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started her filmmaking career in the world of documentaries, writing and directing several award winning films, including My Narmada Travels, about indigenous people in India losing their land to a large dam. That film won several awards, including a First Prize at EarthVision film festival and a Bronze award at WorldFest Houston. Ultimately, it was picked up for broadcast by Al Gore's network, Current TV. Her narrative short, This Moment, about an interracial couple at a crossroads in their relationship, screened widely on the festival circuit from the Hamptons to Harlem and Ojai, and can currently be seen on jaman.com. It was also distributed through Ambassador Media to several colleges including Oberlin and UNC-Chapel Hill for use in courses related to race studies. The piece also sparked a controversial debate about interracial dating on sepiamutiny.com, a leading arts/culture blog.
She recently completed principal photography on her feature film debut, Raspberry Magic, starring Meera Simhan (Date Movie), Ravi Kapoor (Crossing Jordan), Bella Thorne (My Own Worst Enemy), Zach Mills (Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium) and newcomers Lily Javaherpour and Keya Shah. The screenplay for Raspberry Magic was a finalist for the Sundance labs, placed in the top fifteen percent of Nicholl fellowship, nominated for the ABC Talent Development Fund and a finalist for the Roy W. Dean Grant. Film Independent said of the script, "It's not often that true family films with messages that can touch all ages are created. Central to this script are incredibly well defined characters that are authentic in every detail. It's an excellent vehicle to introduce new faces and frankly, a new family into the American cinema lexicon."
Her new screenplay, RK Dandekar Finds Home, was a finalist for the recent Sundance Labs, as well. In addition to her film endeavors, Leena has an extensive background in interactive media as a writer and designer, and won several awards for her visionary work, including a Wired Magazine Excellence for New Media award. Leena started her media career as a freelance journalist, writing about everything from technology to culture for The San Francisco Chronicle, wired.com, zdnet.com and many other publications. She also served as a Congressional Aide to Congressman Bob Filner, developing his web/media properties, including his first electronic newsletter. Leena teaches classes related to filmmaking, writing and interactive design at Loyola Marymount University, Otis College of Art and Design and UCLA Extension. She holds a Master's degree in documentary film production from the UC-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Click here to view her reel.
Contact her at: leena@spicymango.com