Pituka Ortega Heilbron is a highly respected Panamanian filmmaker and the founder of Hypatia Films Inc. With a career spanning over three decades, she has made a significant impact on the film industry in Central America and Panama. Ortega Heilbron has worked as a writer, producer, and director on notable films such as La Ruta and Panama Canal Stories. Her documentary The Fists of a Nation received international acclaim.

In 2021, Ortega Heilbron, alongside her daughter and partner Marcela Heilbron, served as a producer on The Stars at Noon. Directed by Claire Denis and shot in Panama, the film starred Margaret Qualley and Joe Alwyn. The Stars at Noon won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2022.

Ortega Heilbron’s contributions extend beyond filmmaking. She served as Executive Director of the Foundation of the International Film Festival of Panama for over eleven years, where she implemented initiatives such as the IFF Panama Channel on Copa Airlines. She also created and launched Su Mirada, the first funding initiative in Latin America dedicated to women filmmakers, and established partnerships with esteemed international institutions, including the Inter-American Development Bank and the Youth Cinema Project (USA).

She was recognized by Forbes Centroamérica as one of Central America’s most influential women in 2020 and 2021. In 2021, she received the L’Ordre National du Mérite from the French government.

Currently, Ortega Heilbron runs Hypatia Films with her partner Marcela Heilbron. They are developing two new film projects: DOWNWIND, in collaboration with director Jayro Bustamante, and Escape to Atlantis, with Dr. Jason Rubin (USA). She remains actively involved with the Foundation of IFF Panama, where she serves as Executive President of the Board of Directors. She is also a board member of the Amador Foundation, which operates the Biomuseo, and a member of the prestigious Explorers Club.

Pituka Ortega Heilbron’s extensive career has left a lasting impact on the film industry in Central America and Panama. Her continued dedication helps shape the region’s cinematic landscape and inspires emerging filmmakers.