Raissa Contreras's portfolio

Work samples

The Bel Loc Diner Trailer

This is a black & white, cinema verite piece showing the Bel Loc Diner in all of its glory. It is an impressionionistic depiction of daily life. It premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in LA and the Anthology Film Archives in NYC. It has screened nationally and internationally. It was awarded Best Cinematography for Short Doc with Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Madrid & the Silver State Film Festival. In March 2022, it was nominated for Best Short Doc with the Swedish Int'l Film Festival.
Jaime & the Tamales - Trailer

This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite film depicting Jaime selling his tamales on a sunny day in Baltimore. It premiered in LA with the Silicon Beach Film Festival in April 2018 where it won Best Cinematography for Short Doc and in NY at the Anthology Film Archives. It has screened nationally and internationally. It made its world premiere with the L'Age d'Or Int'l Arthouse Film Festival in Kolkata, India where it won Best Women's Film. In 2022, it won Best Short Documentary with the New Jersey Film Awards and screened in Lisbon with the Lisbon Film Rendevous. It has screened with the Silver State Film Festival, Experiments in Cinema, and the Fisura Int'l Experimental Film & Video Festival in Mexico City and continues to circulate. In 2023, it screened with the Caravan Int'l Film Fest & the Other Venice Film Festival in Venice Beach, CA
Porkchop & the 28th St North Carolina Watermelons - Trailer

This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite piece showing Porkchop selling his watermelons on a hot summer day in Baltimore. It premiered in LA September 2018 with the Golden State Film Festival and in NY with the Bushwick Film Festival in October 2017. It won the Audience Award for Short Documentary with Silicon Beach Miami Film Festival and the Special Jury Award with the Southern Colorado Film Festival. It has also screened with the Short to the Point Film Festival, Bucharest, Romania, Experiments in Cinema, and Los Angeles Cinefest. A 1 min clip appeared on the LED Billboard with Artscape in 2015. in 2023, Porkchop continued to circulate and screened with the Caravan Int'l Film Festival.
That Summer Feeling

My paintings appeared on the LED Billboard in 2015.

About Raissa

Raissa Contreras is an artist, filmmaker, and educator in Baltimore City. She has an MA in Film & Video from MICA and an MFA in Painting from the University of New Mexico. Her teaching and work are inter or multi-disciplinary and she has exhibited nationally and internationally. She is completing an MA in Art Education through UNM & is currently a museum educator at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. She was a 2019 MD State Arts Grant recipient for Media Arts.

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Fells Point

This is a black and white cinema verite portrait of Fells Point shot with a Bolex. It premiered at the Marina del Rey Film Festival in LA in June 2023. It has since screened nationally and internationally including with the Super 8 Film Festival in Highland Japan. It already has screenings lined up for 2024 including with Experiments in Cinema in New Mexico.

Fells Point

This is the film's poster.
Film Still

This is a film still.
Film Still

This is a still from the film

The Bel Loc Diner

This is a 16 mm black & white, cinema verite piece showing the Bel Loc Diner in all of its glory. It is an impressionionistic depiction of daily life. It premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in LA and the Anthology Film Archives in NYC. It was awarded Best Cinematography for Short Doc with FICIMAD and the Silver State Film Festival in Las Vegas. In March 2022, it was nominated for Best Short Doc with the Swedish Int'l Film Festival. In 2020, it screened with the Hell's Kitchen NYC Fest at the Producer's Club, the Reykjavik Int'l Film Festival and with the Miami Int'l Film Festival.

