FALL 2022
ASSISTANT EDITOR TRAINEES
Adelina Beisenalina
Working in film industry was always a dream of mine since the young age. Born and raised in Kazakhstan I always imagined being a part of it and was particularly interested in the post production process. I’m very excited to be a part of the AE program at Handy Foundation and eager to learn all the necessary skills to become a professional Assistant Editor. I believe that Handy Foundation gives a life changing opportunity and also makes a great impact on diversity in the film industry.
Alberto Chavez
Alberto Chavez Benitez is a San Fernando Valley native who graduated from CSUN in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Alberto's editing journey and ambition started after he suffered a devastating loss of vision in his right eye in middle school and was introduced to the art of editing in high school. His ambition is to represent the visually impaired in the visual field alongside the Hispanic community, bridging gaps between the industry and said communities. With this ambition, he hopes to work his way up into becoming an assistant editor and then an editor for film and television.
Demarice de Castro
Demarice de Castro graduated from Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Film Production learning the process of filmmaking from development to post production. She has additional experience with computer animation programs Maya and After Effects where she first fell in love with the process of splicing clips together to create/uncover diverse and interesting stories.
Jhaleel Hill
Jhaleel Hill, is a Post Coordinator from the City of Roses: Pasadena. He has worked for multiple reality shows and a few scripted shows in Post Production. He aspires to become an Assistant Editor and a Colorist in the near future.
Kai San Lei
Kai San Lei is an assistant editor based in Los Angeles, California. Lei earned a Bachelor's Degree in Cinema and Television Arts Film Production with the Editing concentration from California State University, Northridge as well as an AVID Media Composer Certified User Certificate in 2020. Lei started his professional career in Film while he was in university working as an assistant editor with an independent film director on narrative projects. Recently, Lei also delved into the non-scripted, documentary world as an assistant editor. Lei joined the Handy Foundation Assistant Editor Program in hopes to continue refining and expanding his skills in the world of assistant editing.
Juliet Martinez
Juliet Martinez is an Associate Producer with experience working for network documentary series. She is dedicated to becoming a master storyteller and curating content that effectively communicates what’s happening in society and culture.
Masu McLemore
Masu McLemore is a video editor, audio editor, and podcast producer from Inglewood, CA. Currently based in Los Angeles, the excitement of evoking emotion led her to further explore the particular mystique of video editing, at UCLA's film school. With her keen ear for music and artistic eye, Masu brings a fresh perspective and unparalleled experience to every team she works with.
Antonio Mendez
Antonio is a LA-based Mexican American filmmaker and New York University graduate. Since graduating NYU, Antonio has worked on several film and television productions, including First Man and HGTV's Moving for Love, and as an educator for K-12 students. Antonio is passionate about elevating underrepresented voices and telling thoughtful and poignant stories.
Samuel Mendoza
I am a student of life and love listening to the lessons of the world. Born and raised in El Paso Texas. I came to Los Angeles with a dream to work in the film industry. I am a Director, Gaffer, and G&E.
Kelsey Moreno
Kelsey Moreno is originally from San Diego California. She is an aspiring film editor finishing up her final semester at California State University Northridge. After receiving her Avid Certification in the fall of 2021, she has edited some student films and is also finishing up her senior thesis on the program as well. She believes that there is always room to grow and learn when it comes to the world of post production. That is why she is so honored to be part of the Handy Foundation and more specifically the AE program. She believes that there should be a more diverse and inclusive set of folks working in all aspects of the industry, especially post production. Representation matters!
Ian Pearson
My name is Ian Kim Pearson and I am a Korean Southern California native pursuing a career in TV Post Production. I have a background in Reality TV Production and Fine Arts.
Stephanie Todman
Stephanie Todman is an aspiring editor currently based in Los Angeles with a passion for visual storytelling. Stephanie has a background in photography and photo editing which helped to inform and develop her understanding of capturing video and video editing. She is currently working as a Production Assistant and uses her time on sets as an opportunity to expand her knowledge of the film making process and using that knowledge to become a better editor.
