Global Storytelling Took Priya Amritraj ’15 from Pomona College to the Hollywood Hills

For Priya Amritraj ’15, Pomona College was more than a place of learning — it helped shape her voice as a storyteller and creator of global stories that matter.

As a student, she could not have imagined that an immersive independent study project would help serve as the genesis of her current work. Today, Amritraj brings to life female-centered stories and showcases diverse cultural experiences as the Head of Film and Television at Hyde Park Entertainment Group, one of Hollywood’s premier independent entertainment companies.

Now, Amritraj is being recognized as the 2025 Inspirational Young Alumni honoree, an award given by the Alumni Association to Sagehens who have graduated in the last decade and who show dedication, perseverance and promise in their careers.

“My time at Pomona was really one of the most special experiences in my life, and it shaped how I view the world around me,” she says.

Amritraj’s career journey has been marked by a passion for storytelling that centers culturally rich narratives — an ethos she aims to bring to every project. After beginning her career at Participant Media, she joined Hyde Park eight years ago and now oversees the creative development and production of a diverse portfolio of projects, with a focus on global stories and cross-cultural collaborations.

When she remembers her time as a student, Amritraj says she recalls how Pomona allowed her to explore different areas and perspectives. Today, she approaches her work the same way. “I have carried this outlook with me throughout my career, striving to pursue each project with an investigatory spirit and open mind,” Amritraj says.

Amritraj says some of her academic experiences were particularly formative to her career. An immersive independent study project, which focused on analyzing Japanese cinema and photography as well as practical production, gave her the opportunity to explore areas she was deeply curious about.

Andrew Long, a visiting assistant professor of media studies at Pomona, says he immediately noticed Amritraj’s highly developed critical and analytical approach to film and media in their first class together. But he says he best remembers “her humility and genuine enthusiasm for film. She was truly a special student.”

Though Amritraj graduated with a bachelor’s degree in media studies, Pomona provided far more than academic enrichment. Aside from playing on the Pomona-Pitzer Women’s Tennis team, she also joined the Claremont Entertainment Mafia, where her passion for storytelling flourished. One of her most cherished memories was her Orientation Adventure trip to Yosemite National Park, which she says helped forge lifelong friendships. “It’s experiences like these that help Pomona students grow beyond the classroom,” she says.

For Amritraj, that growth led her beyond the College Gates to soundstages and studios in Los Angeles, where she is committed to bringing more global stories to cinematic life and exploring themes that have a bearing on the world. She is also passionate about her current work at Hyde Park, which includes “The Joy Luck Club 2,” a sequel to the 1993 movie that explored relationships between Chinese-American women and their mothers, and “Hip Hop Cop,” an adaptation of the sequel memoir novel to BlacKkKlansman, with 50 Cent for Hulu TV.

“Every project is a different puzzle that requires creative thinking, problem-solving and empathetic collaboration — foundational skills that I got from Pomona,” she says.

Visit our website to read more about the 2025 Alumni Award honorees.