LOS ANGELES, California–Asian American Actress actress Joanna Ke is exploding onto the “indie” (independent movies) scene with one film currently in theaters, two in post, and another one about to start.

These are “The Crypt,” “Avé Maria” and “Villikon Chronicles: Genesis of Evil.” And later this fall, Joanna will begin production as the title role in the comedy short “Trixie Woo.” When a lonely geek hires an unlucky escort, the most improbable pairing might just result in a perfect match.

Remarked Joanna: “What I really like about working on indie films is it’s a very laid-back atmosphere. Everybody on-set can joke around with each other and no one’s taking themselves too seriously, but at the same time everyone is focused and professional when it comes time to work because we’re all there for the project.”

Joanna is trying to escape alive in the horror film, “The Crypt,” currently in limited theatrical release and released on DVD last month. She will again be fighting for her life in the thriller “Avé Maria,” scheduled for release next year after hitting the festival circuit.

Joanna brings a graphic novel series character to life in the film adaptation “Villikon Chronicles: Genesis of Evil,” created by Bryan J. Kinnaird. Originally drawn as a pair of eyes in the sci-fi serial, Ke fleshes out the ship’s computer into the fully-realized character, Sector Holo Command Chief Kymri Tryon.

Executive producer Kinnaird said, “Joanna was absolutely striking on the set as the holographic template for the military's Advanced Warning Network. Her character was derived from the pages of Villikon Chronicles Book #1. We were lucky to find an actress who would accommodate such a small role and become what had only been glimpsed as hauntingly seductive eyes in the series. Joanna was perfect!”

Joanna dreamed of becoming an actress, but always believed she was too shy for a career in front of the camera. So, after graduating high school, the Houston native moved to Arizona to study digital media production at the Art Institute of Phoenix. It wasn’t until some fellow classmates convinced her to act in some of their projects that Joanna put her fears aside and changed her creative direction.

She began studying acting, booked some professional jobs and quickly earned a stellar reputation in the acting community in Arizona. Earlier this year, she landed a role opposite Sarah Chalke and Leisha Hailey in the Lifetime television miniseries “Maneater,” directed by Timothy Busfield, and based on the book of the same name by Gigi Levangie.

It was immediately after this production that Ke made the decision to move to Los Angeles. She hasn’t stopped working since. Scottie Ward at Coast Creative Management currently represents Joanna. For more about her, visit: www.JoannaKe.com.

She’s busy and versatile. Last month, Joanna performed on stage in “8 Shades of Alice,” a play by Layon Gray based on his award-winning play “Diary of a Catholic School Dropout.” Venue was the Whitmore-Lindley Theatre Center in North Hollywood.