Ana, a single mother and immigrant, has built her life around shielding her daughter, Isabel. But when a terminal diagnosis forces her to face the future, Ana must let go of control and find the courage to be vulnerable before it’s too late.
Logline
Ana has spent her whole life working to give her daughter, Isabel, a better future. A single mom and immigrant housekeeper, Ana has carried the weight of providing on her own, keeping her head down and her guard up. But behind her tough exterior is a woman who has always lived with shame—she got pregnant as a teenager, and ever since, she’s been afraid Isabel might repeat her mistakes. That fear makes her want to control her daughter’s future, even beyond the grave. Her love for Isabel runs deep, but it’s often hidden under rules, silence, and sacrifice, creating a distance between them. As Isabel starts to pull away and carve her own path, Ana realizes she has to face her past, open up, and risk showing her true self. After a devastating diagnosis, Ana ventures to find someone to care for her daughter to avoid foster care. But she has limited resources she can turn to. Ultimately what she must learn is to let go of control, and to find the courage to finally be vulnerable before it’s too late.
Synopsis
Genre: Drama
Running Time: 14’
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Screening Formats: 2K 5.1 DCP, ProRes
Sound: 5.1 or Stereo
Shot on: ARRI Alexa Mini, 2.8K ARRIRAW, 24p
Language: Portuguese, English
Director
Julia Weisberg Cortés is a writer and director based in Mexico City and Los Angeles. She became the first woman in her family to pursue a creative higher education, receiving her bachelor's in screenwriting from LMU. Julia has gone on to pursue her passions as a filmmaker; directing and writing award-winning shorts, features, and television. Her work proudly integrates the survival stories of the women in her family with the often lost or overlooked voices of the Mexican-American woman. Currently, Julia is in development for her TV series, The Golden Children. She will premiere one of her upcoming works in Tribeca 2025. In addition, her pilot won her a spot in the renowned Humanitas ‘New voices fellowship,’ and her feature Script, The Coveted, won an accolade from Slamdance for riveting drama. Julia is an alumni of Tomorrow Filmmakers Today program, Warner Brothers Discovery (directing television,) and Indeed Rising Voices program.
Julia Weisberg Cortés
Director’s Statement
My grandmother's journey began with her tiny hands plucking fruit from trees. A field-worker, she sowed the seeds of sustenance that would feed the nation, gracing tables during holidays, filling Sunday family meals, and packing their children's lunches. When her lungs succumbed to the toll of unforgiving chemical pesticides, she transitioned to the quieter role of a housekeeper, continuing her labor until her final days. Her sacrifice ensured a brighter future for me, a future she could only dream of. In the sun-belt of San Francisco's Mission District, she nurtured me with love and resilience. As I ventured into the realm of filmmaking, it became clear that I wanted to tell stories that encapsulate the profound moments of my grandmother's life.
As a result, many of the stories I create hold her spirit, including More Than Dust. It seeks to illuminate the true dangers faced by our essential workers every day, especially those who, like my grandmother, called America home even when it refused to embrace her in return. As a child, I yearned for my grandmother’s tenderness, but she had been hardened by the brutal realities of life for a Mexican woman in this country. It wasn’t until after her death, and after I became a woman myself, that I understood her sacrifice was, in its own way, her tenderness. More Than Dust is my attempt to have the conversation that was stolen from us, to reclaim the moments of gentleness and understanding that should have been ours.
Ana
Marcela Jacobina is a Brazilian filmmaker and actor working across film, television, commercials and fashion.
After living in NYC from 2012-2019 working as a fashion editor, she went on to write, direct and star in her first short movie NOBODY (2023). The film had its online premiere on NOWNESS and was featured in several European festivals, earning a National Grand Prix nomination at Fest - New Directors/New Films (PT).
