A B O U T
Chelsie Pennello is a Chinese American filmmaker based in Washington, DC. She is drawn to stories about darkly offbeat characters, the jerry-rigged spaces of Americana, and moments of transcendental grace. Her debut narrative short, Mandarins, world premiered at Cinequest and was accepted into over 16 festivals in 2023 including Cucalorus, Oak Cliff, and New Hampshire where it won "Best Short Drama". Mandarins premiered online via Film Shortage and Retrospective of Jupiter in February 2024. While attending Syracuse University, her student film, KILL GREEN, won the "One to Watch" Award at AAIFF41 in 2018. In 2024, Chelsie co-founded DC production company Yumeji House Pictures with long-time collaborator Corbett Blair. She is currently in production on her next short film, Cherry-Colored Funk, a dark comedy narrative short co-written with Blair. Chelsie is a recipient of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities 2023 Fellowship Award.
P R E S S