- Christel Miller
Infobox Person
name = Christel Miller
birth_date = 1984
birth_place = Torrance, California
death_date =
death_place =
education =
occupation = Film maker
spouse =
parents =
children =Christel Miller is a
filmmaker based inLos Angeles, California . She has been featured in "OutSmart" magazinecite journal |title="12 Worth Watching"|author=Tim Brookover, Leslie Claire, Sarah L. Crowder, and Joyce Gabiola |url=http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/cms-this_issue/200501--12+Worth+Watching.html |year=2005 |month=January |work=OutSmart Magazine |publisher=Up & Out Communications |location=Houston] and "Glamour" magazinecite web |url=http://www.rice.edu/sallyport/2004/winter2/students/glamourgirl.html |title=Glamour Girl |date=Winter, 2004 |accessdate=2007-06-01 |first=Dana |last=Benson |work=Sallyport] as one of the topqueer women to look out for.Biography
Born in 1984 and raised in the suburbs of Los Angeles, Miller was somewhat sheltered from all of the glamour and trendiness of the film industry.Fact|date=June 2007 Ironically, it was this industry that lured her back to LA after college at
Rice University inTexas . An aptitude for the sciences led Miller to attend theCalifornia Academy of Math and Science , throughCalifornia State University , Domiguez Hills, specializing in mathematics and science, but despite her abilities in these subjects, she had an unrelenting passion for filmmaking. Recognizing that film is one of the most effective and influential forms of expression, she wanted to be a part of that industry.Fact|date=June 2007As an
African American lesbian , she strives to give a voice to minority communities. She grew up surrounded by negative, stereotyped, or "tokenized" portrayals of minorities. Although films like "Maria Full of Grace " and "Kissing Jessica Stein " have brought with them societal progress, Miller feels minorities of all kinds - ethnic, cultural, religious, or non-heterosexual minorities – are still being exoticized. Miller hopes to contribute to the increasing number of films available to the public, which accurately represent minorities in a positive light, and believes she can only make that happen as a producer, but soon she realized that allowing her passion to shine through her projects would become her first priority.Fact|date=June 2007Miller majored in
Visual Art ,Psychology , andWomen's Studies at Rice University. While studying there, she made multipleshort film s and interned at theHouston Film Commission to get her first insider's look into the industry. As an undergraduate student, she attended theHollywood Film School 's Seminar: How to Make Films from A-Z and theAcademy of Television Arts and Sciences ' seminar: "Television's Challenges in Black, White, and Multicolor". After graduating from college, Miller moved back to Los Angeles to get her MFA in Producing at theUCLA Film School . While at UCLA, Miller interned at a variety of film companies, includingMTV Films andHBO Films , and completed a short that premiered atOutfest , the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. But it was during a summer internship atShowtime Networks that she realized her love for television.Fact|date=June 2007 While at Showtime, Miller shadowed Original Programming ExecutivesGary Levine andPearlena Igbokwe , tracked series development, visited sets, and sat in on all staff and development meetings. Her experience at Showtime inspired Miller to expand her focus to include both film and television. She is dedicated to working on character-driven stories in both independent film and television projects, and aspires to be a Network Television Development Executive.Fact|date=June 2007 Currently she is working atSony Pictures TV and will be attending Amsterdam Sexuality Study Conference in July 2007.Achievements
" ("a film that helped me come out"). Miller met Babbit when the director visited Rice. "I enjoy her style of filmmaking and the political message behind it—plus the entertainment value."
Published works
* 2005 Miller, C., "The Gay Gaze: Both Eyes on the Gay Genre", Women's Studies Capstone Thesis, Rice University
* 2004 to 2005:Lynne Huffer , Ph.D.,Women and Gender Studies Department, Rice University, "Gays & Lesbians inPeru "
* 2003 to 2005:Mikki Hebl , Ph.D., Psychology Department, Rice University, "Effectiveness of GLBT Diversity Training at Rice" & "Effectiveness of Film on Diversity Training at Rice"
* 2003 Miller, C. et al. "The Essential Dimensions of Traffic and Road Signs: An Evaluation of Sign Shape and Color." Rice University
* 2002 Hetrick, G., Miller, C. S., and Beckingham, K. "Role of the antennae in gravity sensing by Drosophila melanogaster." Gravitational and Space Biology Bulletin, 16 (2002):
* 2001-2003Dr. Kate Beckingham , Molecular and Cell Biology Department, Rice University Research Topic: Role of the Antennae in Gravity Sensing Drosophila melanangaster
* 1998–2001Wael A. Salameh , M.D., Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Research and Education Institute Research Topic: Localization and Confirmation ofGlycogen Synthase Kinase-3 beta in theMouse Testes byImmunohistochemistry Film festivals
Christel's film "BUTCHLALEZ" was featured in the following film festivals:
*Outfest , the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival,
*Seattle Black Gay Film Festival ,
*Reel Affirmations LGBT film festival,
* Fusion, the Los Angeles GLBT of Color Film Festival.Her first notable film, "Wandering Thoughts" was in multiple GLBT Film festivals:
*Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival , 2003
*Seattle GLBT Film Festival , 2003
* Rice University, 2003
*Pomona Film Festival , 2002
*Directors View International Film Festival , 2002She also had the following three films featured in the
UCLA film festival in 2006:
* "Malecón " (coming-of-age)
A young Cuban orphan struggles between escaping the hardships of his country by fleeing to the US or staying inHavana in order to learn more about the family he never knew.
* UNTITLED COMING OF AGE DRAMA (coming-of-age)
An underachieving college dropout who has always relied on his trust fund moves to L.A., aspiring to be an actor, and ends up reconciling with his estranged father who is, to his surprise -- black.
* "DOGMAN" (drama)
A man returns to small town California to reconcile with the guilt of a son he is accused of murdering.Film appearances
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