Parachutes
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Thriller
In a rural trailer park, a Korean exchange student confronts the dark side of the American Dream under her abusive host mom's influence. Based on a true story, PARACHUTES aims to shed light on immigrant struggles, and with your support, we can inspire solidarity and change from audiences worldwide.
Parachutes
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama, Thriller
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $30,000 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
153 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
In a rural trailer park, a Korean exchange student confronts the dark side of the American Dream under her abusive host mom's influence. Based on a true story, PARACHUTES aims to shed light on immigrant struggles, and with your support, we can inspire solidarity and change from audiences worldwide.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
After losing her sister in a tragic accident, Korean teen, Youngwon Park (17) is admitted into a foreign exchange student program by her parents with hopes of reforming her into an ideal daughter.
Landing in a small, Midwestern U.S. town, Youngwon finds herself at a trailer park living under the roof of her heavy-handed host mom named George. George requires Youngwon to abide by stringent rules and a never-ending list of grueling chores. No white picket fence. No television. No Statue of Liberty. No land of the free.
Cut off from the rest of the world, Youngwon bonds with Keiko - a Japanese exchange student also living in this mobile hell home. Together, they must learn to communicate in order to protect each other from George’s wrath.
This is a story of survival. While under George’s delusion of the perfect family, how much can these girls endure in order to achieve their American Dreams?
TONE
In crafting this film, I’ve chosen a 4:3 aspect ratio to evoke the feeling of confinement experienced by our protagonists, while strategically playing with light and shadows to symbolize both hope and the looming threat personified by George.
Our color palette, alternating between muted hues and bold pops, aims to psychologically mirror the characters' diverse experiences throughout the narrative. "Parachutes" is more than a film; it's an exploration of identity, survival, and the American Dream's often harsh realities.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Years ago, I heard this unbelievably TRUE, yet harrowing story, from my sister’s BEST FRIEND. She spoke about her immigration journey as a young, foreign teenage girl from Korea who, upon entering into a U.S. foreign exchange student program, ends up in a trailer park - in a trailer - with a muumuu-wearing host mom who treats her and the other exchange student (from Japan, already living there) like servants... And on top of everything else, neither of them spoke English or each other’s languages.... No one would believe that THIS STORY IS REAL.
For years, I couldn’t get this tale out of my head. And the more I spoke about this to others, the more I found out how common it was for foreign students to be taken advantage of by the very people who were being paid to take care of them. I knew I would have to tell this story - a story about a dream that turned into a NIGHTMARE.
I wrote Parachutes to honor those who come to this country with individual ideas of an American Dream. As a second generation U.S. born Filipino-American, Asian woman, understanding my identity in the only country I’ve ever lived in has had its challenges. But to see how hard my parents worked - coming from a foreign country, with their noses down and pride aside, the extensive hours, giving more than they signed up for, with no complaints, never asking for more than what they have, while still trying to uphold our culture, weaved in with American pride, a culture cluttered by practices of what it means to be American, all for the sake of our family - reminds me to never take this life for granted. And telling stories like this one is my way of honoring them and their personal journeys and experiences.
CHARACTERS
Obedient, but strong willed, YOUNGWON is involved in a tragic accident that killed her younger sister in Korea. Her parents send her away to the U.S. through a student exchange program to deal with their pain. Now she has to endure her short-tempered host mom, George, with her not-so-discreet racism (“I’ll call you Rachel”), and her ridiculous demands for 24/7 pristine cleanliness. Youngwon has to prove to her family that she can be an obedient daughter in order to make her way home.
Youngwon feels the need to protect her fellow foreign exchange roommate, Keiko. Behind George’s back, they secretly learn English by watching kids’ shows, while they quickly discover that George’s intentions are anything but benevolent.
Georgina-Mae Ford, aka “GEORGE” to her friends (if she had any) is hell bent on making sure her double-wide trailer home is immaculate and perfect… just like her. She’s got a different muumuu for every day of the week, and never leaves the house without her lipstick perfectly applied on her perfectly coiffed head. And as the head of the foreign exchange program, working the system in order to create the family she’s always longed for is easy as apple pie.
