A Greek African-American raised in California and Greece, Krystal grew up with an avid love for film, animals, the environment, and music (playing piano and cello). While attending university in the United Kingdom, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts Combined Honors Degree in English Literature and the History of Art, Krystal shadowed costume designers in local theater productions. Costumes and wardrobe departments became her introduction to filmmaking.
As a wardrobe intern on the London set of Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix, Krystal experienced life on a film set for the first time and became determined to turn her passion for film and storytelling into her career. She continued to gain experience on the sets of other films, including the musical Mamma Mia!, and eventually moved to Los Angeles where she found herself assisting established writers in script development, joining an acting class, and ultimately taking the leap to writing and directing her own material.
Krystal's short, A Most Suitable Applicant, is an Official Selection of the Academy-accredited Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, the L.A. Comedy Festival, and has aired on The Short Film Channel as well as PBS Channel Thirteen/WNET after winning a public vote. A Most Suitable Applicant was Krystal's first time directing and her first time writing and performing comedy.
Krystal's first feature script, an emotional drama, placed in the top 20% of entries to the prestigious Academy Nicholl Fellowships competition and the top 15% of entries to the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition. Her second feature script, a science fiction love story, placed among the 5% top-rated scripts submitted to The Black List, is a Finalist of the World Series of Screenwriting, and a Quarter Finalist of the ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship.
Krystal's second directorial endeavor is A Desert Sonata, a short film written, produced, and starring Krystal with Executive Producer Evan Spiliotopoulos (The Huntsman, Beauty & the Beast). A forbidden love story told via cinematography, dance, and music.
Having found her creative passion in the art of storytelling as a writer, an actor, a director, and a producer, Krystal is drawn to stories that inspire, move hearts, and sometimes explore the complex and uncomfortable.
When she is not on set or working on her next screenplay, Krystal spends her time hiking, painting, and visiting farm animal sanctuaries.
Be Inspired and Create.
