Paola Mendoza is an actress, director, screenwriter and author.

As a director she was named one of Filmmaker Magazine 25 New Faces of Independent Film. She has directed both short and feature length films, ENTRE NOS, HALF OF HER, AUTUMN'S EYES, and LA TOMA have been embraced by the most prestigious film festivals around the world. Sundance Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Berlinale, Tribeca Film Festival, Full Frame and South By South West have all supported Ms. Mendoza's work. Ms. Mendoza was a nominee for the 2008 & 2010 NALIP Estel Awards, given to Latino filmmakers that show extraordinary promise in the field of directing.

As an actress she has starred in many critically acclaimed films, SANGRE DE MI SANGRE (Jury Award Sundance Film Festival), ENTRE NOS (Honorable mention Tribeca Film Festival) and ON THE OUTS (Toronto Film Festival) are her favorites.

Ms. Mendoza most recently finished writing her first novel entitled, THE ONES WHO DON'T STAY which was published in Spanish by Penguin Books in the Summer of 2013. The English version was released by Rola Press on November 12, 2013.

She hold an undergraduate degree from UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television with a MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. She is proud mother of Mateo Ali.

Immigration, Latin America, Hispanic Heritage, Hispanic Heritage Month, Diversity, Diversity Topics, Film Industry Filmmaking, Television & Film, Actors, Television Actress, Actress, Producers and Directors, Directing, Screenwriter, Screenwriting, Authors, Bestselling Author, NYT Bestselling Authors, Women, Women's Rights, Empowerment, Women's Empowerment, Acting,