Tahiel Jimenez Medina is the founder of Mamá Papaya and a first-generation Colombian / Croatian Queer immigrant filmmaker rooted in Minnesota, the unceded lands of the Dakota peoples. Growing up in the midwest as an immigrant and Latine filmmaker, he experienced first hand the lack of resources, open doors, and spaces for aspiring BIPOC filmmakers.

Through Mamá Papaya, Tahiel is building the nurturing, equitable, and safe creative home he wishes had existed for his mother and younger filmmaker— and for every storyteller who dreams of telling their story.

His films have premiered at Palm Springs International Short Film Festival, FICCI, and Provincetown International Film Festival. His short film LENGUA received the Jury Award for Best Short Film at MSPIFF. Recognitions include The Apichatpong Weerasethakul Playlab, The UFO Film Lab supported by BAM, The Jerome Fellowship, Yaddo Residency, and The McKnight Fellowship among others. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Minnesota and St. Olaf College.