Hi i’m Josh. I’m 15 years old, Pronouns are he/him. I am a Korean American, who speaks no Korean but is fluent in Chinese, and I currently attend WSC (Webb Schools of California) which is a boarding school in Claremont, CA. Ever since I was young I have always been active in the water and currently enjoy surfing, playing water polo, and swimming. Outside the water, I’ve also played the violin since I was five and developed a large liking towards music leading to my interest in other forms of art. Most of this interest has been in film as it has always captured my attention from the power and emotion films can bring from movies like Dead Poets Society to Wiplash. Although I am pretty new to the whole filmmaking stuff, I am excited to be part of Reel Voices and learn how to express creativity and ideas through a film.

Something you actually say: Womp Womp.

Hi!! I’m Aysha Lopez, Im 15 years old. This upcoming year I will transition to my junior year at Orange Glen High School in Escondido where I will continue being a part of the middle college program. My goals during my time in the Reel Voices program is to share awareness and mainly just provide that comfort into the film I create. I believe cinema is crucially important and being able to create a film of my own where I get to direct and try new things is what Im looking forward to. In the future I plan to make a meaningful impact and although I don’t know what I will major in I’m driven by a desire to continuously learn and grow.

Something you actually say: Besos.

Hi, my name is joshua. I’m 15 now but will be 16 in july. My pronouns are he/him, and I can’t wait to learn more about film and really grow throughout the program.

Something you actually say: Locked in, absolutely, “that’s crazy”, for sure, definitely more too.

Hi! My name is Kayla Yoo and I am a rising senior at Torrey Pines High School. In my free time you can find me hanging out with friends, listening to music, getting matcha, and playing golf. I have always loved watching different films, documentaries, shows, and K-dramas and spend a lot of time either starting or rewatching them as comfort. Films with beautiful cinematography and a compelling storyline never fails to grasp my attention and keep me seated. I am excited to be a part of Reel Voices to learn new skills of filmmaking and meeting new people!

Something you actually say: Bruh.

Hi! I’m Audrey. My pronouns are she/her and I’m sixteen years old. I’m so excited to explore new forms of filmmaking; I’ve never made a documentary before and I’m so ready to try it out! In my free time, I love walking my rabbit which usually just consists of me carrying him to a patch of grass and letting him run around on a leash. Maybe I’ll make a documentary about him one day.

Something you actually say: Hey gang.

My pronouns are he/him, Laotian-American, my mom inspires me, I have a lot of experience being in photos and videos because of my mom taking non-stop pictures all the time. I don’t have much experience with film, but I’m hope to learn a lot from this program.

Something you actually say: Yessir.

Hi! My name is Minhtu (min-too), my pronouns are she/her, and I am Vietnamese American. I am 15 and go to Eastlake High School as an incoming sophmore. I love baking, writing, and making music. I also like to paint, but I’m really bad at it. I am inspired by my Grandfather, aunt, and cousin who all chose to pursue the creative side of them, being poets, filmakers, and artists. I grew up making a lot of mini films, and got one of them into a film festival! I am trying to improve my public speaking abilities by participating in speech contests. I am in multiple clubs at Eastlake high school, such as robotics, Books Beyond Borders, and Junior Optimist, which I will be president of next year. I am so excited to participate in this program over the summer!!!

Something you actually say: I’m hungry.

Hi! My name is Miranda Fecher (she/her) and I am a soon to be senior at Eastlake High School! My current aspirations are to be an environmental engineer and I have continued many hobbies through clubs at my school! Since I was little I’ve always been interested in the arts, more specifically the expression of feelings and thoughts through; movements, music, and paintings. With this, I quickly started my journey with music through the violin at age five which I’ve still continued to keep up all these years. Recently, through my school research class I’ve been introducing myself to learning the importance of how films and movies can help people perceive certain social issues, which led me to reel voices! I would love to learn more about the art of film and expand my knowledge on this!

Something you actually say: Locked in.

Hi! I’m Jayden. I’m in ninth grade and trying my best to just survive. I believe that Film is a really convenient way to both communicate to everyone and work with other people. It’s also a really great way to leave your mark on this world. Personally though, I don’t concern myself too hard with my legacy and aspirations. I’m just here to have some fun, learn a bit, and tell a new story.

