Nerris Nevarez-Nassiri is a first-generation writer/director with both Latine and MENASA roots. His first feature screenplay, MO'ALLEM, was an Austin Festival Finalist and earned him a scholarship at the Stowe Story Labs. His second screenplay, NO TE OLVIDES, for which he wrote the script, music, and lyrics to, placed in the 2023 Nicholl Fellowship and won the inaugural Black List Musical Film Fellowship. His latest work, KEY CHANGE, scored the coveted 8 on The Black List and is currently in development.

Beyond writing, Nerris was director and host of the Aputure YouTube channel, which, after getting over 200,000 subscribers, won the YouTube Creator Award for education in filmmaking. His short films have screened at numerous festivals, and his commercial collaborations with Disney, Cirque du Soleil, The Hype House, and The Mighty have garnered over 750 million views.

A UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television graduate, Nerris was founding president of the university's chapter of Delta Kappa Alpha, the nation’s premiere cinematic arts fraternity. Nerris is a 2022 Disruptors Fellow, 2023 Minorities in Film Branded Lab Fellow, and 2023 Theatre Now Musical Writing Lab Fellow.

Beyond filmmaking, Nerris has lived many lives, from piloting airplanes to serving as the photographer for the Mayor of L.A., to performing stand up at The Comedy Store (where he once opened for John Mayer).

Nerris aspires to create compelling coming-of-age musical feature films spotlighting women, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ protagonists who face and overcome adversity, fostering recognition for underrepresented communities in cinema.