I have directed and/or produced three feature films and five shorts. Matriarch (2021) was my debut feature. My work has been seen at film festivals across the United States and Europe. I am a native of New Orleans and graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in history in 2015. Following a brief stint as a development assistant at a production company, I became an independent filmmaker.

Parallel with my filmmaking journey, I have spent many years studying the martial arts, starting with Shaolin Kung Fu as a teen and then progressing to Brazilian jiu jitsu, judo, sambo, and wrestling. I am a brown belt in BJJ under Renzo Gracie Los Angeles, and I have cross-trained in the other grappling arts with Sensei Gokor Chivichyan of Hayastan MMA Academy. Currently, I am an active competitor in BJJ/grappling and judo.

As of 2025, I have recently completed Film Jitsu, a documentary feature that I directed and shot over the past year about martial artists and stunt performers. Making this doc has opened my eyes to the ways in which cinema and the martial arts intersect, whether in the form of stunning fight design or stories that capture the indomitable spirit of a martial artist.

Recently, I relocated to New Orleans following 10 years in Los Angeles.

If you’d like to hear what I have to say about my experiences as an indie filmmaker and grappling competitor, please check out and subscribe to Zen Jitsu, my Substack newsletter!