Serena Manouchehri
Ottawa
Genre: Drama
Filmography: Teenage Fever
Serena Manouchehri is a director, producer, and writer based out of Ottawa. She developed a passion for directing at an early age, bringing to life her first film at the age of 16 titled ‘The Movie Theatre’, which garnered awards recognition across the indie circuit.
After gaining confidence behind the camera, she directed, wrote, and produced the Fibe TV1 series ‘Teenage Fever’. The series follows three teenagers, the dynamic of their relationships, and the pressures they face in high school and beyond.
How did your passion for filmmaking start?
When I was 14, I was able to create short films for one of my classes in school. Through that, I discovered my passion for filmmaking. I really loved the process of writing a script and then seeing it come to life on screen. Since then, I’ve continuously searched out things that I am passionate about and begin the process of writing, creating, and shooting it and seeing how it comes out.
What advice would you give to fellow filmmakers who are looking to work with TV1?
Being so young, I was so lucky to work with TV1 and receive the mentorship that I did. If I ever had any questions, the [TV1] producers were always there to answer them or hop on a quick Zoom call to go over things. They also worked with me a lot on the script, especially at the beginning of the process. I would tell other filmmakers to just be a sponge and receive all the advice you can. There’s always something you can learn.