Stanley grew up on the Navajo Reservation, in Indian Wells, Arizona. Growing up, when he was not tending to chores or herding sheep for his grandparents, Stanley spent time playing with his siblings and cousins. Stanley’s imagination bloomed, and with the family’s small 19-inch television and the creation of the VCR, he became an avid viewer of film and television. He enjoyed everything, especially comedies, horror and science fiction. It was not until his parents dragged him to see Dances With Wolves, at the local cinema two hours away, off the reservation, did Stanley realize that movies could be so much more. At the time, the emotions that particular film evoked spoke to him differently, unlike anything had ever before.
In 1999, Stanley obtained a Bachelors in Mathematics from Arizona State University. He worked at the university for a couple of years utilizing that degree but moved on, as Stanley realized his calling was elsewhere. For the next decade and a half, he worked odd jobs before making a plan to pursue his dream of being a filmmaker. In 2016, Stanley uprooted his life and moved to Denver to attend Colorado Film School. After three years, he graduated in Writing/Directing for Motion Picture. During his time there, Stanley worked on numerous projects, in a variety of positions, as well as directed seven of his own films, which he wrote and produced. At the start of 2020, Stanley relocated to Albuquerque, seeking opportunity in the growing film and television industry in New Mexico. As it did for the rest of the world, the pandemic delayed his plans. Stanley was a recipient of the Senator John Pinto Native Filmmakers Memorial Fund, at this time, and as a result he was able to complete post production on his college thesis film Together, which completed principal photography during his final year at film school. Together had its world premiere at the Phoenix Film Festival and went on to showcase at the American Indian Film Festival, LA Skins Film Fest and the Santa Fe Film Festival, to highlight a few. At Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival his film was bestowed with the distinction of Festival Favorite, and at the 10th Annual Native American Media Awards, Stanley won the prestigious Achievement in Student Filmmaking Award. As many are aware, a streaming deal for any short film is rare, for a student short film it is unheard of, and Stanley was elated with pride that Together captured a streaming deal with GayBingeTV, where it debuted February 2022. Furthermore, in 2023, Together was curated and now showcases on the streaming service Skinsplex. Being a filmmaker provides the opportunity to tell a good story with great characters to provide that escape, or even make an impact beyond that escape, on someone else’s life, as it did for Stanley. Ultimately, Stanley’s goal is to tell the stories he wants to see on screen, stories that no one is telling and hopefully elevate others with similar goals.