Portfolio

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  Deport the Statue

  Breakthrough, Fiction

  Deport the Statue of Liberty? Crazy, right? Well, yes. But you know what’s really crazy? Deporting millions of human beings who have lived and worked in the U.S. for years and call this country their home. That is what’s been happening for years under U.S. immigration policy. Today, we have the chance — and the power — to change that. That’s why Breakthrough had to get extra-creative. We created the red herring “LegalsPAC,”  the Legals for the Preservation of American Culture, a group focused on deporting the [...]

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  The Call

  Breakthrough, Fiction

  Sonia has worked so hard for this: a healthy family and a normal life in an average American town. But on a night that should have been like any other, she is forced to make an impossible choice that could shatter her family’s dreams forever. Keep your daughter safe — or keep your family together? What call would you make? I wrote the screenplay for this film, which is the centerpiece of Breakthrough‘s #ImHere campaign for immigrant women’s rights. Go [...]

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  Checkpoint Nation

  Breakthrough, Non-Fiction

  It was the first time I had experienced the overwhelming size of the desert sky. The sunset was magnificent, and the endless stretch of cacti and desert rocks were lit up with the last pink moments of twilight. But the sunset’s beauty was overpowered by what I had seen earlier in the week in Arizona: men and women in shackles (feet chained to waist, waist chained to wrists), a morgue filled twice-over with John & Jane Does, a wall that [...]

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  Deserted

  Breakthrough, Non-Fiction

  In August 2011 I traveled to Tucson as part of Breakthrough’s media team to participate in the National Border Justice and Solidarity Delegation. Made up of a group of organizers from DRUM (Desis Rising Up and Moving), Vamos Unidos, and Coalicion de Derechos Humanos, the delegation spent five days learning about the struggles of migrants and people of color in Arizona, first-hand. Ishita and I filmed the delegation for a documentary to be released on the tenth anniversary of September [...]

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  Triptych

  Fiction, Independent Project

  Triptych premiered on a rooftop in Tribeca on September 26, 2009.  This short film, directed, written, and edited by Dana Variano with the generosity of the Screen Actor’s Guild, explores the lives of three 30-somethings trying to find their way through life in New York City. It was written from a realist perspective, and shot using as much natural light and diegetic sound as possible in order to enhance that effect. The music for this video was written by Denver [...]

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  Let’s Talk About…

  Client Project, Non-Fiction

  Since 2006 I have been working with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Orange County’s Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP), to increase visibility of this valuable program. Initially, I produced a documentary short, RAPP: Family Portraits (2006), which was the National Winner of the National Extension Assoc. for Family and Consumer Sciences 2006 award. The “Let’s Talk About…” series is about education and communication. In association with Alan Smith, I’m creating a series of videos and powerpoints designed to help foster discussion [...]

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  Obama in 30 Seconds

  Independent Project, Non-Fiction

  Dana, Alan Smith, Sam Dingman, and Gerrit Hall submitted this commercial to MoveOn.org‘s “Obama in 30 Seconds” contest. And thus was born our salute to a candidate whose vision for the future depends as much on each of us as it does on him.

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  Philanthro4: Youth Engagement

  Client Project, Non-Fiction

  The “Philanthro4 of Youth Engagement” is a short documentary piece which highlights four organizations which have been doing groundbreaking, alternative work in the field of engaging youth in politics and social activities.  As Creative Director of PhilanthroMedia, I produced this piece, which was shot and edited in collaboration with David Yim.

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  Self Dealing on the Move

  Client Project, Fiction

  In 2008-2009, The Association of Small Foundations hired PhilanthroMedia to make video spoofs that would educate foundation and non-profit board members on the dangers of self dealing. In this video, we spoof a 1940s news reel to warn of the dangers of self-dealing. As Creative Director, I wrote and edited this short. Our first project, “Self Dealing and You,” can be seen here.

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  Self Dealing & You

  Client Project, Fiction

  In 2008-2009, The Association of Small Foundations hired PhilanthroMedia to make video spoofs that would educate foundation and non-profit board members on the dangers of self dealing. In this video, we spoof a 1950s sex ed video to warn of the dangers of self-dealing. As Creative Director, I wrote, directed, and edited this short. Our second project, “Self Dealing on the Move,” can be seen here.

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