Lorena R. Valencia is a Mexican film director and screenwriter. She was born in Pachuca, Hidalgo, and currently lives in New York. Her thesis short film, Cuanacaquilitl, received the award for Best Short Film at the 16Days16Films Film Festival, an honorable mention at the Highland Park Independent Film Festival, and a Student Award from the National Board of Review in the United States. Cuanacaquilitl was part of the official selection in several international film festivals and exhibitions, including the Morelia International Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the MICGénero festival, the New York Latino Film Festival and the NewFilmmakers Los Angeles Film Festival. Lorena is a member of New York Women in Film & Television, and in 2021 she was nominated for the BAFTA-NY Jeff Hunter Charitable Trust Award. She is currently directing Mi ranchito, a documentary short film exploring resilience and love for the land, and developing her debut feature, Mayahuel.

Mayahuel — A healer obsessed with her biological offspring meets a novelist who does not accept the end of her marriage. Both of them connect with the goddess Mayahuel as a symbol of liberation and transformation that will allow them to understand their grief.