Upon graduation from UCLA, with a major in Theater, Film, and Television, Gabriel co-founded and served as Artistic Director of Equal Opportunity Productions, a non-profit arts outreach organization whose mission was to use the theater arts and film to empower youth. In addition to incorporating 30 professional arts residencies in Los Angeles public schools, he directed original theatrical productions at the National Theater of Havana, Cuba, The Apollo Theater in New York City, and Freud Theater in UCLA.

In 2004, Gabriel began working with the Pearson Foundation and Nokia Digital Learning on numerous education initiatives and residencies, ranging from directing teacher training videos on how to incorporate technology in the classroom, and initiating Digital Storytelling residencies in schools across the country. He has also directed online curriculums for the Red Cross and PSA’s for several work in arts education continues today as he designs and teaches a film and digital media curriculum for the Pearson Foundation throughout the country.

Gabriel’s directorial debut was with the feature documentary, Autumn’s Eyes, which tells the story of losing a teenage mother to prison seen through the perspective of her 3-year old daughter. The film had its world premiere at South by Southwest film festival, winner at the Woodstock film festival, and is being distributed by Indiepix. His second feature length documentary, I Won’t Love You to Death, premiered on MTV News & Docs in 2007. This powerful and highly acclaimed film intimately followed Grammy nominated R&B singer Mario on his quest to get his mother clean from her heroine addiction so he could pursue his dreams.

His most recent film, P-Star Rising, is about a little girl who is determined to fulfill her father’s deferred dream of becoming a rap star, and thus bring her family out of poverty with her talent and determination. It had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009, won numerous awards internationally and domestically, and will be broadcast on PBS and BBC in the Winter 2010. The feature adaptation of P-Star Rising is in pre-production.

Throughout Gabriel’s work in documentary, he has served as the Supervising Field Producer of DLife, a weekly health and diabetes talk show on CNBC. He directed and produced over 35 short-format documentary packages, sharing inspirational and intimate stories of both celebrities and a diversity of individuals and their battle with diabetes. His work earned him a Telly award.

Gabriel served as Assistant Director on two narrative films, On The Outs, a feature film nominated for IFP Indie Spirit award, Gotham Award, and recipient of the Grand Prize Slamdance Festival 2005, and Victoria Para Chino, recipient of Honorable Mention Award at the Sundance Film Festival, 2005 and led to the Focus Feature film, Sin Nombre.

Gabriel began his immersion into documentary film working as an associate producer and cinematographer on La Esquina Caliente (premiered on the Sundance Channel), Hooked: The Story of Demetrius “Hook” Mitchell (Tribeca Film Festival), Lockdown USA (Tribeca Film Festival) Back in the Hood: Gang War II and Heir to an Execution: A Granddaughter’s story (HBO Undercover).

Gabriel is committed to using the arts to tell the stories of cultural phenomena’s, sub-cultures and extraordinary youth.