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Rafael 'Raffy' Nico Cortina Jr. (born June 22, 1991) is an American director, writer, and producer. He has made seven short films, earning the 2013 Student Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for his most recent work, Bottled Up.

Early life
Cortina was born on June 22, 1991 in Spanish Harlem, NY to a Puerto Rican family. He was a member of the Boys Club of New York after-school program from 1996 until 2003, which awarded him scholarships to attend grades seven through nine at the Hillside School, an all-boys middle school in Marlborough, MA. He spent grades ten through twelve at The Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, MA, where he worked with his photography teacher and mentor, Edward Hing, to found a film club, student news program and the Williston Northampton Film Festival, currently in its sixth year. His short film Saw GT, created to promote the school's environmental club, won the Youth Film Showcase: Cultures of Peace competition and was shown at the Northampton Arts Council's Youthfilm Series on February 23, 2008. He created his production company, Reel Deal Pictures, during his junior year.

Education and Career
Prior to his freshman year of college, Cortina worked as a Production Assistant on the set of Sesame Street.

Cortina entered Occidental College in 2009 and created the college's first entirely student-run television network CatAList TV with his freshmen year dorm mate, Daniel Watson. The first pilot episode appeared in April 2010 and featured a collection of restaurant reviews, polls, the weather forecast, campus events, and musical performances. Cortina acted as the Head of Production and helped secure funding from the school for the team of 45 students.

In May 2011, he co-established Miniflavor, a small design firm.

In July 2011, Reel Deal Pictures became Flavor Films.

Cortina wrote, directed, and produced Bottled Up as his senior comprehensive project from 2012 to 2013. The film features two characters, Amos the dockworker and Katrina the baker, who bottle up their wishes and send them down a red river in the hopes that they will eventually be answered. It was awarded the 2013 Student Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in May 2013 for the Alternative category.

Filmography

 * Saw GT, 2007, writer, director, producer
 * Open Your Eyes, 2010, director
 * ''Double Truth',' 2011, writer, director, producer, actor
 * Cross Court, 2012, writer, director, producer
 * Webbed, 2012, producer
 * It Ain't Easy Being Green, 2013, producer
 * Bottled Up, 2013, writer, director, producer

Awards

 * Saw GT, winner, 2008 Youth Film Showcase: Cultures of Peace
 * Cross Court, 2012 U.C.L.A. Shorttakes FIlm Festival, Best Drama; 2012 Harlem International Film Festival, Best Youth Film; 2012 All Sports Los Angeles Film Festival, Best Super Short Film.
 * Bottled Up, 2013 Student Academy Award, Alternative