John-Carlos Estrada

John-Carlos Estrada is an Emmy-nominated journalist, award-winning documentary filmmaker, and the morning news anchor at CBS Austin. For nearly two decades, he has reported from Washington, D.C., New York, Florida, and Texas, earning statewide and national accolades for his investigative depth, historical storytelling, and on-camera presence.

Estrada’s debut film, Barbette + Fontaine, resurrects the dazzling legacy of Texas trapeze artist Barbette through the lens of RuPaul’s Drag Race star Cynthia Lee Fontaine. The short swept multiple Best Documentary awards on the 2024 festival circuit, captured NLGJA’s Excellence in Documentary honor, landed a Lone Star EMMY nomination, and was named a Finalist for Best Documentary at the 2024 Starling Film Festival—the very event where he now serves as a jury member.

Building on that success, Estrada is currently in post-production on a new documentary spotlighting the trans members of the Austin Gay Men’s Chorus, slated for release later this year.

Off-screen, he produces CBS Austin’s popular “Turning Back Time” history series, mentors emerging storytellers, and champions LGBTQIA+ and arts nonprofits across Texas. As a Starling Film Festival Jury Member, Estrada brings a journalist’s rigor, a filmmaker’s craft, and an unwavering commitment to telling stories that inform, inspire, and endure.

LINKS TO WORK: 

Barbette + Fontaine Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iqdjn21T-Ro

AGMC: Road to Gala First Look: https://youtu.be/ZvCbACGFej4