Experiencing Interruptions?

Natural Selection

Natural Selection tells the story of a young woman's journey to find love- backed by a nature documentary narrator observing her every move. Through Nicole's idealistic and overly romanticized view of love and finding a partner, the film offers a female perspective on navigating the proverbial jungle of the dating scene.

  • Amanda Ryan D'Ambrosio
    Director
  • Amanda Ryan D'Ambrosio
    Writer
  • Coral Lomeli
    Producer
  • Martina Tucker
    Producer
  • Nicole Anneliese Smith
    Key Cast
    "Nicole"
  • LaToya Blakely
    Key Cast
    "Alexis"
  • Lo Weaver
    Key Cast
    "Franny"
  • Matt Tang
    Key Cast
    "Jake"
  • Vincent Doud
    Key Cast
    "Gabe"
  • Collin Riley
    Key Cast
    "Daniel"
  • Gavin Ong
    Assistant Director
  • Ana Alvarez
    Production Design
  • Peter Garcia II
    Sound Design
  • Vinicius Ucio
    Sound Design
  • Jacob Carroll
    Editor
  • Georgina Medina
    Editor
  • Ryan Deng
    Director of Photography
  • Anthony Gilbert
    Director of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Comedy, Romance, romantic comedy, rom-com, mockumentary
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 54 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 15, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    11,650 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - California State University, Fullerton
Director Biography - Amanda Ryan D'Ambrosio

Amanda D'Ambrosio is a writer, director, and assistant director based in LA. She graduated magna cum laude at California State University, Fullerton with BAs in Cinema and Television Arts and Business Administration, Marketing. D'Ambrosio loves to make people laugh through her art and always tries to find the light in serious situations. She hopes to continue making comedies and use laughter as a method of healing pain and adversity. Her directorial debut, "Natural Selection," has been selected for the Newport Beach Film Festival Showcase in October.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Natural Selection delves into Nicole's near-delusional ideas of romance while she tries to find a mate. Presented in a nature documentary style, the film visualizes the animalistic nature of love. As an observer of Nicole's world, the nature documentary narrator emphasizes the audience's position of rooting for her success from afar. And just like the brutality of the actual wild, Nicole discovers the harsh realities of dating life and is forced to adapt accordingly. In D'Ambrosio's directorial debut, Natural Selection explores coming to terms with the reality of finding a romantic partner and themes of lifelong friendship and finding love.