Documentary Feature Film, 1 hour 28 minutes, Nominee: Best Documentary Feature Film

Synopsis:

UVALDE MOM follows the extraordinary story of Angeli Rose Gomez, a farm worker and single mother who risked everything to save her two sons during the May 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX. While nearly 400 armed officers waited 77 minutes to act, Angeli ran into the school, pulled her children to safety, and became a viral symbol of courage. But as she spoke out against law enforcement’s inaction, she faced intense harassment from authorities, who weaponized her past to discredit and silence her.

From award-winning director Anayansi Prado (Maid in America, The Unafraid), UVALDE MOM is a powerful, heart-wrenching look at Angeli’s relentless fight for justice. As Uvalde confronts systemic failures and the U.S. Department of Justice launches an investigation, conflicting narratives emerge, deepening the town’s grief and anger. With the first anniversary of the tragedy approaching, Angeli must navigate the weight of what happened to her community while continuing her personal battle for truth and accountability.

Anayansi Prado

Bio:

Anayansi Prado is an award-winning documentary director and producer with over 20 years of experience. Her work has focused on issues of immigration, indigenous land rights, race identity, and other social and humanitarian issues. Anayansi's films have aired nationally on PBS and abroad, including her feature films MAID IN AMERICA (2005, Independent Lens), CHILDREN IN NO MAN’S LAND (2008), PARAÍSO FOR SALE (2011), and THE UNAFRAID (2018, America Reframed). She was one of the directors of AND SHE COULD BE NEXT, executive-produced by Ava DuVernay, Grace Lee, and Marjan Safinia. Her films have screened at numerous film festivals including SXSW, Tribeca Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Festival, Full Frame & Double Exposure.

Anayansi is a Chicken & Egg Award recipient, Concordia Studios Fellow, Creative Capital Artist, Rockefeller Media Fellow, as well as a Working Films board member and a Film Expert for the American Film Showcase. Her work has received support from the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Fund, MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation: Just Films, Perspective Fund, Tribeca Studios, ITVS, and Latino Public Broadcasting, amongst others. Anayansi has taught documentary filmmaking in five continents and was a visiting film professor at UCLA, CalState Northridge (CSUN), and Chapman University. She holds a bachelor's degree in TV & Film Production from Boston University. Born in Panama, Anayansi resides in Los Angeles, CA.