Film Independent has announced the three filmmakers selected for the second annual Imaginar Producers Residency, aimed at supporting independent producers in their creative endeavors.
Film Independent Announces 2023 Imaginar Producers Residency Fellows
EXCLUSIVE: Film Independent has announced the three filmmakers selected as Fellows for the second annual Imaginar Producers Residency, starting the week of July 21. The chosen Fellows are Jesus Garcia, Diego Nájera, and Daniel Tantalean.
Program Overview
Supported by Searchlight Pictures in partnership with the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, the Imaginar Fellows will receive essential creative and strategic support to advance their careers and projects. They will work closely with Searchlight executives to learn how to effectively package projects for studios, thereby bridging the gap between independent and studio filmmaking. Each Fellow will also benefit from professional coaching in collaboration with Renee Freedman & Co., as well as financial and business guidance from The Jill James, alongside a $50,000 unrestricted grant to support their initiatives.
Director’s Statement
“Building on the success of our inaugural year, the Imaginar Producers Residency continues to champion independent producers with the tools, mentorship, and industry access needed to thrive in the studio ecosystem,” said Angela C. Lee, Director of Artist Development at Film Independent. “We are proud to support this new class of visionary producers as they forge sustainable, long-term careers in film.”
Meet the Fellows
Learn more about this year’s Imaginar Producers Residency filmmakers below.
Jesus Garcia
Jesus Garcia is a Mexican-American producer based in Los Angeles. He previously served as the creative executive for Epic Magazine, an editorial and production company behind Argo, Radical, and Little America. Garcia participated in the 2023 Film Independent Project Involve program and most recently produced an erotic thriller for Cate Blanchett’s Proof of Concept accelerator program, supported by Netflix. Before Epic, he worked on projects for Big Beach Films, Starz, and 20th Television. Garcia is eager to help shape the next wave of genre filmmakers.
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Diego Nájera
Diego Nájera is a producer with over a decade of experience in story development and financing. He recently served as Director of Narrative Film at the award-winning studio Participant, contributing to films like Costa Brava, Lebanon, White Bird, and the upcoming The Wave from Sebastián Lelio. Nájera produced the Academy Award-nominated short film Please Hold, and his work has been recognized at Berlinale, SXSW, and AFI Fest. He was selected as a Creative Producing Fellow by the Sundance Institute and named one of 2023’s 25 Rising Stars in Entertainment by Business Insider. Nájera began his career at the Guadalajara Film Festival and holds an MFA from USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program.
Daniel Tantalean
Daniel Tantalean is an award-winning producer based in Brooklyn, New York. He is the founder of Yellow Nest Films and is known for producing In the Summers, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for Best First Feature at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards. Tantalean is a 2023 Film Independent Producing Lab Fellow and has been recognized as a 2020 and 2022 NALIP Latino Media Market Fellow. In 2024, he was selected for the Tribeca Creators Market with his feature documentary Rebel Without a Pause. His films have been showcased at Sundance, Tribeca, SFFilm, and Hot Docs. He produced the award-winning short documentary Ale Libre, directed by Maya Cueva, which was distributed by The New Yorker. In May 2025, Tantalean participated as a Fellow in The Gotham’s 2025 Festival De Cannes Producers Network Program, sharing his experiences at the Cannes Film Festival through a producer diary published by Filmmaker Magazine.
