Alonso is a graduate of the Directing program at the American Film Institute, and received a BA in Film & Journalism from the University of Lima, Peru. He grew up going back and forth between Peru and Lawrence, Kansas.

He was awarded the Gold Medal in the 2005 Student Academy Awards for his AFI thesis film WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, which also received a DGA Student Film Award and screened in over 25 international film festivals including Deauville Festival of American Film, London Film Festival, Cleveland Film Festival and Havana Film Festival.

Alonso completed a second AFI thesis film, the thriller KEEPER OF THE PAST, which stars ADAM RODRIGUEZ (CSI:Miami) and STEVEN BAUER (Scarface). The short is the basis of Alonso’s feature screenplay ARTIFICE.