(Rock· o Suh· nah· bree· uh) // He/Him/His

Rocco Sanabria is a visual storyteller, film editor, artist and trans activist whose work bridges independent cinema, digital media, and social impact. As the founder of Quel Films, LLC, Rocco has developed and edited projects spanning independent films, festival shorts, and high-performing digital content—including videos for Nick DiGiovanni’s 30M-subscriber YouTube channel and Democracy Docket, collectively reaching over a hundred million views.

Rocco’s filmmaking is grounded in empathy and authenticity, centering stories of identity, belonging, and transformation. Rocco is the Assistant Director and Producer on Pancake Skank, the upcoming short film by award-winning director Sav Rodgers, and wrote and directed Attaboy—a coming-of-age trans story inspired by his own childhood growing up trans in the early 2000’s.

A two-time recipient of the NYC Council Proclamation and the Live Out Loud Young Trailblazer Scholarship, Rocco has been featured in Out Magazine and has testified before New York City Hall in advocacy for trans youth rights and inclusion. Through both activism and art, Rocco continues to champion visibility, resilience, and joy in the trans community, using storytelling as a tool for empathy, empowerment, and change.