Fostering Art that Defies the Stigma
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Our Story
Blu Star Productions is a company founded by an artist with a disability for artists with disabilities. Our goal is to empower disabled artists and creators across the globe with the resources needed to showcase their groundbreaking talents. From Autism Spectrum Disorder to ADHD, Blu Star artists will be given a platform to create provocative content that defies expectations while reaching the widest audience possible.
Through our content, we aim to be at the forefront of the rising tide to create better and safer environments for artists with disabilities.
Support Our newest Film, Extraordinary Character!
Team
Alex Astrella-Founder and CEO
Alex is a visual artist based out of Orange County, California. Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of 2, Alex was told that he’d never be able to hold a job as an adult. 24 years later, Alex has won numerous awards and has garnered nationwide praise for his documentary films.
Finding film has helped Alex realize his purpose in life. Whereas he struggled in other areas of life due to his disability, film always remained a constant source of joy and inspiration. His affinity for serving the autism community that helped him achieve success led to the creation of Blu Star Productions LLC. With Blu Star Productions, Alex hopes to usher in a new age of original content through empowering those gifted with a disability.
Adam Brainin
Studio Coordinator
Adam has a proven track record in media operations and distribution, filmmaking, and post production. He has created award-winning long and short form content, including narratives, documentaries, music videos, TV shows, home entertainment, and live sports. He has worked with major entertainment brands such as well as tech companies, and has overseen the successful launches of various streaming channels and television series on platforms such as Amazon Freevee, Roku, and Tubi. He also worked on the campaigns for a number of major studio films such as Addams Family 2 and Sing 2. He is based in Los Angeles, California.
Angela Gialanella
Ambassador of Neurodiversity
Angela Gialanella was diagnosed this past year with ADHD. She had grown up feeling different from everyone else. She noticed she was not able to focus as easily as her classmates. She’d often get in trouble due to her ADHD. It wasn’t until she was in a special education class at Vanderbilt that she realized she might have ADHD. The symptoms were listed for both boys and girls; she had only heard the symptoms listed for boys in the past. When the list of symptoms for girls was shared, she checked almost every single box. Her struggles through school without accommodations led her to make her own systems of support. She is now a special education teacher at a local school, and will advocate for those with disabilities that are not as visible.
Kimberly ruiz
Social Media/Website Intern
Kim is currently a student at Belmont University studying Music Business. She believes in breaking the stigmatization of physical and mental disabilities. Kim highly values equitable opportunities for anyone and everyone and hopes to contribute to Blu Star’s mission of empowering disabled artists.