cinematography
Jessica Villamil
editing
Sonia Sánchez Carrasco
music
Yamil Rezc

sound
Fullmix
Shalala Studios
production design
Salvador Parra
costumes
Gilda Navarro

cast
Aurora Dávila
María Castellá
Natalia Plascencia
Paloma Petra
Rosy Rojas
Fernanda Baca
Lola Ochoa

productions
Redrum
Huasteca Casa Cinematografica
producers
Stacy Perskie
Karla Luna Cantú
Andrea Porras Madero
Paloma Petra

In the late 1980s, a family of seven women from different generations fights to save the house in which they live and which they are about to lose due to an outstanding debt. We see the story through the eyes of the youngest, eight-year-old Roberta, as she embarks on a journey of self-discovery, which impacts the rest of the family.

2025 Vainilla
2021 Me quedo aquí (short)
2018 En la piel de Lucía (short)

“I’ve had the privilege of learning from filmmakers whose work encouraged me to find my own voice as a writer and director. That journey led me to Vainilla, a story rooted in my childhood in northern Mexico. I grew up in a non-traditional home, and although it felt normal to me, the conservative community around us didn’t see it that way. The film follows Roberta, a young girl shaped by this environment, who believes she can somehow fix her family’s situation. It’s a story about growing up too soon, about how shame and love intertwine, and how identity is formed when you live outside the norm. Rather than criticize tradition, Vainilla asks what it means to belong, and how we judge lives different from our own. Making this film in my hometown is my way of honoring where I come from, while opening the door for other stories that explore family, gender, and resilience in places often overlooked by cinema.” (Mayra Hermosillo)

Mayra Hermosillo (1989, Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico) is an actress, director, and writer. She began her studies in acting at ITESM Campus Laguna and Universidad del Valle de México before moving to Mexico City to deepen her craft. In the capital, Hermosillo also worked with the International Cervantino Festival, a music event. Her stage career includes leading roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and Privacidad alongside Diego Luna. Hermosillo transitioned to film and television, gaining recognition for her portrayal of Enedina Arellano Félix in Narcos: Mexico. In addition to acting, she ventured into filmmaking, co-writing and co-directing her first short film, En la piel de Lucía, in 2018. In 2021, she received support from FOCINE for her second short film, Me quedo aquí. Vainilla marks her feature directorial debut.