Meet the 2021 Future Directors of Studio Features
Alexandra Velasco
Cate Carson
Ebony Blanding
Kylie Eaton
Natalie Simpkins
Olia Oparina
Robyn Paris
Susan Dynner
Tiffany Frances
Major brands are already championing the participants. Blackmagic Design and Final Draft* have committed to in-kind support spanning equipment, software, and beyond.
Participants were selected from an expansive pool of nominees based on their impressive body of work and numerous recommendations from respected industry professionals.
Alexandra Velasco is an award-winning writer/director from Mexico City working in narrative films, branded content and music videos who applies her background as a visual artist and designer to create art-house horror films with social commentary.
Cate Carson is a detective and military intelligence globetrotter turned award-winning director/writer, whose wanderlust and experiences with villains and heroes, led to a passion for adventure and suspense films – often with unconventional characters, and supported by bold and atmospheric visuals.
Ebony Blanding is a writer/director from Atlanta, Georgia working in narrative, documentary and experimental films whose work seeks to tell intimate stories about Black girls and women coming-of-age on their own terms and Black folks living in the south.
Kylie Eaton, a writer and director of award winning sci-fi and fantasy films, draws on her previous work directing music videos and branded content to create powerful visuals that support complex characters and heart-felt narratives.
Natalie Simpkins is a British/French award-winning writer and director who uses her instincts for human connection and diverse visual storytelling to bring to life sharp comedies, complex thrillers and character-driven dramas: she carries her love of engrossing stories into her work in advertising, educational content and narrative films.
Inspired by the Soviet Propaganda and Siberian Fairy Tales, Olia Oparina writes and directs stories that explore primal emotions and tap into human psych. As a multi-linguist (Russian, Mandarin) with a diverse background, Olia focuses on folk thrillers and psychological dramas that break stereotypes and entice audiences to see the world’s diversity.
Robyn Paris is an adventurous director/writer of award-winning comedy with an ear for dialogue and strong comic timing. She leans on her background as an improviser to generate organic performances about wounded characters striving to rise above their circumstances – often deriving hilarity and heart from the most awkward of situations.
Susan Dynner (“Punk’s Not Dead”, “Brick”) is a band photographer turned award-winning Director/Producer/Writer and Sundance Fellow who gravitates towards edgy material with complex, flawed characters in both narrative and documentary television and film.
Tiffany Frances is a Taiwanese American writer & director working in commercials, music videos, and narrative film who loves to create character-driven, dramatic storytelling with lyrical visuals.