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Filmmaker Amadine Thomas watched her short film “Susana” premiere Jan. 22 on the opening day of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah—a moment she described as both exciting and surreal.

The library auditorium was filled with friends, members of the press and much of the team behind the film. Of the production’s 25 crew members, 15 were able to attend the festival.

Thomas created “Susana” with longtime collaborator Gerardo Coello Escalante. The pair co-wrote, co-produced, co-directed and edited the film, which follows an older woman traveling alone in Mexico City as she searches for herself and encounters unfamiliar experiences.

The story also examines how surging foreign tourism affects residents of a city undergoing rapid change.

For Thomas and Escalante, the festival also brought a reunion with filmmakers and other industry colleagues. Their earlier film, “Viaje de Negocios,” premiered at Sundance the previous year before screening around the world.

That film was the first installment in a planned trilogy exploring the complicated relationship between Mexico and the United States.

Thomas, 31, grew up in the Arlington-McLean area and now works as a filmmaker full time, dividing her time between New York City and Mexico City, where Escalante was raised.

Her interest in the film industry began early. She acted in McLean-area plays while growing up and graduated from McLean High School at 16 before attending New York University to study acting. Without formal film-school training, she learned filmmaking by working on sets.

“Susana” was filmed at several locations across Mexico City in December 2023. Editing continued for several months, followed by post-production in July. Thomas said completing the project took about a year.

Because filmmaking can be such a lengthy process, she and Escalante routinely juggle several projects in different stages of development. Their next release is expected to be a short documentary about Thomas’ grandmother becoming involved in an online romance—one that, Thomas said, turned out well.

The selection of “Susana” for Sundance was unexpected. Thomas said they did not make the film with the festival in mind and were “over the moon” when it was accepted.