Creator Spotlight: Karen Stefano

From Actress to Creative Force: Telling Human Stories Rooted in Faith

Karen Stefano has been performing for over three decades, but it wasn’t until recently that she truly began to see herself as a filmmaker – a creator with a voice not just meant to be cast in someone else’s story, but powerful enough to build new ones from the ground up.

Karen Stefano

“I’ve been acting for over 30 years,” she says. “But there came a point when the roles just stopped coming.” It wasn’t due to lack of talent or drive. As she candidly describes it, she was in the “in-between” zone of an industry that often sidelines women at a certain age – too old for young roles, too young for older ones. Like many women in film and television, Karen faced a system that didn’t seem to know what to do with her. But rather than accept invisibility, she made herself visible.

Looking for a new way forward, she began exploring screenwriting programs – searching for something that could align with her values and work around her life as a single mother. She eventually enrolled in a faith-based online master’s program that gave her the structure and focus she needed.

It didn’t take long before a lightbulb went off: “Why don’t I write something for me and for my friends – especially the ones who aren’t getting seen, who are being overlooked because of our skin tone, our age, our roles in the industry?” And so, her first short film was born.

A no-budget short that went worldwide

Karen didn’t have a budget. What she did have was community: a sound guy from church, a camera operator from the media team, a producer from the choir. “I told them, ‘I can’t pay you,’ and they said, ‘That’s okay. We want to help you.’” The short was created with heart and grit. And though she didn’t expect much, a friend encouraged her to submit it to a few festivals. To Karen’s surprise, it got in. Not just in – but it won. Then it was picked up for online distribution. And before she knew it, this tiny short film created by a group of passionate volunteers was streaming in 22 countries.

That success set the stage for what would come next: her first feature film, After the Wait. Made on a shoestring $20,000 budget, Karen turned the short into a full-length story and brought her cast and crew along for the ride. “I still didn’t know exactly what I was doing, but I knew we had something special,” she says. The film resonated widely, especially among women. Its raw, relatable depiction of a woman navigating love and faith sparked over 1.9 million views on YouTube alone.

A look behind the scenes of Karen’s filmmaking journey

A New Kind of Production Model

That first short film didn’t just launch her film career – it also became the beginning of her production company, founded in 2018. For Karen, the move into producing wasn’t just about ownership. “I wanted to create a space where I could keep making work and also invite others in,” she explains. Her company allows her to retain creative control, tell the stories that matter to her, and lift up others along the way.

Karen’s work is deeply rooted in faith, but not in the way you might expect. “I’m a Christian. That’s my lens,” she says. “But I don’t preach at people. My characters go through real things – grief, love, betrayal, doubt – and faith is simply a part of how they process life.”

This nuanced approach allows her films to be both specific and universally relatable. “Even if you don’t believe what I believe, you can still connect with the characters.”

She’s now finishing post-production on a web series that continues the story from After the Wait, and she’s written two new feature scripts, one of which pushes her outside her creative comfort zone. “I want to show that I have range and not just in romatic drama.”

Official Trailer for After the Wait

Collaboration, Not Competition

Karen’s ethos is grounded in generosity. She’s given her time, her home, and her connections – all freely and without ego. “People poured into me, so I pour into others. That’s just how it should be.” Whether mentoring a young writer adapting a short story or guiding a first-time director, Karen leads with compassion, humility, and honesty. But she also urges creators to be realistic. “Respect people’s time. Communicate clearly. Don’t expect miracles in three days,” she laughs.

What’s clear throughout her journey is that Karen doesn’t believe in gatekeeping. She believes in lifting others up, especially women of color, and especially those exploring faith-driven or values-led stories in a space that often sees such work as niche.

To aspiring women creators, Karen offers this: “Just do the thing. Start with what you have. Find people who believe in your vision. And be someone who shows up for others.”

At HerVoice Media, we’re proud to spotlight creators whose work amplifies voices, bridges cultures, and invites us into quiet, powerful stories. If you want your work to be featured, please fill in this registration form.