Willie Varela was a Mexican-American experimental filmmaker, photographer, and educator who was born and raised in El Paso, TX. Over his four decade career, he created over 100 films and videos exploring cultural and political themes. Additionally, Varela created numerous photographs and installations, all influenced by avant-garde filmmakers such as Stan Brakhage. Varela earned his BS from University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) (1976); and his MA in Interdisciplinary Studies from UTEP (1996). He was an Assistant Professor of Film Studies at UTEP from 1997 to 2006.