Growing up between Italy’s quiet countryside and the outsized cities of China gave transnational producer Selena Leoni unique viewpoints of the world. Her love for art and technology led her to City University of Hong Kong, where she earned her BAS in New Media in 2015. In Hong Kong, she developed several multimedia projects focused on social inclusion. Selena later attended UCLA’s Producers Program and earned an MFA Degree in 2020.

 

As an experienced film, television, and multimedia producer, Selena developed and produced various projects, including feature films, short films, VR scenarios, documentaries, and commercials. Many of her projects have played and won awards in Academy Award-qualifying festivals such as Austin Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and Indy Shorts International Film Festival.

 

Selena is a Producer fellow in Film Independent's Project Involve 2021 and a member of BAFTA Newcomers. Her most recent credits include Wayfarer Studios' feature film SMILE OR HUG which premiered at Bentonville Film Festival, and Bryant Griffin's feature debut YOUNG KINGS which won the ARRI Franz Wieser Grant. Selena's interests lie in developing globalized character-driven stories that give underrepresented groups a platform and a voice. Her passion is for female-led thrillers, biopunk, dark comedy, and crime dramas.