Isabel Rivero-Vilá is a Professor of World Languages and Cultures at American University (Washington, D.C) and an independent filmmaker. She has been named Chevalier de l’ordre des Palmes Académiques by the Ministère de l’Éducation Nationale in France for her work promoting the French language and the Francophone cultures.

She holds a PhD in Francophone Cinema and Multimedia and a Masters degree in Creative Documentary. She specializes in West African cinema and her documentaries showcase true cultural identities and are a tool for social awareness in today's society.

In 2016, Isabel Rivero-Vilá filmed and produced the webdoc series “5 mois à Nantes, ville vivante” which is used by French teachers in many countries. Since 2019, she has filmed several short film interviews with artists, politicians, musicians, and educators in Senegal. Her first feature documentary film "AFRYKAS et la boîte magique" (2022) filmed in Senegal, has received numerous awards internationally:

Best Feature Documentary Award in Cannes Independent Film Festival, FestiFrance (Brazil), Venice Film Festival, Pure Magic International Film Festival (Amsterdam) and Argenteuil Film Festival (Paris); Excellence Award in Docs without borders film festival (Rehoboth beach); Best Picture Documentary Award in Docuworld Film Festival (London); Best Indigenous Film Award at The African Film Festival (Dallas); Best First Film Award at The International Black and Diversity Film Festival (Toronto); Best International Documentary Award at the Toronto International Nollywood Film Festival (Toronto); The Outstanding Filmmaking Education Award at the Helsinki Education International Film Festival and Best First Time Filmmaker Award at the FilmArte Festival in Berlin and Award of Merit at the Impact DOCS Awards

It has also been in the official selection of festivals such as International Brighlight Film Festival in Hollywood, Chicago Indie Awards; San Diego Art Film Fest, Berlin International Film Festival, New Filmmakers NY, Djarfogo International Film Festival (Cape Verte), the West African Film Festival (Houston), the Geneva Awards, the Piton International Film Festival (PIFF, Africa), Virginia dares cinematic arts awards for Decolonizing/Re-Indigenizing media, Vues d’Afrique (Montréal) and Saint-Louis Docs (Senegal).

Dr. Rivero-Vilá collaborates with award-winning Senegalese filmmakers and teaches documentary film seminars in Senegal. She also organizes Film Festivals in Washington D.C; in American University and the French Embassy to promote diversity, equity and inclusion through film.

She has now her own Production Company with Rudi De Bouw, Ocean Heart Productions. Her last feature documentary, Nocturno, currently in the festival tour, is a film about finding hope thanks to music in sickness or at an elderly age. It has now premiered in the French Embassy in DC, in Austria, in Spain and in Belgium and has received numerous awards for Best Original Score (Montreal, Cannes, Paris), Best Documentary Film (Paris, San Francisco, Berlin, Los Angeles, Dubai), Best Film on Disability (Cannes World Film Festival) and Best Female Filmmaker (Berlin International Art Film Festival).