bienvenida matias

feature length documentary filmmaking / production guidance / board member

Beni Matias is a pioneering Puerto Rican filmmaker whose career has been dedicated to elevating independent and Latino voices in film and media. Born with a deep passion for storytelling and advocacy, she gained early recognition for her 1979 film Heart of Loisaida, which was honored by the New York Public Library as part of its major film preservation initiative, “Twentieth Century Mirrors: America Through the Eyes of Independent Filmmakers.”

Throughout her career, Matias has held key leadership roles that have shaped the independent film landscape. She is a founding member and Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), where she has been a driving force for supporting Latino creators and building professional networks. She has also served as Executive Director for both the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF) and the Center for Arts Criticism, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit dedicated to fostering rigorous dialogue around the arts.

A committed mentor, Matias has guided many emerging documentary filmmakers. She created the NALIP NY Documentary Mentoring Program to expand professional opportunities and strengthen storytelling in underrepresented communities. She has also taught in the Film and Media Studies Department at Hunter College, demonstrating her commitment to education and the next generation of filmmakers. Currently, she is producing For the Record: World War II in Guam with Frances Negrón-Muntaner, a documentary examining the Japanese occupation of Guam—a U.S. territory in the Pacific—during World War II.

qualifications

Matias’s professional experience spans leadership and production roles in major media organizations. She served as Director of Production at the Independent Television Service (ITVS) and as Executive-in-Charge of Production at WNYC-TV, where she oversaw numerous projects that amplified diverse voices. Her work has received funding from prestigious sources including the ITVS LiNCS Program, Jerome Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, and National Endowment for the Arts.

She also received a Leadership Initiative in Neighborhoods grant from the St. Paul Companies in Minnesota to explore the connections between arts criticism, media, leadership, and community activism. Matias holds a Production Management degree from La Escuela Oficial de Cinematografía in Madrid, Spain, reflecting her formal training and international perspective. Her broad expertise in film production, nonprofit leadership, mentoring, and teaching underscores her lifelong dedication to empowering independent media and fostering cultural understanding through the arts.

Focus Areas

  • documentary film structure

  • guidance in independent film producing

  • distribution facilitation

skills

  • nonprofit and arts organization leadership

  • production management at ITVS and WNYC-TV

  • fundraising and grant writing expertise

  • community development and arts advocacy

  • founding Board Chair of NALIP

  • mentorship program creation and leadership

  • teaching experience at Hunter College

  • production Management degree from Madrid, Spain

  • documentary film production and storytelling

Teaching / PRODUCTION experience

  • executive director of the Center for Arts Criticism

  • founding member of In Progress

  • founding member and executive director of the National Association of Independent Producers

  • writer and director of feature length documentary Coquito

  • mentor and advisor to In Progress filmmakers

Links

email: Beni_matias@earthlink.net