About

Cine Qua Non

Created by filmmakers for filmmakers, Cine Qua Non cultivates spaces where artists can thrive. Through carefully curated programs, immersive residencies, and hands-on mentorship, we foster cross-cultural collaboration grounded in intention, integrity, and the joy of the creative process.

We support filmmakers at every stage of development, encouraging experimentation, risk-taking, and authentic storytelling. By building a life-long community of diverse, visionary artists —united by curiosity, empathy, and mutual support— we ensure every project has the guidance and environment it needs to reach its fullest creative potential.

Our onsite programs take place in the rural town of Tzintzuntzan, Mexico —once the capital of the Purépecha civilization— overlooking Lake Pátzcuaro and surrounded by artisan Indigenous villages. The serene landscape, rich natural beauty, and vibrant local cuisine all contribute to an immersive creative experience.

Founded in 2010 by Jesús Pimentel Melo, Ladimer Haluke, Sarita Khurana, Lucila Moctezuma, and Christina Lazaridi, Cine Qua Non is a nonprofit organization that supports impactful storytelling by cultivating a collaborative environment where filmmakers can nurture their projects.

Mission

Our mission is to support original, impactful cinematic storytelling rooted in authentic experience and shaped by distinct cultural perspectives. We believe that the most powerful films are born from truth — stories that reflect the lived realities of individuals and communities, inspire connection and illuminate our shared humanity.

Vision

We believe great stories can change the way we see the world and build a more empathetic society. We champion artists to take risks, explore boldly, and create work that resonates across cultures and audiences.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus id auctor enim. Aliquam in odio iaculis, laoreet mi nec, dapibus sapien. Cras condimentum luctus lectus in lobortis. Nullam eget magna ut eros facilisis consequat. Donec porttitor auctor venenatis. Vestibulum semper ullamcorper urna, nec mattis ligula. Morbi sit amet diam sollicitudin, mattis mauris in, aliquet mauris. Proin convallis facilisis iaculis. Duis eget felis lacus. Duis dapibus lacinia tincidunt. Vivamus eu felis at est sollicitudin mollis et ac elit. Suspendisse bibendum, ante vitae vulputate laoreet, sem turpis vehicula diam, nec lacinia sapien lacus et mauris. Vivamus vitae malesuada magna, at rutrum dolor. Nunc et feugiat ligula.

In ut rhoncus ante, porttitor dictum ante. Nulla vel ultrices velit. Aliquam ac commodo tellus, in tristique ante. Nam vehicula quis est feugiat interdum. Maecenas ac facilisis lorem. Morbi molestie nibh id magna tincidunt, ac finibus nisi eleifend. Nam massa orci, tempus nec porta nec, ultrices vitae arcu. Phasellus hendrerit turpis sed neque laoreet, vel posuere mi gravida. Cras id varius eros. Aenean feugiat, nisi aliquet mattis pellentesque, dolor arcu iaculis sapien, eleifend mollis elit ipsum sed quam. Nulla pellentesque volutpat dui nec consequat. Maecenas eget diam convallis, condimentum ex at, tristique diam. Nam consequat sagittis blandit. Suspendisse mollis tortor a quam tincidunt mattis. Quisque ut lorem sodales odio feugiat iaculis. Maecenas eu sem dignissim, varius nulla nec, facilisis est.

History

Cine Qua Non Lab was born out of Villa d’Acqua, an artists’ space created in 2001. During its first years of operation, Villa d’Acqua hosted, in an informal way, several Mexican independent filmmakers who wanted a quiet space to work on their projects.

In 2008, a pilot workshop for screenwriters was held in Villa d’Acqua at the initiative of Jesús Pimentel Melo, Ladimer Haluke and Sarita Khurana. Five filmmakers from Columbia University took part in this workshop — Jeannie Donohoe (USA), Jesús Pimentel Melo (Mexico), Julie Buck (USA), Luis Trelles (Puerto Rico) and Sarita Khurana (USA/India). For most of them, it was their first trip to Mexico and their first contact with the Mexican culture. The result was a one-week workshop with daily sessions of four hours to work on storylines and scripts for both short films and feature films. The workshop was very successful, since three of the scripts were produced the following year.

PILOT WORKSHOP

Jeannie Donohoe (USA) Public

Jesús Pimentel Melo (Mexico) Miramelinda / Patrice

Julie Buck (USA) Anna Flynn

Luis Trelles (Puerto Rico) Miramelinda / Acantilado

Sarita Khurana (USA/India) What Remains

Based on the success of the pilot workshop, in 2010 Cine Qua Non Lab was officially founded by Jesús Pimentel Melo, Ladimer Haluke, Sarita Khurana, Lucila Moctezuma and Christina Lazaridi as an artists’ residency for filmmakers from throughout the world. Since then, Cine Qua Non Lab has held an annual international workshop for independent screenwriters from around the world — the Script Revision Lab in English. In 2017, Cine Qua Non Lab started a new program — the Script Revision Lab in Spanish. In 2020, as a way to celebrate its 10^th anniversary, Cine Qua Non Lab launched two new programs focusing on early story development — the Storylines Lab in English and in Spanish.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

TEAM

MENTORS