LISSA DEONARAIN is a Guyanese-American documentary filmmaker, editor, designer, and organizer based in Omaha, NE. A multi-hyphenate (queer, multiracial, disabled, child of an immigrant ) her work explore culture, social justice issues and themes such as identity, belonging, community, home, and memory. Lissa has worked with award-winning filmmakers like James Rutenbeck, Nerissa Williams, and Nicole Betancourt. She has produced films in Jamaica, the U.S. and Canada, and has edited for content creators, major brands, advocacy organizations, indie filmmakers and more.

Her work has screened at the International Center for Photography, The Bush Films and festivals worldwide. During the pandemic, Lissa pivoted to communications role for documentary nonprofits, where she activated her skills of writing, design and strategy. Currently, under her new company, 64 Village Media, , she does communications for renowned industry changemakers Multitude Films, Brown Girls Doc Mafia, Frequencies of Change Media and FWD-Doc.

Lissa received her B.A. from Emerson College, specializing in documentary filmmaking & producing and a Global & Postcolonial Studies minor. After a decade between Boston and Brooklyn, they moved back to Omaha in 2023 to achieve her dream of bringing Omaha’s beautiful diversity and history to the screen.

Alongside filmmaking, Lissa is a classically trained pianist since age 6, as one the founding students of the Omaha Conservatory of Music, but has tried many other instruments. She is a passionate language learner, conversational in French, Spanish and German. She played a foundational role in Film Workers for Palestine’s launch and communications over the first year. She is an organizer championing accessibility, immigrant rights, environmental issues, race and gender-based violence, a free Palestine and more.