I was always the one my brothers asked to retell our family stories. I loved shaping our funny, strange, and occasionally harrowing experiences into fully formed tales with a beginning, middle and end. I also loved how those stories, often repeated, brought us together, adding sealant to our bond.

Over the years, my work as a writer, journalist and documentary filmmaker has reinforced my belief in the power of stories to not only entertain and inform but also make sense of our histories, navigate our present, and imagine our futures. 

I started my career as an NPR Kroc Fellow and have since written and produced stories for public media, universities, mission-driven organizations and an aviation-themed travel show. As co-founder and creative director at Xerophile Studios, I partner with clients from Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to the International Rescue Committee, helping them engage their audiences through impactful visual storytelling. 

In my own creative work, I strive to tell stories that honor the complexity and nuance of the human experience. My most recent film, La Orquesta, is currently streaming on PBS and has screened at festivals around the country, including DOC NYC, DC/DOX, the New Orleans Film Festival and the Atlanta Film Festival. It also won the Marion Herrman Excellence in Filmmaking Award at the 2026 Sedona International Film Festival. I’m currently working on a novel, tentatively titled Bury Us Properly.

I'm drawn to projects where storytelling serves a larger purpose, whether shifting a perspective, strengthening a community, or making a case for something that matters. I’m also looking for opportunities to experiment with new tools and forms and to build collaborative teams that make that work possible. 

If you’re interested in working together, I’d love to hear from you!

Contact: mdvillavicencio@gmail.com