EXCLUSIVE: Film Independent has named the three filmmakers selected as Fellows for the second annual Imaginar Producers Residency, kicking off the week of July 21. They are Jesus Garcia, Diego Nájera, and Daniel Tantalean.
Over the course of the program, made possible by Searchlight Pictures in collaboration with the National Association of Latino Independent Producers, the Imaginar Fellows will receive creative and strategic support to propel their careers and projects forward. They will also collaborate with Searchlight execs to gain insight on how to package projects for studios, bridging the gap between producing independent and studio features. Each Fellow will receive professional coaching in partnership with Renee Freedman & Co., and financial and business advice and coaching in partnership with The Jill James, as well as a $50,000 unrestricted grant to support their endeavors.
“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.”
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 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. Jesus is excited to help shape the next wave of genre filmmakers.
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. Nájera was selected as a Creative Producing Fellow by the Sundance Institute, a Producing and Project Involve Fellow by Film Independent and was named one of 2023’s 25 Rising Stars in Entertainment by Business Insider. He 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, 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. 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, Daniel 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.