Between chores and cooking George’s favorite meal, KEIKO, a quiet and shy exchange student from Japan, has little time and energy to do anything else but wish to be somewhere else. So when Youngwon arrives six months later, Keiko finds in her a kindred spirit. Although neither of them speak the same language, she teaches Youngwon that by keeping her head down and her mouth shut, she can temporarily spare George’s rod. With a little bit of Google Translate and a lot of charades, Keiko and Youngwon soon begin to understand that the American Dream in George’s “family” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
As a Chinese-American social worker who speaks broken Korean, all LILI wants to do is look after the young foreign exchange students in her care. But with George as both her boss and the host mom to Youngwon and Keiko, that task is as monumental as George's stature. Controlling and patronizing, George’s not-so-hidden racism and ulterior motives is getting harder and harder for Lili to ignore. With her broken Korean, Lili tries to convince Youngwon that she is safe in George’s care, but as the doubts creep in, she can barely convince herself.
PROJECT STATUS
Our hope is to raise $25,000 through a dedicated audience on Seed & Spark to cover the bare minimum costs of shooting the film. We’ve assembled an incredible talented cast and crew, mostly volunteers, to bring this story to life.
Principal photography for Parachutes will take place in Santa Clarita, CA in late April 2024.
PLEASE FOLLOW & SHARE...
Be part of the movement!
Sharing our campaign on your social media is as helpful as a donation when it comes to changing the narrative around women-centered Asian-American immigration projects.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING OUR PROJECT!
With gratitude,
Leslie
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Catering and Craft Services
Costs $2,700
With our team mostly volunteers, providing top-notch snacks & meals during filming is crucial for maintaining high spirits & energy levels.
Props / Set Design / Wardrobe / SFX Hair and Makeup / Stunts
Costs $2,000
This ensures we'll have everything from storyboards, props, stunts, sets, costumes, wigs, & special effects to authentically tell our story.
Gear / Equipment
Costs $8,150
Your help ensures essential gear/equipment for creative, safe storytelling. Lights, cameras, trucks, sound—let's bring this tale to life!
Post-Production
Costs $12,150
Support our post-production! From coloring, music licensing & festivals, your contributions add the final touches to make our project shine!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer, Director, and 2021 CNN + Film Independent Original Docuseries Fellow LESLIE ALEJANDRO has been obsessed with film and television from a young age. As an accomplished photographer, her ability to tell stories through imagery, composition, and stills led her to pursue filmmaking. Her directing credits include the documentary short about surrogacy She’s Having My Baby, the short film Smile, starring Kevin Alejandro and DB Woodside, and Adult Night, in which she co-directed with Kevin Alejandro, starring Kevin Alejandro and Lesley-Ann Brandt. She also wrote and directed the brown-girl anthem music video, GOLD, as well as the horror-inspired music video UNDEAD. All films have received awards at various film festivals, such as The Mammoth Film Festival, Docs Without Borders, Rincon Film Festival, and the International Music Video Awards.
Having been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years, KEVIN ALEJANDRO loves all things filmmaking. This San Antonio, Texas native quickly found himself starring along some of the finest actors and working with some of the most creative professionals in projects, such as CBS’s current hit Fire Country, Netflix’s Lucifer, HBO’s Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated True Blood, and TNT’s Southland. With the formation of Alejandro Films, Kevin is determined to tell culturally diverse stories in an entertaining way, particularly within the Latinx community.
DANI DE JESUS, CNN Original Series + Film Independent Docuseries Fellow, is an award-winning educator and award-winning producer (Adult Night, A Woman Reported) from LA. After graduating from UCLA, Dani worked at Craig Anderson Productions (On Golden Pond, Meltdown, For the Love of a Child) as the Director of Development for six years. Dani created a production company ALEJANDRO FILMS with her sister Leslie Alejandro and brother-in-law Kevin Alejandro to tell the stories that need to be told and create conversations around issues that impact our world. Dani is a co-producer on the upcoming feature East of Western, featuring Dante Basco, and she’s currently in production on The Cassandra Project, a trilogy of short films about the consequences of women not being heard.
