Team

Sandy Salas — Director / Writer / Producer

Sandy Salas is a two-spirited, queer, gender-nonconforming Mexican American filmmaker whose work explores family, identity, memory, and the complicated stories we inherit. She holds an MFA in Screenwriting from the AFI Conservatory and a BA in Research Psychology from California State University, Long Beach.

For more than two decades, Sandy has worked across independent film, documentary, television, branded content, and digital media as a writer, director, producer, and production and post-production leader. Her career has included creative and production leadership roles at Tastemade, POPSUGAR, and ATTN:, as well as work on unscripted television and independent film.

Her feature documentary Into the Storm grew out of her own family's experience with domestic violence and the 1995 murder-suicide of her parents. Told from inside the family, the film brings together intimate interviews, family archives, present-day footage, landscape, and original illustrated animation as Sandy searches for a deeper understanding of the histories and patterns that shaped them.

Into the Storm has received support from organizations including the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, Firelight Media, Fork Films, the Kendeda Fund, NextPix/firstPix, and the California Community Foundation.

Dwjuan Fox :: Producer

Dwjuan Fox brings more than twenty years of producing experience to Into the Storm. He has over thirty-five film and documentary credits, including four Sundance Film Festival premiers. 

A former Tank Commander in a forward-deployed U.S. armored battalion in Korea, Dwjuan later obtained his master’s degree in producing from the American Film Institute in Los Angeles. Blending the discipline and logistics of his military service with his creative passion, he has successfully filmed in over thirteen countries. He brings extensive experience in independent film financing, production, and delivery.

Richard Venezian - Producer

Richard is a bicoastal producer with a background in post production that spans over a dozen years. He has served as a DI producer for both Netflix and YouTube Red projects. Originally from Queens NY, Richard moved to Los Angeles in the early 2000's in pursuit of a career in film. His journey began as a warehouse clerk for a post house rental vendor, where he worked his way up the ladder to learn all aspects of post production on his way to a senior management level with various Hollywood-based post houses. He is passionate about mental health advocacy as well as the art of storytelling, which drew especially close to this particular project. When he's not behind a computer his primary focus is being a loving husband and father.

Gilbert Salas :: Director of Photography

Gilbert Salas is a Mexican American cinematographer and director with ancestral ties to the Tarahumara and Yaqui peoples of the Southwest and Northern Mexico. Born in El Paso, Texas, Gilbert began his filmmaking career in Los Angeles, working across the art, sound, grip, and electric departments before finding his calling as a director of photography and director.

His work spans documentary, narrative, commercial, music video, and immersive storytelling. His documentary credits include Trudell and Sailing the Master Home, with work showcased at the Sundance Film Festival, while narrative projects including The Hunted and Hogstooth have screened at festivals including Cannes and Screamfest. His commercial work includes projects for Facebook, BMW, and Mastercard.

With decades of experience behind the camera, Gilbert brings a deeply intuitive understanding of light, landscape, and visual storytelling to Into the Storm.

David Waldman - Director of Photography

David’s work in HD on the films, “Embryo” and “June and Orlando,” earned him the Emerging Cinematographer Award in 2005 and 2006 from the International Cinematographers Guild. “Embryo” also earned him a Best Cinematography award at the 2005 HDFest. David worked with Director John Landis on the Emmy Award-winning, “Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project” and shot “Yoo-hoo, Mrs. Goldberg!” for Peabody Award-winning Director Aviva Kempner. He shot the feature film, “Beach Kings” for MGM and was the DP on the Starz Network series, “Head Case.”  He has also shot numerous commercials and music videos throughout the US and Japan. David received his MFA in Cinematography from the American Film Institute in 2001.