Dena Hysell-Cornejo is restlessly creative, working across mediums depending on the direction the story takes her as a director, photographer, producer, and multimedia artist. Her work has been recognized with top honors at multiple film festivals (Toronto, Seattle, Indiana, NYFF), and acquired by major distributors. She has written and directed for Eli Roth’s Crypt TV, Legacy Entertainment Partners, Drive Media and various other companies. She was featured in the 2017 Buzzfeed article on female directors at SXSW talking about gender and representation in Hollywood In 2017, Gravitas Ventures released Dena’s narrative feature debut, Ascent to Hell, to critical acclaim. First Comics News gave is 4 out of 5 stars, saying “when the horror starts, it is a slow build up leading to a terror that will have you watching intensely.” Horror Amino claimed “Director Dena Hysell has woven a tight little supernatural thriller.” Ascent to Hell was part of the socially conscious genre movement, weaving together a genre ghost story with the historic tale of the Triangle Factory Fire which lead to garment workers’ unionization and safer working conditions. Working with a limited budget, Dena managed to make a film which received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Since then she has directed two other features, written on multiple films, and is in production on a feature documentary.