Creative, highly skilled, and results-driven Director and Cinematographer with over 25 years of experience in producing premium-quality visual content for the entertainment, advertising, and corporate sectors. Seasoned in leading all aspects of visual storytelling, from conception to final production, ensuring that every project aligns with the client’s vision while maintaining high standards of excellence. Exceptional expertise in film, television, video production, post-production, and visual effects (VFX), supported by an extensive professional network in the industry.
How many years have you been a judge?
This is my first year!
What excited you about judging for the Telly Awards?
I am excited to be part of the Telly Awards Judging Council because it represents the opportunity to evaluate and recognize work that elevates the standard of visual storytelling on a global level. With more than 25 years of experience as a director and cinematographer, I especially value projects that combine technical excellence, innovation, and genuine emotional impact. Being part of this community allows me to contribute my professional perspective while continuing to learn from new creative voices.
What project are you most proud to have worked on?
One of the projects I’m most proud of is working as Post-Production Director on the official promotional photography for the second season of Señor Ávila for HBO Latin America. It required a very strong aesthetic eye and precise execution to preserve the dramatic tone and visual identity of the series. Being part of a production at that level reinforced my commitment to high standards and to the attention to detail that defines the final image.
What’s the most challenging part about your job and/or the industry?
I think one of the biggest challenges today is maintaining a high standard in an industry that’s both saturated and technologically democratized. Producing content is more accessible than ever, but that doesn’t automatically create identity or impact.
The real challenge is keeping a clear creative vision while meeting strategic and budget goals. For me, the key is making sure creativity and business work together, not against each other.
What do you look for to determine excellence in video?
For me, excellence in video begins with a clear and well-told story. I look for consistency between the concept, the execution, and the intention behind the project. When the technical and creative elements work together to create a genuine connection with the audience, that’s when I know I’m watching something truly outstanding.
What are your current roles and responsibilities and what do you love most about your job?
I currently serve as CEO and Director of Sabatino Group LLC, where I lead the creative direction and oversee each project from concept to final delivery. I stay actively involved in directing, cinematography, and post-production to ensure every piece maintains coherence and quality. What I enjoy most about my work is the creative process itself — solving challenges, building a vision from scratch, and pushing it to a level that truly makes an impact and elevates the visual standard.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
I am currently working on product launch videos for brands within the Premium Home & Kitchen sector, targeting the U.S. market and most of Latin America. These projects excite me because they require adapting each visual approach to different cultures and audiences while maintaining a high production standard. I’m especially motivated by the challenge of combining strategy, storytelling, and technical execution to create launches that generate real impact.
Do you have any specific practices you lean on to spark creativity?
Yes, I really take care of my creative process. I like constantly exposing myself to other disciplines like photography, architecture, music, video games, or technology, because inspiration often comes from unexpected places.
One of the things I do is keep testing and improving as I go. I also believe working on multiple projects at the same time helps a lot, it allows me to disconnect from one, focus on another, and when I come back, that’s usually when the spark or the solution I was looking for shows up.
What inspired you to pursue your career path?
I’ve always been drawn to the power of storytelling through images. It wasn’t just the films themselves that inspired me, but also the creative journeys of directors like Steven Spielberg, Guillermo del Toro, George Lucas, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Christopher Nolan, and Akira Kurosawa, among many others.
At an early age, I began experimenting with digital tools and visual design, which sparked my curiosity about transforming ideas into something tangible. Over time, I realized that creativity isn’t just about inspiration, but about consistency and continuous evolution. That combination of passion and discipline is what ultimately led me to fully commit to this professional path.
In your experience, what is a significant change you are seeing happen in the video, television, and/or film industry, and what insight can you share about how to navigate it?
I believe we’re living through an unprecedented transformation in the industry. Artificial intelligence and real-time engines like Unreal Engine are radically changing the way we produce content, accelerating processes that used to take weeks or even months.
In my own workflow, I already integrate AI-based tools from pre-visualization through post-production. This not only optimizes efficiency, but also opens the door to more ambitious storytelling with far more manageable budgets.
That said, I strongly believe technology should always serve the story. What truly matters is not how sophisticated the tool is, but how effectively we use it to create meaningful impact.
