Meet the New Wave of Visionary Producers in the Imaginar Residency Class of 2025
It’s officially that time of year again – when creativity, talent and career-changing opportunity come together in a big way. We’re talking about the Imaginar Producers Residency.
Film Independent, in collaboration with Searchlight Pictures and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), is back for round two of the residency that’s all about giving indie producers the tools, mentorship and industry access they need to thrive in the studio world. This year’s Fellows are Jesus Garcia, Diego Nájera and Daniel Tantalean.
So, what does the residency entail? First off, each Fellow will receive an unrestricted grant of $50,000 each to fuel and sustain their creative work. On top of the grant, Fellows will receive creative and strategic mentorship tailored to their unique projects and career goals including professional coaching from Renee Freedman & Co., as well as business and financial coaching from The Jill James. Guest speakers include Robby O’Connor from ROC Literary and Anne-Elisa Schaffer from Rightscenter. On top of all that, the Fellows will collaborate directly with execs at Searchlight Pictures to learn the ins and outs of packaging projects for studios.
“We are excited to be working with Jesus, Diego, and Daniel – three exceptional producers who are at the forefront of bold, original and forward-looking films,” said Richard Ruiz, VP of Production at Searchlight Pictures.
“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,” added 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.”
“Our goal is to provide the three Fellows with the necessary tools and resources to take their projects to the next level. We are excited to see the outcomes of this collaboration and the success of our Fellows as a result of our joint effort,” said Diana Luna, NALIP Executive Director.
The residency officially kicks off the week of July 21. Now, let’s meet this year’s Imaginar Producers Residency filmmakers:
Jesus Garcia
Jesus Garcia is a Mexican-American producer based in Los Angeles. He was previously the creative executive for Epic Magazine, an editorial and production company behind Argo, Radical and Little America. He 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. Prior to Epic, he worked on projects for Big Beach Films, Starz and 20th Television.
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, working on films like Costa Brava,Lebanon, White Bird and the upcoming film The Wave from Sebastián Lelio. Previously, he produced the Academy Award-nominated short film Please Hold, and his work has been recognized at Berlinale, SXSW and AFI Fest.
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,winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and nominated for Best First Feature at the 2025 Independent Spirit Awards. Daniel 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.
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