Hi! I’m David. Welcome, and thanks for stopping by!
As a filmmaker and cinephile, I tell audacious stories driven by madcap heroes using melodrama, irreverent humor, strong colors, and glossy décor, often drawing on my passion for film history and my Mexican-American heritage.
My style is rich in humanity and bold in subject matter. While exploring deep themes of identity and desire, my filmmaking embraces wit, elegance, and a counterpoint of sadness and joy. I have a critical affection for flawed individuals torn between their hopes and their circumstances.
I center the narratives of the people I know and the life I’ve lived to share my perspective with the world.
Featured Projects
¡Yo Soy Sally, La Loca!
Short Film
David wrote and directed this breakup comedy, which is based on true events that happened in his Mexican-American family. ¡Yo Soy Sally, La Loca! follows Sally Garcia as she goes to desperate lengths to get her long-term boyfriend back…even as she nearly destroys her own family in the process. This film is inspired equally by Pedro Almodóvar, Desperate Housewives, and 1950s Douglas Sirk technicolor melodramas.
Barbarians
short doc
David directed this bilingual documentary short film, which follows a Chinese football team, the Barbarians, as they prepare for and compete in the first ever game between China and an NCAA Division I team. Filmed on location in Beijing, this short doc offers a look at the growing popularity of American football in China, and explores what it means to the players pioneering this sport in Asia.
Four Latinas Walk into a Restaurant
short film
David wrote and directed this colorful short film inspired by a real event. In Four Latinas Walk into a Restaurant, a young career woman treats her rowdy Mexican family to a fancy Beverly Hills lunch, where she must choose whether or not to stand up for the people who embarrass her most when they get into a confrontation with a rich white couple.
About Me
EDUCATION
MFA Film & TV Production, Directing & Producing
University of Southern California, School of cinematic arts
BA Psychology
Harvard University
AWARDS
Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
Entertainment Partners Producing Scholarship
DAVID AGUILAR RODRÍGUEZ is a Latino filmmaker from Chicago, based in Los Angeles. He currently works as the Executive Assistant to Alex Kurtzman (the Star Trek franchise, Transformers, The Amazing Spider-Man 2).
David holds an MFA in Film & TV Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where he won the school’s prestigious Entertainment Partners Producing Scholarship for his work producing short films. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Harvard University, where he graduated Cum Laude and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.
In 2015, David landed his first job in the film industry as the assistant to legendary producer Roger Corman. In David’s first year on the job, Roger sent him to Peru to be his “man on the ground” and help produce Death Race 2050, the sequel to Corman’s cult classic hit and most iconic work, Death Race 2000.
In 2022, David completed his USC thesis film, ¡Yo Soy Sally, La Loca! David wrote and directed this breakup comedy, which is inspired by an outrageous true story from his Latinx family. It follows Sally Garcia’s quest to get her man back by any means necessary... even if it means risking the only family she ever had. The film is currently in its festival run.
While at USC, David traveled to Beijing to direct the film Barbarians, a documentary about a Chinese football team playing the first game between China and an American university. The same year, he also produced the short film Callback, a narrative film about sexual assault in the film industry, which was featured in a segment on the BBC.
David also wrote and directed the short film, Four Latinas Walk into a Restaurant, a story based on a real-life racially charged encounter. The film has been screened at the Fort Myers Beach International Film Festival, United Latino Film Festival, and others throughout the country.
¡Yo Soy Sally, La Loca! Trailer
Directing
!Yo Soy Sally, La Loca!
SHORT FILM, DIRECTOR
Barbarians
SHORT FILM, DIRECTOR
Prognosis Negative
SHORT FILM, DIRECTOR
Four Latinas Walk into a Restaurant
SHORT FILM, DIRECTOR
Horror House
SHORT FILM, DIRECTOR
Producing
The Filth
WEB SERIES, PRODUCER
Side Effects
WEB SERIES, SHOWRUNNING EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Callback
SHORT FILM, PRODUCER
Wilting Gardenia
SHORT FILM, PRODUCER
If You Tell Anyone
SHORT FILM, PRODUCER
Roger Corman’s Death Race 2050
FEATURE FILM, PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
The Rotation
FEATURE FILM, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
Supposed to Be
MUSIC VIDEO, PRODUCER
Now You Know
MUSIC VIDEO, ASSOCIATE PRODUCER
