Ricardo Bacallao

Ricardo Bacallao is a Cuban-American independent filmmaker, graduated in Cuba in 2003 from the Institute Superior of Art as director of radio, film, and TV and obtained his Master of Fine Arts from the University of NY in 2012.

Currently, he is based between New York and Berlin. Long and short narrative films and documentaries are the body of his work and a series about the Cuban community in Berlin on topics of religion, music, and Cuban exiles since East Germany makes him a well-received expert of that matter. But his work goes beyond just plain Cuban topics, influenced by a 3 years period of staying abroad in Singapore during his master’s studies.

His recent films are “Searching for Bebo, a Cuban soul in cold lands” a feature film documentary about the Jazz legend figure Bebo Valdés (2022), and “The Uncle’s Request” (2022) a political thriller feature film about hard-line Cubans in the USA, shot entirely in New York City.

He was participating in the Berlinale Talent Campus in its first edition in 2003 and once again in 2004. In 2010 he received an Emmy award for his work on Cuny TV, “NY Magazine” and the Cuban-American of the year appreciation from Union City, NJ in 2014.

Yahima Piedra

Professional Musician, Bandleader, pianist, and music composer.

Graduated from the national music school in Cuba and the conservatory of music in Barcelona. She brings in her experience in music for theater and documentary films.

Walter Tello

Visual effects and cameraman.

Painter and visual artists. Walter Tello is a Colombian- German visual artist with a great, long career as painter and designer. His works are known as a strong and unique way of expressionism. He works at BACALAOfilms for the visual effects department.

Dieter Köster

Speech manager and diplomat

His long career in cultural interchange around the world and he speaking more than 10 languages makes him our best option for our Speech Manager at BACALAOfilms.