2021

Dave Maruchniak

Dave Maruchniak

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? I had the pleasure to co-direct a couple of fun commercials with the amazing Nano Benayón near the end of 2018, while I was still learning the craft. We made cakes explode in slow motion, dressed dogs as astronauts and even made tables talk!…

Leah Loftin

Leah Loftin

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?Earlier this year, I directed an experimental short film entitled North South Eve that was commissioned by an international luxury chocolate brand. The film was recently invited to have its world premiere this November at the BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival in the UK. How…

Natasha Lee

Natasha Lee

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?In The Visible, a film that dismantles Asian American stereotypes and the model minority myth through storytelling in the words of the community members themselves. It was filmed and completed in 2020, during the height of the Anti-Asian hate crimes. How did you get into…

Julia Kennelly

Julia Kennelly

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it?I have not yet professionally directed, although I have been professionally producing and line producing for the better part of a decade. I have written and directed two short films, and I have a television show in development that I hope to direct someday! How…

LJ Johnson

LJ Johnson

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? I did two spec spots for YouTheFan in November of 2020, the brand loved them so much they bought them! They then hired me to direct a bunch more spots for them! How did you get into directing? My first foray into directing was…

Parker Hill

Parker Hill

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? My first directing job was a commercial for ESPN’s SEC network called “We Love It Here” in November 2019. We went to a bunch of schools in the SEC and filmed traditions each of them has around football, tailgating, and school spirit. It was…

Chloe Hayward

Chloe Hayward

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? I grabbed a camera and shot my pregnant best friend and her son; it got picked up by lingerie brand Cuup as one of their first campaign films. How did you get into directing?I had a career in modeling and trained as an actress in London…

John Connor Hammond

John Connor Hammond

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? My first professionally directed work was for a small cannabis grower and distributor called Private Stock Veterans. This was a pretty cool experience because I was sort of new to directing. We drove out into the middle of the desert somewhere outside of Los…

Utsab Giri

Utsab Giri

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? My first professionally directed work was a short documentary-style video for a cemetery in early 2019. How did you get into directing? I started shooting music videos for friends and felt like it was the best thing in the world. Nothing else I did…

Mario Garza

Mario Garza

What was your first professionally directed work and when was it? If by professionally you mean paid, it was 2019 when I worked full-time at Honey, a tech company that saves you money. How did you get into directing? I’ve worked as an advertising copywriter for a while now, and every time I’d go to…