Amaya Luz ArandaAt a young age, she found her niche as a storyteller, writer and world-builder. After studying film at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, she graduated in 2019 having directed 10 short original films and written over 25 screenplays. Each film she created, ranging from dramatic comedies to experimental animations, reflected a small piece of her reality, whether it be as a girl scout, an educator, a Chicana, or a biology-curious high schooler.
Now a student at Cornell University, she continues her passion for art and arts education. She aims to further explore and share her Mexican-American culture, not only through films, but through photography, poetry and literature. She actively advocates for diversity in film and provides film mentorship to young Latinos in her surrounding community. She enjoys taking behind-the-scenes photo and video for different organizations, and she plays flute in the Big Red Band.