Magi Avila, a multifaceted individual, made her directorial debut with the critically acclaimed documentary "Altitude Not Attitude", which won numerous awards, including 'Best Documentary' at the Spotlight Documentary Awards and Virgin Spring Cinefest. The documentary, a semi-finalist and official selection at 20 film festivals, including the prestigious IDA and Academy Award Qualifying Flickers Rhode Island Film Festival, showcases Avila's unique ability to craft humorous, educational, and inspiring content.
Prior to her directorial debut, Avila had a successful career in Mexican films, television, and operatic productions. She then made the transition to Hollywood, where she has appeared in a variety of projects, including the TV series "My American Family" on Amazon Prime, featuring Danny Trejo, and the feature film "Dog Eat Dog" with Nicolas Cage and Willem Dafoe, directed by Paul Schrader. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, receiving a long-standing ovation.
Avila has also appeared in other notable projects, such as "First Kill" with Bruce Willis and Hayden Christensen, and "A Better Life" with Demian Bichir, directed by Chris Weitz. Her other U.S. television credits include a starring role on Jerry Bruckheimer's "Training Day" with the late Bill Paxton, and a pivotal role in the final episode of the acclaimed drama television series "The Shield", from Shawn Ryan.
In addition to her work in film and television, Avila has a strong background in theater. She has performed as a lead and co-starred in US Theater Productions, including "Nuevo California" with the San Diego Repertory Theater and "Little Red" with the Josefina Lopez' Los Angeles based Casa 0101 organization. Avila was also the co-writer, producer, and lead performer of the Musical Theater production of "Carmen Miranda - The Lady In The Tutti-Frutti Hat".
Avila's early career began in her native Ensenada, Mexico, where she presented as an opera singer and with a choral group known as "Voces De Primavera", under the direction of her beloved mentor, the late Maestro Jose de Jesus Veliz Ochoa. She performed for celebrities, dignitaries, and the then president of Mexico, Ernesto Zedillo. Avila also served a short stint as a News Reporter and on-camera talent for the Mexican television network, Televisa. As a teenager, she took on several modeling jobs, appearing in print ads and popular television commercials.
Avila has a strong educational background, having studied theater and arts at the Autonomous University of Baja California Extension, and earning her M.A. in theater of the body at the University Guadalajara A.K.A. UDG. She then moved to the USA to study at the prestigious Lee Strasberg Theater and Film Institute, and has continued to sharpen her acting skills with several acting coaches in Hollywood. Avila now has her own acting coaching business, the Successful Actor Academy, which offers an online 6 weeks course for aspiring and intermediate actors, the Six Steps Formula to Becoming a Working Actor.
Avila resides in Los Angeles, CA, and is grateful for the opportunities she has had to collaborate with numerous talented individuals throughout her career in the USA and Mexico.
