Welcome to @yelynadeleon

About

It all started when…

I was a kid on the southside of Chicago and the NBC hit show “Crime Story” came knocking on my door. They wanted to shoot a scene from my 2nd story porch, this was way before drones. So for an entire week I had the entire cast and crew in my living room. This experience changed my life. Hollywood literally came knocking on my door. Read more by scrolling down to my BIO.

BIO

Yelyna De Leon is an award-winning filmmaker and actor born and raised on the southside of Chicago.  She first started writing at the age of 10 when she wrote two books that won her a National Young Author’s award. While still in high school, she majored in theater and wrote a three-act musical, “Rising Star,” which she starred in, selling out every performance. Since then, her numerous projects for theater, film, television and the web have been produced all over the country.

Yelyna received her MFA in Film and Television in production with a concentration in writing, directing and producing from USC, and graduated cum laude from UCLA, with a degree in Chicano Studies with a concentration in Theater and Film, Television and Digital Media. While at USC, under the mentorship of veteran sitcom writer David Isaacs (Mash, Madmen, Cheers,) and director Barnet Kellman (George Lopez Show, In the Middle) Yelyna co-created and was the showrunner for USC’s first single-camera comedy, “Teacher’s Lounge,” which was nominated for a Producer Caucus Award.  While at USC she also directed the short films, “Irene” and “Carmelita,” both starring Chelsea Rendon (Vida).

Yelyna is currently an envoy for AFS American Film Showcase, through the American film diplomacy program and Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and USC School of Cinematic Arts, she travels to underserved countries to teach film and TV.

For the past two years Yelyna has been a student advisor for the American Pavillion, mentoring and helping students navigate their internships at the Cannes Film festival in France.

She has also taught MFA acting, content creation and writing students at Cal State L.A. And writing and filmmaking workshops to youth and adults of all ages at Pepperdine University over the summer as well as at Casa 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights, The Pico Family Youth Center in Santa Monica through UCLA and in Chicago, Florida, Texas and Mexico and for Native and Indigenous youth through the L.A. Skins Film Festival. For over 15 years, Yelyna also taught Shakespeare and theater workshops all over the LAUSD system and performed musical adaptations for over 350,000 students as an Equity Actor through the East LA Classic Theater.

As a published bilingual children’s book author, Yelyna has toured the country to read and discuss her award-winning book, “Yely’s First Day.” The book, which promotes bilingual literacy, was recently adapted as a short play and performed at Casa0101 Theater, and is currently being pitched as a cartoon. As single mom Yelyna knows the importance of bilingual education which is why she loves writing stories that will inspire her community.

Most recently, Yelyna wrote and produced the award-winning slasher feature film, Murder in the Woods, which stars an all-diverse cast in non-stereotypical roles that includes Danny Trejo (Machete), Chelsea Rendon (Vida), Catherine Toribio (Jane the Virgin), and Jose Julian (Academy Award nominated film, A Better Life). Murder in the Woods, is currently in theaters and drive-ins with movies like King Kong and Mortal Kombat. The film which has has an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes has received rave reviews, called "darkly funny," by Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun Times, and hit the Cool List in People in Español.

The film which is also available on streaming platforms, has won and been nominated for over 15 awards, including Best Film, and has premiered to sold-out screenings in Chicago, Portland, Denver, New York and Los Angeles and European festival premieres in Belgium and Germany.

Yelyna was one of 5 writing fellows in the La Skins Native American Feature Film Writers Lab sponsored by COMCAST NBCUniversal, The Walt Disney Studios, HBO, WarnerMedia, FilmLA, Westward Prods and SAGindie. She is also a graduate of the NHMC (National Hispanic Media Coalition’s ) writing fellowship sponsored by ABC and NBC. She was one of ten writers in the country chosen to develop, write, and pitch an original television pilot. Yelyna’s TV pilots have been semi-finalists in the Youtube New Voices and Episodic Sundance writing labs two years in a row. She was one of 12 chosen to become a NALIP/Televisa/Univision television drama fellow. Under the mentorship of Rosy Ocampo (the most successful showrunner in Univison’s history), Yelyna created and wrote a telenovela drama pilot, which became a finalist in contention for a 90-episode order.

She has been a staff writer on the web series, “Tales From the Eastside,” and is s the creator/ head writer for the pilots, “Womyn” and “Happy Divorce Party,” both of which are in post- production. She has also written several plays and sketch comedy shows that have toured all over the country including the bilingual play, “Blind Faith,” “Yel Out Loud” and “The Amazing Wunderwoman,” to name a few.

Yelyna, who is also an accomplished stage actor has been in films, such as the Academy award nominated, “A Better Life,” GLAAD award best film for TV, “East Side Story,” and Universal Picture's horror film “Mockingbird,” and the award winning television shows, “Bones,” on Fox, Showtimes’ “Shameless,” “Ray Donovan,” “Resurrection Blvd.” and TNT’s “Southland,” to name a few. She can be seen in the upcoming romcom feature, “Bride +1”, the comedy pilot, “Milfriend,” and Guest Starring in NBC’s Emmy Award winning television comedy, “Will & Grace,” as Blanca in the episode “Tex and the City.”

HEADSHOTS

Photos shot by Katie Cleese and Roberto Tetlalmatzin

Yelyna De Leon- Reel

yELYNA DE LEON ACTING REEL

Clips from Guest starring roles on NBC’s Emmy Award winning television comedy show “Will and Grace,” Showtime’s “Shameless”, “Ray Donovan” and Fox’s “Bones.”

MURDER IN THE WOODS

Trailer for award winning feature film “Murder in the Woods,” written, produced and featuring Yelyna De Leon. Cast: Jose Julian (The Society) Chelsea Rendon (Vida) Jeanette Samano (Female Fight Club) Catherine Toribio (Jane the Virgin) with Danny Trejo (Machete)

INTERVIEWS