About Me
Karen Karolina Avila is an award-winning filmmaker, freelance photographer, and camera operator based in California. A UC San Diego graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts & Media, her work combines visual storytelling and ideas of identity. Karen enjoys 35mm film photography, video editing, and performance art.
My Short Films
As Above, So Below
Inspired by the performance work of Ana Mendieta, the 2024 UC San Diego Film Festival Best Picture Winner: As Above, So Below is a piece that explores ideas of mortality, the body returning to earth, and the solace that can be found in cycles of life.
Her award-winning short film is featured at the 2024 UCSD Film Festival
Inside My Mind; Sounds of Serenity
A dissection of femininity and habits of womanhood that have been passed down from mother to child. It touches on the scrutiny and guilt that women will face in their life for merely existing.
Her runner up short film is featured on the 13th Annual Adam D. Kamil Media Awards
Congratulations, you are now an American Citizen
The story of two immigrant parents who left everything behind in search of a new life in the United States. Hoping for better opportunities for their children, this act of selflessness takes a toll on their sense of identity and community in a land that still feels foreign to them nearly two decades later.
Selected for the documentary category of the 2023 UCSD Film Festival
Contact Me
Email: krockzilla@gmail.com