Private Project

ELLE

Torn between embracing opportunities and staying true to her values, a Filipinx-American actress starts a controversial dialogue about diverse representation in Hollywood once her cousin books a role of a different ethnicity.

  • Jenn Santos
    Director
  • Jenn Santos
    Writer
    ALPHAS
  • Jenn Santos
    Producer
    ALPHAS
  • Jenn Santos
    Key Cast
    "Elle"
    ALPHAS
  • Paco De la Rosa
    Key Cast
    "Narration"
  • JENN SANTOS
    Editor
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Student Project:
    No
  • San Diego Filipino Cinema's Filipinx Filmmakers Week

    April 15, 2022
  • San Diego Filipino Film Festival
    San Diego
    October 15, 2021
    Official Selection
  • NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
    Hollywood
    United States
    May 14, 2021
    Official Selection
  • MyxTV Short Film Week

    Philippines
    July 5, 2021
    Official Selection
  • The Hollywood First-Time Filmmaker Showcase
    Los Angeles, California
    United States
    September 13, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Hollywood Verge Film Awards
    Los Angeles
    United States
    December 27, 2020
    Official Selection
  • Dumbo Film Festival
    Dumbo, New York
    United States
    Semi-Finalist
Director Biography - Jenn Santos

Jenn Santos is a filmmaker and actor based in Los Angeles. She studied Fiction Filmmaking in both San Francisco and Paris and has produced, written, directed, and acted in multiple shorts and film projects. Elle, her most recent short, a French New Wave-esque piece about a Filipinx-American actress who’s frustrated with the lack of representation on screen, was screened at The Hollywood First-Time Filmmaker Showcase and the Hollywood Verge Film Awards. Jenn’s passionate about inclusivity, storytelling, and karaoke.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

This story is near and dear to me as it truly reflects my experience being a minority within a minority in Hollywood. As a Filipinx, I'm a brown asian that cannot be easily categorized, therefore my ‘casting' is misunderstood. Typically I'm either pressured to pass as just "ambiguous" or a completely different ethnicity, and opportunities are far and few between. With this short, I hope to shine a light on the importance of representation and feeling seen.