For our last spotlight of 2024, meet another winner of the 10×10 and participant in the HV Film Incubator program, Romina Samaniego. She is a filmmaker from Paraguay currently studying at Columbia University. From a young age, Romina had a passion for the arts, especially painting and dance. This love for art led her to participate in video competitions during high school and collaborate with a cinematography group in Asunción. From these early experiences, she ultimately chose film as a career path in 2021.

Romina’s most recent project is a short documentary profiling economist Christine Amirian, one of the first women accepted into Columbia in 1983 (yes, Columbia did not accept women until 1983).

Additionally, her first project Blink is a dialogue-free short film exploring the theme of revisiting and reshaping moments from youth. Outside of her artistic pursuits, her interests include watching soccer with family, reading, baking, and playing with her dog ​​Stark.

For more about Romina and her work, visit her Artist Member page on