Sandra Salas

Sandra is a Southern California native who grew up in Downey, California and is one of five children. She is the daughter of Irma Emma Salas and Rodolfo Salas, Jr. She received her B.A. in Research Psychology with a minor in Women's Studies from the California State University at Long Beach where she gained great satisfaction in her work counseling at-risk youth. After completion of her undergraduate degree she took a break from academia and bicycled with twelve women, 3,600 miles from Portland, Oregon to Washington, D.C. to raise awareness for HIV and the AIDS epidemic. Upon her arrival in Washington, D.C., she lobbied on Capital Hill in support of the Universal Health Care Measure of 1994 and met with Senator Dianne Feinstein to deliver the messages of persons living with HIV and AIDS from across the nation. Sandra has collaborated with Public Artist, Robin Brailsford on "Las Memorias: The Wall" in Los Angeles, "Street Park Parable" in Long Beach, and "Stream of Consciousness, Body of Water" for the Miramar Water Treatment Facility in San Diego. On June 3, 1995, Sandra received a Certificate of Honor from the City of Los Angeles and a United States of America Congressional Award for her work and service on the "Gabriellino Nation: Spirit of the Sage," with artists Roberto Salas and Johanna Poething. She began her filmmaking career working in production on commercials. She quickly began rough-cut editing on location as Digital Video Assist Operator on commercials, films and television. Sandra received her MFA in Screenwriting at the American Film Institute (AFI) in 2001. She earned honors and awards for her script; "Thrust of Power" and was a Chesterfield Writer's Film Project Finalist in 2001. She received the Anonymous Screenwriters Award, the Hathaway Award, was honored as a Multi-Cultural Motion Picture Diversity Scholar and received the Stan Kamen Endowment Award. She studied under the tutelage of Alan Swyer and her work as writer on the short film "Death Mother" was lauded by Frank Pierson, former Artistic Director of AFI and former President of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Other short films written by Sandra include, "Wrapped in Winter" directed by Gerrardo Naranjo. Sandra's filmmaking career has taken her across the United States and abroad. She has traveled to Bangkok, Malaysia and lived and worked in Singapore as a Visiting Lecturer at the Ngee Ann Polytechnic Film and Media Studies Department. There she held the position of Film Production Advisor and Screenwriting Department Supervisor. While there she taught screenwriting, served as a script reader/script consultant to the Singapore Film Commission and intends to return to Singapore to produce and direct her feature film working title, "The Trouble with Love." She is currently in-development with her producing partner Jean Rhea for a feature-length documentary working title, "Hearts of Conviction: 25 minutes to 25 years." At present, Sandra has wrapped post-production on the made for TV Documentary Pilot "Inside Cinema." She is Co-Creator, Writer, Director and Producer of the documentary style, hosted entertainment show which takes a look into the creative journey of the collaborative process between filmmakers. The show focuses on the "unsung heroes" of the filmmaking process and examines the creative collaboration that makes filmmaking a reality. The pilot, featuring film composer Aaron Zigman "The Notebook" and "John Q" journeys through his early training, personal experience and creative collaboration with talented professionals like Nick Cassavetes, Peter Max, Gary Grant, Brian Dembow, Jerry Hey, and Erin Scully. The pilot also features Susan Saldivar-Forman as the host and was co-created, co-written and co-produced by Sandra Salas, Brian G. Brosnan and Susan Saldivar-Forman. Sandra is currently developing a multi-media original content web venture with her producing partner, Kyle Looney scheduled to launch in early 2007. She's a member of the International Documentary Film Association (IDA), Film Independent (FIND) and the American Film Institute (AFI). She also plans on surfing as much as she possibly can this summer.