Reel Connections 2.16.2025
Filmmaking is more than just the work—it’s about the connections you make along the way. Reel Connections is where we celebrate the talented filmmakers who have submitted their work to the Utah International Film Festival through FilmFreeway. These are the creators shaping the future of independent cinema, and we’re here to help them connect!
Want to see your name here? Submit your film to UIFF on FilmFreeway, and we’ll feature you in an upcoming edition of Reel Connections! This is your chance to introduce yourself to fellow filmmakers, expand your network, and be part of something bigger.
👇 MEET THIS WEEK’S FEATURED FILMMAKERS 👇
John Gray is a New York based writer-director-producer. He created the long running hit CBS series, GHOST WHISPERER, starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, as well as writing and directing many award-winning and critically acclaimed movies for television, such as MARTIN AND LEWIS, starring Sean Hayes and Jeremy Northam; the Emmy® nominated A PLACE FOR ANNIE with Sissy Spacek; the Emmy® nominated mini-series HAVEN with Natasha Richardson and Anne Bancroft. His first novel, the supernatural thriller THE DESECRATED, was published in July 2022.
Danica Jensen is a Danish-American stage & screen director, performer, writer & amateur ghost hunter. She grew up in a haunted house, and as such, is particularly interested in ghost stories and the things (physical or otherwise) that haunt us.
Danica is a graduate of NYU Tisch and an alumni of The Nine Muses Entertainment Lab, mentored by Bryce Dallas Howard. She regularly works as a production assistant for television shows on HBO, Paramount+, Showtime & more. Danica currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Provincetown Film Society and her most recent screenplay, Get You Better, placed as a semi-finalist in Shore Scripts’ 2023 Short Film Competition. https://www.instagram.com/getyoubetterfilm/
My name is Carter Bukoski and I am currently completing my final semester at Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Filmmaking Practices.
I’m a director/actor with my main passion being creating films as a director.
Amar Somaroo, is a Dutch film director of South-Asian descent. He started his career at 17 as a novelist with his fantasy book, Tibet, Kronieken der Verlossing (2014). Amar is known for directing Cyanide (2021) and the short film A Woman in Kurdistan (2017), which focused on women business owners. His films explore themes like the South-Asian diaspora, self-identity, and existentialism. In addition to his films, Amar has directed and written high-level corporate films for institutions such as the Dutch Ministry of Defense and has worked in various international locations, including Mumbai, India. https://www.instagram.com/noorkhusrau/
Farzad Kiyafar is an Iranian – American filmmaker based in Seattle. He got his BFA in Cinema and MFA in Dramatic Literature from University of Cinema in Tehran, Iran.
After immigrating to the US, he pursued his second MFA in Editing at American Film Institute in Los Angeles. His body of works explore different areas of filmmaking from Directing shorts to editing. https://www.instagram.com/armanindiefilm/
Jacopo Marchini is an Italian director known for his compelling storytelling and unique visual style. With a deep passion for capturing the complexities of human emotions and experiences, his work often explores universal themes such as love, identity, and the passage of time. As a director, Jacopo Marchini is dedicated to creating films that not only entertain but also provoke thought and inspire reflection, using cinema as a medium to explore the deepest facets of the human condition.
Abigail Kemp is a Chinese filmmaker from Atlanta, Georgia. In her most recent documentary, Year of the Rabbit, Kemp travels back to China for the first time with her father and compares her visit to his archival footage of her adoption. In 2022, Kemp produced a Stage 32 Short Film Finalist, The Great Panic of 1999. In addition to her projects, Kemp has worked in the production offices for The Exorcist: Believer, Insidious: The Red Door, The Slumber Party, and, most recently, Teacup Season 1. https://www.instagram.com/year.of.the.rabbit_doc/
Regina Simons is an award winning Native American filmmaker based in Salt Lake City, dedicated to creating impactful stories that champion strong, complex protagonists. Her work focuses on authentically [re]presenting Native people in film through narrative, documentary, and experimental storytelling.
Regina’s academic journey and intellectual curiosity drive her unique perspective, blending her cultural heritage with innovative storytelling. For her, creativity is a lifelong pursuit, and as she often says, “As long as you are breathing, school is in session.”
Russ Emanuel is an award-winning American director, producer, and independent filmmaker, having directed such actors as John Heard, Robert Picardo, Vincent Pastore, and Gary Graham. He founded Russem Productions in 2002 to promote his films including GIRL WITH GUN (2005) and documentary RESTORATION OF PARADISE (2014). Presently, STAYCATION (2024) – the sequel to ROUTINE currently in post-production – marks Emanuel’s sixth foray into feature filmmaking.
Yeon Choi is an award-winning director, painter, and animator whose work spans multiple mediums, including animation, digital prints, painting, drawing, and sculpture. Her creations have been exhibited in both South Korea and the United States, and her animations have screened at festivals around the world. Select films include A Bride’s Diary, Ever After, The Destroyed Room, Sandstorm, Objects of My Obsessions, The Labyrinth, and Memories of the Little Pond.
Your network is one of your biggest assets in this industry—start building it today! Submit your film to UIFF, and let us introduce you to our community of filmmakers.
📩 Ready to be featured? Head to FilmFreeway and submit your film today!
