乔尔·阿方索·巴尔加斯，The director grew up shaped by the hip-hop culture of The Bronx which became a key inspiration for his journey into filmmaking. Initially self-taught, he experimented with short films and found his actors on Craigslist. He later studied at the University of Southern California, the University of the Arts in London and the UK’s National Film and Television School. Following his education, he remains committed to grassroots filmmaking, using small crews, street-cast talent and semi-improvised dialogue. He collaborates closely with marginalised communities to tell nuanced stories around themes of diasporic identity and social justice. Mad Bills to Pay is his debut feature film.