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Logline

An alienated, young Korean-American woman secures a coveted tech internship, but her insecurities and loneliness soon cause her to forge a disquieting obsession with a rival.

Synopsis

CHLOE CHO is one of the few female computer science students in her senior year. One day she applies for a coveted internship opportunity at Minos, a top Silicon Valley tech company. When Chloe arrives at Minos, she meets ANGELA CHOU, a Taiwanese-American, MIT student from an affluent and highly educated family. Chloe and Angela find themselves competing for the full-time job offers given to the top interns. As their friendship develops, so does Chloe’s insecurity and obsession with Angela. When Angela’s presence threatens Chloe’s success at Minos, Chloe takes extreme measures for her own survival.

Silicon Valley Girl is a proof-of-concept narrative short film. It’s psychological crime thriller about what it feels like to be a token Asian-American, female engineer in Silicon Valley. It’s about the isolation, the competition, the unbearable loneliness, and the desire to belong at all costs.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Yeon Jin Lee — Writer/Director
Yeon Jin Lee is a Korean-American writer and filmmaker. Her experiences as one of the few female engineers at UC Berkeley, Pixar, and NASA—as well as a first-generation immigrant in the United States—have given her deep insight into the challenges faced by minorities. Yeon Jin’s goal is to continue creating films that feature characters from underrepresented communities whose experiences she shares.

Celene Di Stasio — Producer/Assistant Director
Celene Di Stasio is an award-winning Italian-American Executive Producer and Film Director based in Los Angeles. Her career began at Rome’s legendary Cinecittà Studios and expanded globally at National Geographic Society HQ in Washington, D.C., where she produced acclaimed documentaries for international audiences. She has led major campaigns and shows for HBO, the U.S. Air Force, Coast Guard, World Bank, and Park Hyatt. As founder of XantoCreatives, she crafts cinematic stories that bridge cultures. Celene is the producer of the short film Silicon Valley Girl and a passionate advocate for women in film and tech.

Devon Deming — Executive Producer
Devon Deming has 30 years of business management expertise and has executive produced three women-led short films – Hatchlings by Jahmil Eady, Silicon Valley Girl by Yeon Jin Lee, and Power! By Sofia Rose Ambrosio. She has several of her own features in development with the goal of creating and supporting authentic voices, specifically from women, LGBTQ+, and communities of color.

Tonia Chao Hsieh — Executive Producer
Tonia Chao Hsieh, Ph.D., is an equity and social justice advocate with nearly 40 years of experience in education and film. She co-founded Celestial Pictures and KarMa Pictures to produce films that challenge stereotypes and promote inclusivity. A former undergraduate dean at UC-Berkeley, she has served on various independent school boards around the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2022 she created a workforce development program to provide free training to create a pipeline of bilingual caregivers for non-English speaking elders and their families. Dr. Hsieh’s multi-faceted career reflects her unwavering commitment to fostering equity and representation across multiple platforms.

Jaice DuMars — Executive Producer
Jaice DuMars, founder of Score Reveal Productions, brings a unique lens to film production, shaped by a background as a composer, artist, and former engineering leader at Google, Apple, and Microsoft. Dedicated to fostering equity and representation, Jaice champions high-quality audio and visual media that uplifts diverse voices and inspires audiences. Their commitment extends to actively seeking collaborations that amplify underrepresented stories and cultivate inclusive on and off-screen teams, striving for a more representative landscape in the entertainment industry.

Devon Johns — Cinematographer
Devon is a cinematographer whose portfolio encompasses a wide variety of genres and styles. He is passionate about pushing his creative boundaries to tackle different visual approaches, and is especially looking to work alongside directors with unique points of view. Devon earned an MFA in Film Production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he developed a strong foundation in visual storytelling. Since then, he has worked on two narrative feature films, and dozens of shorts. His work has been recognized at more than 50 film festivals worldwide, including the 2024 Telluride Film Festival, and the 2024 Student Academy Awards.

Mochii Mengqing — Production Designer
Mochii Mengqing Yuan is a Los Angeles-based production designer and art director passionate about shaping visual worlds that support story and emotion. She has crafted sets for films, experimental shorts, music videos, and more—collaborating with studios like HBO, Netflix, Lionsgate, and Universal. Her work has been selected by major festivals around the world including Sundance, Berlinale, and Tribeca. Driven by a love for cinematic detail and atmosphere, Mochii approaches every project with fresh eyes, intuition, and deep respect for the storytelling proc

Federico Conforti — Editor
Federico Conforti is an award-winning film and television editor, best known for They Call Me Jeeg, a cult Italian hit that won seven David di Donatello Awards, including Best Editing. Originally from Livorno, Italy, he studied Cinema, Music & Theater at the University of Pisa, then honed his craft in Rome before moving to Los Angeles. His work spans features, documentaries, series, and branded content. Notable credits include Defying Gravity (Sports Emmy nominee), Almost Famous (Webby nominee), Blood Rider (Webby winner), and That’s My Jazz (Webby winner). He is a member of IATSE Local 700 and the European Film Academy.

Dario Forzato — Composer
Dario Forzato is a Los Angeles-based composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose recent film scores include Horchata with Oat Milk (2025), The Box (2024), and Hulu’s We Live Here: The Midwest (2023). His work spans video games (Rocksmith, NBA2k24), Ambie-nominated podcasts (Bunga Bunga, Do No Harm), and campaigns for The Simpsons and Family Guy. He has created main titles for National Geographic, Discovery ID, and Nickelodeon. A two-time HMMA nominee, Dario is known for a bold, cinematic sound—merging raw emotion, experimental textures, and genre-defying instrumentation to create immersive musical worlds.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.