American Alien
dir. Jay Encina
2021
Running time: 13 min.
Film
American Alien is an observational film chronicling the journey of the filmmaker to become an American citizen. Fearing that he will be targeted by the aggressive deportation campaign of the Trump administration and be separated from his loved ones, the filmmaker attempts to go through the process of naturalization, hitting one roadblock after another. With the added obstacle of a worldwide pandemic, can he reach his goal in time and gain a sense of security for himself and the people he loves?
Jay Encina
Jay Encina is a filmmaker, journalist and video editor. Born in Manila, Philippines, he moved to Columbia, Missouri, USA in 2006. He will be graduating from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a minor in Sociology. After he graduates, Encina hopes to continue making socially-engaging documentary films and become a post-production video editor. Although Encina has made lyric videos and directed YouTube shows for local bands around Columbia, American Alien is his documentary directing debut. He hopes that the film will open the eyes of audience members regarding the bureaucracy immigrants face to become a United States citizen.