Los Angeles-raised and -based Heather Hillstrom’s early life was defined by more trauma and loss than one person should probably get, which she chalks up to some sort of divine paperwork error. Movies were a welcome escape, but her dream of filmmaking was almost destroyed when she suddenly developed a blind spot in one eye. Through determination and a heavy reliance on monitors, she persevered. She studied film production and screenwriting at Cal State Northridge and furthered her education and training through On the Page, Script University, and Roadmap Writers. Her writing portfolio includes DVD/Blu-ray bonus features for Paramount’s RANGO and Disney’s LOST, nearly all the content for the latter’s companion website Lost University, and a campaign video that helped a local councilwoman get elected.

Heather’s darkly comic scenarios—an action comedy centered on an emotional abuse survivor, boxers fighting a man dressed as Jesus— incorporate a focus on the relationships that get her heroes through it: family, friendships, and marriages. For her dramatic short film THE KING IN THE RING, Heather proudly received five top awards including a Grand Jury Prize, and her romantic dramedy feature script HIT OR STAND was a Second Rounder at Austin Film Festival and a PAGE Awards quarterfinalist. Heather uses storytelling and humor to steer experiences like hers toward a brighter outcome, a skill she hopes to pass on to her elementary-age daughter and her pet turtle, Oscar.