Biography
Dylan Verrechia is an award-winning auteur-director, director of photography, and executive producer from Saint-Barthélemy, French West Indies. His company Verrechia Films has its headquarters in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 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. Verrechia was granted a scholarship to go to New York University. He earned his B.A. with Honors in Film & TV Production from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where he graduated after two years in the top 5% of his class.
Over a period of twenty years, Verrechia directed the trilogy: 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. His fourth feature film Pégame (2025), a fantasy film based on the folktale of the scorpion and the frog about female violence and male abuse within an indigenous community, was released in 2025 and received Best Mexican Feature at the 13th Rosarito International Film Festival.
Verrechia's documentary Kumeyaay Land (2023), about the native Kumeyaay community struggling to keep their tribal lands in Baja California received the Red Nation Film Award of Excellence for Best Documentary Short Subject at the Red Nation Film Festival, the Environmental, Social, Economic, Political Justice Award for Indigenous America at the Latino & Native American Film Festival, Best Documentary at Apex Film Awards, Best Documentary at Monza Film Fest, and Honorable Mention for Best Mexican Documentary at Shorts México. 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 Best Feature Children's Advocacy 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 (Audience Award for Best Documentary at Brooklyn Film Festival Arakimentari (2004) directed by Travis Klose, about photographer Nobuyoshi Araki), Palenque Filmaciones (Grand Jury Prize for Best Dramatic at Sundance Blood of My Blood (2007) directed by Christopher Zalla), and 25th Frame (Best Documentary at Milan Film Festival Picture Me (2009) directed by Sara Ziff, about female adolescents' exploitation in the fashion industry). BlackCard (2015) directed by Pete Chatmon (Black Lives Matter Award at Diversity in Cannes) with Dorian and Simone Missick was acquired by HBO, and Sega (2018) directed by Idil Ibrahim (Best Narrative at BlackStar Film Festival) with Alassane Sy was acquired by Canal +. His short film The Laughter of God (2000), about Algerian journalist Mr. Goliath, received the IFCT World Tour Awards for Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography. His films are marked by his strong empathy for the characters, parent-children relationship, and an individual's psychological exploration. From the proceeds of his work, Verrechia purchased the property "Casa Kurrak" in Baja California, and founded the Festival de Cine del Valle de Guadalupe dedicated to singular expressions of film auteurs indigenous and world-wide.
Verrechia has collaborated with such filmmakers as Ted Hope, Harvey Weinstein (Rosewood: The Best Version of Yourself (2017)), Topaz Adizes (A Seed of Maize (2017)), Seko Shamte (Homecoming (2016)), Harold Crooks (Best Canadian Documentary at Vancouver Film Critics Circle The Price We Pay (2014)), Morgan Spurlock (Mansome (2012)), Marie Ullrich (Chicago Award for Best Film at Chicago Film Festival The Alley Cat (2014)), Sal Sorrentino (Best Cinematography at St Tropez Film Festival The Warrior and the Savior (2013)), Bob Coen (Anthrax War (2009)), Richard Kroehling (2B (2009)), Mark Daniels (Comic Books Go to War (2009)), Todd Solondz (Un Certain Regard nominee at Cannes Storytelling (2001)), Kimberly Peirce (Oscar for Best Actress at the Academy Awards Boys Don't Cry (1999)), Spike Lee & Sam Pollard (The Making of 'Bamboozled' (2001)), and Andrés Baiz (Payaso Hijueputa (2000)). He participated on the music videos Wu-Tang Clan Feat. Redman: People Say (2017), Kanye West: Wolves (2016), Sananda Maitreya: I Wanna Breathe (2015), Rihanna Feat. Kanye West & Paul McCartney: FourFiveSeconds (2015), Flume & Chet Faker: Drop the Game (2014), Rae Sremmurd: Up Like Trump (2014), Tim Bendzko: Programmiert (2013), Yonas: Don't Give A Damn (2013), Plies: Fucking or What (2013), P Rell: Crucifix (2013), Von Haze: Mother Mountain (2013), Lucky Logan: Black Morning (2010), Nortec Collective: Tijuana Makes Me Happy (2006), and The Calling: Things Will Go My Way (2004). Clients include Netflix, the Weinstein Company, New Line Cinema, Good Machine, Killer Films, Fine Line Features, Fred & Farid, Funny or Die, Havas, Panamax, MGM, PBS, Greenpeace, Time Warner, ARTE, the CBC, L'Oréal, Condé Nast, Vogue, Teen Vogue, Radical Media, Playboy TV, Notorious, Sony Music, MTV, VH1, and ZDF.
Verrechia 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 is of American, French, Swiss, and Danish nationalities, and speaks English, French, and Spanish.
