FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact: Seanna Hore, Ginsberg/Libby
seanna.hore@ginsberglibby.com

Gladys Santos, Ginsberg/Libby
gladys.santos@ginsberglibby.com
 

LOS ANGELES (May 22, 2024) – Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Spirit Awards, announced today the six filmmakers that were selected for the third annual Episodic Directing Intensive. The three-day program welcomes veteran directors, showrunners, actors, cinematographers and executives to share their experiences and knowledge of the episodic directing landscape.

“In this ever-changing landscape, we are thrilled to support these talented directors and equip them with the knowledge to launch and sustain careers in episodic directing,” said Dea Vazquez, Associate Director of Fiction Programs.

A select list of Industry participants includes Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Johnson Cheng, Gloria Fan, Georgina Gonzalez, Liz Kelly, Shari Page, Jeremy Podeswa, Alysia Reiner, Beth Schacter, Nancy Schreiber, ASC, Yira Vilaro, Rina Varughese and Daniel Willis.
 
The following filmmakers have been selected to participate in Film Independent’s 2024 Episodic Directing Intensive:

John Gutierrez

John Gutierrez is an award-winning Latine writer/director from California. He’s lived and worked in New York, London and Cape Town, learning how to craft stories that cut across geography and towards connection. An American filmmaker with a deep interest in the global, John’s films powerfully merge themes of family, mental health, and psychic collapse through the genres of thriller, drama and fantasy. His debut film, Sons of the Sea, won Best Film at the 2021 Durban International Film Festival. His latest documentary, Original Sin: My Son the Killer was listed as one of the twenty “hot properties” at 2024 Cannes MIPCOM.

Lorena Lourenço

Lorena Lourenço is a passionate Latina immigrant and writer-director from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The USC Film alumna is known for her dark comedy, especially in her HBO Max-licensed short film Muy Gay Too Mexicano, MTV animated music video for Anitta’s “Envolver,” and Frankenstein-inspired short film, Stitched. Her works have been selected for competition at festivals, such as Outfest, HollyShorts, Inside Out and LALIFF. Lorena’s Orchard Project’s workshopped series, Sula and I, has Diane Guerrero attached to star and is produced by Mucho Más Media. She’s also currently setting up financing for her directorial feature debut What Ever Happened to Rosa Elena?

Alfonso Morgan-Terrero

Alfonso Morgan-Terrero is a filmmaker born in the Bronx and raised in Harlem to parents from Jamaica and Dominican Republic. He is a professor in the Department of Film & Television at NYU. His debut feature Verde (2020) was the first film ever shot in the border province of Dajabón in Dominican Republic. As a 2019 Henry Luce foundation fellow, he provided journalistic coverage of China’s film industry for American Cinematographer Magazine. He is currently adapting the nonfiction memoir A Breed Apart for Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Productions, and his short film Grown is screening in competition at LALIFF in June.

Huriyyah Muhammad

Huriyyah Muhammad is an award-winning writer, director and producer whose projects have been invited to the Sundance Film Festival, AFI FEST, SeriesFest, Outfest, NewFest, the American Black Film Festival and more. Her work, fun and hopeful, invites audiences to explore the world with humor, heart and often a little magic. Huriyyah is a recent participant in the prestigious AFI Directing Workshop for Women, a Film Independent Amplifier Fellow, and a recipient of the Sundance Creative Producing Award.

Kelsey Taylor

Kelsey Taylor was raised in the wild of Eastern Washington and moved to Los Angeles to attend Loyola Marymount University where she graduated Cum Laude from the school’s honors program, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production and minors in both Film Studies and Music. She began her entertainment career as a cinematographer and camera assistant, which led to an intimate understanding of how to capture images. She soon transitioned into directing and has since built a diverse portfolio of both commercial and narrative work, and is a member of the DGA.

So Young Shelly Yo

So Young Shelly Yo is a Korean-American filmmaker whose films have been supported by HBO, SFFILM, Sloan, CAAM and others. Shelly’s first feature, Smoking Tigers was the winner of Tribeca x AT&T UNTOLD STORIES and was awarded Best Screenplay, Best Performance, and a Special Mention for the Nora Ephron prize at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival. Prior to Smoking Tigers, Shelly created many award-winning short films, including Soft Sounds of Peeling Fruit and Moonwalk with Me. Most recently, Shelly was awarded the New Voice Award at the 2023 Austin Film Festival and was chosen for the 2023 BAFTA Breakthrough Program.
 
The Episodic Directing Intensive is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts.
 

ABOUT FILM INDEPENDENT

For 40 years, Film Independent has helped filmmakers get their projects made and seen. The nonprofit organization’s core mission is to champion creative independence in visual storytelling in all its forms, and to foster a culture of inclusion. We support a global community of artists and audiences who embody diversity, innovation, curiosity and uniqueness of vision.

In addition to producing the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the organization supports creative professionals with Artist Development programs, grants and labs. Signature mentorship program Project Involve fosters the careers of talented filmmakers from underrepresented communities. Education events and workshops equip filmmakers of all ages and experience levels with tools and resources. Global Media Makers, a cultural exchange program produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of State, provides career-building opportunities for international film professionals. And year-round screening series Film Independent Presents offers a robust program of unique cinematic experiences, including screenings, conversations, Live Reads and Bring the Noise musical events.

For more information or to become a Member, visit filmindependent.org.