Hi, I'm Lana.

I'm a junior at Menlo School in Atherton, CA, and filmmaking is how I show the world through my focus.

I've made five independent short films (three of which are featured on my website): Somewhere Else, Into Focus, and latest film, Relight— all of which I wrote, directed, shot, and edited myself. For Somewhere else and Into Focus, I had the additional challenge of filming myself, a technically difficult process, but one that taught me much about being in front of and behind the camera. I shoot on a Sony FX30 camera with a 1.33x anamorphic lens, and edit in Final Cut Pro, thinking carefully about every decision from pre-production storyboarding to post-production color grade. Cinematography isn't just a practical process for me— it’s an art form in itself. The way a shot is framed, lit, and moves both supports the narrative being told, and also tells its own story altogether.

Outside my own projects, I'm a Media Production Teacher's Assistant at Menlo's film department, where I've been an active member since 2023. Helping other students find their voice through film has made me a sharper filmmaker and collaborator.

I also work as a marketing intern for Love Handmade Co., a Forbes-featured women-owned social enterprise based in Pakistan, where I build and execute promotional campaigns for a 28K+ following. Additionally, I am a salesperson at Romi Boutique in Palo Alto, a small independent fashion boutique. These experiences have sharpened my eye for brand identity, audience, and the way aesthetic storytelling works beyond the screen.

I am driven by a desire to tell my own stories an uplift others who have trouble telling their own. As an artist, nothing is quite as satisfying as seeing something you build come to life which is exactly why I am so drawn to film.

Every book I read, song I listen to, and story I hear fuels my creative process and motivates

me to continue.