Makayla, a teenage girl, has spent her life grappling with a rare form of autism that rendered her essentially nonverbal.

However, her parents, filled with unwavering belief in their daughter's potential, embarked on a transformative journey to discover the true depth of Makayla's inner world.


Eight months ago, a groundbreaking breakthrough came into their lives in the form of letter board therapy, a method that finally provided Makayla with the means to communicate. As her voice gradually emerges, the audience is invited into a world of wonder, poetry, and brilliance that was once hidden from sight.

 

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OUR TEAM:


 

Julio Palacio | Director

Julio is an award winning Colombian director passionate about crafting emotions through storytelling.

His focus Is on short form documentary and his work has been officially selected at many festivals including Vail, Diversity in Cannes, Riom France, AmDocs, RIIFF, Tribeca and Sundance.

Big brands love Julio! He’s recently directed films for Google, 3M, Daimler Mercedes, MasterCard, Stanley Black and Decker, National Bank of Australia, and many others.

Julio has an eye for real authentic moments as he believes this is what makes documentaries and films special, but he is also a strong believer in the power of beautiful cinematic visuals.

Sam Hanson | Producer

Sam is an award winning film producer whose work ranges from advertising campaigns, travel films and documentaries. His passion is going to hard to reach places to tell amazing stories. Recently he has worked for 3M, Gore-Tex and Google among others.

Sasha Levinson | Producer

Sasha Levinson is an award winning director and writer of films, commercials and music videos who spent the formative years of her career shooting music videos with such luminaries as Mary J. Blige, RunDMC, 50

Cent and Angelique Kidjo. This electric sensibility still informs her aesthetic today. Her feature directorial debut, Sylvie of the Sunshine State, premiered at Slamdance Film Festival in 2022 where she won the Spirit of Slamdance Award. Her short films have premiered at SXSW, Soho and Cleveland International Film Festival. She is currently in pre production on Dialed In, an indie comedy set to star Leah Rimini and Kevin Pollack.

 
 

Jeff Jay | Editor

Jeff Jay was born and raised in Milwaukee, WI. He studied film at Emerson College in Boston and got his start editing at the internationally-acclaimed Whitehouse Post in their New York office. In 2007, he moved to Atlanta and worked at a few different post houses, most notably as a founding editor of Beast Atlanta. In 2015, Jeff opened his own boutique post-production studio, Hero Post, with industry veterans Molly Baroco and Andrew Pope.

Through his commercial work, he has collaborated with such esteemed directors as Tony Haynes, Erich Joiner, Marcus Lundin, and Katina Mercandante, among many others. Jeff’s award-winning long-form work has been shown at film festivals around the world.

Brock Hanson | Cinematographer

Brock was a mini-DV kid, growing up making films with friends for fun. His mind was almost literally blown when he discovered careers could be made using these tools, never forgetting the fun so integral to the magic of the medium.

Since those early years he’s followed this fascination working across documentary and commercial projects as a cinematographer and director. He is a visually driven collaborator who has had his projects air on national TV, all over the interwebs, and in an array of film festivals.

Many of his projects have taken him around the globe where his curiosity is satiated by exploring new cultures, experiences, and points of view. Brock believes capturing and editing people and places on video is a superpower, and with great power comes great responsibility.

 
 

Film Press

 
 

Slug Mag

“ON BEHALF OF NON-SPEAKERS”: MAKAYLA’S VOICE PREMIERES AT SLAMDANCE 2024

Culture Elixir

‘Makayla’s Voice’ World Premiere at 2024 Slamdance Film Festival

comingsoon.net

Exclusive Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World Teaser Trailer Previews the Short Documentary

 

Please contact wendy@prana-pr.com with any media requests