Syra McCarthy is a half Filipino, half New Zealander first-generation American filmmaker and actor. Moving with grace between different styles of film —from cinematic surrealism to smart quirky comedy—McCarthy approaches filmmaking with a stylistic flair that subverts expectations. 

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Directing for brands like Angi, Olly, Scotch-Brite, Ford’s Gin, Square, and Google, her work was recently featured in the New York Times. As an actor, she currently has multiple national spots airing for Redfin, Pinterest and was recently featured in Hulu’s The Dropout. Her history as an actor, editor and photographer all highly inform the approach to her work. 

Striving for gender equity within the media industry, Syra recently created Soft Hold Collective: a film directory highlighting female & non-binary talent in the Bay Area that is set to launch soon.

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