Laura Bustillos Jáquez is a Mexican American filmmaker and photographer based in New York City with roots on the U.S.–Mexico border. Her work explores migration, social movements, and cultural traditions, with a focus on stories that center resilience and creativity.
She earned a B.A. in Visual Journalism from Brooks Institute in Ventura, California, and later completed an M.A. in Film at Maharishi University in 2015.
Laura has traveled widely with organizations like Next Level Hip Hop Diplomacy, documenting the power of Hip Hop to connect communities in Portugal, the Philippines, and Costa Rica. She also co-founded the Femme Frontera Filmmaker Showcase to uplift underrepresented voices in film and is a Create Change Fellow alum of The Laundromat Project in New York.
Her collaborative work includes serving as Director of Photography for HaMapah/The Map and contributing as a member of the Artist Ensemble with DNAWORKS. She also works occasionally as a video journalist and editor for Democracy Now!. Laura has spoken internationally on storytelling and identity, from Towson University in Baltimore, where she served as Distinguished Global Speaker on immigration and empowerment, to the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez and ISMA in Benin, where she presented on “Decolonizing Our Identities.”
As the founder of LaBú Productions, Laura works across directing, cinematography, editing, and producing, continuing to tell stories that bridge borders and inspire dialogue.
CV available upon request - laura@labuproductions.com