Lisa DeSouza

After graduating from Columbia University, Lisa DeSouza attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and The School for Film and Television. While working in the fashion industry, she started her career as an actor in the off-Broadway theater scene of New York City. However, she soon learned that her passion (and strength) was in writing and directing. After 25 productions…some of which won local awards…Lisa soon found herself drawn to a new medium, the internet. She moved to Los Angeles where she started producing and creating web content. Her work with many San Francisco Bay Area companies lead her to take a seven-year hiatus from the “industry” while she pursued a successful career in the tech space. However, her heart always yearned to return to the arts. After buying a ranch in Santa Clarita, CA and taking long hikes with her dogs or riding her horses (literally) into the sunset, she found herself writing again. As with her days on stage, writing soon led to directing. She is currently in pre-production on several shorts as well as a feature. In addition she is the Founder and Executive Director of the Santa Clarita International Film Festival (SCIFF) and Left Of Center Films, a non-profit accelerator for up and coming women filmmakers living in the Santa Clarita Valley.