Washington Square Films Signs Director Julio Palacio
New York-based commercial and film production company Washington Square Films has signed director Julio Palacio for commercial representation. Dedicated to crafting emotions through storytelling, he proudly draws on his Colombian background to infuse energy and diversity into all his projects. Focusing on short-form documentary-style films, his work has been officially selected at festivals worldwide, leading him to work on long-form spots for Google, 3M, Daimler Mercedes, MasterCard, Stanley Black and Decker.
His most recent short documentary “Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World” was recently acquired by Netflix for distribution on December 11, and shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards in the Documentary Short Film category. The film also earned Best Documentary Short at the Tribeca Film Festival, and other honors at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival, Slamdance, Cleveland, Cordillera, Pittsburg, and Atlanta Film Festival; as well as nominations for the Critics Documentary Choice Awards, and Cinema Eye Honors.
Initially drawn to Washington Square Films because of their ethos and the incredible people behind the agency, Julio--who doesn’t see himself solely as a commercial director--truly appreciates their commitment to creativity in both commercials and film.
Says Julio, “I am honored to join the Washington Square Films family, where our visions for storytelling align on both film and commercial work. I create stories that evoke deep emotion and empathy, and I’m excited to bring that to our projects. Together, I believe we can craft cinematic work that resonates and leaves a lasting impact.”
Says Han West, EVP of Production: “I am thrilled about our shared future with Julio. He has an outstanding ability to weave emotion, truth, and cinematic beauty into every frame of his work. It's rare to find a storyteller with such a natural gift for creating powerful, raw connections with an audience.”
After graduating high school, he requested a gap year, but his mother declined. Consequently, he enrolled in business school, where he quickly realized it was not his strong suit, failing every class. This led his mother and a vocational psychologist to help him discover his strengths and realize that his future career should be in the arts.
With that, he enrolled in school again, this time to study communications at the Javeriana University in Cali, Colombia with a specialization in film. While studying film, he became increasingly interested in acting, which led him to transfer to Georgia State University in Atlanta, where he majored in film production and minored in theater. After college, he secured an agent and pursued acting, landing numerous jobs in commercials and other projects. However, during auditions, he discovered a new aspiration: he wanted to be the one comfortably seated in the director's chair. This revelation led him to explore directing, a path he ultimately pursued after stepping away from his 3-year acting career.
In his work, Julio strives to find authenticity in both visuals and performances, a principle he honed through his acting and documentary background. He believes that capturing what’s real at the moment is essential, even in fiction and commercials. Whether it’s the choice of actor, camera movement, or lighting, any element can contribute to a shoot feeling genuine. For Julio, discovering those real, authentic moments is a hallmark of his directorial approach and makes the creative journey truly special.
