Deborah S. Esquenazi

Deborah S. Esquenazi is a documentary filmmaker, writer, radio producer, instructor, and investigative journalist. She has been recognized for her direction of the critically acclaimed documentary "Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four." This film won a plethora of awards including the Critic’s Choice Award for "Best First Feature," an Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Social Issues Documentary," a Peabody Award, and the Outstanding Documentary at the 28th GLAAD Media Awards.

Not only did "Southwest of Salem" garner accolades, it played a major role in the exoneration of the "San Antonio Four," and is cited in the opening passages of the Writs of Habeas Corpus in Ex Parte Anna Vasquez, Cassandra Rivera, Elizabeth Ramirez, and Kristie Mayhugh. Its impact has been the subject of discussion in Forbes Magazine, The New York Times, The Texas Observer, The Marshall Project, and many other publications.

In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Esquenazi has received numerous fellowships and grants that have contributed to her career development. She is a Rockwood JustFilms Ford Foundation Fellow, Sundance Creative Producing Lab Fellow (2015), Firelight Media Producers’ Lab Fellow (2015), IFP Spotlight on Docs (2015), and Sundance Documentary Film Fellow (2014). Her work, including essays and half-dozen short films (La Loma, Wake Up, Dead Men), delves into the intersections of Mythology & Justice, Identity & Power. Currently, Esquenazi is expanding on these themes in a series of essays she is developing.

"Southwest of Salem" has achieved international attention due to its investigation into a controversial criminal case. The film was supported by prestigious institutions such as the Sundance Institute for Documentary Film Program, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Initiative, Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation, and Chicken & Egg Pictures.

Esquenazi is also currently involved in curating a retrospective exhibition on the multi-media of Bruce Jackson, the renowned folklorist, photographer and filmmaker who photographed the bygone era of slave plantation turned prison farm circa 1960’s. Additionally, she is collaborating with the renowned Fusebox Festival ThinkEAST project, supported by Artplace America, on an experimental series of teen-led short films that explore issues of Latino identity, criminality, and cultural equity.