About Elsis
Elsis Saravia
A California named arts scholar and nationally recognized filmmaker, Elsis Saravia is an exceptionally driven and passionate creative striving to curate meaningful, touching, and raw work that is made not to make a profit but rather to transform and touch the lives of those who watch them. Presently, Saravia is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Film and TV Production at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Elsis’ first short film, He Finally Left, was an official selection and finalist for an array of film festivals, including the famous and world renowned All American High School Film Festival. It earned them a full ride to the California State Summer School for the Arts, where they made their sophomore film Carcass, which dabbles into all things experimental with the short’s sound design and visuals. The following year they created a near 15-minute long documentary film project for their U.S. History and La Raza studies classes. Within the film, they examine U.S. intervention in Central American affairs with a focus placed on the Salvadoran Civil War and their mother’s past. The film is made up of varying clips, interviews, and excerpts that are sourced from found footage, lost documentaries, and reports spanning from the 1920s to the early 1990s. Revolución o Muerte went on to be officially selected by the Student World Impact Film Festival and won the Festival Quarter Finalist Award for Best Super Short. Saravia’s most recent film, Cacophony, is a meaningful addition to their growing filmography and helped them earn their ticket to the world’s best film school at the heart of Los Angeles, USC.
Elsis Saravia takes inspiration from directors such as Celina Sciamma, Agnes Varda, Luca Guadagnino, Cheryl Dunye, Barry Jenkins, and Julia Ducournau. Some of their favorite films include, Tomboy, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Titane, Go Fish, Born in Flames, Bound, The Last Black Man in San Francisco, The Gleaners and I, The Watermelon Woman, Shinjuku Boys, Thelma and Louise, the list goes on! When Elsis Saravia isn’t making or watching films, you can find them attending film festivals, dabbling in film photography, reading, and volunteering at various community events and programs.
Along with being a filmmaker, Elsis Saravia is heavily involved in community organizing. From starting off being a fellow at Youth Vs. Apocalypse to being an active volunteer at People’s Programs and Peoples Park, they are always looking to better their community in the struggle for change and collective liberation. They strive to uplift marginalized voices in their art and bring forth tough conversations. Saravia spends much of their time engaging with texts, discussions, and classes on subjects in the realm of race, ethnic studies, sociology, philosophy, queer theory, and much more in order to expand their mind and elevate their consciousness. They believe that this kind of political education and knowledge alongside being involved within the community will allow them to be the best organizer, pioneer for change, and ultimately storyteller. Moreover, Saravia understands the most meaningful and transformative art to come from the most marginalized, oppressed, and ravaged by inequality.
