Youssef Delara

Youssef Delara, a native of Los Angeles, began his education in the art of film at Loyola Marymount Film School where he focused on directing while pursuing additional coursework in photography at Art Center College of Art and Design. After college he applied his acute visual sense working as a Visual Effects Associate on the highly successful Paramount Television series, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, eventually becoming Visual Effects Supervisor. He later went on to produce visual effects for Star Trek: Voyager as well as sequences for the popular Star Trek feature films Generations and Insurrection. In 2004, Delara wrote, directed and edited his first feature film, " English as a Second Language ," starring Kuno Becker, Maria Conchita Alonso and Michael Higgins, a powerful drama loosely based on his experiences living in Los Angeles. In 2009, Cima Productions produced and he again wrote, directed and edited " Bedrooms " starring: Julie Benz, Moon Bloodgood, Xander Berkely and Barry Bostwick. In 2011, Delara began production on a passion project set in the streets of Los Angeles, "Filly Brown" , starring Latino staples, Edward James Olmos, Jenni Rivera and Lou Diamond Phillips as well as the young face and would-be star, Gina Rodriguez. The story tracks the journey of a street rapper from unknown to the precipice of pop stardom and although the powerful family story caters to the burgeoning 3rd generation American Latino audience it is steeped with original underground hip hop music. " Filly Brown " was selected for Dramatic Competition in the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. In 2013, Delara directed and edited " Enter The Dangerous Mind ", a twisted psychological thriller that was selected to the 2014 SXSW film festival. The disturbing film stars, Nikki Reed, Scott Bakula, and Jason Priestly and tracks the mind splitting journey of a psychotic EDM musician moments before going on a horrific killing spree. In 2015 Delara changed gears, writing, directing and editing an urban romantic comedy " The Bounce Back ", starring the beloved heartthrob Shemar Moore, funny man Bill Bellamy and the sexy Nadine Velasquez. The film centers on the journey of a self help love guru novelist and a clinical psychologist who became a media sensation after butting heads on national television. Complications arise when the two ideological opposite fall in love. Delara is developing a powerful one-hour music driven dramatic television series with BET as well as directing a courtroom drama and true story, "Foster Boy" to be filmed in the fall of 2017.