Puerto Rican filmmaker Alejandro D. Orengo Colón is a graduate from Savannah College of Arts and Design in Film and Television. His filmmaking style is focused in exploring complex characters and the chaotic lives they choose to live. He’s presented all over the world, From Spain to Mexico, focusing on an International and Hispanic lens.

PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR

Andrea is a storyteller at heart. A former tv journalist, spokesperson and communicator in the humanitarian realm, she believes that stories have the power to create empathy and thus promote real change.

Born and raised in Switzerland, she has worked extensively in post-conflict areas where she has witnessed the long-term effects of armed conflict first-hand.

The topics of war and its consequences on civilians have always been at the heart of her work. Her desire to shed a light on forgotten conflicts and the human cost of geopolitical decisions continues to inform her documentary projects.

Andrea holds a Master’s degree in International Conflict Journalism, a CAS in Press Relations from the Swiss School of Journalism MAZ and a certificate in Documentary Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy.

Austin Bunn is a filmmaker, screenwriter and teacher. A former journalist (for the New York Times Magazine and elsewhere), he wrote the script for the film Kill Your Darlings (Sony Pictures Classics), which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. His short films and documentaries have screened at Frameline (SF), OutFest (LA), InsideOut (Toronto), Provincetown International Film Festival (MA), Sidewalk Film Festival (AL), and elsewhere. He is the author of “The Brink: Stories” (HarperPerennial) and “A Killer Life: How an Independent Producer Survives Deals and Disasters Far from Hollywood”.

Brian Russell grew up in Connecticut. He is a Director and Director of Photography who knows he should focus, but loves all kinds of production. Now in his 50s, he is hoping it isn’t to late to make some movies! He is also thrilled to be part of this father-son writing and directing team.

Sam B. Russell is a filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY where he works professionally as a video editor. Sam writes, directs, and edits narrative short films with the goal of sharing the ideas important to him, exploring the medium’s potential, and connecting with other creative people.

Callie Carpinteri is an award-winning LA based writer/director from South Florida. As a young, female filmmaker, Callie is passionate about telling complex, female driven stories that empower women and inspire conversation.

PRODUCER | WRITER | DIRECTOR
Award-winning screenwriter and veteran Daniel W Smith graduated from George Mason University, the Joint Military Intelligence College, and holds an MFA in both Screenwriting and Producing from the New York Film Academy. Previous work includes 50/10 Saul Turteltaub (2016) | Tahriib (Those Who Travel North) | Landfill | Freedom of Movement Festival (2018) and has two more in production.

David Cortés Sáez is a Puerto Rican filmmaker known for his collaborative approach and creative vision. He graduated from the School of Fine Arts and Design of Puerto Rico (EAPD) with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, specializing in Image and Movement, and holds a minor in Art Education.

In 2023, David was selected for an international residency in direction of photography at the Iberoamerican Center for Studies in Photography, Film, and Animation (CIBEF), further honing his craft.

David’s career began as a video editor at the post-production house “”RenderRoom”” and later as a photojournalist for the “”National Museum of Language.”” He then transitioned to the advertising industry, working at BBDO as a Motion Graphics Designer and Director of Photography for their in-house production company “”Boomerang.””

His work has been recognized with several awards, including Best Original Screenplay at the 48hrs Film Project 2022 for his short film “”El Festival.”” His most notable work, “”Contigo Siempre,”” won Best Film and Best Direction at the 48hrs Film Project 2023 and won the Audience Award at the Filmapalooza 2024 awards in Lisbon, Portugal.

David’s style and approach to filmmaking are rooted in collaboration, leading him to create Murphy’s Studios, a production company that serves as a collaborative space for creative minds. The studio’s process involves developing screenplays at a writer’s table and working together on set to bring the vision to life, aiming to push forward the film industry in Puerto Rico.

