Directing Action

Join Film Fatales for a discussion about Directing Action films with Danishka Esterhazy (Sniper: The Last Stand), Geeta Vasant Patel (House of the Dragon), and Michelle Salcedo (Switch & Bait). Moderated by Marielle Woods (Westworld).

Want to learn more about how to direct action sequences? This dynamic discussion with working feature film and episodic television directors will cover prep, production and post in a fast-paced environment. How do you break into genre directing? How do you prepare to helm an episode of a popular show? Together we will explore the relationship between directors and stunt coordinators, learn blocking tips, and hear about different ways to forge a career path in the current climate.

Accessibility Notes: This online webinar will be accessible with audio descriptions, auto captions, and ASL upon request. The recording will be available for an additional 48 hours after the live event ends. Please contact events@filmfatales.org to request an accommodation. See you soon!

Danishka Esterhazy  is an award-winning director whose work spans horror, thriller, and action cinema. Recognized for her precise visual style and strong narrative voice, she has established a career defined by both critical acclaim and audience appeal. Her debut feature, Black Field, a gothic prairie thriller, earned the Amazon Video Award at Sundance and introduced her as a significant new talent. She followed with Level 16, a dystopian thriller that premiered at Fantastic Fest. Esterhazy has directed several high-profile reimaginings in the horror genre, including The Banana Splits Movie (2019) and Slumber Party Massacre (2021). The latter received wide critical recognition, including a rare 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was praised for its feminist approach to established genre conventions. Her work in action cinema includes Sniper: The Last Stand, produced for Sony Pictures. The film highlighted her command of firearms-based sequences, tactical staging, and close collaboration with stunt teams. For this project, she received a nomination from the Directors Guild of Canada for Best Direction. Esterhazy continues to build on this expertise, integrating rigorous stunt choreography and weapons handling into her directing practice. Her films have screened at more than fifty international festivals. She is the recipient of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Direction and has also been recognized by the Directors Guild of Canada. A graduate of the Canadian Film Centre’s Directors Lab and an alumna of Women in the Director’s Chair, she has consistently worked to advance the presence of women in genre filmmaking.

Geeta Vasant Patel is an Emmy-nominated writer/director. In television, she most recently worked on LANTERNS for DC and HBO. Geeta directed and executive produced the pilot of UNDER THE BRIDGE for Hulu and ABC Signature, starring Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone. Geeta also directed an episode of STAR WARS: AHSOKA for Disney+. She has directed multiple episodes of the HBO Game of Thrones prequel HOUSE OF DRAGON and episodes of THE GREAT for Hulu/MRC starring Elle Fanning & Nic Hoult. Prior to that she directed episodes of THE MAGICIANS for Syfy, RUNAWAYS for Marvel TV, DEAD TO ME for Netflix, SWEETBITTER and P-VALLEY for Starz, and CHAMBERS for Netflix. Other episodic credits include: ATYPICAL, SANTA CLARITA DIET, CHAMPIONS, SUPERSTORE, SURVIVOR'S REMORSE, THE MICK, THE MONDY PROJECT FRESH OFF THE BOAT, and SPEECHLESS. Geeta made her directorial debut with the award-winning Sundance/ITVS documentary war thriller PROJECT KASHMIR, which led to directing fellowships at both the Sundance and Tribeca Institutes. Geeta and her brother, Ravi, wrote, directed, and edited the comedy MEET THE PATELS, which won numerous awards in the film festival circuit and was nominated for an Emmy in 2017 after having premiered theatrically in 2015. Geeta also served as cinematographer for the film, which was executive produced by Academy Award winner Geralyn Dreyfous. In 2018, Geeta and Ravi signed a development deal to write and direct a narrative version for Fox Searchlight.

Michelle Salcedo, named Best New Filmmaker of the Year in 2020 by NFMLA, is an award winning writer/director with over 20 years experience in the entertainment industry. In 2022, Michelle directed the action feature film, "Switch & Bait" written by Russell Gewirtz, shot on location in Serbia. Starring Otmara Marrero ("Start-Up") and Katie Clarkson Hill ("Hanna"), the film is about two women on a high speed chase across the country and is currently in post-production. Her directorial debut, "Cinnamon Skin” shot on location in Cuba, won eight jury prizes including “Best Produced” at the Academy-qualifying Holly Shorts Film festival and “Best Short of the Year” at New Filmmakers LA. She wrote and directed the feature, "Woman of the House", a female-centric dramedy which premiered at NoHo Cinefest 2021. A semi-finalist at Flickers’ R.I. International Film Festival, “Woman of the House” won the audience choice award at Mystic Film Festival. Of Cuban and Ecuadorian descent, she graduated from Columbia University with a B.A. in film studies and worked at Miramax Films producing theatrical trailers for over 30 films including Academy Award winner, “Chicago” and “Gangs of New York”. She’s edited over fifty episodes of TV for networks: Bravo, TLC, and VH1. Michelle strives for authenticity, drawing from her Latinx experience and achieves a nuanced representation in her storytelling. Her filmmaking style is highly cinematic, influenced by auteurs like Kieslowski and Iñarritu.

Marielle Woods is an award-winning, queer and genderplayful filmmaker who thrives in the high-stakes world of action storytelling. Having spent a decade working with Stunt Coordinators and Second Unit Directors on projects including John Wick: Chapter Two, Baby Driver, and Westworld, Woods loves to push emotional buttons and visual boundaries, telling stories that make audiences think — with a few explosions and car chases along the way. She has been recognized as a member of the HBOAccess Directing Fellowship, the Universal Director's Initiative, and the AFI Directing Workshop for Women. Her original queer-action-romance, Heart Shot, made as part of Netflix's Emerging Filmmakers Initiative, is streaming worldwide. Woods has directed episodes on Seasons 4 & 5 of Cobra Kai for Netflix/Sony as well as Season 3 of Kung Fu for Berlanti/The CW. She is in development on her first feature. In addition to directing emotions and explosions, she is obsessed with her 6 pound rescue dog, Sasquatch, and loves soup, nerf guns, and puns.

Film Fatales organizes panel discussions, educational workshops and networking mixers focused on amplifying marginalized voices in film and television. Capacity is limited. The session will be recorded for those unable to participate in the live program. Your participation constitutes your consent to being recorded and photographed during the event and to Film Fatales sharing those recordings and photos with the world. Please contact events@filmfatales.org if you require an accessible accommodation.