THE TEAM
Muriel Naim // Director & Writer
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Muriel is an Israeli Theater & Film director, emerging from Tel-Aviv's art & music scene. She graduated with honors from Thelma Yellin school of the Arts, where she has mentored by Israeli-Lithuanian theater director Arthur Kogan, followed by film director Yariv Horowitz. While studying in the Film Directing program in Calarts, Muriel wrote, directed and shot JAVIER, a 5-minute short which was selected to open the 2015 Film Directors showcase at REDCAT theatres in Los Angeles, and was since distributed to several International companies & cinematheques.
Muriel's films delve into the cores of the human condition, explore taboo, emotion and transgression through visceral storytelling, and provoke the classical narrative structure. www.murielnaim.com |
Fernando Barajas // Producer
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Growing up in a Farming community, Fernando's choice in the film industry was rather unusual. He got his start in the arts-collaborating in the theatre, where he stage-managed regional productions of the Gershwin musical CRAZY FOR YOU, Shakespeare's RICHARD III and THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES. His passion for film and television has made him branch out into other parts of production, such as being a production assistant on DOG HOUSE and working as a boom operator on THE LAST ONES, which was recently accepted into the SOHO International Film Festival. Fernando is an associate producer on I WAS A TEENAGE WERESKUNK, which received a theatrical release this past fall.
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Lauren Guiteras // Cinematographer
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Lauren is an emerging cinematographer with a focus on narrative dramas and music videos. Upon graduating from Northwestern University, she quickly built a foundation in camera and Grip & Electric departments ranging from independent features to network television series. Since then, her work has premiered on VEVO, NPR, and Rookie Mag.
At the AFI Conservatory, Lauren has mentored under Stephen Lighthill (ASC), Jacek Laskus (ASC), Charlie Rose (AIC), and many other award-winning cinematographers. She takes pride in her understanding of light and composition, sensitivity to characters' emotions, and relationship with her crew. |
Zekun (Zoe) Mao // Editor
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Zekun Mao is a recent graduate of City University of Hong Kong, with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Media, focused on documentary Filmmaking and sound design. In 2013, she served as the key sound designer of two short films: MAZE and FOLLOWING,
which were selected to represent The University of Hong Kong for the 38th Hong Kong International Film Festival. In 2013, she worked as assistant editor and sound editor for the Community Services and Engagement Documentary Project, being responsible for both editing and music. She finished her graduate thesis - her 2nd documentary - in 2014, which dealt with the Muslim culture scholar and the Chinese foot culture. |
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Zander Fieschko // Production Designer
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Zander grew up in Pittsburgh, raised on Pierogies. Consistantly getting in trouble in grade school for his wild imagination, Zander naturally went on to study Cinematography and Sociology at Emerson College. Since 2010, he has lived in Los Angeles working in the Art Department for film and television. His credits include Afternoon Delight (2013), Drunk History (2016), Frankenstein (2015) and Grease Live (2015). He believes that everything we own has a story, and gathering and reconstructing these artifacts enriches the storytelling process as much as the words on the page do.
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Marissa Bergman // Art Director
Marissa is an LA based prop master, fabricator, shopper and set decorator from Las Vegas, NV. She graduated from Wheaton College, MA and then propped, fabricated, shopped and decorated for Broadway and off-Broadway theater is New York (Rocky: The Musical, If/Then, Kinky Boots, Bridges of Madison County, Bad Jews, Tribes).
In 2014, Marissa moved to Los Angeles to do the same thing for both theater and film (Amelie: The Musical, Grey Gardens, Bent, The Fantasticks, Casa Valentina, Merrily We Roll Along, The Fosters). She often finds herself working on stage musicals, music videos and indie film projects. Ask her about the weirdest SFX prop she has ever made: the answer changes on a daily basis.
In 2014, Marissa moved to Los Angeles to do the same thing for both theater and film (Amelie: The Musical, Grey Gardens, Bent, The Fantasticks, Casa Valentina, Merrily We Roll Along, The Fosters). She often finds herself working on stage musicals, music videos and indie film projects. Ask her about the weirdest SFX prop she has ever made: the answer changes on a daily basis.