The Bel Loc Diner Trailer

This is a black & white, cinema verite piece showing the Bel Loc Diner in all of its glory. It is an impressionionistic depiction of daily life. It premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theater in LA and the Anthology Film Archives in NYC. It has screened nationally and internationally. It was awarded Best Cinematography for Short Doc with Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente de Madrid & the Silver State Film Festival. In March 2022, it was nominated for Best Short Doc with the Swedish Int'l Film Festival.
The Bel Loc Diner Official Poster

This is the most recent film poster.
Film Still

A film still
Film Still

This still exhibited at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art in June 2019.
Film Still

a film still
Film Still

a closing film still

Jaime & the Tamales

Jaime & the Tamales is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite short depicting Jaime selling his tamales on a sunny day in Baltimore. It is imagistic & painterly, informed by my background in painting. It premiered in LA with the Silicon Beach Film Festival in April 2018 where it won Best Cinematography for Short Documentary and in NY with NewFilmmakers NY at the Anthology Film Archives. It made its world premiere May 2019 with the L'Age d'Or International Arthouse Film Festival in Kolkata, India, where it won Best Women's Film. In 2022, it was awarded Best Short Doc with the New Jersey Film Awards and screened in Lisbon with the Lisbon Film Rendevous. It has also screened with the Silver State Film Festival, Experiments in Cinema in New Mexico and the Fisura Int'l Experimental Film & Video Festival in Mexico City.

Jaime & the Tamales - Trailer

This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite film depicting Jaime selling his tamales on a sunny day in Baltimore. It premiered in LA with the Silicon Beach Film Festival in April 2018 where it won Best Cinematography for Short Doc and in NY at the Anthology Film Archives. It has screened nationally and internationally. It made its world premiere with the L'Age d'Or Int'l Arthouse Film Festival in Kolkata, India where it won Best Women's Film. In 2022, it won Best Short Documentary with the New Jersey Film Awards and screened in Lisbon with the Lisbon Film Rendevous. In It has also screened with the Silver State Film Festival, Experiments in Cinema, and the Fisura Int'l Experimental Film & Video Festival in Mexico City.
Film Still

Film Still
Film Still
Jaime & the Tamales Poster

film poster

Porkchop & the 28th St North Carolina Watermelons

This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite piece showing Porkchop selling his watermelons on a summer day in Baltimore. It is informed by street photography and the dreamlike elements of painting. It premiered in LA with the Golden State Film Festival and in NY with the Bushwick Film Festival. It screeened with the Silicon Beach Miami Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Short Doc and with the Southern Colorado Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Award. It has also shown with the Short to the Point Film Festival in Bucharest, Romania, Experiments in Cinema and the Los Angeles Cinefest. It rec'd Honorable Mention with the LA Underground Film Festival.

Porkchop & the 28th St North Carolina Watermelons - Trailer

This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite piece showing Porkchop selling his watermelons on a hot summer day in Baltimore. It premiered in LA September 2018 with the Golden State Film Festival and in NY with the Bushwick Film Festival in October 2017. It won the Audience Award for Short Documentary with Silicon Beach Miami Film Festival and the Special Jury Award with the Southern Colorado Film Festival. It has also screened with the Short to the Point Film Festival, Bucharest, Romania, Experiments in Cinema, and Los Angeles Cinefest. A 1 min clip appeared on the LED Billboard with Artscape in 2015.
Film Still

Film Still
Film Still

Film Still
Film Still

Film Still
Porkchop Poster

film poster

Street Photography

This is digtial street photography. It has exhibited with the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, the Mobile Photography Awards and the West Gallery in Baltimore.

Great American Eclipse Washington Square Park

The Great American Eclipse being viewed in Washington Square Park April 2024. Exhibited at the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art October 2024.

Available for Purchase

Contact for info
Chile Puro Film Still

Still from Chile Puro exhibited with the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art in December 2024 while the film screened with the Culver City Film Festival.
Good Evening

This image is from the Halloween Parade in NYC. It exhibited with the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art in November 2024.

