Joel Mendez-Zarate is a filmmaker & cinematic designer currently based in Dallas, Texas.

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Joel grew up in Sherman Texas, where he started making videos first with his brothers, and then with his friends for the high-school morning announcements, Cats News. He won the 2016 UIL state champion with his film Motoman: Ride or Die. 

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He went to study film for a year at the University of North Texas in Denton, where he made films with the Short Film Club, before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin to finish his studies in film. His thesis film Hundred Flowers Project, has won numerous awards across festivals in U.S. 

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He also did an exchange at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Cinematográficos. 

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He graduated in 2020. Since 2022, Joel has been working in the video game industry as cinematic designer, creating cutscenes, narrative moments, and epic experiences for gamers. He's worked on titles like Ghostbusters Spirits Unleashed, Killer Klowns From Outer Space, and Predator Hunting Grounds. 

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He specializes in directing, screenwriting, & previz. He loves to work in both traditional live-action as well in animation. 

 

You can check out his many short films, sketches & game titles here. 

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In his freetime, Joel likes to coach improv locally, walking at parks, and hanging out with his friends and family.