Our Team
Ryan Beene, Writer/Director
Ryan Beene is a writer/director from small town, Texas. He got into film because he wanted to show that queer people were more than the same story we’ve seen over and over and he wanted to connect to people; To assure them that they’re not alone in what they’re feeling. He loves watching a film and realizing he’s not the only person who has felt or thought what they’re exploring.
Ryan got his MFA in screenwriting from Chapman university and worked as a writer’s assistant before deciding to pursue directing at afi when he realized he didn’t want to give his life’s stories away to others. He has screened films at festivals such as The Cannes emerging filmmaker showcase, the Sherman oaks film festival, and on film shortage.
Ryan is interested in stories of connection, loneliness, validation, and characters who feel lost and out of place. He considers himself the pre eminent Sofia Coppola scholar of AFI and has four tattoos from her films and counting.
Mekdese Haile, Producer
Mekdese Haile (she/her) is a first-generation Ethiopian-American filmmaker on a mission to share joy, interrupt shame, and alleviate mental health stigmas through storytelling. Her work is shaped by the immersion of cultures, her studies, and life experiences growing up in Houston, Texas. Haile supports underrepresented communities by creating safe places that connect them to resources that affirm, celebrate, and advocate for their existence through the cultural arts.
Challenged by the lack of media representation, Haile co-founded MNC Movie Club, a nonprofit organization that amplifies Black stories and creates meaningful experiences that affirm, celebrate, and advocate for their existence. In the spring of 2021, The Houston Chronicle featured MNC Movie Club for their active role in creating authentic and pleasurable participation.
Haile is a c/o ‘24 MFA Candidate as a Producing Fellow at the AFI Conservatory.
Donijah Collier, Cinematographer
Donijah Collier (He/Him/His) graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema Arts + Science, concentrating in Cinematography from Columbia College Chicago. While at Columbia, Collier worked as a Teaching/Technician Assistant in Columbia’s Advanced Cameras facility, leading to an internship at Daufenbach Camera in Chicago. Collier was awarded the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant for the short film SIX PACK, which won at the 2020 International Black Film Festival. The same year, Collier’s short film, PEGASUS, premiered at the 2020 Chicago International Film Festival. Collier is studying cinematography at AFI Conservatory, where he is in pre-production for Instinct, an AFI Thesis production.
Patricia Peter, Production Designer
Patricia is a Production Designer from the UK who is currently based in Los Angeles. She is also an Architect and Interior Designer who has worked extensively in the UK and Hong Kong. She received her BA Hons in Architecture from Greenwich University, London and her Postgraduate Diploma from the Mackintosh School of Art in Glasgow, Scotland. With 20 years’ experience working for international practices such as Foster and Partners and SOM on groundbreaking innovative projects around the world, Patricia decided it was time to take her skills into the creative world of film to pursue her dream in film design and to have some fun for a change!
She is finally doing what she always wanted to do in applying her skills from architecture to a path that would enable her to build imaginary worlds by creating a visual narrative to evoke emotions, provide context or provide subtextual clues to a story. Her most recent work, “The Misdiagnosis of Deborah Krill” is an absurdist comedy about medical misdiagnosis in women. As the Production Designer she also art directed and took on the role as Graphic artist, designing the visual elements to the story.
Ivan Alvaro, Editor
Ivan Alvaro, a film editor from the Bay Area. He has dedicated the past years to working on both short and feature films as an Editor and Assistant Editor. His latest short film, "The Crossing Guard," was selected at the 2023 Cinequest Film Festival. Ivan holds a bachelor’s degree in Visual Media Arts from Emerson College. And currently, he is pursuing further studies in editing at AFI, with a planned graduation in 2024.
