Unwrapped

Rishi Raj is an award-winning filmmaker based in Seattle, Washington. His passion for storytelling began in his teenage years in Atlanta, Georgia where he started making short films and videos with friends and family.

While pursuing a computer science degree at Georgia Tech, Rishi honed his filmmaking voice by participating in college filmmaking competitions. He won the top prize at Georgia Tech's Campus Movie Fest all four years. His work earned him three invitations to the Short Film Corner at the Cannes Film Festival in France, which he finally attended in his senior year.

After graduation, Rishi relocated to the Seattle area to work as a software engineer at Microsoft. Despite a demanding career in tech, his creative drive never waned. He found his way into the local film scene through the 48 Hour Film Project, where his team, Transatlantic Films, won the Best in City twice and received dozens of accolades, including Best Director and Best Writing twice.

In late 2023, Rishi made the leap—leaving Microsoft to pursue filmmaking full-time.

His work has screened at festivals around the world, including HollyShorts in Los Angeles, as well as throughout the Pacific Northwest and Atlanta. His films span a wide range of genres and styles, but he gravitates toward dramedies that blend sharp wit with emotional depth, often exploring timeless themes of family, identity, and connection.

Rishi pairs a meticulous, technically precise approach with a storytelling style that’s driven by emotion. He seeks to craft narratives that are universal in resonance yet deeply personal in feeling—taking audiences on a journey that lingers long after the credits roll.