Spring is here, and so are our budding artists! Many are recent grads from Bay Area cinema programs excited to tell meaningful stories that reflect their own identities. Our Spring 2023 Studio internship officially started this month, and this cohort is ready to get things rolling. Interns will attend hands-on workshops on gimbals, audio, location scouting, and more! They will also attend “Lunch & Learn” lectures with industry speakers, exposure trips to professional studios and rental houses, and gain on-set experience with BAYCAT Studio. By the end of the cohort, they will build on their technical skills and hone in on their artistic voices as they collaborate on projects. We have a diverse group of artists interested in pre-production, production, post-production, and we can’t wait to see what these creatives come up with in the next few months!
Alonzo Rodriguez-Spencer (he/him) developed his passion for videography and editing in high school, and went on to receive his Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish Business and a minor in Digital Communications from Grand View University. He went from running track around the country to running cameras, so say cheese or challenge him to a poll-to-poll race!
Anh Le (she/her) is a storyteller who invites stories of different cultures onto the silver screen to heal the wounds of society. She recently graduated from San Jose State University’s Radio, Television, and Film program, and in her free time enjoys writing to her penpals from all around the world.
Cemelli Yatsil Espitia (she/her) graduated from San Francisco State University with bachelor's degrees in Cinema and Latinx Studies. She started off in theater and made her way to film, and has since been in student films and worked on them as well. She one day hopes to write and direct films after acting in other projects.
Dahkota Brown (he/him) is a recent graduate of Stanford University where he studied Theatre and Performance Studies with a minor in Native American Studies. As a California Indigenous person from the Wilton Rancheria, Dahkota is excited to pursue a career in film that centers Native voices and stories.
Eric Webb (he/him) is a Bay Area creative who rotates roles between filmmaker, photographer, and model. He is a working cinematographer who is passionate about telling unique stories. Eric holds a bachelor’s degree in Cinema from San Francisco State University.
Gisselle Ayala (she/her)is a San Francisco State University graduate with a bachelors in Cinema and a minor in Animation. She likes to play video games, be outside, and spend time with her loved ones. Her goal is to create artwork to help inspire the youth the same way Disney and Pixar animated films inspired her as a child.
Hanan Elqossar (she/her) is a recent graduate from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s in Business Marketing and a creative who is eager to learn and take on new challenges. She hopes to build her digital media knowledge and become more confident in her abilities to achieve her greater goal of increasing Muslim women's representation in the tech industry.
Joelle Joyner-Wong (she/her)is a 24-year-old playwright, screenwriter, dramaturg, and filmmaker born and raised in the Bay Area. At BAYCAT, she hopes to gain more connections and learn more in depth content about the film world.
Jose Camacho (he/him) is in his final semester at San Francisco State University, and will be graduating with a degree in Broadcasting and Electronic Communication. He hopes to refine his post-production skills to be ready to enter the professional industry.
Kelly Lu (she/her)is an artist who loves films, animation, and other creative media. She is a recent graduate of Laguna College of Art and Design, and being expressive and illustrating a meaningful story through background painting or creating characters is what inspires her to produce her work. When she’s not focusing on background art, you can find her eating her favorite foods or relaxing.
Reina Sango (she/her) is a San Francisco State University graduate student majoring in Cinema. She is excited to be immersed in a professional work environment, and hopes to reflect her experience at BAYCAT at future jobs.
Stephanie Contreras (she/her) is a Chicana multimedia specialist who dedicates her artistic projects to her field of study, Social Justice and Ethnic Studies. She is a recent University of California, Santa Cruz graduate, and aspires to produce and direct work that intentionally reflects a better future for the world around us.