David Barba was born in Monterrey, Mexico, and spent his formative years in Mexico City, where he was exposed to a rich cultural heritage. His father, a Mexican national, and his Scottish mother instilled in him a fluency in both English and Spanish, which has served him well in his professional endeavors.
David's academic background is impressive, with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in Film from the prestigious Columbia University School of the Arts. His thesis short film, Adios, para Siempre, was a critical and commercial success, winning the HBO Urbanworld VIBE Best Short Film award in 2006. The film, shot on location in Mexico City, screened at numerous festivals worldwide and aired on Showtime and AXN.
David's feature documentary debut, Pop Star on Ice, co-directed with James Pellerito, tells the story of 2-time Olympian Johnny Weir. The film received widespread critical acclaim, screening at festivals such as SilverDocs and Frameline, and had a limited theatrical release at the IFC Center in New York. It also aired on Sundance Channel and Logo TV.
Following the success of Pop Star on Ice, David created a documentary series, Be Good Johnny Weir, which aired on Sundance Channel and Logo TV. The series, which explored Johnny Weir's journey leading up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, was well-received by audiences and critics alike. Season 2 of the series premiered on LogoTV in 2012.
David's second feature documentary, American Cheerleader, was released theatrically nationwide through Fathom Events. His latest documentary, Anatomy of a Male Ballet Dancer, which profiles American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Marcelo Gomes, won the Audience Award at the 2017 Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.
In addition to his work as a documentary filmmaker, David is a founder of Retribution Media, a film and television production company based in New York. He is also the founder of the New York City Short Film Festival (NYC Shorts),which was established in 2005. David is a graduate of the two-year Meisner acting program with Suzanne Esper at the Esper Studio in New York.
