Crew

Rachel Immaraj, Director/Producer

Rachel Immaraj has freelanced in the art department for films, commercials, and music videos for six years, working as a set dresser and art director. She has worked with clients such as Dell, Pepsi, Hugo Boss, John Varvatos, Target, Microsoft, Best Buy, Whole Foods, and more. In 2015, she taught at Shanti Bhavan, a school in India for children from the Dalit (Untouchables) caste. Upon returning, she co-wrote a small book on human trafficking in Houston. She hopes to use her filmmaking skills to create socially conscious documentaries to better our world.

Check out her IMDb page here

Ivy Chiu, Director of Photography

Born in Taiwan, raised in Texas, Ivy is a cinematographer versatile in both scripted and unscripted filmmaking. Her approach is intentional, authentic, story-driven, and always flexible for an adventure. Ivy has shot projects neck-deep in the Pacific on a remote atoll in French Polynesia, been detained by militia for drone work in Mongolia, and swam to Kalalau Valley while floating trash bags full of equipment to shore. On the “chill side,” Ivy has also DPed multi-cam live events, commercials, episodic docu-series, and narrative feature films such as @inbetweengirlfilm, a dramedy about an Asian-American biracial teenager coming to terms with her identity. Most recently, Ivy served as a camera operator on Richard Linklater’s “Apollo 10 1⁄2” soon to debut in 2021. Ivy’s work has screened at festivals such as @sundanceorg, @sxsw, and been broadcasted on national television. Past clients include Southwest, Facebook, Google, and Verizon. Ivy is a member of @theicfc and a University of Texas alum based in Austin, TX.

Check out her cinematography reel here

Kovid Gupta, Producer

Kovid was raised in Houston, Texas, and comes from an immigrant family. As a child he was interested in Bollywood films. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by an MBA from Cornell University. Kovid began his career by screenwriting mainstream Hindi television soap operas. He went on to work for Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms, where he authored Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms. He later joined Rajshri Productions to assist Sooraj Barjatyaon on Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. He then worked as head of business development at Vinod Chopra Films and Film Companion. Additionally, he published another book in 2014, Redrawing India: The Teach for India Story.

Check out his IMDb page here

Natasha Paradeshi, Producer

Natasha Paradeshi graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters of Public Policy (MPP) degree and from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts.  While in Los Angeles, she worked for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking. She is one of the Co-founders of The Landing, Houston’s first drop-in center for survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, where she served as the Executive Director. She is also a co-founder of Solace Media, a company specializing in graphic design and website architecture. Natasha is passionate about creatively filling gaps in society so that more people are able to access the services they need.

Check out The Landing website here

Hannah Varnell, B Camera Operator

Hannah Varnell is a queer ATX-based photographer and cinematographer. Raised in North Carolina, an early interest in activism and journalism led her to study International Political Economics. Disillusioned by the divisive rhetoric of politics, she spent a large portion of her 20’s living overseas and working seasonal jobs in everything from outdoor recreation to hospitality and construction. The combination of adventure and a desire to understand people led her to pick up a camera, beginning an international exploration of the independent film industry. In 2015, she found her way to Austin, TX where she now collaborates with artists and designers, elevating marginalized voices through independent music videos and documentaries. Previous clients include Al Jazeera, Travel Channel, Food Network, as well as local artists, brands, and festivals.