cultivating underserved filmmakers and storytellers in Minnesota.
Through financial and mentorship support in our fellowships, filmmakers and their communities engage in a transformative process that fosters deep connections, skill development, and meaningful
conversations. The visionary fellows in our programs are supported to create innovative first narrative short films and scripts.
Mamá Papaya fellowships serve as both incubators and accelerators for emerging
voices, helping to launch sustainable, long-term careers in filmmaking. Filmmaking and
storytelling are ancestral tools for preservation and healing.
Our priorities are care, joy, and community-rooted processes, fostering long-lasting relationships.
Mamá Papaya is proud to co-present Cinefilmu Film Festival.
Mama Papaya Community Annual Gathering 2023
Leadership & Board
Nicole Donoso
Tahiel Jimenez Medina
Ryan Stopera
Reyna Rios-Starr
“My mama’s childhood nickname was Papaya.
She migrated to the United States escaping violence and for most of her life, she did not receive the mentorship, care, and resources to condidently express her vibrant creative spirit to the world.
Mamá Papaya honors my mother’s spirit and recognizes the need for everyone to receive the skills, tools, and resources to tell their story.
Everyone deserves the chance to tell their story.”
- Tahiel Jimenez Medina,
Founder & Executive Director of Mamá Papaya
Founder & Executive Director of Mamá Papaya