Talent manager and producer, EMILY CHO, has been nurturing talent such as Jaeden Martell, Dante Basco, and Ella Jay Basco for over 20 years in this industry. She produced indie films and music videos, such as Jaeden Martell's directorial debut These Walls and Ella Jay Basco’s brown-pride theme song Gold.
DEREK BASCO (actor, writer, producer) has been in the entertainment business for over 30 years, starring in shows such as Mayor of Kingstown, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Fabulous Filipino Brothers. He has been producing indie films and music videos, such as Versus and Ella Jay Basco’s brown-pride theme song Gold.
GILLIAN MAHAR is a passionate, dedicated, and creative Production Manager and Assistant Director. She has worked on projects for national brands, such as Blue Diamond Almonds and Twitter, music videos for artists, such as Logic, Rich Brian, and Halsey, and many short films and series for networks such as Netflix. Gillian draws experience in communications, management, and organization from her past career as a National Marketing Director where she worked with over 35 clients including several Fortune 500 companies.
Cuban American Casting Director and Producer NATALIE BALLESTEROS is a partner and founding member of Adams, Ballesteros, Luna Casting (ABL). This partnership was launched with the intent of highlighting a variety of artists in the entertainment industry, focusing on authentic and inclusive representation in both film and television. The trio has worked on various projects for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Branded Television, HBO, and most recently cast the inaugural presentation of the Warner Bros. Discovery Access Talent Spotlight. ABL Casting recently cast the Untitled Jenni Rivera Biopic feature film. As the former Director of Talent and Casting for CBS Network TV, Natalie covered several series, pilots, and other projects for the network. Prior to CBS, Natalie worked on a number of notable projects, including the Academy Award-winning Coco for Walt Disney Films/Pixar, Narcos: Mexico for Netflix, East Los High – The Movie and the series for Hulu, and Los Espookys and Icebox, both for HBO. Additionally, she cast the Amazon series, Soldados o Zombies series for Amazon International.
ALAN LUNA is a Casting Director and Producer for TV, Film & Animation. He's a partner with ABL Casting, a casting office founded by him and fellow Casting Directors Michelle Adams & Natalie Ballesteros. With over a decade of casting and development experience, Alan has collaborated on a number of projects with Netflix, HBO Max, Disney, Nickelodeon, Marvel Studios, Amazon, and various others. Over the past few years, he's collaborated on include Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (TIFF '22 - produced by Lin Manuel Miranda), Jenni a biopic about Jenni Rivera, the Long Game (SXSW '23), Marvel's Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Netflix’s Selena: the Series, Gentefied, The Chosen One, Disney Channel's remake of the their 1st original movie Under Wraps, it's sequel Under Wraps 2, Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion, Amazon's 1st Latin American Western ‘La Cabeza de Joaquín Murrieta, and many more. As a first gen Mexican-American, Alan believes supporting emerging artists in their filmmaking process creates a positive impact in the industry, which include promoting authentic representation on screen and behind the scenes, and creates a pipeline for historically unseen communities to share their stories.
Producer, JANE GURTIZA, worked as an executive assistant to producer Beau Flynn, overseeing day-to-day operations as well as assuming producer duties on upcoming projects on high quality films, which included Johns (David Arquette, Lukas Haas), House of Yes (lead actress Parker Posey winning at Sundance), and Little City (Josh Charles, Jon Bon Jovi, Penelope Ann Miller, JoBeth Williams, Joanna Going). Recently, Jane has produced films such as Ms. 3pm, VOID (Jason Patric, Elizabeth Keener), and East of Western (in post production). Jane is in development on upcoming films and TV shows, Rockaway Beach and Bank Robber.
Cinematographer and Producer, NICK MAHAR, has emerged as a refreshing young talent at the forefront of commercial, music, and narrative cinematography. His work portrays a saturated and hyper-real world. Nick has worked for some of the biggest names in music like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, LOGIC, Sage the Gemini, and Trey Songz while lensing some of the biggest commercial brands in the world. Countless brands have relied on Nick’s keen eye for details to bring their content to life. In 2018, he made his way back into the narrative world where his shorts and feature work toured dozens of festivals across the globe.
