SPRING 2023
STORY EDITOR TRAINEES
Beeka Regassa
Beeka (pronounced Bake-Uh) Regassa is an LA-based Associate Producer, with a passion for all forms of live-action media. He has six years of production experience in game shows, unscripted television and advertising. Beeka is looking forward to enhancing his current skillset, gaining new abilities and forming professional relationships.
Brian Vidanes
Brian is a TV Production Manager based in Los Angeles. Brian is originally from Santa Maria, an agricultural town on the California Central Coast. As a second generation Filipino-American, Brian is passionate about telling stories from the perspective of underrepresented groups like his own Filipino-American community.
Casey Donlan
I graduated from UCSB with a BA in Film Studies and moved to Los Angeles to pursue my passion for storytelling through editing! I am eager to resume my journey as an unscripted story editor -- with my last credits being from a "reality dating show" I filmed with my stuffed animals at 9 years old. I've since been honing my craft through freelance film/commercial editing, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to venture into the professional unscripted editorial space with the help of the Handy Foundation!
Earl Narajos
I've always wanted to work in the industry from a young age. My passion for storytelling has led me to work as an associate producer with credits from shows on Netflix, FX, CNN, and various other networks. I love the rewarding feeling of creating something meaningful, which probably explains why I primarily work in the documentary space. When I'm not working, I'm an avid surfer, snowboarder, volleyball player, and anything that involves adrenaline.
Natalie Polanco
Natalie Polanco is a producer, writer, and editor based in NYC. She kickstarted her indie film career by self-producing her films, including the short film "Libertad," which screened at the Official Latino Short Film Festival in 2018. She has since co-produced successful video campaigns with notable organizations such as the Ghetto Film School, Dolby Institute, and Lionsgate, while also championing for representation and opportunities for women of color in the production industry.
ShaMya Williams
ShaMya is a creative executive and producer with a background in development and production for unscripted, audio and live event programming. She is passionate about storytelling that uplifts underrepresented voices.
Sukanya Pusey
After working on a documentary series as a production assistant as her first gig out of college Sukanya Pusey knew she had found her niche. Working in production over the next three years she's excited to be focusing more on storytelling for unscripted work. She hopes this program will help her to hone her ability to identify and craft compelling and cohesive stories in the projects she gets to work on.
Tiffany Warren
Tiffany has worked various roles in all areas of production for 20 years through the first digital boom of micro-budget filmmaking. Her focus has since shifted to writing, video editing, color grading, and VFX.