Available for Purchase

Contact for info.
Dancers from Equador

Traditional dancers from Ecuador at the annual Christmas parade in Hampden - 2022
The Boys in the Band

Marching band at the Mayor's Annual Christmas Parade - Hampden 2022
Circus Ringmaster

Digital Photo - 2015 - Exhibited with LACDA
Coney Island Sunday

Digital Photo - 2015 - Exhibited with LACDA
Venice Beach Sunday

Digital Photo - 2015 - Exhibited with LACDA
Halloween Hampden

Digital Photo - 2014
Showgirls Mangos

Digital Photo - 2013 - Exhibited with LACDA & Mobile Photography Awards

Christmas Retrospective 2018

This work was originally set in San Ysidro Church, an adobe church, in Corrales, NM. I was inspired by the church decorating periods throughout history and the work of Tiepolo in particular, who I researched in travels through Italy. I decorated the entire church as I reinterpreted the Madonna & Child imagery. My ever present symbol, the chicken, acts as messenger, harbinger, visitor. Chickens assist in escorting the Madonna to heaven in my Assumption based on a vision I had in NM. I had been unable to show this body of work since that installation for lack of a proper space. When the West Gallery opened, I had the space to resurrect a good portion it and give a sense of the whole. The work reflects ideas surrounding Christmas so a show this time of year created nice symmetry. I include two shots from the original installation in these examples.

Installation Shot

The Visitation (left) & The Assumption (right)
Installation Shot

The Assumption (left) & Putto (right)
Installation Shot

Putto & Chicken in a Tussle
Installation Shot

Putto & Chicken in a Tussle (on wall) & Reconcilation (in reflection)
Installation Shot

Reconciliation
Installation Shot

The Visitation
Installation Shot

Putto
Installation Shot

Studies for Visitation
Original Installation - San Ysidro Church, Corrales, NM

Church with The Assumption
Original Altar - Installation Shot

Putto - The Assumption - Putto & Chicken in a Tussle

LED Billboard 2015

This work appeared on the LED Billboard in Baltimore. Chickens are not only beautiful but symbolic.

That Summer Feeling

LED Billboard - 2015
Putto & Chicken in a Tussle

LED Billboard - 2015
Prize Winning Chickens

LED Billboard - 2015

A Great Day in Charm City

This is a 16 mm, black & white, cinema verite piece showing two of Baltimore's vanishing traditions. They represent times when magic enters the everyday. It is currently available on Amazon Prime. It screened in LA with the Marina Del Ray Film Festival in 2018 & in NY at the Anthology Film Archives. It has also screened with the Puerto Madero Film Festival, Argentina, The Cutting Room, Nottingham, UK and Experiments in Cinema. It was included in the Very Best of Experiments in Cinema Anthology.

A Great Day in Charm City 2010 (clip #1)

This is a 1 min clip from a Great Day in Charm City.
Great Day Still

Great Day Still
Great Day Still

Great Day Still
Great Day Still

Great Day Still
Great Day Poster

film poster

Sketchbook Project

This is work I did in conjunction with the Sketchbook Project and the Brooklyn Art Library. I did 3 sketchbooks between 2011 and 2012 which traveled with the Sketchbook Project and were exhibited nationally and internationally. I was inspired by Easter, as some of the sketches were done in the spring, the circus and walks with my dog.

Chicken & Starry Night - Chinese Pagoda

Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" X 6"
Chicken Starry Night

Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 8" x 12"
Bunny in a Field of Dandelions

Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
Chicken in a Cherry Blossom Tree

Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
Chicken & Fishes

Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
Chicken & Fishes 2

Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
Fishes

Ink Wash & Pencil on Paper - 4" x 6"
Elephant & Friends

Graphite on Paper - 4" x 6"
Elephant & Friend

Graphite on Paper - 4" x 6"
Chicken at Charles Theater

Graphite on Paper - 4" x 6"

Spring Roll - Animation Stills

This hand drawn animated piece combines my interest in painting and drawing with film. In it, a chicken encounters a Chinese Dragon. I was inspired by my experience with a Chinese New Year celebration. These are 10 stills from that piece in 2008.