Film and commercial director and editor TODD SANDLER has made his mark in the entertainment industry having worked with heavyweights such as Amblin Partners, Dreamworks, Disney, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., Paramount, Bad Robot and The Kennedy Marshall Company. His work includes feature length narrative films, TV Shows, documentaries, trailers, tributes and commercials. He cut the theatrical trailer for Steven Spielberg’s award-winning feature War Horse. He has edited films such as the blockbuster The Legend of Tarzan, The Parting Glass directed by Stephen Moyer, and Lee Daniels’ Pimp. He recently edited episodes of POP TV’s Flack. Sandler recently directed the ensemble drama A Cohort of Guests from Alejandro Films.
DENISE SANTOS is an Emmy-winning Filipino musician and composer based in Los Angeles, CA. Having previously worked as in-house composer at Hans Zimmer and Sony/ATV's Bleeding Fingers Music, her music has been heard in a multitude of movies and TV shows, most recently in Island of the Sea Wolves (Netflix), Eden: Untamed Planet (BBC America), and Primates (BBC One/PBS). Largely influenced by classical, orchestral, rock, and pop music, Denise loves to blend these different genres to create uniquely powerful compositions that help uplift diverse stories, filmmakers, and creators.
JACKIE TOYAMA is passionate in film, art and social justice. Her hometown, Long Beach, CA, is where she gained perspective on not only art from watching film and TV, but admiring art in all forms from different cultures and listening to stories deep rooted into the history and culture of the city. As a graduate from Chapman University’s Film Production program, she has been able to learn and apply color, design, and different styles into various short films and other projects ranging from social media videos to music videos. Jackie loves to collaborate in film to achieve the best visual storytelling possible. She has experience working as a PA, Art PA, Set Decorator, Art Director and Production Designer, as well as executing and assisting in the construction process of various prop and set builds in independent and commercial projects.
BIAT BALOGUN, hailing from Nigeria and navigating the East Coast before settling in California, has a versatile background in the world of fashion. With a keen eye for style, she has mastered the art of wardrobe curation across many platforms. With over a decade of experience, she has left her mark on the industry, working on campaigns with esteemed brands such as Netflix, Disney, Target, and Walmart. Collaborating with notable artists in music and film, including Alejandro Films, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Chandra Wilson, Nia Sioux, and Asher Angel, she brings her unique style to the forefront. Her dedication to fashion goes beyond aesthetics; it is a narrative woven into the fabric of experiences that resonate long after the spotlight fades.
BEN SOKOLER, a Los Angeles native and lifelong musician, started his career in music supervision in 2013 after earning his bachelor's degree in music industry from Northeastern University. Over the last decade, Ben has supervised a wide range of film and television projects, receiving multiple nominations for outstanding music supervision for his work, serving the highest quality music to the content creators he collaborates with. Supervision credits include award winning films Roxanne Roxanne, The Rider, I Can Only Imagine and tv series Love Death + Robots, Inside Job, and Exploding Kittens. Ben has also worked on projects like Homeland, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, BoJack Horseman, Young Sheldon and many more.
KYOMI WONG, also known as KIKI WONG, has spent a majority of her life surrounded by people and the means to create art in many mediums but the one that she found herself most gravitated towards was performative arts. Every part from the performance to behind the scenes sparks new interests and a deeper appreciation for the work and dedication that goes into creating and telling stories this way. She started acting when she was young and grew to love the performance and passion necessary for connecting to characters, but as she learned more, the technical and production aspects called to her next. She attended California State University, Long Beach for Theatre Arts to gain a deeper connection to performance and had the opportunity to crew multiple stage performances from straight plays to musicals in various different departments such as production, lights, and costumes.
