Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anna Alexander. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Anna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Growing up in a very art-centric household, my mother who is a painter, always encouraged my siblings and I to freely express ourselves through art and other mediums. I remember trying every hobby you could think of as a kid and nothing seemed to stick. I couldn’t color within the lines, kick the soccer ball in the goal, or figure out the chords on a guitar. I remember feeling incredibly frustrated not finding the thing I was “good” at or felt satisfied doing. Then, one day around my 8th birthday, my family took me to see the musical “Wicked”. Watching this complex yet familiar story unfold on stage through song, dance, and the actors portrayals of their character, rocked my world (literally, I was crying). I knew from that moment, I wanted to do what those actors did. I wanted to be able to tell stories the way they did. By the time I was in the fourth I began auditioning for my school plays, musicals and writing my own stories. Once I played my first role as a cowboy in the Wild Wild West, I never looked back.

When I was in high school and everyone began to figure out what they were going to pursue in college, I had no doubt in my mind that I wanted to still create art and tell stories through the community I had grown up in. After all, I couldn’t imagine a world without it. I knew choosing a career path as an actress would have many uncertainties and challenges, but I also knew that nothing gave me more joy than being a part of it. With a full heart (and a lot of anxiety), I began prepping audition material for acting programs and jumped head first into a future of unknowns!

Anna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I had the privilege of growing up overseas since my dad worked for The State Department. This caused me to have a very unique childhood that consisted of exploring countries, learning new languages, and experiencing rich/diverse cultures. Although those experiences are what made me the person I am today and I would never trade them for anything, it was also incredibly difficult moving all the time. I had to pickup my entire life every 3 years to start all over in another place half way around the world. I was constantly the new kid at school and nothing felt permanent. I was always having to start over and fit in. One thing that did feel consistent no matter where I went, was art, more specifically movies. No matter where I was, there was always a place to go to the movies or to watch one. The movie never changed no matter where I went. The Sound Of Music I watched in Germany was the same Sound of Music I watched in Thailand. It was no surprise that watching movies became a huge comfort of mine. I fell in love with them.

Watching movies became a huge part of my life. I couldn’t get enough of them and there seemed to be an endless amount. I would often wonder how scenes were filmed and how the actors prepared for their roles. I was absolutely fascinated by the film industry and knew I wanted to be a part of it.

In 2022, I graduated from George Mason University with a BFA in Acting and moved to Los Angeles shortly after. Since being in Los Angeles, I’ve gotten the opportunity to work on several TV shows and movies as a Production Assistant. Working as a Production Assistant taught me invaluable lessons and opened my eyes to the working mechanics of a set (also how long 12 hour days can be)!

Since moving to Los Angeles, I have had the chance to create and act in several incredible independent short films. I co-wrote, co-directed, co-produced, and starred in Unblessed Unseen, which premiered February 2024. That same month, I had the opportunity to assistant direct IYKYK written by Jodi Norton and directed by Carrie Zurliene. Later that year, I co-produced and assistant directed Pretty Girls go to Beauty School written/dir. by Leila Majlessi, and I recently just wrapped producing MIMIC this February written by Grant Donghia and Carrie Zurliene!

In a fast paced city, such as Los Angeles, it’s very easy to sometimes feel overwhelmed and unsure of the what direction to step in. However, this city is the foundation in which thousands of talented artists and communities have used to uplift each other and create art for decades. I am consistently inspired by the people who surround me and the community of artists I have met. I have learned the true value in independently producing films and the resilience it takes to make it all come together in the end!

I’ve found that the work I am most proud of are the projects that were the most challenging to create (and the most fun!). Sometimes producing a film or acting in one, can feel like one big math problem to solve, but even the most difficult math problems, have an equation that will solve it! They say Rome wasn’t built over night, and I’m a firm believer that a career in the film industry can’t be either. I’m so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by the community I have grown and cannot wait to see how we all grow together!

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to uplift female, queer, and POC artists! Like many aspects of society, females have always had to fight extra hard to be heard or taken seriously by their male counterparts. The film industry is no exception to this. Being a queer, half-asian, female in the film industry has felt daunting at times. I’ve felt that many times, I have had to put up walls in order to navigate myself on set or in creative spaces in order to be taken seriously. It is a mission on mine to make sure that female, queer, and POC artists feel uplifted in spaces, whether they are creative or not and always feel like they have a place to be themselves.

Female filmmakers who have inspired me such as Coralie Fargeat, Celine Song, Ava Duvernay, Sofia Coppola, and Greta Gerwig, have changed the way films are made. They are able to tell complex human stories, with such vulnerability and heart that is impossible to replicate. I look up to them and many other female writer, director, and producers, who have paved the way. These women have inspired me to become more vulnerable in the work I am currently creating!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think community is one of the biggest rewards of being an artists! Filmmaking is such a collaborative form of art that it is nearly impossible to create something without collaborating with like-minded artists. It has been such an eye-opening, fun, and exciting journey getting to meet and work with all kinds of people the past couple of years. There is so much I have learned from my peers, that have helped me grow as an artists, whether its about filmmaking or baking bread, I feel like I am constantly learning something new.

In my community, there is no shortage of people who are constantly working on something new. It’s always exciting to know that someone is always willing to jump on one of my projects as I am to theres. There is also something so special and beautiful in creating with a group of people who believe in one another and all share a similar goal. I know I always have people to fall back on if I need help and vice versa. As my community expands, I am very thrilled to see how we all grow together in the future!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.annamariaalexander.com/
• Instagram: annam_alexander

Image Credits

Hannah Perala, Trey Brillhart, Carrie Zurliene, Chris Alderfer, Hasan Crawford