Meet Eden Trujillo: Aspiring Filmmaker and Gorilla Creative Film Scholarship Recipient

Some filmmakers are drawn to the big screen. Eden Trujillo was drawn to what happens behind it. Growing up in the internet age, she would stumble across short films on YouTube, and rather than simply watching, she started asking questions: How did they do that? How did they film it? How did they put it all together? That curiosity set Eden on a path she has been walking ever since.

Today, Eden is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Art and Design at the University of Northern Colorado (with an expected graduation in Spring 2028). She is one of the newest recipients of the Gorilla Creative Film Scholarship, and her story is one of quiet determination, creative range, and a belief that connection is the most important point of making films.

Eden’s earliest filmmaking memories involve her dolls. Inspired by the stop-motion and puppet-style videos she watched online, she would recreate them at home, teaching herself the basics of shooting and editing as she went. And when it came to Hollywood blockbuster movies: “I would watch the behind-the-scenes instead of the actual movie,” she says with a laugh. “I wanted to know how they made the actors look like the characters. How they built the sets. How it all became a real film.”

Those behind-the-scenes deep dives became a kind of self-directed film school. From Marvel productions to the sprawling practical sets of The Lord of the Rings to animated features where she could watch a concept transform from sketch to screen, Eden was captivated by the idea that someone had to make all of this happen. That person, she learned, was the director and producer. “They were the ones in charge,” she says. “And I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”

She wasn’t alone in that passion. Eden’s cousin, one of her closest friends, shared the same fascination. Every time they saw each other, they would make little short films together. “Every single time,” Eden remembers, smiling. That cousin is now heading into animation, and to Eden, there’s something meaningful about that: the two of them, who spent their childhoods dreaming through a camera, are both building careers in film. Her parents, too, have always been in her corner. When she was making home videos as a kid, they encouraged her to post them online. She never forgot that they believed in her. “They never told me to choose a more ‘realistic’ path,” she says. “They would tell people, ‘She’s a videographer.’ That made me feel like I was on the right path.”

In high school, Eden began translating her self-taught skills into something bigger, helping to film and direct her school’s news program. The experience reinforced what she had always sensed: filmmaking is a team effort, and how a team functions matters just as much as the work itself. That belief has only deepened in college, where she films and broadcasts athletic events for the University of Northern Colorado’s sports department and produces a range of content: from polished promotional pieces to lighter, more playful videos for the athletic program.

But it is her independent work that reveals the full scope of Eden’s ambition as a storyteller. Her documentary Burnout tackles a subject she cares about deeply: the weight of academic burnout among college students, and the quiet ways people learn to carry it. Making it required something that didn’t come naturally to her: approaching strangers and asking them to open up on camera.

“The first few people were a little scary,” she admits. “But then I was able to form a connection with them. And that’s something I really love about film — the connection it creates, whether it’s between the crew making it or the people watching it. I wanted viewers to know: burnout is serious. You’re not alone in this.”

If Burnout showed Eden’s documentary instincts, her short film The Journal revealed something else entirely: a willingness to step outside her comfort zone and explore the unexpected. The Journal is a horror film (a genre Eden is not particularly fond of!) built around anxiety and its many dimensions. The story’s antagonist is a demonic entity called the mimic, designed to embody the way anxiety manifests: shape-shifting, hard to pin down, more than just panic or overthinking.

“I wanted to get out of my comfort zone,” she says of the project. “And I wanted to show that anxiety is more than what people usually think it is.” The film was screened at her school as part of the university program’s very first student screening. It was a milestone for both Eden and the program itself. Watching the audience respond, hearing the feedback (what landed, what could be stronger) was exactly the kind of loop she wants to keep closing. “Taking in the criticism is important too,” she says. “That’s how I’ll grow.”

Ask Eden what kind of filmmaker she wants to be, and she’ll tell you she’s still exploring. Fantasy and action are closest to her heart, but she’s not interested in being boxed in. “I don’t care what genre it is,” she says. “I just want to make something and connect with the people watching it or the people making it. That matters more to me than staying in one lane.”

Her next project is already taking shape in her mind: a short film about two former friends who find themselves stuck in an elevator together, forced to confront whatever drove them apart. It’s heavy on dialogue, light on location, and Eden already has a screenwriter in mind to help bring it to life. “I found someone who really loves screenwriting,” she says. “I’m going to ask her to collaborate.” She’s already developing a critical instinct: to build a crew of people who share your values and have your back. “When you have the right people around you, everything runs smoother.”

Looking ahead, Eden hopes to pursue an internship with a film company in Colorado (or beyond!) to sharpen her craft in a professional environment. She knows the industry is competitive, and she’s not intimidated by that. When asked what a great day on set might look like ten years from now, she doesn’t lead with awards or credits. She leads with people. “I’d want to start the day by making sure everyone on the crew is taken care of,” she says. “Help with whatever problems come up. Make sure we’re all set. Shoot the film. And then afterward … just know that I made something. And that people can watch it and have their own feelings about it. That’s what I want.”

She pauses, then adds: “Hopefully I’ll get an Oscar or something.”

Eden Trujillo is a filmmaker who has been building toward this moment her whole life: from doll films in her bedroom to documentary screenings on a college campus, from shy kid behind the camera to someone bold enough to approach strangers and invite them into the story. Her work is driven by empathy, her growth fueled by a willingness to be uncomfortable, and her vision centered on the thing she cares about most: connection.

We are proud to recognize Eden Trujillo as a Gorilla Creative Film Scholarship recipient and excited to see how her journey continues to unfold. You can see more of her work on her YouTube page. Aside from supporting her through the scholarship funds, we will be conducting a personal AMA where she can spend time talking with the team at Gorilla Creative to learn more about video production from working professionals. Congratulations, Eden!