SARAHBETH ZOHREHVAND is a recent graduate of UCLA, where she studied psychology and theater. During her time as a student, she interned for Warner Bros Discovery, the New Media Film Festival, and The Cassandra Project. Through UCLA’s alumni program, Sarahbeth had the privilege of learning under the mentorship of Parachute’s very own Dani de Jesus. Currently, Sarahbeth is a working actress in LA and is honored to be involved with such an impactful project.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
After losing her sister in a tragic accident, Korean teen, Youngwon Park (17) is admitted into a foreign exchange student program by her parents with hopes of reforming her into an ideal daughter.
Landing in a small, Midwestern U.S. town, Youngwon finds herself at a trailer park living under the roof of her heavy-handed host mom named George. George requires Youngwon to abide by stringent rules and a never-ending list of grueling chores. No white picket fence. No television. No Statue of Liberty. No land of the free.
Cut off from the rest of the world, Youngwon bonds with Keiko - a Japanese exchange student also living in this mobile hell home. Together, they must learn to communicate in order to protect each other from George’s wrath.
This is a story of survival. While under George’s delusion of the perfect family, how much can these girls endure in order to achieve their American Dreams?
TONE
In crafting this film, I’ve chosen a 4:3 aspect ratio to evoke the feeling of confinement experienced by our protagonists, while strategically playing with light and shadows to symbolize both hope and the looming threat personified by George.
Our color palette, alternating between muted hues and bold pops, aims to psychologically mirror the characters' diverse experiences throughout the narrative. "Parachutes" is more than a film; it's an exploration of identity, survival, and the American Dream's often harsh realities.
DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT
Years ago, I heard this unbelievably TRUE, yet harrowing story, from my sister’s BEST FRIEND. She spoke about her immigration journey as a young, foreign teenage girl from Korea who, upon entering into a U.S. foreign exchange student program, ends up in a trailer park - in a trailer - with a muumuu-wearing host mom who treats her and the other exchange student (from Japan, already living there) like servants... And on top of everything else, neither of them spoke English or each other’s languages.... No one would believe that THIS STORY IS REAL.
For years, I couldn’t get this tale out of my head. And the more I spoke about this to others, the more I found out how common it was for foreign students to be taken advantage of by the very people who were being paid to take care of them. I knew I would have to tell this story - a story about a dream that turned into a NIGHTMARE.
I wrote Parachutes to honor those who come to this country with individual ideas of an American Dream. As a second generation U.S. born Filipino-American, Asian woman, understanding my identity in the only country I’ve ever lived in has had its challenges. But to see how hard my parents worked - coming from a foreign country, with their noses down and pride aside, the extensive hours, giving more than they signed up for, with no complaints, never asking for more than what they have, while still trying to uphold our culture, weaved in with American pride, a culture cluttered by practices of what it means to be American, all for the sake of our family - reminds me to never take this life for granted. And telling stories like this one is my way of honoring them and their personal journeys and experiences.
CHARACTERS
Obedient, but strong willed, YOUNGWON is involved in a tragic accident that killed her younger sister in Korea. Her parents send her away to the U.S. through a student exchange program to deal with their pain. Now she has to endure her short-tempered host mom, George, with her not-so-discreet racism (“I’ll call you Rachel”), and her ridiculous demands for 24/7 pristine cleanliness. Youngwon has to prove to her family that she can be an obedient daughter in order to make her way home.
Youngwon feels the need to protect her fellow foreign exchange roommate, Keiko. Behind George’s back, they secretly learn English by watching kids’ shows, while they quickly discover that George’s intentions are anything but benevolent.
Georgina-Mae Ford, aka “GEORGE” to her friends (if she had any) is hell bent on making sure her double-wide trailer home is immaculate and perfect… just like her. She’s got a different muumuu for every day of the week, and never leaves the house without her lipstick perfectly applied on her perfectly coiffed head. And as the head of the foreign exchange program, working the system in order to create the family she’s always longed for is easy as apple pie.
