Javiera Mardones Ballesteros

Javiera Mardones Ballesteros is a Chilean journalist, writer, and filmmaker whose work explores the intersections of documentary cinema, family memory, and literature. Her projects often draw on personal archives, intimate storytelling, and autobiographical narratives.

She participated in the short film "Bus Window Diaries" and is currently developing short film projects in collaboration with filmmaker Juan Francisco Ossa.

Her first documentary short film, "Letter to Mario" ("Carta a Mario"), is an audiovisual letter addressed to her Argentine grandfather, whose existence she only recently discovered and never had the opportunity to meet. Through family archive material, the film reflects on the emotions, questions, and experiences shared by Javiera and her mother, creating an intimate exploration of identity, memory, and belonging. The project reflects her ongoing interest in documentary filmmaking and literary forms of personal storytelling.