Something you actually say: Alright run it.

Hi!! My name is Mariska Nouvong (she/her). I am 17 years old and will soon be a senior at HSHMC. I am Asian American (half Filipino and half Laotian) and was born and raised here in San Diego. Some of my hobbies are playing volleyball, baking, and hanging out with my friends. At school, I am involved in a lot of extracurriculars like volleyball, ASB, yearbook, acting club, and more. But one of my favorite clubs is our Broadcasting club, where we produce the school news and I am one of the co-presidents. I have both been both in front of the camera and behind the camera when it comes to filmmaking. So, I am excited to learn more about film and overall gain some new skills through Reel Voices!

Something you actually say: “Lock’d in“, “Literally“, “Dude, “For Real“, “You’re cooked“, “OMG“.

Hi, my name is Hanson. My dream is to one day direct my very own feature film and have it screened in cinemas worldwide. My favorite film-related memory to date was screening and presenting a short film that I made with my friends on the big screen. In my free time, I like to eat with friends, go thrifting, take naps, watch films, and create Spotify playlists.

Something you actually say: “Please, thank you, and you’re welcome.“

I’m just one of the few million high school students trying to figure out life, chasing dreams and getting lost from time to time. My journey to filmmaking started from my desire to express different thoughts, which I learned that film is a comprehensive medium that integrates all sorts of art form. I listen to all kinds of music genres, from classical to new age, indie, rock, rap and others. I also enjoy following sports, watching movies, practicing my instruments (not so consistently) and reading books (sometimes). I want to produce films that integrate and reflect these different parts of my life and the insights that I’ve gained along the way.

Something you actually say: We gon’ be alright.

Originally from Philadelphia, Henry Liu is a filmmaker based out of Southern California. Graduating with a Visual Arts degree from UC San Diego, his body of work includes film productions, commercial projects, client brand work, and live events. Henry has been with the Pacific Arts Movement since 2021 as the Video Production Coordinator and has more recently joined the Reel Voices team as the RV Coordinator. Henry is deeply passionate about making creative, collaborative visual art including working on music videos for the local San Diego music scene and indie film projects, even making his own festival directorial debut with the short film L O C K in 2022. Outside of creative pursuits, Henry also works on client-based brand commercials and videos, particularly with street and urban style clothing brands, restaurants, and cosmetic companies. Some companies he’s worked with include anime clothing brands like Umai and Iced Tea Aesthetics, local restaurants such as Bing Haus, Cross Street Chicken, Serbesa, and Common Theory, and cosmetic lines such as Revela, FairyGene, and Mzuri.

Moriah Hayes is a filmmaker who graduated from UC San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a double minor in Ethnic Studies and Native American & Indigenous Studies. Their interest in film originated from a video production class they took their freshman year of high school and has blossomed into their career today. She has a strong passion for discovering and amplifying truths that have been historically undermined, underrepresented, and pushed aside through the cinematic medium. Moriah has worked on a variety of short narrative and documentary films, a documentary feature: California to Ghana (2018), and is currently finishing up her newest documentary feature: Dear Alaska,. They also co-founded their own production company, Shark House Cinema LLC, named in honor of Moriah’s family: the Tlingit Wooshkeetaan A’akw Kwáan of the Auke Bay region in Southeast Alaska. Her family is Eagle Wolf moiety of Tóos’ Hít, Shark House. With a wide variety of film projects, it’s Moriah’s lifelong goal to create a strong enough ripple in the film industry to inspire, encourage, and amplify the many stories that are longing to be told.

I am a first-generation Chicano college graduate. I got my major in Communication and specialized in film. I am from City Heights, San Diego. I went to the Preuss School UCSD. I love watching tv and boxing. I appreciate the different types of tv shows and how they share information or tell stories. I also love to box to stay fit and manage my mental health. I am currently working as a social media manager for UC San Diego. I love my job because it allows me to continue working with video production and storytelling. Using video production to improve marketing and crowdfunding for nonprofits is a job in many parts of society that allows you to practice filmmaking skills in your daily work activities. I wish that growing up, someone encouraged me to pursue my storytelling passion so that I could practice video making more intentionally from childhood. I am excited to be a part of Reel Voices to meet the next generation of filmmakers and storytellers!