Marcela's acting credits include the Brazilian telenovela Eramos Seis (2019-2020), produced by the Latin American giant Rede Globo, as well as the short movies "Life of Liberty" (2021), directed by Vincent Haycock and “More Than Dust” (Austin Film Festival premiere, 2025), directed by Julia Weisberg. In 2023 Marcela created, wrote and performed the scene "Are you Attracted To Me?" for AUTORRETRATO, a month-long live performance show curated by acclaimed theater director Felipe Hirsch. She has also voiced the Brazilian version of Barry Jenkins' Mufasa (2025).
Marcela Jacobina
Ana Claudia is a São Paulo–based actress with experience across film, theater, and television. She trained at UCLA’s Summer Acting Institute in Los Angeles, where she wrote and produced a stage play, and studied with coach Joseph Pearlman. Her screen credits include the award-winning short 2’30 (2024), as well as The Accomplice (2022) and E = Love² (2023). In São Paulo, she continues her training with acting coach Marcio Mehiel and supports young talents in Paraisópolis.
Ana Clau
Isabel
Edgar Cortés Campoy is a Mexican filmmaker recognized for his work in period pieces and immersive world-building. His short Nahjum, set in pre-Hispanic Mexico, earned an Honorable Mention at HollyShorts and won Best Neomex Short Film at Shorts Mexico. He co-wrote and produced Los Hijos de Dios (2022), set in 1525 during the Spanish conquest, which premiered at the Morelia International Film Festival and later screened at HollyShorts, Beverly Hills Film Festival, and ShortsMexico, earning multiple awards including Best Cinematography and Production Design at Coconut Grove Film Festival. He also produced The Devil’s Plot, a horror-drama set in 1755 New Spain, which premiered at HollyShorts. His latest projects include More Than Dust (Austin Film Festival 2025) and Keelhaul, a horror set in the 1720s, which premiered at Sitges International Film Festival 2025 and is slated for its wider festival run later this year.
Edgar Cortés Campoy
Producer
Matheus Bastos is a cinematographer with roots in independent narrative filmmaking. A former drummer, he brings a rhythmic and intuitive approach to his visual storytelling. His work has screened at top film festivals including the Cannes Film Festival, Directors’ Fortnight, SXSW, Tribeca, Fantastic Fest, Deauville, and Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara. He has also shot short form work featured in Rolling Stone, Billboard, and nominated for MTV VMA Awards.
Matheus Bastos
Director of Photography
Credits
Writer & Director - Julia Weisberg Cortés
Ana - Marcela Jacobina
Isabel - Ana Clau
Tyler - Micheal Isiah Martinez
ACS Worker - Tiffany Carvalho
Baby Isabel - Pia Sanchez
Executive Producer - Marielena Gonzalez
Executive Producer - Francisco Lederman
Producer - Edgar Cortés Campoy
Director of Photography - Matheus Bastos
1st Assistant Director - Darcy Thompson
Production Designer - Zohar Zeev
Art PA - Emme Cole
1st Assistant Camera - Matt Vasquez
2nd Assistant Camera - Lexa Krebs
Gaffer - Hai Le Thanh Nguyen
Key Grip - David Ospina
Hair & Makeup - Vanessa Verea
Production Sound Mixer - William Pawlowski
Production Assistant - Patrick Langlitz
Editor - Katelyn Wright
Re-Recording Mixer - Austin Chase
Sound Effects Editors - Eric Schwartz
Sound Effects Editors - Nathan Yamaguchi
Dialogue Editor - Paul Fonarev
Color Producer - Brayden Deskins
Colorist - Cameron Marigold
Marcio Mehiel, Natalia Leite, Leandro Nazar Rebelo, Stephanie Halovanic, Elissa Celeste, Fernando Mercader, LDM Productions, Jasmine Plata, Jennifer Zarzuela, Edgar Cortés Cardoso, Mercedes Campoy Gómez del Castillo, Tania Cortés Campoy, Gregory Weisberg, Roxanne Stafford, Gary Weisberg, Sonny Alvarez, Angel Tolentino, Julia Castaño, Tiffany Walker, Eddie Walker, Teofilo Gonzalez, Maria Elena Guinand, Greenwood Cine NYC, Quixote NYC, ShapiroBros, nau or nvr.