Arvelo initiated an original film movement known as Cine Átomo, focused on creating opportunities for young Latin American directors. The concept stems from the idea of producing uncommon, reflective, and humane movies with minimal and essential crew and production components. Based on a Cervantes short story, the first movie produced using the mechanics of this movement was Habana Havana (2004), directed by Arvelo. The film received a dozen international recognitions.

In 2015, Arvelo directed the stage and video artwork of the multimedia performance of Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Hollywood Bowl, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel and starring Bryce Dallas Howard. In 2010, Arvelo directed the staging of the multimedia Cantata Criolla, for the Los Angeles Philharmonic festival “America and Americas,” starring Helen Hunt, Erich Wildpret, and Édgar Ramírez.


Arvelo’s much awarded Cyrano Fernández (2007) is an adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand’s classic play. Premiered at the AFI Festival in Los Angeles, Arvelo’s film preserves the essence of the love triangle, depicting it in the complex and breathtaking environment of a slum in Caracas.

His acclaimed documentary To Play and to Fight (2006), premiered at the AFI Festival, delves into the lives of children from the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra (El Sistema), empowered by renowned classical music figures such as Claudio Abbado, Simon Rattle, and Gustavo Dudamel.