Marlon Rubio Smith
Directing
Biography
Marlon Rubio Smith is a Mexican-American director, cinematographer, and assistant camera. Born and raised in Mexico City, his experiences as an immigrant have influenced a lot of the themes in his work. Some of his most notable short films include A Piece of Me (2022), the award-winning I’m New (2023), Trompo (2024), and the upcoming ¿Cuando Perdí Mi Cabeza? (2025). With a Radio-Television-Film degree from the University of Texas at Austin, Marlon is also an editor, casting director, and occasionally a producer under his production company, MXR Films.
Known For
FIREWALL follows Ani, an Iranian-American girl in Texas longing for her father, lost and unreachable due to an internet firewall in politically turbulent Iran. Ani finds comfort in playing the cello and a beloved pop-up book of the Shahnameh, Iran's longest epic poem. Her mother's frustration over Iranian protests heightens the tension at home, but Ani becomes immersed in a vivid retelling of the Persian legend of Zahhak, the Serpent King. One night, when her father mysteriously returns, ancient Persian mythology intertwines with her reality, forcing her to confront the physical and mental demons that have kept her from finding peace.
Firewall
After a mysterious figure pulls her through a portal during a boring day at work, a young woman must connect with her past creative life and travel across fading pocket dimensions as she flees to escape a bureaucratic agent dedicated to uniformity and order.
Inner Child
A reserved college student reunites with his longtime crush, grappling with his desire for connection. As the day unfolds, he must confront the emotional truths he's been keeping buried.
Reconnected
A Hispanic immigrant starts her first day of high school, discovering a not-so-friendly environment. Being confused by her class schedule, Dani will attempt to ask for people through the tools in her hand but fail while doing so. A couple of misunderstandings with school faculty will push her to the limits until she finds someone that understands her better than anyone else.
I’m New
A young Mexican American adult struggles to grieve the recent death of his father while helping his mom cope when the sudden finding of a childhood toy evokes the memories of a nostalgic past that will bring more suffering to their life.
Trompo
Michael is upset because his friend, Freddie, didn't help him get a job opportunity at a photography company. Freddie invites his friends over to boast about his new job making Michael feel bad about not having any photography experience and not getting the job. Michael's mental gets the best of him that night.
Polar Mind
On the night before he and his mother move, Logan struggles to reconcile his relationship with his father as they attempt to watch a movie.
Moving Day
Through poetry, a young woman ventures through a trail of memories full of nostalgia and uncertainty.
This Isn't a Requiem, It's a Séance
When Liam reunites with his father after a decade apart, a tense courthouse meeting forces him to choose between the life or death of their relationship.
Fatherhood
A soon-to-graduate Mexican-American college student struggles to find a job when sudden visions and ancient entities question who he really is.