Between chores and cooking George’s favorite meal, KEIKO, a quiet and shy exchange student from Japan, has little time and energy to do anything else but wish to be somewhere else. So when Youngwon arrives six months later, Keiko finds in her a kindred spirit. Although neither of them speak the same language, she teaches Youngwon that by keeping her head down and her mouth shut, she can temporarily spare George’s rod. With a little bit of Google Translate and a lot of charades, Keiko and Youngwon soon begin to understand that the American Dream in George’s “family” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
As a Chinese-American social worker who speaks broken Korean, all LILI wants to do is look after the young foreign exchange students in her care. But with George as both her boss and the host mom to Youngwon and Keiko, that task is as monumental as George's stature. Controlling and patronizing, George’s not-so-hidden racism and ulterior motives is getting harder and harder for Lili to ignore. With her broken Korean, Lili tries to convince Youngwon that she is safe in George’s care, but as the doubts creep in, she can barely convince herself.
PROJECT STATUS
Our hope is to raise $25,000 through a dedicated audience on Seed & Spark to cover the bare minimum costs of shooting the film. We’ve assembled an incredible talented cast and crew, mostly volunteers, to bring this story to life.
Principal photography for Parachutes will take place in Santa Clarita, CA in late April 2024.
PLEASE FOLLOW & SHARE...
Be part of the movement!
Sharing our campaign on your social media is as helpful as a donation when it comes to changing the narrative around women-centered Asian-American immigration projects.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONSIDERING OUR PROJECT!
With gratitude,
Leslie
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Catering and Craft Services
Costs $2,700
With our team mostly volunteers, providing top-notch snacks & meals during filming is crucial for maintaining high spirits & energy levels.
Props / Set Design / Wardrobe / SFX Hair and Makeup / Stunts
Costs $2,000
This ensures we'll have everything from storyboards, props, stunts, sets, costumes, wigs, & special effects to authentically tell our story.
Gear / Equipment
Costs $8,150
Your help ensures essential gear/equipment for creative, safe storytelling. Lights, cameras, trucks, sound—let's bring this tale to life!
Post-Production
Costs $12,150
Support our post-production! From coloring, music licensing & festivals, your contributions add the final touches to make our project shine!
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Writer, Director, and 2021 CNN + Film Independent Original Docuseries Fellow LESLIE ALEJANDRO has been obsessed with film and television from a young age. As an accomplished photographer, her ability to tell stories through imagery, composition, and stills led her to pursue filmmaking. Her directing credits include the documentary short about surrogacy She’s Having My Baby, the short film Smile, starring Kevin Alejandro and DB Woodside, and Adult Night, in which she co-directed with Kevin Alejandro, starring Kevin Alejandro and Lesley-Ann Brandt. She also wrote and directed the brown-girl anthem music video, GOLD, as well as the horror-inspired music video UNDEAD. All films have received awards at various film festivals, such as The Mammoth Film Festival, Docs Without Borders, Rincon Film Festival, and the International Music Video Awards.
Having been in the entertainment industry for over 30 years, KEVIN ALEJANDRO loves all things filmmaking. This San Antonio, Texas native quickly found himself starring along some of the finest actors and working with some of the most creative professionals in projects, such as CBS’s current hit Fire Country, Netflix’s Lucifer, HBO’s Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated True Blood, and TNT’s Southland. With the formation of Alejandro Films, Kevin is determined to tell culturally diverse stories in an entertaining way, particularly within the Latinx community.
DANI DE JESUS, CNN Original Series + Film Independent Docuseries Fellow, is an award-winning educator and award-winning producer (Adult Night, A Woman Reported) from LA. After graduating from UCLA, Dani worked at Craig Anderson Productions (On Golden Pond, Meltdown, For the Love of a Child) as the Director of Development for six years. Dani created a production company ALEJANDRO FILMS with her sister Leslie Alejandro and brother-in-law Kevin Alejandro to tell the stories that need to be told and create conversations around issues that impact our world. Dani is a co-producer on the upcoming feature East of Western, featuring Dante Basco, and she’s currently in production on The Cassandra Project, a trilogy of short films about the consequences of women not being heard.
Talent manager and producer, EMILY CHO, has been nurturing talent such as Jaeden Martell, Dante Basco, and Ella Jay Basco for over 20 years in this industry. She produced indie films and music videos, such as Jaeden Martell's directorial debut These Walls and Ella Jay Basco’s brown-pride theme song Gold.
