Roomies

Kristine Ponten is a Filipina-American creative based in Seattle with a background in Special Education / Applied Behavior Analysis. She recently completed NYU TISCH X Yellowbrick's “Film and Television Essentials” certificate program, and works behind the scenes of the viral “Dad, how do I?” YouTube channel, which has amassed 3.77 million subscribers. She is passionate about representation for marginalized groups in media and creating content where kids and adults feel valued, inspired, and a little braver. Roomies is the first film she has written, directed, and produced.
www.kristineponten.com

Blake Rizzo is a Seattle based filmmaker, writer, director, and visual effects person who loves bringing dreams from idea to execution. He got his start with backyard stop motion films in the 4th grade and eventually developed a fascination with utilizing computer generated imagery to expand the limitations of the stories he could dream up. From an interplanetary stargazer realizing her significance through the discovery of NASA’s golden interstellar mixtape (LUX,2020), to an Air Traffic Controller that must overcome a fear of miscommunication to guide in a damaged UFO (ATC, E.T.A. 2022). Blake utilizes a hybrid of technology and heartfelt storytelling to bring characters to life in emotionally vibrant and expansive worlds. During his time at the University of Washington, he also founded an active student film production community that has fostered filmmaking to a membership base of over 400+ members local and abroad. www.blakerizzofilm.com