Leena Pendharkar is an Emmy-nominated, award-winning writer and director whose work has been described as “heartfelt,” “groundbreaking,” and “brave.” She is drawn to intimate, character-driven storytelling that explores the human experience with nuance and humor, and appreciates creative collaboration with actors and others.
 

She recently completed principal photography on her third independent feature, Days with Dandekar, starring Iqbal Theba (Glee). The screenplay was selected for the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, and Tribeca All Access, and is currently in post-production.
 

Her sophomore feature, 20 Weeks, premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival, won Best Feature at the Maryland Film Festival and Best Editing at the Tallgrass Film Festival, and was named one of the best independent films of 2017 by Film Threat. The Los Angeles Times called it “an intimate, compassionate take on abortion.” It was released theatrically and on Hulu.

 

In television, she directed A Date with Deception for Lifetime and episodes of Hello, Jack! for Apple TV+, earning a Children’s and Family Emmy nomination. She is an alum of the Warner Bros., CBS, and Sony Diverse Directors programs.
 

Her short films have screened widely, including the most recent, Tiny Joy, which played at the Bentonville Film Festival and is now on Shorted. Dandekar Makes a Sandwich won the Grand Jury Prize at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and was a Vimeo Staff Pick. Awaken, starring Parminder Nagra, is featured on Omeleto and ShortsTV.
 

Her debut feature, Raspberry Magic, screened in many festivals, and was released on platforms including Hulu, Starz and Amazon Prime Video.
 

Leena is an Associate Professor at Loyola Marymount University. She holds an MFA in Screenwriting from UC Riverside, Palm Desert, and is a member of the Directors Guild of America.