Isabela is a Mexican-American documentary filmmaker and cinematographer who was raised in Vancouver, BC.

She crafts intimate, immersive visual stories where people and landscapes converge—fueled by adventure, grounded in environmental justice. With a B.S. in Public Policy from UNC Chapel Hill and a background in journalism, Isabela brings both analytical depth and poetic sensitivity to her work. Her films often center women, land stewards, and Indigenous knowledge keepers at the frontlines of ecological and cultural resilience.

Isabela began her career working behind the camera on Netflix and HBO docuseries, and has collaborated with notable producers including those behind Chimp Crazy and Kiss the Ground. Her early work as a camera assistant and operator helped shape her technical fluency and deepened her appreciation for collaborative, vérité-style filmmaking.

She cares deeply about narrative as a tool for policy, empathy, and change—and brings both sensitivity and cinematic craft to community-centered work. Her projects have taken her from the wetlands of Xochimilco to the forests of the Pacific Northwest, and she has collaborated with purpose-driven brands and organizations including The North Face, REI, and Cotopaxi.

Now based in Ojai, California, she approaches storytelling by listening closely, staying present, and honoring the connections between people and place.