DEREK BASCO (actor, writer, producer) has been in the entertainment business for over 30 years, starring in shows such as Mayor of Kingstown, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Fabulous Filipino Brothers. He has been producing indie films and music videos, such as Versus and Ella Jay Basco’s brown-pride theme song Gold.
GILLIAN MAHAR is a passionate, dedicated, and creative Production Manager and Assistant Director. She has worked on projects for national brands, such as Blue Diamond Almonds and Twitter, music videos for artists, such as Logic, Rich Brian, and Halsey, and many short films and series for networks such as Netflix. Gillian draws experience in communications, management, and organization from her past career as a National Marketing Director where she worked with over 35 clients including several Fortune 500 companies.
Cuban American Casting Director and Producer NATALIE BALLESTEROS is a partner and founding member of Adams, Ballesteros, Luna Casting (ABL). This partnership was launched with the intent of highlighting a variety of artists in the entertainment industry, focusing on authentic and inclusive representation in both film and television. The trio has worked on various projects for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Branded Television, HBO, and most recently cast the inaugural presentation of the Warner Bros. Discovery Access Talent Spotlight. ABL Casting recently cast the Untitled Jenni Rivera Biopic feature film. As the former Director of Talent and Casting for CBS Network TV, Natalie covered several series, pilots, and other projects for the network. Prior to CBS, Natalie worked on a number of notable projects, including the Academy Award-winning Coco for Walt Disney Films/Pixar, Narcos: Mexico for Netflix, East Los High – The Movie and the series for Hulu, and Los Espookys and Icebox, both for HBO. Additionally, she cast the Amazon series, Soldados o Zombies series for Amazon International.
ALAN LUNA is a Casting Director and Producer for TV, Film & Animation. He's a partner with ABL Casting, a casting office founded by him and fellow Casting Directors Michelle Adams & Natalie Ballesteros. With over a decade of casting and development experience, Alan has collaborated on a number of projects with Netflix, HBO Max, Disney, Nickelodeon, Marvel Studios, Amazon, and various others. Over the past few years, he's collaborated on include Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (TIFF '22 - produced by Lin Manuel Miranda), Jenni a biopic about Jenni Rivera, the Long Game (SXSW '23), Marvel's Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Netflix’s Selena: the Series, Gentefied, The Chosen One, Disney Channel's remake of the their 1st original movie Under Wraps, it's sequel Under Wraps 2, Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion, Amazon's 1st Latin American Western ‘La Cabeza de Joaquín Murrieta, and many more. As a first gen Mexican-American, Alan believes supporting emerging artists in their filmmaking process creates a positive impact in the industry, which include promoting authentic representation on screen and behind the scenes, and creates a pipeline for historically unseen communities to share their stories.
Producer, JANE GURTIZA, worked as an executive assistant to producer Beau Flynn, overseeing day-to-day operations as well as assuming producer duties on upcoming projects on high quality films, which included Johns (David Arquette, Lukas Haas), House of Yes (lead actress Parker Posey winning at Sundance), and Little City (Josh Charles, Jon Bon Jovi, Penelope Ann Miller, JoBeth Williams, Joanna Going). Recently, Jane has produced films such as Ms. 3pm, VOID (Jason Patric, Elizabeth Keener), and East of Western (in post production). Jane is in development on upcoming films and TV shows, Rockaway Beach and Bank Robber.
Cinematographer and Producer, NICK MAHAR, has emerged as a refreshing young talent at the forefront of commercial, music, and narrative cinematography. His work portrays a saturated and hyper-real world. Nick has worked for some of the biggest names in music like Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, LOGIC, Sage the Gemini, and Trey Songz while lensing some of the biggest commercial brands in the world. Countless brands have relied on Nick’s keen eye for details to bring their content to life. In 2018, he made his way back into the narrative world where his shorts and feature work toured dozens of festivals across the globe.
