REEL
PICKUP
PICKUP is a technology-mediated psychological thriller about the dark side of the ratings economy; a hyperreal encounter between two strangers who, in different ways, have the fate of the other in their hands. (Narrative Short)
New Orleans Film Festival, New York Shorts International Film Festival (Digital) & Carrboro Film Festival, 2022. Annapolis Film Festival, Uptilt Film Festival, Boston International Film Festival, 2023.
Role: Director of Photography, Producer, Additional Editing
OKAY MR. RAY!
RAY LUM, MULE TRADER is a short documentary film following Ray Lum, an auctioneer and livestock trader. Documented on 16mm film in the 1970s by William Ferris in Vicksburg, MS.
Role: Editor
WAITING FOR Q
An anonymous online voice emerges as a prophet for a new generation of right-wing conspiracy theorists. As the 2020 election approaches, QAnon beliefs are espoused by elected officials and even retweeted by the president. Exploring an offline meetup for these believers at a gathering in Tampa, FL, WAITING FOR Q looks at the fringe group and its followers.
Role: Producer and Director of Photography
SANTUARIO
29th New Orleans Film Festival Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short
Juana Luz Tobar Ortega came to the United States 24 years ago as an asylum seeker from Guatemala. For the last six years living in North Carolina, Juana has checked in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) annually and received a stay of deportation. But in April of 2017, she was told without warning that she had 30 days to leave the country or be deported.
In May, 2017, Juana entered sanctuary at an unfamiliar church. St. Barnabas Episcopal in Greensboro, North Carolina welcomed Juana, a complete stranger, into their church home.
Winner of Tribeca Film Institute IF/Then Short Documentary Program and the Jury Prize for Best Documentary Short at the New Orleans Film Festival.
Role: Director of Photography & Associate Producer
‘I’m Republican. I Never Thought I’d Fight for Medicaid.’
Video Produced for The New York Times
By Ricky Clay, Robin Jordan and Carrie McBane Video by Kendall Ciesemier
Millions of Americans fall into the Medicaid gap, earning too much to qualify for Medicaid yet too little to afford private insurance or receive subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Across the country, 4.5 million would stand to benefit from Medicaid expansion. In North Carolina, the Democratic governor is championing Medicaid expansion for 500,000 people, while Republicans in the State Legislature are blocking the measure. In this video Op-Ed, those affected argue that Medicaid expansion is necessary. If the Legislature continues to block health care access, Republicans risk votes in 2020.
Carrie McBane and Ricky Clay are not eligible for Medicaid. Robin Jordan’s daughter was ineligible for Medicaid and died after not receiving the care she needed.
Role: Cinematography
Safe Haven: One Family’s Journey After Hurricane Florence
Video Produced for The Wall Street Journal
In September 2018, Hurricane Florence brought record-setting flooding to North Carolina. The Hudsons were among the thousands of families displaced by the storm. This documentary follows their rescue and their path to recovery. Photo: Jake Nicol/The Wall Street Journal
Role: Additional Cinematography
MONUMENTAL
Supported by a 2018 Princess Grace Award for Film. Completed as part of thesis for Riazati’s MFA in Experimental and Documentary Art from Duke University.
'monumental' is an experimental documentary about toppled statues, Southern history, the legacy of names, the resilience of bricks, the power of poetry, the definition of patriotism, hidden family trees and segregated cemeteries. There is no static history. It lives on, layered in the landscape, painted on the brick mills. Through investigating the ripples of the words and deeds of local postbellum industrialist Julian Shakespeare Carr, paradoxically called “the most generous white supremacist,” and reenacting scenes from the childhood of Pauli Murray, an unsung civil and women’s rights activist, the film scratches away at surfaces of stories about Durham, North Carolina. Careful scrutiny of such surfaces may reveal effaced answers to the questions that history leaves us with today, regarding racial identity and segregation, industrialization and labor, and gentrification and community. As statues topple and new monuments rise, this documentary invites consideration of where have we been, where we are now, and where we are going.
Role: Director of Photography of Reenactment scene of young Pauli Murray
THE REAL QUEENS
72nd College Photographer of the Year Winner (Bronze) Group Multimedia Story
Reyna Hernandez Sandoval and Yadira Pintado Lazcano challenge stereotypes through their beats. They perform under the stage name of La Reyna y La Real and are one of the most beloved hip hop groups in Havana, Cuba.
Winner of the 72nd College Photographer of the Year (Group Multimedia or Essay - Standalone: Bronze)
Role: Co-Director, Cinematographer & Editor
FIRST VOTE
“FIRST VOTE is a character-driven vérité look at Asian American voter experiences in battleground states amid the increasing political divide since 2016. As the 2018 midterms approach, the filmmaker, a soon-to-be first-time voter herself, takes her camera on the road and travels to two of America’s most coveted Congressional districts in Ohio and North Carolina where she follows the political participation of four Asian American voters.”
Role: Additional Cinematography
PBS NewsHour
“With major logistical challenges, companies face a bottleneck in vaccine distribution.”
Role: Additional Cinematography
Activized
Activized follows the stories of seven ordinary Americans who, for the first time in their lives, have left their comfort zones and become involved in gun violence protection, voting rights and immigrant’s rights.
Role: Cinematographer
Planned Parenthood
Selection of commercials
Role: Director of Photography