Sylvia Ray is a Chicana/Korean-American director with a knack for telling bold, heartfelt stories that balance humor, grit, and authenticity. Growing up in the small desert town of Barstow, California, Sylvia’s love for storytelling was sparked by her parents—her dad's obsession with MacGyver and her mom's endless bootleg Korean dramas. That blend of quirky and heartfelt shaped her creative voice early on.

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Her journey has taken her from studying communications at Cal State Fullerton to exploring her Korean heritage at Yonsei University in Seoul. Her life experiences, paired with her Chicana roots, fuel her unique approach to stories about empowerment, morality, and grief, told with a fun and feminine energy.

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Sylvia’s work spans everything from award-winning narrative films to commercials and music videos for clients like Sony, Pixar, Disney, and Red Bull. Her short film Preggers won Best Comedy Short at the Arizona International Film Festival and screened at The Academy as part of New Filmmakers LA. Her proof of concept for The Middle earned a Best LatinX Film nomination at HollyShorts, and she was named a Latino Film Institute/Netflix Inclusion Fellow for her project The Vote.

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When she’s not behind the camera, Sylvia is all about championing representation and diversity on and off set. She mentors young filmmakers, works to open doors for underrepresented voices, and pours her heart into every project. Currently, she’s packaging her debut feature, The Middle, a film inspired by her experiences growing up in a desert town.