Film and commercial director and editor TODD SANDLER has made his mark in the entertainment industry having worked with heavyweights such as Amblin Partners, Dreamworks, Disney, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., Paramount, Bad Robot and The Kennedy Marshall Company. His work includes feature length narrative films, TV Shows, documentaries, trailers, tributes and commercials. He cut the theatrical trailer for Steven Spielberg’s award-winning feature War Horse. He has edited films such as the blockbuster The Legend of Tarzan, The Parting Glass directed by Stephen Moyer, and Lee Daniels’ Pimp. He recently edited episodes of POP TV’s Flack. Sandler recently directed the ensemble drama A Cohort of Guests from Alejandro Films.
DENISE SANTOS is an Emmy-winning Filipino musician and composer based in Los Angeles, CA. Having previously worked as in-house composer at Hans Zimmer and Sony/ATV's Bleeding Fingers Music, her music has been heard in a multitude of movies and TV shows, most recently in Island of the Sea Wolves (Netflix), Eden: Untamed Planet (BBC America), and Primates (BBC One/PBS). Largely influenced by classical, orchestral, rock, and pop music, Denise loves to blend these different genres to create uniquely powerful compositions that help uplift diverse stories, filmmakers, and creators.
JACKIE TOYAMA is passionate in film, art and social justice. Her hometown, Long Beach, CA, is where she gained perspective on not only art from watching film and TV, but admiring art in all forms from different cultures and listening to stories deep rooted into the history and culture of the city. As a graduate from Chapman University’s Film Production program, she has been able to learn and apply color, design, and different styles into various short films and other projects ranging from social media videos to music videos. Jackie loves to collaborate in film to achieve the best visual storytelling possible. She has experience working as a PA, Art PA, Set Decorator, Art Director and Production Designer, as well as executing and assisting in the construction process of various prop and set builds in independent and commercial projects.
BIAT BALOGUN, hailing from Nigeria and navigating the East Coast before settling in California, has a versatile background in the world of fashion. With a keen eye for style, she has mastered the art of wardrobe curation across many platforms. With over a decade of experience, she has left her mark on the industry, working on campaigns with esteemed brands such as Netflix, Disney, Target, and Walmart. Collaborating with notable artists in music and film, including Alejandro Films, Lesley-Ann Brandt, Chandra Wilson, Nia Sioux, and Asher Angel, she brings her unique style to the forefront. Her dedication to fashion goes beyond aesthetics; it is a narrative woven into the fabric of experiences that resonate long after the spotlight fades.
BEN SOKOLER, a Los Angeles native and lifelong musician, started his career in music supervision in 2013 after earning his bachelor's degree in music industry from Northeastern University. Over the last decade, Ben has supervised a wide range of film and television projects, receiving multiple nominations for outstanding music supervision for his work, serving the highest quality music to the content creators he collaborates with. Supervision credits include award winning films Roxanne Roxanne, The Rider, I Can Only Imagine and tv series Love Death + Robots, Inside Job, and Exploding Kittens. Ben has also worked on projects like Homeland, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, BoJack Horseman, Young Sheldon and many more.
KYOMI WONG, also known as KIKI WONG, has spent a majority of her life surrounded by people and the means to create art in many mediums but the one that she found herself most gravitated towards was performative arts. Every part from the performance to behind the scenes sparks new interests and a deeper appreciation for the work and dedication that goes into creating and telling stories this way. She started acting when she was young and grew to love the performance and passion necessary for connecting to characters, but as she learned more, the technical and production aspects called to her next. She attended California State University, Long Beach for Theatre Arts to gain a deeper connection to performance and had the opportunity to crew multiple stage performances from straight plays to musicals in various different departments such as production, lights, and costumes.
SARAHBETH ZOHREHVAND is a recent graduate of UCLA, where she studied psychology and theater. During her time as a student, she interned for Warner Bros Discovery, the New Media Film Festival, and The Cassandra Project. Through UCLA’s alumni program, Sarahbeth had the privilege of learning under the mentorship of Parachute’s very own Dani de Jesus. Currently, Sarahbeth is a working actress in LA and is honored to be involved with such an impactful project.