Yoel Morales

Yoel Morales (born December 22, 1989) is a Dominican film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. His work blends raw realism, absurd humor and subtle magical undertones to portray contemporary life in the Caribbean, often revolving around obsessive love, fatherhood and characters navigating harsh peripheral environments shaped by faith and survival. His feature La Bachata de Biónico (2024) premiered at the SXSW Film & TV Festival, where it won the Audience Award, and was later selected for the Locarno Film Festival and the BFI London Film Festival. His debut, Azul Magia (2017), a folkloric fantasy, amassed over nine million online views and established his interest in hybrid storytelling rooted in local mythology. In 2025, his films Medias Hermanas and Carlota la más barrial became two of the most successful Dominican releases of the year. He is also co-founder of the Caribbean creative collective Mentes Fritas.

Born: 1989-12-22 in San Cristóbal, República Dominicana