Born in Santo Domingo, the Dominican Republic, Carla Franchesca attended Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo and moved to New York with her family in 2010. Following her graduation from BMCC with an associate’s degree in Video Arts and Technology, she got her Bachelors in Film and Video at the City College of New York, and has risen through the ranks at the Manhattan Neighborhood Network to become its Production Facilitator. In 2016, Carla created her own film production company, Rayoelú Films with the mission to raise the voices of the unheard and ignored and tell their stories through film.  Her first documentary, Buhoneros (Street Vendors), was awarded for Excellence in filmmaking at the 2017 Inwood Film Festival, and her documentary Layers of a Baker, will screen at the forthcoming Inwood Film Festival.  Check out Carla's work at www.rayoelufilms.com