jean Rouch at the Cinémathèque française, graduating from Paris Nanterre University in 1996. He then graduated with honors in Film and TV from New York University Tisch School of the Arts, and obtained his American citizenship in 2004.^[1] Verrechia is the co-founder of Troopers Films (Arakimentari directed by Travis Klose on Nobuyoshi Araki with Björk and Beat Takeshi, Audience Award for Best Documentary at Brooklyn Film Festival), of Palenque Filmaciones (Sangre de mi sangre directed by Christopher Zalla, Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic at Sundance Film Festival), and of 25th Frame (Picture Me directed by Sara Ziff), Audience Award for Best Documentary at Milan International Film Festival).

Verrechia is a director of Mexican cinema,^[8] and his films have won awards at festivals worldwide.^[10] Over a period of twenty years, he directed the Tijuana trilogy:^[11] Tijuana Makes Me Happy won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at Slamdance Film Festival,^[2][12] the Indie Max Award for Best Feature Film at San Antonio Film Festival,^[13] and screened at CECUT Tijuana Cinematheque.^[14] Tierra Madre^[4] won the Jury Honorable Mention for Best Mexican Feature Film at Morelia International Film Festival,^[15] Best Narrative Feature at Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, Diversity Award for Best Feature Film at Barcelona LGTIBQ+ Film Festival,^[16] Outstanding Achievement in Foreign Feature Award at Williamsburg International Film Festival, Cinesul Award for Best Picture at Cinesul Ibero-Americano Film Festival,^[17] Golden Palm for Best Feature Film at Mexico International Film Festival, Honorary Mention at New Jersey Film Festival, and Silver Lei for Best Feature and Excellence in Filmmaking at Honolulu Film Festival.^[18] La Pura Vida was officially selected at Harlem International Film Festival,^[19][20] Festival Mix Mexico,^[21][22][23] and El Ojo Cojo Film Festival,^[24] won Best Mexican Feature at Rosarito International Film Festival,^[25] the Honorable Mention for Best International Narrative Feature at the Williamsburg International Film Festival,^[26] Best Self-Funded Film at Cine Pobre Film Festival, Best Feature Film at Paris Art & Movie Awards,^[27] and Best Film About Women at New York International Women Festival.^[28] His dark fantasy feature film Pégame won Best Mexican Feature at the 2025 Rosarito International Film Festival,^[6] and Runner-Up International Feature Film at the Williamsburg International Film Festival,^[7] officially selected at the Harlem International Film Festival,^[29] and at El Ojo Cojo Film Festival.^[30][31]

Verrechia's documentaries Kumeyaay Land received the 2024 Red Nation Film Award of Excellence for Best Documentary Short at the Red Nation Film Festival,^[32] the Environmental, Social, Economic, Political Justice Award for Indigenous America at Latino & Native American Film Festival, Best International Documentary at the 2025 Williamsburg International Film Festival,^[7] the Honorable Mention for Best Mexican Documentary at Shorts México,^[33] and Kids of the Majestic won Best Feature Children's Advocacy at Artivist Film Festival & Awards, and Directing and Writing Insight Awards of Recognition at the National Association of Film and Digital Media Artists . Helmed by Peter Baxter, Verrechia is one of seven filmmakers to direct hybrid film I Want To Be An American screened at Slamdance.^[34] The Laughter of God won the IFCT World Tour Awards for Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography. With the financial proceeds of his work, Verrechia bought the property "Casa Kurrak" in Baja California, and went on to create the Festival de Cine del Valle de Guadalupe.^[35][36][37]

Verrechia is the founder of Verrechia Films LLC with offices in Brooklyn, New York. The company collaborated on films such as BlackCard directed by Pete Chatmon with Dorian Missick, Simone Missick and Hisham Tawfiq (Black Lives Matter Award at Diversity in Cannes, acquired by HBO), Sega directed by Idil Ibrahim with Alassane Sy (Best Narrative at BlackStar Film Festival, acquired by Canal +), The Weinstein Company presents Rosewood Hotels & Resorts with Verrechia's niece Tessa Gräfin von Walderdorff and Barron Nicholas Hilton II, ABCD: American-Born Confused Desi (2013 film) directed by Martin Prakkat, 2B (film) directed by Rich Kroehling with James Remar and Kevin Corrigan, and Storytelling (film) directed by Todd Solondz with Selma Blair, Paul Giamatti and John Goodman. Verrechia Films LLC participated on documentaries such as 499 (film) directed by Rodrigo Reyes (Golden Frog for Best Docudrama at Camerimage) acquired by The Criterion Collection,^[38] The Edge of Democracy directed by Petra Costa for Netflix, The Great Hack directed by Jehane Noujaim, The Price We Pay directed by Harold Crooks for the CBC Television, and Anthrax War directed by Bob Coen for Arte. Verrechia conducted interviews with Akebono Taro, Ken Alibek, Wouter Basson, Beck, Hillary Clinton, Tiger Hattori, Henry Kissinger, Jaron Lanier, Jay-Z, and The Rolling Stones, and collaborated on music videos with artists Wu-Tang, Kanye West, Terence Trent D'Arby, Rihanna, Paul McCartney, Plies, Rae Sremmurd, Migos, Thieves Like Us (band), Nortec Collective, and The Calling.^[39]

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