Director Biographies
Kayla Hua, If only it were that easy
Kayla Hua is a high school senior from the Bay Area who is passionate about animation and profound storytelling. She intends to pursue a career in the animation industry. Outside of art, she also enjoys swimming, literature, and cowboys!
Arianna Washington, Quince
My name is Arianna Washington and I am a 15 year old sophomore attending Helix Charter High School. Outside of School, I spend most of my free time playing volleyball for Point Break Volleyball Club, hiking, volunteering at my previous middle school where I mentor students, and traveling. In school, I am involved in ASL club and Culinary club where I am always learning something new.
Cassondra Flanery, Convalescent
Hello! My name is Cassondra Flanery and I go to Helix Charter High School. I am apart of the yearbook staff and play field hockey, as well as volunteer at Sharp Grossmont Hospital. Film is such an important part of my life, and I plan on majoring in film and media studies in college.
Yssable Smiley, Kid Sister
My name is Yssy, and I’m a 17-year-old Sagittarius sun/Virgo moon going in my junior year at Escondido High School. Executing personal projects through various forms of media has always been a part of my life. In the past, I’ve experimented with screenwriting, journalism, drawing, photography, and boardgame design, and I’m eager to try filmmaking. Film allows people to identify their own struggles and experiences in other’s stories while giving a voice to untold narratives.
Sophia Lee, Made with Love
My name is Sophia Lee. I am 17 years old and a Senior at Canyon Crest Academy. The arts have always been such a major part of my life, whether it be in the form of studio art, dance, music, or film. I first discovered my interest in filmmaking after creating a video for the iVIE Student Film Festival through a club in elementary school. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to explore my passions by taking varying arts classes in and out of school. I am so excited to learn more about filmmaking, meet people with the same interests as me, and create documentaries.
Matthew Nazloo, Marching On
I’m Matthew Nazloo, a Senior attending Valhalla High School. As a student, I am heavily involved in many activities within my school, such as; our Marching Band, Drumline, Concert Band, and Multimedia Production. I have a deep passion for storytelling that makes people invested, makes people think and draw their own conclusion about the story and characters. These are the kinds of stories I want to create, something that people can laugh along with, and learn something that can be applied to their own lives.
Melissa Ruiz, bloom
I’m Melissa Ruiz, I was born and raised in San Diego, City Heights and I’m 16 years old. I’m really excited for Reel Voices because I love the art of expressing yourself and style through videos. Also having the chance to be exposed to how films are made. I hope to share my story, make friends, be collaborative, share creative ideas, and overall experience something I’m very passionate about!
Samantha Andrea Del Rio, Henco eh Mxico
"Born on November 7th 2004, I was given the name of Samantha Andrea Del Rio. From the start I have always been immersed in the eyes of performing arts. Including dance, TV, and musical theater. I remember since 3rd grade my best friends and I making home videos with iPads and creating “short films.” After entering middle school I was introduced into musical theater and fell in love. I hope to present plays and have great success."
Roxy Morris, Daughters
My name is Roxana ``Roxy`` Morris and I am a Junior at Canyon Crest Academy. All my life, I have been fascinated with storytelling, first expressing it with finger paintings and scribbles which evolved into photography, film, short stories, sketches, and poetry. I took various art classes over the years to figure out which I liked best, becoming more interested in writing and cinema. I love cinema because it unfolds the creator's vision of their story, something that I, a storyteller, am intrigued by.
Tulasi Napolitani, ArMEGLADON
My name is Tulasi Napolitani, a Junior attending Coronado School Of the Arts for animation. I enjoy most things related to art: I play piano, guitar, I'm taking dance and drama and I spend most of my free time creating digital and traditional art, writing music and inventing stories. I aspire to pursue some career involved with the entertainment industry.
Esabella Strickland, The NoteBook
At a young age I was bullied in school because I learned differently (having ADHD and Dyslexia) I was Socially Alienated. It was after I changed schools that I began to gain confidence. It was the help of Young Movie Makers to help me tell stories that empower the GenZ generation. - Esabella StricklandAt a young age I was bullied in school because I learned differently (having ADHD and Dyslexia) I was Socially Alienated. It was after I changed schools that I began to gain confidence. It was the help of Young Movie Makers to help me tell stories that empower the GenZ generation. - Esabella Strickland
David Norris-Roa, Vegetative State
David Norris-Roa was born and raised in Mexico City. As such, he heavily draws inspiration from other film-makers who came from a similar position, such as Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu, etc. Although most of his early work focuses on whimsical stop motion animation, he now focuses more on the experimental side of film-making, hoping to make projects that will get the audience thinking. David Norris will be attending UC Santa Cruz in the fall to study Film/Digital Media
Daud Abdinasir, Salaam
My name is Daud and I was born and raised in San Diego. I go to Helix Charter High School in La Mesa. I love to play basketball, hang out with friends, and most importantly I love filmmaking.
Lucy Greenberg, Godstropod / Boy Who Cried Human
Lucy Greenberg is a 17 year old animator in her junior year at Coronado High School, studying with the CoSA program in DigArts. She has been drawing and animating since elementary school, and is always ready to take on bigger and better projects as she develops and hones her skill.
Jackson Geary & Joshuan Dana, Chatterbox
Jackson Geary is a young filmmaker/cinematographer from San Diego, California. He has been creating projects pertaining to film ever since he was young and continues to do so in many forms of videography including narratives, documentaries, and social media content. He strives to become a viable part in the workforce of the film industry and hopes to inspire the world with his works of art in the future.
Joshua Dana is a passionate, unrelenting cinematographer and director with a desire to call attention to unmanufactured human stories in both narrative and documentary films. The reason why cinematography is my passion is because it can be the most compelling way to tell a story when it is used as more than just an aesthetic utility and I enjoy getting the opportunity to tell people’s stories that might otherwise remain untold.
I tend to think that I dream in the past. That is not to say that I am somehow stuck in it, but rather that I am inspired by it. To me, history represents not just dates on paper, but a way to capture an otherwise forgotten experience. I use this magical quality in the stories that I tell by preserving someone’s perspective.
Romeo Baldomero, Daydream
Romeo Baldomero is an aspiring filmmaker. Romeo's filmmaking career started in 2015 when he attended a filmmaking class called the Digital Gym located in El Cajon. Two of his films premiered at the 2016 San Diego Film Festival and was featured on the News station, Good Morning San Diego.
He spent most of his time making silent films individually and would occasionally collaborate with some of his peers. Most of his knowledge he has gained was mostly from self teaching and junior film classes. Romeo is very skilled at using Premiere Pro and After Effects. The quality and expertise of each of his projects has grown over the years.
Nataniel Farzan, Everything WILL Workout
Nataniel is a high schooler and a first-time filmmaker in San Diego, CA who has a passion for video editing and production. Recently, he built a motorized camera slider for his new camera. Up until this film, everything on his Youtube channel was shot on a GoPro.
Enzo Delgado, Camping Trip
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