Palmer Trinity School

radio and television—made Cristina astutely aware of the power of storytelling. After organizing events in NYC, Cristina returned to Los Angeles to work at Arenas Entertainment as a production executive on a story about faith. In 2012, Cristina founded Atila Films, a documentary company, and embarked on a storytelling adventure about modern-day slavery that would change her life. H E R V I S I O N F O R AT I L A F I L M S : "We believe in the good of the people and every story we tell sheds light on a social issue. We begin with awareness. We educate, engage and empower our audiences. We believe that, together, we can change the world for the better through the medium of storytelling. We have the ability to see where others cannot. We are here to tell your story and change the world, one story at a time." With her vision in mind, Cristina set out to direct Connected, a docuseries that sheds light on modern-day slavery. This docuseries caught the eye of a handful of "do-gooders" and her dear friend Julian Lennon, who became her executive producer. The docuseries, which exposes how all of our lives are deeply connected to human exploitation, from the food we eat to the clothes we wear, is expected to be released in 2022. In it, Cristina explores places around the world— from Qatar's latest structure for the 2022 World Cup, to cacao plantations in West Africa and sex-trafficking rings in Los Angeles, CA—to show how 41 million men, women and children worldwide are forced into slavery. In conjunction with Connected, Cristina directed a public service announcement with Ed Harris to raise awareness about sex trafficking in the United States. It's a family affair, too. Cristina's mother, Conchita Sarnoff, has been working tirelessly to combat human trafficking for years and is the investigative reporter who broke the Jeffery Epstein case in early 2008. Conchita also has a nonprofit foundation, Alliance To Rescue Victims of Trafficking, which raises awareness about human trafficking from its office in Washington, D.C. Currently, Cristina's scripted film company, Sarnoff Artist Media, is in development for a feature film based on her mother's book TrafficKing (which exposes the Jeffrey Epstein saga), as well as a biopic about General Sarnoff. Aside from her independent work, Cristina is also Executive Producer of Discovery US Hispanic's Branded Entertainment division and spearheads their digital branded content. She is the creator behind Discovery USH's Go Originals, which focuses on building bridges for multicultural audiences and brands and empowering Hispanics across the country. Cristina is also the creator and host of Discovery's digital series Follow in Her Footsteps, which aims to empower women by celebrating their accomplishments and attributing their success to healthy habits. Cristina exemplifies Palmer Trinity School's "Portrait of a Graduate." She is a problem solver, an independent thinker, a critical listener, a passionate learner, a global citizen and an ethical leader. Cristina has focused her entire career around telling stories that educate and advocate for justice and empower women and minorities to ultimately level the playing field and change the narrative. Cristina asks herself the following questions daily and encourages others to do the same: » "Why do I do what I do?" » "Who am I?" » "What is my purpose?" » "When I leave planet Earth, what kind of world will I have left behind?" » "Did I do enough to serve generations for times to come?" » "Did I love big enough and live with passion?" "My biggest regret thus far has been not dreaming big enough, which I use as a good reminder for my present and future," said Cristina. "My greatest accomplishment yet still hasn't happened." S U MME R 2 0 2 1 49 Above, left to right – Cristina, her husband, Juan Pablo Yepez and their son, Christopher Daniel Yepez-Sarnoff; Cristina and her mother on an interview for Buzzsaw about Jeffery Epstein and human trafficking issues. Below – Cristina Sarnoff and her husband Juan Pablo Yepez Opposite page, left to right – Cristina on set in London with 1 st Anti-Slavery Commissioner Kevin Hyland for documentary Connected; Cristina in Ecuador while shooting feature film, Son of Man.

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