Jon Ayon is a Mestizo (Comcáac/Nahua-Salvadoreño/Xicano) filmmaker from LA. Based in Oakland, he holds a B.A. in Cinema from SF State and an MFA in Documentary from Stanford. His work has earned him recognition and support from Francis and Roman Coppola, The Annenberg Foundation, SFFILM, NewFilmmakers LA, Points North Institute, IDA, Full Frame, Avenida TV, & Sundance. Ayon’s films explore the Mestize/Latine-“American” experience with a critical focus on broken Indigenous kinship systems, internalized racism, cultural xenophobia, Ulysses syndrome, and generational trauma. Ayon is a co-founder of the independent production company—Un Colibrí Films.

Filmmaker’s disclaimer on the use of the word Mestizo/e:
Disclaimer on the use of the word Mestizo/e:
Like Mulatto, the term Mestizo comes from colonial efforts to segregate and can be seen or heard as a dirty word meaning biracial or mixed-race. In the 20th century, there was a neoliberal effort by Latin American countries to reinvent the use of the word Mestizo as part of a multiculturalist campaign to erase individual Indigeneity. This was done to whitewash the history of state-sponsored genocide of Indigenous communities throughout Latin-America. This multiculturalism was an attempt to hammer the final nail in the coffin of Indigenous erasure through assimilation and migration, and it was called “el mestizaje.” When I first began reclaiming the term Mestizo, I employed it as a means to explain my brown skin and complexion to whites and non-Latines. I soon realized that this reason was influenced by a colonial perception (or misconception) of myself and my identity. In 2008, I began investigating—through family interviews, research, and traveling to meet tribal relations—my own heritage and ancestry. Since then, my use of the word Mestizo—and now, Mestizx or Mestize—evolved to include a parenthetical (Comcáac/Nahua-Salvadoreño/Xicano). This honors each of the tribes and nationalities that make up my heritage and connects myself and my work to my grandparents and great-grandparents without claiming tribal affiliation. This inherited dislocation is often summed up by the term “detribalized Mestizo.” In the U.S., the terms Indigenous/American Indian/Native American are political identities. Similarly, the terms “Mestizo” and “Afro-mestizo” in Mexico are recognized as member nations by the National Indigenous Congress of Mexico (CNI) which was founded by the EZLN. Meaning, to the CNI, Mestizo is also considered a political identity. My use of the terms Mestizo or Mestizx or Mestize is not only an effort to reestablish kinship and alliances with Indigenous nations across Latin America, but also a method of finding space without taking space.

Somos ni de aquí, ni de allá pero aun tenemos raíces.

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Awards, Honors, and Grants

2024 | Berkeley FILM Foundation Narrative Grant Award
2023 | ScreenCraft Short Script Finalist
2023 | Sundance Doc Edit Lab Finalist

2022 | Best Short Film, Highland Park Indie Film Festival
2022 | Best International Doc Puerto Rico Film Festival
2022 | North Star Fellowship
2022 | David Wolpner Award Nominee, International Documentary Association
2022 | President’s Award Full Frame Doc Festival
2022 | SFFILM Filmhouse
2021 | Best Doc NewFilmmakers LA
2020 | Best Realistic Short Reale Film Festival
2020 | Virginia Dares Cinematic Arts Award for Decolonizing/Re-Indigenizing Media
2020 | Best Short Doc NewFilmmakers LA
2020 | The Charla Fund US Latinx Art Forum
2019 | Diversity & Inclusion Writing Fellowship — Lower Boom Studios
2018 | Grand Prize — Francis Ford Coppola Short Film Competition
2018 | Production Grant — Caucus for Producers, Writers, & Directors