Yana Alliata is a first-generation Italian-American filmmaker raised across Hawaii, Italy, and Australia. She began her career at Film Finances Inc. and in development at Fox Searchlight Pictures. After graduating from Loyola Marymount University’s School of Film and Television, Alliata worked directly with directors Werner Herzog, Alexander Payne, and Phillip Noyce. She has also worked as an Associate Producer of Branded Content at FX Network.

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After earning numerous directing awards for her short drama, REQUIEM FOR EMILY--The Hawai‘i International Film Festival recognized her emerging talent and commissioned her to direct several promotional videos for the festival, including CASTAWAY and OPEN CALL, both of which were theatrically released in Hawai‘i. Her next short, RUSH (HollyShorts, LA International Film Festival), took a darker, more surreal turn, exploring a college hazing prank gone wrong. She followed it with PRUDE (Palm Springs International Film Festival), a psychological coming-of-age thriller.

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In March 2025, Alliata’s feature debut REELING premiered in the Narrative Competition at SXSW. She cast both professional and non-professional actors, blending improvisation with scripted scenes to create a sense of raw authenticity—making the audience feel as though they are living inside a real story rather than watching one unfold.​​

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Across her work—including Reeling, Rush, Prude, and Open Call—Alliata draws from her multicultural background and personal experience to subvert expectations. Inspired by playwright Neil LaBute’s work, “unblinking portraits of evil in everyday life,” she seeks stories that live in the shadows—felt more than told, like the dark shapes drifting beneath her surfboard, just out of reach.​​