Dylan Verrechia
- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Dylan Verrechia is an award-winning auteur-director, director of photography, and executive producer from St Barthélemy, Guadeloupe. His company Verrechia Films has offices in Brooklyn, and in Baja California. He is known for his three-part film La Pura Vida (2024), Tierra madre (2010), and Tijuana Makes Me Happy (2007). Born with ankylosing spondylitis disability, he was bedridden in his childhood, and in-and-out of hospitals throughout his life. After the French national service, he received his diploma in Cinema at Paris Nanterre University, where he was mentored by Jean Rouch at the Cinémathèque Française. He then graduated in a couple of years with Honors in Film & TV from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts.
Over a period of twenty years, Dylan Verrechia directed:
Dylan Verrechia's documentary Kumeyaay Land (2015), about the native Kumeyaay community struggling to keep their tribal lands in Baja California received Best Documentary at the Apex Film Awards and the Monza Film Fest. His feature documentary about Muslim street children in Bangalore, India, Kids of the Majestic (2009) screened at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, and at the Tribeca Film Center, and received the Best Feature in the Children's Advocacy Category at the UN endorsed Artivist Film Festival Raising Awareness for Humanity, Animals & the Environment, and the Directing & Writing Insight Awards of Recognition at the National Association of Film & Digital Media Artists. Dylan Verrechia also won the MarCom Awards for Best Commercial in Television & in Animation. He co-founded Troopers Films (Brooklyn International Film Festival Winner Arakimentari (2004), about photographer Nobuyoshi Araki), Palenque Filmaciones (Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Blood of My Blood (2007)), and 25th Frame (Milan International Film Festival Winner Picture Me (2009) about female adolescents' exploitation in the fashion industry). BlackCard (2015) directed by Pete Chatmon (Diversity in Cannes Black Lives Matter) with Dorian and SImone Missick was acquired by HBO, and Sega (2018) directed by Idil Ibrahim (BlackStar Film Festival Best Narrative) with Alassane Sy was acquired by Canal +. His short film The Laughter of God (2000), about Algerian journalist Mr. Goliath, received Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Director at the IFCT Film Festival. His films are marked by his strong empathy for the characters, parent-children relationship, and an individual's psychological exploration.
Dylan Verrechia has collaborated with such filmmakers as Ted Hope, Kimberly Peirce, Todd Solondz, Morgan Spurlock, Samuel Pollard, Spike Lee, Andrés Baiz, Pete Chatmon, Christopher Zalla, Idil Ibrahim, Marie Ullrich (Chicago International Film Festival Best Film Winner The Alley Cat (2014)), Bob Coen (Anthrax War (2009)), Harold Crooks (Vancouver Film Critics Circle Winner The Price We Pay (2014)), Richard Kroehling, Mark Daniels, Harvey Weinstein, and for clients such as Netflix, the Weinstein Company, New Line Cinema, Canal +, Good Machine, Killer Films, Funny or Die, Panamax, MGM, PBS, HBO, Greenpeace, Time Warner, ARTE, the CBC, L'Oréal, Condé Nast, Teen Vogue, Radical Media, Playboy TV, Notorious, Sony Music, MTV and VH1. He has filmed across the USA, the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Siberia, Japan, India, the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, the Canary Islands, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico. He speaks English, French, and Spanish.
Over a period of twenty years, Dylan Verrechia directed:
- Tijuana Makes Me Happy (2007), about the US consumerism model of life in a child's life on the Mexican border, received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature at the Slamdance Film Festival, and Indie Max at the San Antonio Film Festival;
- Tierra madre (2010), about a same-sex couple wanting to have a child together when it isn't legal in the country, received the Mexican Feature Film Special Mention at the Morelia International Film Festival, the Best Narrative Feature at the Reeling Chicago Lesbian & Gay International Film Festival, the Diversity Award for Best Feature Film at the Barcelona International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the Outstanding Achievement in Foreign Feature at the Williamsburg International Film Festival, the Best Feature Film at the Cinesul Ibero-American Film Festival, the Golden Palm at the Mexico International Film Festival, the Honorable Mention at the New Jersey International Film Festival, and the Silver Lei, and Excellence in Filmmaking at the Honolulu International Film Festival;
- and La Pura Vida (2024), about the abuse of the female protagonist within a liberal middle class family, received Best Director at the Swedish Academy of Motion Picture Awards, Best Feature Film at Paris Art & Movie Awards, Best Narrative Feature at New York ArtHouse Film Fest, Best Film About Women at New York Women International Film Festival, Best Actress at Sweden Film Awards, Best Actress in a Feature Film at Hong Kong Indie Film Festival, and Best Feature at the London Independent Film Awards.
Dylan Verrechia's documentary Kumeyaay Land (2015), about the native Kumeyaay community struggling to keep their tribal lands in Baja California received Best Documentary at the Apex Film Awards and the Monza Film Fest. His feature documentary about Muslim street children in Bangalore, India, Kids of the Majestic (2009) screened at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles, and at the Tribeca Film Center, and received the Best Feature in the Children's Advocacy Category at the UN endorsed Artivist Film Festival Raising Awareness for Humanity, Animals & the Environment, and the Directing & Writing Insight Awards of Recognition at the National Association of Film & Digital Media Artists. Dylan Verrechia also won the MarCom Awards for Best Commercial in Television & in Animation. He co-founded Troopers Films (Brooklyn International Film Festival Winner Arakimentari (2004), about photographer Nobuyoshi Araki), Palenque Filmaciones (Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner Blood of My Blood (2007)), and 25th Frame (Milan International Film Festival Winner Picture Me (2009) about female adolescents' exploitation in the fashion industry). BlackCard (2015) directed by Pete Chatmon (Diversity in Cannes Black Lives Matter) with Dorian and SImone Missick was acquired by HBO, and Sega (2018) directed by Idil Ibrahim (BlackStar Film Festival Best Narrative) with Alassane Sy was acquired by Canal +. His short film The Laughter of God (2000), about Algerian journalist Mr. Goliath, received Best Actor, Best Cinematography, and Best Director at the IFCT Film Festival. His films are marked by his strong empathy for the characters, parent-children relationship, and an individual's psychological exploration.
Dylan Verrechia has collaborated with such filmmakers as Ted Hope, Kimberly Peirce, Todd Solondz, Morgan Spurlock, Samuel Pollard, Spike Lee, Andrés Baiz, Pete Chatmon, Christopher Zalla, Idil Ibrahim, Marie Ullrich (Chicago International Film Festival Best Film Winner The Alley Cat (2014)), Bob Coen (Anthrax War (2009)), Harold Crooks (Vancouver Film Critics Circle Winner The Price We Pay (2014)), Richard Kroehling, Mark Daniels, Harvey Weinstein, and for clients such as Netflix, the Weinstein Company, New Line Cinema, Canal +, Good Machine, Killer Films, Funny or Die, Panamax, MGM, PBS, HBO, Greenpeace, Time Warner, ARTE, the CBC, L'Oréal, Condé Nast, Teen Vogue, Radical Media, Playboy TV, Notorious, Sony Music, MTV and VH1. He has filmed across the USA, the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Russia, Siberia, Japan, India, the United Arab Emirates, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, South Africa, the Canary Islands, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Bermuda, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico. He speaks English, French, and Spanish.