Portrait by Ebti

Javier Roberto Carlos (b. Guatemala 1981) is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersections of migration, labor, myth, and power. Working across documentary, video installation, and sculpture, he traces the economic and ideological forces that shape how we live and remember. His work investigates the impacts of colonialism and capitalism on land, history, and meaning—often drawing from his own experiences as a formerly undocumented immigrant and refugee. Grounded in the ethos of bearing witness, Javier creates restrained yet intimate works that center marginalized perspectives while interrogating the systems that obscure or exploit them.

 

His work has been exhibited at institutions and festivals worldwide, including SFMOMA, Sheffield DocFest, Full Frame Documentary Festival, and the San Francisco Indie Fest. He has received support from the Ford Foundation, the Princess Grace Foundation, and the San Francisco Arts Commission, among others, and has been awarded the President’s Award at Full Frame (2017) and Best Short Documentary at the Icaro International Film Festival (2017). He has participated in residencies at the Headlands Center for the Arts, the Djerassi Resident Artists Program, and SFFILM FilmHouse. He is also the co-founder of 32K Productions, a film production company specializing in documentary and social impact storytelling.

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