Aimee Garcia’s Directorial Debut ‘Aimee Comes First’ Selected For Tribeca 2025

The actress celebrates her first film as director being recognized at prestigious film festival.

By Pratibha Pratibha linkedin_icon

Actress Aimee Garcia has reached an exciting new milestone in her career as her directorial debut film “Aimee Comes First” has been officially selected for the 2025 Tribeca Film Festival. The star shared her excitement on Instagram, posting an image of the official Tribeca 2025 selection notification for her film.

“THRILLED my directorial debut 🎬 ‘Aimee Comes First’ is an official selection of #Tribeca2025!” Garcia wrote in her celebratory post. She went on to thank her collaborator AJ Mendez and the cast and crew “who said YES to a passion project I wrote.” Garcia concluded her announcement with a heartfelt observation: “It takes a team of delusional dreamers.”

From Actress To Director

The selection at Tribeca represents a significant career expansion for Garcia, who has established herself as a versatile actress in Hollywood. Garcia is known for roles in popular series such as “Lucifer,” where she portrayed forensic scientist Ella Lopez, and “Dexter,” where she played Jamie Batista. She also appeared as Dr. Gabriela Callaghan in the series “Rush Hour” and had a notable role in “RoboCop” (2014).

The actress has been working in television and film since the late 1990s, gradually building a diverse portfolio of roles across genres. Now, she’s adding “director” to her impressive resume.

Collaborative Spirit

Garcia’s post specifically thanked AJ Mendez (tagged as @theajmendez), suggesting a close collaborative relationship on this project. The two have worked together on multiple projects, as evidenced by Garcia’s previous Instagram posts. They appear to be producing partners, with Garcia previously mentioning “@scrappyheartproductions” as their production company.

In a post from earlier this year, Garcia celebrated another milestone: “Honored that @scrappyheartproductions 1st film premiered on the big screen! Thx @sdlatinofilmfestival. Shoutout to my producing partner @theajmendez & our incredible cast & crew for bringing their magic.”

This indicates that Garcia and Mendez have been building their production company and creating content together, with “Aimee Comes First” marking Garcia’s first time in the director’s chair.

Industry Recognition

Having a directorial debut selected for Tribeca is a notable achievement in the film industry. The Tribeca Film Festival, founded by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal, and Craig Hatkoff in 2002, has grown into one of the most respected film festivals in the world. Selection at Tribeca often serves as a launching pad for independent films and new directors looking to make their mark.

For Garcia, this selection validates her move behind the camera and could open doors for future directorial opportunities.

What’s Next For Garcia

While celebrating this directorial milestone, Garcia continues to maintain an active presence across multiple creative fields. Her Instagram shows her balancing social events, production work, and continued acting.

Garcia’s journey from in front of the camera to behind it follows a path taken by many actors looking to expand their creative control and storytelling capabilities. With the Tribeca selection of “Aimee Comes First,” she joins the ranks of actor-directors who have successfully made this transition.

As Tribeca 2025 approaches, fans and industry observers will be watching closely to see how Garcia’s directorial style translates to the screen and what reception her debut receives at the prestigious festival.

Garcia’s announcement post perfectly captures both the excitement and the collaborative nature of filmmaking with her acknowledgment that “It takes a team of delusional dreamers” to bring creative visions to life. For this actor-turned-director, that dream is now headed to one of the film world’s most respected showcases.

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Aimee Garcia made her directorial debut with the short film 'The Halloween Party' in 2018.
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Pratibha holds a master's degree in English from Madras University. A bookworm from a young age, she devours books and digital humanities to nourish her writing projects. Pratibha began her writing career in 2018 and has experience writing formal, informal, and technical content.

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