Carlos López Estrada is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker from Mexico City. Carlos’s debut film, “Blindspotting,” premiered opening night at Sundance 2018 and was subsequently released by Lionsgate Entertainment. Carlos was nominated by the DGA for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director. His second film, “Summertime,” premiered opening night of Sundance 2020 and was released theatrically the following year. Carlos’s third film, “Raya and the Last Dragon,” was released by Disney in March of 2021 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. On the TV side, Carlos directed an episode of FX and Marvel’s “Legion.” He began his career directing music videos for musicians like Billie Eilish, Father John Misty, Thundercat and Flying Lotus, Katy Perry, Carly Rae Jepsen and Clipping. In 2012, he won a Latin Grammy for an animated music video he directed for Mexican artists Jesse & Joy. He is currently developing an animated feature documentary set to release in 2023 as well as the live-action adaptation of Disney’s “Robin Hood.”

Poetic is a collective of Los Angeles-based poets and artists from various communities aligned in the values of storytelling, empathy and social impact. The collective was founded by Carlos López Estrada, Hanna Harris, Anna Osuna, Marcos James, Marquesha Babers and Gordon Ip.