Red Crane Productions strives to make meaningful films that celebrate the artistic nature of the medium and address important social issues, serving as a catalyst for discussion. The crane represents honor, longevity and soaring spirit to cultures worldwide, and the origami symbols of Red Crane demonstrate how, with a little creativity and perseverance, we can produce something beautiful.

DIRECTOR / PRODUCER

Lajwanti (Laj) P. Waghray was selected for Milwaukee Film’s Focus Finders, a storytelling accelerator for emerging filmmakers. In 2022, she received a grant from Milwaukee Film’s Brico Forward Fund and accepted Marquette’s 2022-23 Emerging Filmmaker Fellowship. Waghray produced two experimental films in nature as an artist-in-residence for ARTservancy. She produced a 2-minute film: Together, Alone (2020) documenting one doctor’s experience during the pandemic.

Also in process is Searching for Sparrows, a feature-length documentary addressing the disappearance of bird habitats caused by rapid urbanization in Hyderabad, India. She pitched this film at the Tribeca Film Festival (2017) and was a DVID fellow at Kartemquin Films (2014). She is finishing production on a short film, Arthur Byas, which examines how a racialized justice system affects the lives of Black Americans.

In 2018, She directed a 75-minute non-linear narrative, On Hands, which calls attention to an essential way of experiencing the world — by using our hands. In 2012, She directed and produced Sleepovers, a coming-of-age film highlighting four suburban Milwaukee girls during three sleepovers over the course of 10 years. Her earlier works include Janet Fitch’s three-part series, Guns, Grief, and Grace in America (co-director, 2009) and Ramon Rivera-Moret’s On Calloway Street (co-producer, 2008).

In addition to her film work, she co-founded Didi, which aims to end violence against women and serves on the board of Lynden Sculpture Garden.

CO-PRODUCER/ CINEMATOGRAPHER

Ramon Rivera-Moret is an award-winning experimental filmmaker. His films have been shown at Anthology Film Archives; Millennium Film Workshop; The Queens Museum of Art; PBS; and film festivals including the Chicago Latino, Ann Arbor, San Francisco Art Institute, and Athens International. He has received awards from the National Endowment for the Arts / American Film Institute, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Jerome Foundation, the Puerto Rico Institute of Culture, the Puerto Rico Film Development Fund, the Independent Television Service (ITVS), and the Amherst Art Series fund. Rivera-Moret is currently a visiting assistant professor in the Film and Video Department at Pratt Institute and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Katie Boulden has been editing and writing professionally in print media for more than 22 years. With projects that range from editing an autobiographical book to writing promotional materials to producing the letters to the editor section of a daily metropolitan newspaper, she specializes in helping writers and speakers deliver a clear message without compromising each individual’s unique voice. Boulden, who was part of the “Sleepovers” team, calls Milwaukee, Wisconsin, home.

MARKETING ADVISOR

Saniya W Tyagi is a product manager with a deep marketing vein, with experience across fintech, startup, and media sectors. She currently works at Capital One, creating engaging experiences for new and existing customers. Previously, Saniya led global marketing strategy efforts at The Walt Disney Studios, with campaign work spanning Marvel, Disney Animation, and Disney Live Action films. In addition to working with Red Crane Films, Saniya consults for Career Contessa, a platform catalyzing career growth for women across industries. She holds a Wharton MBA and is a Babson College alum, graduating both with a focus in marketing & business strategy. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching dance classes via her brand 'Dance with Saniya'.