Deanna Orlando is an award-winning and well-nominated filmmaker, actor and screenwriter based in London, UK.

Deanna’s goal is to tell stories that feel human, honest and alive. Stories that stay with you, see you and don’t shy away from the wonderful complexity of identity, healing and growing up. 

Born and raised in Toronto with Italian roots, she has been performing from a young age and grew up surrounded by a deep love of cinema — films taught her how to feel things fully, and performing gave her the language to express them.

Deanna began performing in theatre before going on to study Screen Acting & Filmmaking at Met Film School in Ealing Studios. This gave her an intimate understanding of the filmmaking process and sparked her passion for writing, expanding her practice beyond acting and into story creation. She gained experience in screen acting through short filmmaking, immersive performance and musical theatre, shaping her into a collaborative, instinct-led creative. 

Deanna is drawn to stories that live in the emotional in-between - the messy space between longing, connection and becoming.

In 2024, she wrote and starred in the short film Last Spark, winning Best Acting at the London 48 Hour Film Festival, with the film going on to win Best Film for London and compete internationally. 

Alongside her work as an actor and writer, Deanna is passionate about storytelling in all its forms. Her work has expanded into script editing, creative direction, and, now, directing, culminating in her directorial debut on a short film created for Mental Health Awareness Month in 2026.

She is currently developing her debut narrative short film and enjoys collaborating with fellow creatives to shape and strengthen stories from concept to screen.