Acclaimed Filmmaker Julia Weisberg Cortes and her Short ’BOYFIGHTER’: Interview / Breakdown

My guest today is Julia Weisberg Cortes, a writer, director and producer. Julia is heavily involved in both the Latina and female filmmaking communities which has afforded her the tools to pursue personal stories rooted in identity and womanhood.

Her new short film, BOYFIGHTER, a haunting and deeply human short film starring Michael Mando (Better Call Saul, Orphan Black), will have its world premiere at the Oscar-qualifying HollyShorts Film Festival.

The film is one of ten shorts selected for the 2025 Indeed Rising Voices program, an initiative committed to championing underrepresented BIPOC filmmakers through mentorship, funding, and high-profile exposure.

Ladies and gentlemen, Julia Weisberg Cortez’s short film BOYFIGHTER is set in a world shaped by economic hardship and generational violence, Boyfighter follows a retired bare-knuckle fighter who is forced to confront the brutal legacy he's passed down to his son. As he prepares for the fight of his life, he must reckon with the emotional damage left in his wake and the possibility of redemption.

Through this deeply personal lens, the film explores the enduring impact of toxic masculinity, the consequences of limited opportunity, and the fragile beauty that exists even amidst pain. With a gripping, introspective performance from Michael Mando, Boyfighter delivers a raw, poetic meditation on fatherhood, healing, and the transformative power of connection.

Director Julia Weisberg Cortés brings a lyrical visual style to the screen, crafting a story that is both timely and timeless, rooted in themes of legacy, violence, and love. At its core, Boyfighter is a story about reckoning and hope: a man grappling with what it means to be a father, a fighter, and ultimately human. It’s a film that refuses to shy away from the darkness but insists on the possibility of light.

Julia has dedicated this film to her late brother, to honor his life and his legacy of love. #indeedjobs #shortfilm #movie #film #filmmaker #filmfestival #cinephile #bondoncinema #cinema #filmdirector #generationalimpact #fatherhood #womeninfilm #culturalidentity