Crystel Amsalem
Crystel Amsalem is a Paris-born filmmaker whose work seamlessly bridges French and American cinema. She began making films at a young age and trained at the Sorbonne Film School before studying acting with John Strasberg, Jack Waltzer, and Susan Batson of the Actors Studio. She later continued her writing and directing studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she directed her first short film, Another Girl. Alongside her acting work in French and English-language television and features—including Highlander, Neuf Mois, and Coup de Vice—Amsalem began writing and directing her own short films. Works such as Les Copines and Rebecca have been screened at major festivals, including Festival Côté court de Pantin and the Palm Springs International Film Festival. Her debut feature, Quand les Anges s'en mêlent… (When Angels Interfere…), travelled the international festival circuit—from New York and Boston to Melbourne, Palm Beach, and Washington—and earned Alexandre Brasseur the Best Actor award at the Paris Film Festival.