NJFA FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT
Elena Marquez
Featuring The Last Light · Drama Short Film
MEET THE FILMMAKER
Elena Marquez
Portland, Maine
Elena Marquez is an independent filmmaker and screenwriter whose work explores memory, isolation, and the quiet moments that shape people’s lives. Drawn to character-driven storytelling, she began making short films while studying visual arts and has since developed a distinctive cinematic style centered on intimate performances and atmospheric settings.
Her work often examines people at moments of transition, particularly the choices they make when confronted with loss, change, or unexpected connections. Elena believes independent filmmaking provides an opportunity to tell deeply personal stories while creating experiences that audiences can recognize in their own lives.
FEATURED PROJECT
The Last Light
Drama Short Film
The Last Light is a dramatic short film about a widowed lighthouse keeper preparing to leave the coastal station that has been his home for decades.
On his final evening at the lighthouse, an unexpected visitor arrives with a connection to his past. Their conversation forces him to confront what it means to leave a place filled with memories—and whether moving forward also means leaving something behind.
Set almost entirely over the course of one night, the film uses its isolated coastal setting to explore memory, grief, connection, and the difficult process of letting go.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS
I wanted The Last Light to explore the strange relationship we have with places that become part of our identity. Sometimes leaving a place behind can feel like leaving a part of ourselves behind as well. The lighthouse became the perfect setting for that idea—a place built to guide others while its keeper is trying to find his own way forward.— Elena Marquez
CONNECT
Follow the Filmmaker
Instagram: @greymachinefilms
Facebook: Grey Machine Films