Biography of
Kristina Lloyd
Director
Born in Los Angeles County, Kristina was raised primarily in San Diego and began her studies Santa Barbara City College where she received two A.A. degrees, the first in Small Business Management and the second in Liberal Studies, and became a member of Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society. In 1996, Kristina was awarded the Business Student Achievement Award for her excellent scholastic achievement and outstanding service to the community. In addition to her interest in business, she attended classes in the theatre department with an emphasis in acting.
Kristina was accepted into the prestigious School of Theatre at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where her main focus was acting and directing. Under the tutelage of Professor Michael Hackett, her directing skills were honed and she received an invitation without application to participate in master’s level classes while still an undergraduate. She graduated summa cum laude in 1999.
Her largest undertaking and proudest work to date in the theatre was 2003’s critically acclaimed production of Samuel Beckett’s classic Endgame at the Odyssey Theatres, which she also produced under the production company she co-founded in 2002, Gryphon Entertainment, Inc., starring partner Nicholas F. Leland. This production ran for ten weeks and was chosen as an LA Times Critic’s Choice, Backstage West Critic’s Pick, and was Recommended by the LA Weekly, which is quite a feat for a work by Beckett. She was also recognized by the managing editor of Backstage West Magazine as one of her four top theatre directors for the year on the Critic’s List for 2003.
In addition, Kristina has directed many other productions in LA since 2001 including several world premieres, a musical, staged readings, benefit theatre and student outreach theatre at several well-known theatres around Los Angeles working with many amazing playwrights and theatre companies in the city.
Kristina’s desire to direct expanded to filmmaking, and in December 2003 she began a documentary about her mother who is an English teacher in China, which is still in progress. In the narrative realm, her most current short film, 11-44, is currently on the festival circuit, premiering as an official selection at the Amelia Island Film Festival in Florida in 2010. Other film projects include the short film WEDDING FOR ONE, the black and white silent film THE MUSE, and the funny short HONEY, I’M HOME. Her film WEDDING FOR ONE was chosen as an official selection and premiered at the Poppy Jasper Film Festival in 2008.
In her spare time, Kristina works with busy actress Sheila Kelley at her S Factor Studios in LA where she teaches everyday women the art of the tease, movement therapy and pole dancing.
In addition, Kristina is an avid photographer and workout enthusiast and is a monthly volunteer at Claremont Manor Retirement Home and at the Casa Colina Rehabilitation Center.