David A. Vargas is an award winning Cuban-American filmmaker from Miami who has expressed his love for the art since 2004. Hollywood legend, Garry Marshall, called his crowdfunded feature film debut, "Love and Hostages,” “an original edgy and fun romcom.” After winning several festivals it was distributed worldwide by the Nacelle Company in 2016.

His follow-up project was a 6 episode web-series that he wrote and directed called "Hialeah." Hialeah took Facebook by storm finding an organic audience of more than 30K followers in just a few days. Fans called the series a fresh take on the popular bilingual 70's sitcom “¿Que Pasa, U.S.A.?” It won “Best Web Series” at the 2021 Omni Cultural NATPE TV festival.

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The idea of this family comedy came to him following the viral reaction to a 3 minute documentary he made the night Fidel Castro died called "A Miami Funeral." Capturing the pain and celebration from Cubans on the streets of Hialeah ultimately inspired him to reach deep into his roots and tell a story that was both meaningful and comical.

Since 2021 he has transitioned into the world of directing CG animation for Mindshow, a groundbreaking studio that uses its proprietary tech to create realtime animation by combining VR with motion capture. Since joining Mindshow he has directed over 400 minutes of CG animation for Mattel and Netflix. His directing credits include shows like “Storybots: A Space Adventure" "Barbie," "Monster High" and “Hot Wheels City.”

His most recent live-action short film, “Marry, Mary” that he wrote and directed is currently traveling through the festival circuit, and he describes it as the best display of who he is today as a dramatic and comedic narrative director.

He continues to own and operate the production company that he founded in 2007, Penilican Pictures, where he works with creative agencies and his own clients to create branded content. His work in advertising has won him a Telly and most recently an Emmy (in 2024) for a medical docuseries that he produced and directed for the Jackson Health System in Miami titled “Labors of Love," which aired on PBS in 2024 and has 3 seasons.

David is a passionate storyteller who’s goal is to entertain and inspire in whatever he takes on. Directing is his passion, and it is backed by a strong editorial background that started with his days working as an editor at HBO Latin America.
His versatile journey through the production industry has given him a unique toolset that allows him to take on any number of creative challenges, and he is bilingual in English and Spanish. He’s easy to work with, adapts fast to change, and must work with people who like to laugh.

Most importantly he’s a dedicated family man to his wife and baby daughter who are the center of his life.

 

 

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