Hello, I’m Bethiael (beti-elle) and I’m a writer + director based in Texas.
My work (it seems) often follows young Black women in the midst of the little misfortunes causing big emotional impacts.
After interning for director Richard Linklater, I created and directed the 6-part short film series, We Are, which was distributed by Issa Rae Productions and has amassed 400k views and counting.
My work has screened nationally and internationally with festivals and organizations, such as: SXSW, BlackStar Film Festival, Palm Springs International Film Festival, The Bullock Texas State History Museum, and more. I’m a recipient of various scholarships and grants that include the New York Women in Film and Television Scholarship and Women in Film Dallas Grant.
My short films, Yirga and Dressed, each had their world premieres at SXSW in 2019 and 2023 respectively, and went on to have national festival runs. Most recently, I was named 2023’s Indie Memphis National Resident to work on my feature screenplay, I Didn’t Forget You.
I earned my MFA in Film at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and I’m currently working on my first feature. I used to make work under the semi-pseudonym B.B. Araya :)