Spring 2026 Writer’s Workshop Reading Series

Chance Guida is a filmmaker and cinematographer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He grew up in Bellevue and attended Bellevue West High School, where his love for the performing arts began after many trips to the theatre with his grandma. That early interest in storytelling eventually led him to filmmaking, with a strong curiosity for the psychological side of stories and how film can spark reflection. He spent several years working in local television, which helped shape his hands-on approach to visual storytelling. He values collaboration and the creative process, and is excited to share this film and continue making work that resonates with audiences.

Rachel Williamson is an actress and voiceover artist from Omaha, Nebraska, starring in national commercial, film and TV projects. JUICE marks her debut behind the camera as a writer, director and producer. The short film first premiered at the Omaha Film Festival in March 2025 and since then has screened from coast to coast at seven additional film festivals. So far, JUICE has been recognized with nominations for Best Editing, Best Sound and Best Cinematography, with a Director’s Award win at Bizarroland Film Festival in Tampa.

Shirin Jafarizadeh is a photographer and filmmaker from Tehran, Iran. Her work explores themes of psychological turmoil, identity, and alienation, often transforming familiar subjects and spaces into abstracted and unsettling forms. Jafarizadeh works as an interdisciplinary artist in various mediums including photography, video-based art, alternative photographic and printing processes, as well as art installation to further explore ideas of subjective reality and its connection to unique human experiences. Through layering, distortion, and abstraction, she explores the connection between reality and perception, creating visually and emotionally engaging experiences.