K'yana Faulkner- Smith's passion for storytelling was born out of necessity during a nomadic childhood for both connection and survival. After relocating to NYC by way of Honolulu she obtained her BFA in Dramatic Arts from The New School for Drama and later, her MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU Tisch School of The Arts. Her work in film, theatre, and animation is often centered on magical realism, fantasy and horror, and she is especially drawn to groundbreaking and underexplored narratives within the Black community. She is currently based in Brooklyn and employed as Executive Assistant to Lynn Nottage and production team member at Market Road Films.