Valerie Ibarra

Valerie Ibarra is a Mexican American, born and raised in the small town of Toppenish, Washington. She is the daughter of Arturo Ibarra (Donna, Texas) and Eva Cunningham (Sunnyside, Washington), and the step-daughter to Jeff Cunningham. She graduated from Toppenish High School in 2001 and is the first in her family to graduate (Yakima Valley Community College) in 2010, further earning her BA in Psychology (Heritage University) in 2012. Valerie was an integral part of church plays growing up, always playing the role of Mary. Her interest in acting in mainstream media was piqued in 2019, when she was asked to be part of a music video that, although unexpected to her, would later turn into the popular short film 'Mental Love'. Although a pandemic ensued, Valerie became even more passionate about acting and knew this was her calling. Since then, she has worked diligently and has become a dedicated member of many productions that would land her several lead, supporting and background roles. It has often been said that her mix of dedication, willingness to learn and natural affinity for the arts is something that is natural to her and that she truly connects with her roles. Valerie has been blessed to meet and network with many locals of Seattle, and recently worked as an Assistant Director (AD) in the 48 hour Seattle Film Festival (2022). Valerie is not only passionate about her acting, but working as an AD on set has now sparked a new love for directing. She is planning future projects and has an affinity for working with many different creatives from all walks of life. She truly has a knack for putting dynamic and creative teams together and is truly in love with her craft.