Hila Cage Coppola redefines her path through filmmaking

The 36-year-old Valley student is turning personal experience into powerful narratives as she returned to college to create films.

By: Rosemary Villalonga, News Editor

After becoming a mother, Hila Cage Coppola found empowerment through filmmaking at Valley College where she strives to make her audience feel the same. 

At 36 years old, she returned to college to pursue something she never had, filmmaking. Nearly two decades earlier, she graduated and received an MBA from NYU and planned a career in business. However, after becoming a mother, she felt she needed a change. 

“I felt like I couldn't rely on the MBA anymore. I was a different person at this point. I wanted to do something more creative,” she said. “In 2020, I gave birth to twins and that turned into being very isolated, because it was during the pandemic, at the height of the pandemic. And I needed, like, a creative outlet to just feel like a human again.” 

She decided to enroll in community college and take classes that allowed her to find this creative outlet. Cage Coppola found herself drawn to its collaborative and imaginative environment. 

“What I love about Hila is that she’s offering to help other people,” said cinema professor Eric Swelstad. “She shares her knowledge and her talent with her classmates and with people here at Valley College in the media arts department.”

Originally written for the Valley Antiracism Film Project, “The Talk” became the first script project Cage Coppola fully completed and submitted. Her short film was then recognized in the project, pushing her to bring the script to life by also producing and directing the film. 

“It was very professionally done, the setting, locations, the acting was great. She shot it not too far away from the college, and we’re just thrilled to see students that go beyond,” said Swelstad. “They do things a little unconventional and that’s great.”

Inspired by her own experience of giving birth, “The Talk” portrayed how she felt, representing statistics she learned about disparities faced by women of color in the medical system.

“The work I’m drawn to is rooted in honesty,” she said. “Not performative honesty, but the kind that trusts the audience to feel something without being guided or convinced. That shift came directly from lived experience.” 

Cage Coppola also prioritized inclusivity during the film’s production. She intentionally created space for students of all backgrounds and abilities to participate, ensuring everyone had a meaningful role.

“I wanted everyone to feel like they were contributing,” she said. “That they were invested in creating something of value.”

What started as a search for a creative outlet quickly turned into something much bigger. “The Talk” was the winner of the 2026 Worldwide Women’s Film Festival Writing Award and recognized as Hollywood Gold Awards Best Super Short Film. She was also recognized for her film by the Best Film Awards. 

Cage Coppola also found support through the honor society, Phi Theta Kappa, and since joining has received multiple honors, including national recognition as a top-performing student due to her GPA and the Coca-Cola Scholars program.

“These honors feel meaningful because they’re rooted in the work itself,” she said. “They affirm that stories built from intention and honesty still have a place, even in a very noisy environment.”

Cage Coppola plans to continue her education and expand as a filmmaker through more courses. Her journey continues to be powered by her daughters and what it means to be a positive example. 

“There’s something deeply meaningful about building a creative life while raising them, showing them that even when things are difficult or misunderstood, you can still create, still grow and still move forward with intention,” she said. 

By trusting her instincts and embracing storytelling, Cage Coppola has created a space that allows her to make work that resonates with others and embraces self-expression. 

“Moving forward, I’m interested in continuing to explore perspective, especially how easily it can be shaped, distorted, or misunderstood,” she said. “I want to tell stories that invite people to sit in that complexity, rather than resolve it for them. The goal isn’t just to tell stories, it’s to create space for something real to be felt.”