Fernando Villena is a director, editor and producer. With an innate talent for connecting with characters, he is drawn to inspirational stories of tenacity and overcoming long odds. He works to develop a story from an objective perspective and thrives in directing character-driven work.

Villena’s 24 years of film work spans music to documentary and feature films. He won a Sports Emmy® for editing work on HBO’s Any One of Us, which he also directed. His Netflix Original documentary Giving Voice, won the Festival Favorite Award at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Dear Rider is his fourth directorial piece.

A background in editing offers Villena the patience to work through material and discover the gems in the archives, while capturing content that is essential to building a rich story.