Join us for a community conversation with John Henderson of 7 Rounds Production and filmmaker Manuel Saldaña as they discuss access and representation in short filmmaking, as well as the ethical use of AI in video production and storytelling.

Manuel Saldaña is a Hispanic independent filmmaker born and raised in Hartford. From an early age, he developed a passion for storytelling through cartoons and films. In the third grade, he began creating his own comic books, complete with original characters and storylines. His interest in visual storytelling deepened in sixth grade when his father gifted him a Super VHS camera, inspiring his transition from comics to filmmaking.

Saldaña later attended Manchester Community College, where he earned a degree in Communication Media while continuing to study filmmaking independently. In 2015, he gained hands-on industry experience through an internship on a professional film set and went on to direct his first serious independent short film that same year.

Since then, Saldaña has written, produced, directed, and edited six independent short films spanning a range of genres, including psychological thrillers, crime dramas, romance, and comedic drama. With BROKE-IN, he expands into the horror genre while continuing to focus on character-driven storytelling and suspense.