Written and Directed by Leigh Marling

Filmed on location in Durango, Mexico with a non-professional local cast, ANA PAULA is the heartbreaking story of a young woman determined to escape her dark past and adopt her niece from a government orphanage. To meet the strict criteria for adoption, Ana is working at a local hotel, attending interviews at the orphanage, and trying to save money for an apartment. When a judge explains her case cannot proceed for lack of a 'suitable home', Ana employs desperate measures to find the necessary cash. An admiring co-worker - Fernando - sees her desperation and offers to help, but after Ana agrees she finds herself drawn into a tragic romance. Soon, Ana's past comes back to haunt her. She is pulled back into a toxic life of vice that brings her into direct conflict with Fernando, her own inner demons, and the ruthless criminals who seek to destroy any chance of Ana becoming a mother.

Winner of best foreign short at the Burbank International Film Festival and best short feature film at the Arizona International Film Festival in 2024.