Monica Sorelle

Monica Sorelle is a Haitian-American filmmaker and visual artist based in Miami. Her work investigates South Florida and Caribbean cultures and perspectives, and her films have been featured in numerous international film festivals.

Early life and education
Monica Sorelle was born to Haitian parents in Miami and grew up in the North Miami area.

Sorelle started taking film classes at 16, and earned an Associate of Arts from Miami Dade College and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film from the University of Central Florida in 2012.

Career
Sorelle produced a number of short films that have been awarded at festivals such as Berlinale, BlackStar Film Festival and Miami Film Festival, and acquired by Criterion Channel and Indiana University Black Film Center & Archive. She is a member of Third Horizon, a collective based in Miami.

She was awarded the Artist Fellowship from the Caribbean Cultural Institute at Pérez Art Museum Miami in 2021. In 2023, her video work was exhibited on PAMM TV, Pérez Art Museum Miami's streaming service for video art. Sorelle is a 2023 Artists in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE) Fellow and recipient of the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowship.

Mountains (2023)
Sorelle co-wrote and directed Mountains, a 95-minute feature film commenting on the implications of gentrification and urban renewal in the Little Haiti neighborhood in Miami, Florida, through the lens of a local demolition worker named Xavier (portrayed by Atibon Nazaire), his wife Esperance (Sheila Anozier), and their son Junior (Chris Renois).

Mountains had its world premiere at Tribeca Film Festival in New York, where it received a Special Jury Mention in the United States competition. Mountains has been awarded by major film festivals and juried presentations such as Toronto International Film Festival, Official Selection; New Orleans Film Festival 2023, Winner of Audience Award; Charlotte Film Festival 2023, Winner of Jury Award; New Hampshire Film Festival 2023, Winner of Grand Jury Award; Indie Memphis Film Festival 2023, Winner of Best Narrative Feature; and BlackStar Film Festival 2023, Winner of Audience Award and Nominee for Jury Award. In 2024, Monica Sorelle was the recipient of Someone to Watch Award by Film Independent Spirit Awards. Mountains was also awarded the ReFrame Stamp from ReFrame in 2024. Mountains was exhibited at Sorelle's Miami hometown as part of Miami Film Festival 2024.