Kristen Buckels Cantrell

Kristen Buckels is a director, writer, and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Her debut short film, *No Man’s Land*, premiered at the Oscar Qualifying Palm Springs International ShortsFest in 2022 and was named “Staff Favorite Short” at the Another Hole in the Head Film Festival in San Francisco. Her second short, *Otherside*, was awarded “Best of Fest” at the Rogers Film Festival after its premiere on Film Shortage. Her short films highlight her interest in female characters who are dynamic: driven, power-hungry, ugly, and redeemable all at once. Prior to directing, Buckels worked as a producer to comedians such as Nick Kroll and John Mulaney, Hasan Minhaj, and Mike Birbiglia. She then pivoted into scripted content, working as the on-set creative producer on HBOMax’s *Search Party* for seven years. Currently, Buckels is a fellow of the Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program for the class of 2022, a semi-finalist for the 2023 ongoing Warner Bros. Diverse Directors Program, a finalist for the AFI DWW+ Program 2023, and has shadowed David Gordon Green on *Righteous Gemstones* for HBO as well as Erin O’Malley for Disney+’s *Goosebumps*. Buckels is also an accomplished performer. Her comedy duo, “most,” was recently featured in the Comedy Central special *Ilana Glazer Presents: Comedy on Earth* as well as *Comedy Central Presents: Tight Five*. Having spent countless hours on set, Buckels intimately understands the language of set and how to most effectively get the creative she needs, all while fostering a collaborative and productive environment with cast and crew.