cultivating underserved filmmakers and storytellers in Minnesota.
Through financial and mentorship support in our fellowships, filmmakers and their communities engage in a transformative process that fosters deep connections, skill development, and meaningful
conversations. The visionary fellows in our programs are supported to create innovative first narrative short films and scripts.
Mamá Papaya fellowships serve as both incubators and accelerators for emerging
voices, helping to launch sustainable, long-term careers in filmmaking. Filmmaking and
storytelling are ancestral tools for preservation and healing.
Our values are care, joy, and community-rooted processes, fostering long-lasting relationships.
Mamá Papaya is proud to co-present Cinefilmu Film Festival.
Mama Papaya Community Annual Gathering 2023
MAMÁ PAPAYA TEAM
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tahiel Jimenez Medina
Nicole Donoso Sanchez
Ryan Stopera
Nicole Donoso Sanchez
Ryan Stopera
Mary Anne Quiroz
Reyna Rios-Starr
Mamá Papaya honors my migrant mama’s creative spirit and recognizes the need for everyone to receive the skills, tools, and resources to feel powerful in their creative expression and craft.
Everyone deserves the chance to tell their story in vibrant and beautiful mediums such as film.”
- Tahiel Jimenez Medina
Founder & Executive Director of Mamá Papaya
Founder & Executive Director of Mamá Papaya