We’re proud to celebrate April S. Chang, producer of Best Friends with the Devil, which premiered at SXSW on Friday, March 13, 2026.
With a strong track record across independent and studio filmmaking and a body of work that has appeared at festivals such as Telluride and Tribeca, April brings her creative vision and leadership to Best Friends with the Devil, a haunting short directed by Hugo DeSouza.
We’re thrilled to see her work continue to resonate with audiences across festivals, and proud to have her as an essential part of the Rideback RISE and Highways Lab family, supporting the next generation of filmmakers.
Celebrating Salvador @spgfilmeditor a Mexican editor based in Los Angeles whose work is shaped by instinct, precision, and a deep devotion to story.
With credits including Jagged Mind (Hulu), Icebox (HBO, Critic’s Choice nominee), I Killed My Husband! (Imagen Award nominee), Shook (Disney, Emmy nominee), and five seasons as supervising editor of the Tribeca-premiering Rising Voices anthology, Salvador brings emotional clarity and cinematic rhythm to every frame. Inspired by filmmakers like François Ozon and drawn to the quiet intimacy of works such as Ghost World and Call Me By Your Name, he looks to Andrew Haigh and Jonathan Alberts as a perfect example of the kind of creative and long-lasting collaboration between director and editor that he aspires to have.
We’re proud to have Salvador as part of the 2025 Gloria Schoemann Program.
#HighwaysLab #GloriaSchoemannProgram
Here’s what went down at Rideback RISE in Los Angeles during the Gloria Schoemann Program.
Through meaningful conversations, hands-on learning, and community, our editor fellows took part in masterclasses with leading editors, industry executives, and Adobe professionals, deepening their craft and expanding their networks.
Thank you to our partners: @adobe@ridebackrise #GloriaSchoemannProgram
Celebrating Mónica Salazar @monisalazaro an award-winning Mexican editor based in Los Angeles, guided by instinct, rhythm, and a spunky devotion to story.
Inspired by legendary editors Sally Menke and Gloria Schoemann, and drawn to films that shift with mood and memory, from When Harry Met Sally and Pride and Prejudice to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Disney’s Coco, Mónica approaches filmmaking with curiosity and emotional range. She dreams of working on films around the world and experiencing the industry through ever-changing creative lenses.
We’re proud to have Mónica as part of the 2025 Gloria Schoemann Program.
#HighwaysLab #GloriaSchoemannProgram
Celebrating Omar S. Kamara a Sierra Leonean American writer/director whose work is fueled by heart, vision, and unstoppable drive.
A DGA Grand Prize winner, his film African Giants took home the Audience Award at Slamdance and continues to build global momentum. From Tribeca to HBO Max, Hulu, and Amazon, Omar is shaping powerful stories, proud to have him in the 2025 Highways Lab Directors Program.
#HighwaysLab #HighwaysLabDirectorsProgram
There are certain moments when years of hard work finally starts coming together. I knew when I first met @djimon_hounsou and @gemma_rocha and our missions were so perfectly aligned that we could make some special things as a team. So honored to be a part of Fanaticus Media Group. Congrats to you both!
I’m proud to be a filmmaker. I’m proud to be African. I’m proud to be telling these stories on the big screen.
Thanks to my manager, @johnathantynan for being integral to the journey.
And we’re JUST. GETTING. STARTED. 💪🏿💪🏿🌍🌍
CALABASH COMING SOON!!
#film #movies #africa #fanaticusmediagroup
SWIPE FOR BIG NEWS!!
Today, we officially announced the launch of our media company, Fanaticus Media Group! To top it off, we brought our inaugural project, Calabash, to AfroBerlin following a wonderful reception at our Sundance private screening!
This marks a monumental milestone as we build an ecosystem and infrastructure for diaspora storytelling.
What an incredible honor it’s been to grow alongside Djimon over these last eight years. Thank you for trusting—and believing in—me to spearhead FMG! I do not take it lightly, and I am eternally grateful.
To everyone that has rooted for us along the way, THANK YOU!
Let’s get to work! Truly living in answered prayers. 🥹✨
And thank you to Zac Ntim at @deadline for breaking the news with this wonderful article!
Swipe through moments from the 2026 Sundance Film Festival with the Highways Lab Directors Program fellows!
Conversations, connections, and community. This is what these days looked liked for our directors pushing their stories forward together.
Thank you to our partners @ridebackrise@adobe
Celebrating Daniela I. Quiroz @qid_around , a New York–based, award-winning film editor whose work is guided by emotional precision, curiosity, and a deep commitment to story.
Inspired by films like Portrait of a Lady on Fire and creatives such as Joi McMillon, Daniela approaches filmmaking with passion and intention. She dreams of collaborating on bold, original stories the world hasn’t seen enough of, including a cinematic universe led by a powerful and unapologetic queer female superhero.
We’re proud to have Daniela I. Quiroz as part of the 2025 Gloria Schoemann Program cohort.
#HighwaysLab #GloriaSchoemannProgram
Celebrating Ana María Hermida @ana.maria.hermida.s , a Colombian writer, director, and producer based in Los Angeles whose work explores identity, intimacy, and emotional transformation through bold cinematic storytelling.
Her debut feature La Luciérnaga won the Jury Award at the Toulouse Gay Film Festival, received multiple Macondo Awards nominations, screened internationally, and was acquired by Netflix. Her second feature Alix premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre, and she is currently developing her third feature, Madrecita.
We’re proud to have Ana María Hermida as part of the 2025 Highways Lab Filmmakers Program cohort.
#HighwaysLab #HighwaysLabDirectorsProgram
Today’s the day! Meet this year’s Highways Lab Directors Program Fellows and discover their experience creating short films to help them launch their next features at our panel at Sundance, ‘From Short to Feature: Inside the Highways Lab Directors Program’.
📆 Sunday, Jan 25
🕓 4:00 – 5:30 pm (MT)
📍 Filmmakers Lodge
🏔️ 550 Main St, 2nd Floor, Park City
Public event · Limited capacity · First come, first served
❗ Arrive early to secure your spot.
All guests must create a Sundance.org account to gain entry.
