GPS Films’ Alberta and the Possum, Executive Produced by 200% Media, Debuts at HollyShorts Film Festival 2026

The short film Alberta and the Possum, written and directed by Venezuelan filmmaker Federica Arévalo, who is based in New York, was produced by GPS Films, with executive production by Mari Urdaneta of 200% Media.

The short, starring Latin Grammy winner Nella, made its debut on Wednesday, August 19, at the 2026 HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles, an Oscar-qualifying festival. Amy Fruchtman and Maxwell Gately of GPS Films also serve as executive producers. Isabel Montenegro is the producer, and Camilo Gutier is the director of photography.

Arévalo, whose credits include the short films Interference and Tía Juana Light, as well as the feature films Vivian and Rubio, told PRODU that the inspiration for the short came from a personal experience involving an opossum.

“It sounds strange, but I feel like opossums found me. I was going through a difficult period in my life, dealing with immigration issues, and I ended up in a botanical garden where an opossum walked in front of me—which is unusual during the day because they are nocturnal animals. My first reaction was fear and disgust, which then made me feel guilty as I watched it stumble toward the bushes. Without even registering my presence, it simply continued on its way. It made me question my own prejudices and connect them to the situation I was experiencing: the immigration system was probably looking at me through the same eyes with which I was looking at that poor little animal. The screenplay, partially based on my experience, came out of me within minutes. From then on, opossums kept appearing everywhere, almost as if they were telling me, ‘You have to tell our story,’” she recalled.

Venezuelan filmmaker Federica Arévalo is the director and writer of Alberta and the Possum

Regarding Mari Urdaneta’s role as executive producer, the filmmaker emphasized that “the ethos of 200% Media aligns very closely with the concept of the film: Latinos in the U.S. But Mari is definitely much more than that. She has been a guardian angel for the project, an adviser, a friend, a motivational coach, and so much more. It is an incredible privilege to have her friendship, her experience, and, needless to say, her trust.”

Before embarking on writing and directing her own projects, Arévalo worked as a script supervisor on the Oscar-winning Green Book and the film Problemista. She emphasizes that the director in her has always prevailed.

“I grew up on film sets in Venezuela and, even as a child, I would steal my mother’s Handycam to record whatever caught my attention. Everything I have been before—producer, script supervisor—as well as life experiences that have little to do with filmmaking but everything to do with life, have brought me to where I am today, and toward much more,” she said.

SHORT FILMS: SMALL BUT POWERFUL

Arévalo considers short films “delicious—a small but powerful format that lends itself to exploring things that can later be taken to a larger scale.”

She noted that she has had the privilege of working on some of the most professional film sets in the industry. “That led to a significant gap between my projects. I hadn’t directed short films in more than a decade. My voice is much stronger and more confident now, both from a technical standpoint and simply because of the life experience of being a 40-year-old woman who has lived a full life,” she said.

DEBUT AT HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL 2026

Asked about the significance of Alberta and the Possum premiering at a festival such as HollyShorts, Arévalo described it as an incredible privilege and honor.

“It is one of the most important short film festivals in the U.S. In addition to being Oscar-qualifying, it means premiering through the front door. Not everyone can say that the premiere of their small, low-budget project is taking place at the historic Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles,” she said.

THE STORY

Alberta and the Possum* follows a woman who emotionally unravels while waiting for a visa appointment that never comes, and who finds an unexpected connection with a wild opossum in a Miami botanical garden. By choosing empathy over fear, Alberta’s encounter with the opossum leads her to a deeper understanding of herself.

A moment from the filming of Alberta and the Possum

Reflecting on the production, Arévalo said: “We are living through difficult times—our Latino community and the entire world. We have lost something along the way; we need to learn to observe ourselves and find each other again. We are not as different as we think, and we are all connected. The world needs a lot of connection and mutual support; it is the only way to face and get through these complicated times we are living in.”

NELLA, THE LEAD

Asked about the decision to cast Nella, the filmmaker said she is one of Venezuela’s most talented singers, as well as one of her closest friends and a frequent creative collaborator on her music videos.

“While her background is in music, knowing her and having worked with her, I knew she had the talent and the ability to act and carry a story like this. Alberta is an ambitious role, even for a trained actor, because 90% of the film requires acting through reactions and without dialogue. From the moment she read the character, Nella understood it perfectly. The connection was very organic throughout the casting process,” she said.

Once Nella was selected, Arévalo explained, “like any great musician, she is extremely disciplined, so the process leading up to the shoot was basically an intensive acting workshop, and she made it stellar. I am extremely proud and happy with this film, which is no longer just mine, but hers as well.”