Elika Rezaee is an Award-winning LA-based film editor and director with experience in both fiction and non-fiction filmmaking. Originally from Iran, Elika left her homeland to pursue her dreams in Cinema at the prestigious American Film Institute's editing program, from which she graduated with distinction. Ever since, she has edited over ten feature films that have premiered at top-tier film festivals such as Sundance, Tribeca, and SXSW and aired on PBS. She recently edited “Shayda,” a fictive feature film that won the audience award at Sundance 2023. Other recent credits include “Notes,” a narrative film she edited at the end of its post-production process. This film was the last project that Halyna Hutchins shot before her tragic death. In addition, Elika edited "La Sandinista", a feature documentary that won the Jury Prize from SXSW and won the São Paulo International Film Festival, Audience Award & New Directors Competition at the Washington DC Film Festival, Justice Matters Award, and ITVS grant. Elika is thrilled to have been accepted to the highly esteemed Karen Schmeer Editing Fellowship. This will allow her to work with some of the industry's most influential professionals and gain valuable editing experience in the documentary world. Also, as a writer and director, Elika has won the best short film at New Jersey Film Festival 2023 for “Fereshteh” and made it as a finalist at the Amarcort and the Norwegian Short Film Festival. Her other notable achievements include editing the short documentaries "Conducting The Revolution" and "Lot 448", both of which were collaborative works between Tribeca and Bvlgari, and “Jews Step Forward” a feature documentary that won Best Human Rights, War & Peace Documentary Feature Award and Winner Award of Merit, Best Documentary Feature from Mexico International Film Festival.