Sock It To Me

Directed by: Joelle Marie Velez, Peter Anthony Castillo

Joelle Velez is an award-winning writer, actress, and filmmaker. She is a recent graduate of the Second City Film School in Chicago, where she received the Independent Film Alliance Mentorship Award. An emerging screenwriter, she was selected as a Finalist for the Warner Brothers Comedic Voices Fellowship and Oberlin Screenwriting Intensive. Her first film, Fairy Rice Mother, won the Youth Choice Award at Georgia Latino Film Festival and Mi Familia award at the LIFE fest. Using comedy to explore stirring social themes, she aspires to change the world with funny films. A classically trained actress, Velez is an active performer in Chicago’s comedy scene and has an extensive body of work in indie film. Prior to her creative pursuits, she was an established financial services professional, and used her business acumen to launch her creative consulting services in 2023.