Mission Statement
PictureStoryStudio(s)
Is a New York-born independent narrative film production company built without institutional backing or industry shortcuts.
We learned by working our butts off, by experiencing some wins and loses and always getting right back up.
We Believe
Storytelling is one of the oldest traditions and should serve the people; not the corporations or the gatekeepers.
We Exist
Because we didn’t see ourselves reflected in the stories being told — or in who was allowed to tell them.
We Are
Not here to fit in. We’re here to make the work undeniable.
The Team
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Natasha Rivera is a Nuyorican Writer/Director/Producer with a passion for complex characters and genre-driven storytelling. A lifelong “Harry Potter Kid” and musical theatre nerd, she thrives in magical realism, coming-of-age tales, and stories that tackle mental health, strong female leads, and generational trauma—all with a twist. With 15+ years wrangling productions like Black Rabbit, Fallout, and Mrs. Maisel, three DGA nominations, and a scrappy indie spirit, she’s here to shake up the narrative and mainstream landscape. Super professional, resourceful, and efficient—her work looks high-end, even when budgets aren’t- and for now, they usually aren’t. She co-runs Picture Story Studios, co-hosts a filmmakers’ podcast, and somehow finds time to run a filmmaker’s network and raise a puppy. The training to run a studio has got to start somewhere, right?
With 15+ years in the trenches as a 1st & 2nd Assistant Director (Black Rabbit, Fallout, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Natasha has three DGA nominations under her belt and a knack for making chaos look effortless. But let’s be real—she’d rather be directing her own work. That’s why she co-runs Boiling River Productions, a boutique indie film company focused on bold, dynamic storytelling.
Natasha is super professional, efficient, and resourceful. Despite working with scrappy budgets, her projects always look polished—because if you’re going to make something, make it look expensive. Not one to wait for permission, she co-hosts a filmmakers’ podcast, leads an international writers’ group, and founded Runt of the Litter Film Festival—a platform for self-funded filmmakers tired of the festival runaround. Her work has screened at 40+ festivals, been featured on ABC Latino, and distributed on Next Found Artist. CANNON, her Puerto Rican superhero series (seven years in the making, but who’s counting?), was an Official Selection for Stowe Story Labs 2023.
When she’s not making movies, she’s traveling, devouring books, and sipping tea with her creative/life partner, Seamus, and their fur child, Mowgli—because every protagonist needs a loyal sidekick.
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Seamus Boyle is a New York–based actor, writer, director, and producer — and depending on the day, a half-decent cook, a full-time firefighter, and a relentless problem-solver with a dark sense of humor and a sharp eye for character.
His recent acting credits include The Madrid (Off-Broadway), Royal Pains (USA), I Killed My BFF: The Preacher’s Daughter (Lifetime), and The Godfather of Harlem (Epix).
Seamus wrote and directed Pedicab — winner of the Peekskill Film Festival Audience Favorite Award — the first short from Picture Story Studios, which he co-founded with his wife, Natasha. He also penned Archive & The Storyteller, a sci-fi rom-com that received multiple grants and screened at more than 25 film festivals worldwide.
In 2023, his original TV pilot Cannon was selected for Stowe Story Labs. He’s currently developing Cooking, Taxes, and How to Handle Death, a satirical dark-comedy feature with musical elements.
A working firefighter for the FDNY, Seamus brings the same intensity, teamwork, and humanity he’s found on the job to every story he tells on screen. With a background in anthropology, he approaches filmmaking as the study of human behavior — using story to dissect, humanize, and occasionally roast the way we live. His work blends grit, heart, and a no-nonsense New York edge.