TAMARA RIVAS
Executive Producer
(Mother of Dakota, Executive producer, Producer)
MY STORY
My name is Tami, and one of the most meaningful roles in my life is being Dakota’s mom.
From an early age, Dakota had a creative spark. I still remember when a six-year-old Dakota caught a glimpse of The Exorcist and ran straight back to bed, convinced horror wasn’t for them. Years later, that same child bravely pressed play on Freddy vs. Jason—and everything changed. What started as fear turned into fascination, not just with watching films, but with understanding how they were made.
I watched Dakota dive into classics like Halloween and A Nightmare on Elm Street, pursue acting through school and local theater, and eventually follow a deeper calling into filmmaking. The journey hasn’t been easy. There were financial struggles, setbacks, and moments that could have stopped the dream—but they didn’t.
Supporting Dakota has meant believing in the vision even during the pauses. Seeing Dakota re-enroll at Full Sail University and work toward a degree in Digital Cinematography has been one of my proudest moments.
I may not stand behind the camera, but I proudly stand beside it—as a constant source of love, encouragement, and belief. Watching Dakota turn fear into passion and passion into purpose has been an incredible journey, and I will always be there cheering every step of the way.
Favorite Scary Movie(s): Old School Horror, like Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on elm street.
Favorite Video game's: Anything on the Atari, Like old school Donkey Kong, or Sonic.
(I Love my Family, My Children, and Grand Daughter!)
The first haunted house I went to was The haunted Barn.
I was in summer theater in High School. Nothing scary. The music man, the king and I.
