Cary Joji Fukunaga directs realistic films that deal with social issues. His work is informed by his extensive travels throughout Southeast Asia, Europe, and Latin America, where he studied and photographed the aftermath of neocolonialism. His short film Victoria Para Chino, a powerful and haunting look at the dangerous journey of Central Americans who cross the Mexican border, won 23 international awards, including a Student Academy Award, and was short-listed for a 2006 Academy Award. His debut feature, Sin Nombre, to be released by Focus Features, reprises the theme of Victoria Para Chino, focusing on young men who cross the border by riding the tops of trains. He developed the script at the Sundance Director’s Lab and used nonprofessional actors from Central America.