SYD X. PORTER (Director/Writer) grew up just outside the cities of North Carolina, raised by her Malaysian mother and American father. A lifelong horror fanatic, and a lover of her home state, she went to pursue a BFA for Film Production at UNCSA, and just recently graduated in May of 2025. Through her education, she has been a part of over 40 productions within NC, including 2 feature length films. After being a Creative Development Intern at Valhalla Entertainment in Los Angeles this past summer, Syd realized that her heart belongs to the American South and independent film. She has already begun her journey with creating in NC, as a recipient of the 2023 Cucalorus ‘Filmed in NC Grant’ for a separate Appalachian Folk Horror film. Now a post-grad, Syd is staying within the state, working for the NC Film Partnership and focusing on bringing independent filmmaking back to her childhood home.