Eric is the director of the docu-narrative feature film The Heart of Man, which screened internationally in 800 theaters across 30 countries. He also directed the award-winning documentary Rape for Profit (EP Jada Pinkett Smith) which placed in the top 5 in N. America for dollars grossed per screen during theatrical release. Through his production company Mew Studios, he has directed dozens of documentaries and commercials for international brands like Amazon, Microsoft, and Toshiba.

His latest film, Saturn, an original feature which he wrote and directed, is ready to premiere in 2024.

Gabriel Francis Paz Goodenough is a proud third-generation resident of Baltimore, Maryland. He is passionate about crafting documentaries that challenge conventional narratives about people from places like his hometown. He began his career as a camera assistant on projects such as A BEAUTIFUL MIND, THE SOPRANOS, and HOMICIDE: LIFE ON THE STREETS. He served as a camera operator on the HBO series K STREET and has been a cinematographer on documentaries for PBS, Netflix, and HBO. In 2017 he co-produced the Mexican/United States co-production of the feature documentary AGAVE: THE SPIRIT OF A NATION (SXSW, 2018). From 2018-19 he worked in the Philippines photographing and co-producing Ramona Diaz’s Emmy Award-winning documentary A THOUSAND CUTS (Sundance, 2020) about Nobel Peace Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa. After returning from the Philippines, Gabriel was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer. Treatment for the disease has left him disabled and without full mobility in his right leg. Unable to return to his previous career as a full-time vérité cameraperson, he has kept his passion for documentaries alive by shifting his focus to directing. THE BODY POLITIC represents his first time as a feature documentary director. Gabriel is a magna cum laude graduate of the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and a 2018 Katherine Davis Fellow For Peace and an IDA Enterprise Documentary Fund Grantee and Sundance Institute Documentary Film Program Grantee. He speaks Spanish and has worked on several projects in Latin America.

Guillermo Díaz is an American actor. He is known for films Half Baked, 200 Cigarettes and Stonewall. He is best known for his role as Diego “Huck” Muñoz in the drama series Scandal. Díaz has made appearances on several popular shows like Chappelle’s Show, Law & Order, Weeds, ER, Broad City, and Girls.

James currently resides in Jersey City, NJ, working mainly as a video editor and photographer. Identifying as a queer artist who is constantly discovering himself, James uses filmmaking as an intimate expression of themself and their place in the world. Inspired by filmmakers such as Derek Cianfrance, Claire Denis, and Terrence Malick, James is a lifelong cinephile who looks to tell honest and thrilling stories through grounded characters.

Julien Lasseur is a producer/director well traveled on the short film festival circuit with multiple awards and bushels of “Official Selection” laurels attached to his films (Camden International, Palm Springs International, Mill Valley, Heartland). In 2014, out of over 5,000 submissions, Julien reached the top 10 finalists in HBO’s Project Greenlight director competition. In 2015, Julien produced the Emmy Nominated web-series Everyone’s Crazy But Us for FunnyOrDie. Since 2016, Julien has co-founded a successful production team that produces work for Mercedes, Hyundai, 7Up, and Ram Trucks among other brands. In 2019, Julien won Best Director at Denver’s SeriesFest for his major directorial debut, a series titled Palomino & Swissy with Adaptive Studios.

Lance Harbour is a character artist, illustrator, and animator from El Dorado, Arkansas. Baking and Entering is the second animated short film he has worked on after Corey Reece’s upcoming film, Half-Dead. Lance has always been fascinated with the fantasy genre and expresses this through his years of character design and illustration. He spends time developing his webcomic, playing video games, and taking on commissions as a freelance artist. His favorite pie flavor is chocolate meringue pie.

Cole Keisling is an animation generalist from Memphis, Tennessee. Baking and Entering is the first animated short film he has worked on. Cole has always been fascinated with animation, especially those revolving around animal characters. Ever since watching Pooh’s Heffulump Movie, the first animated film he saw in theaters as a child, he hoped to become an animator. Today, he aims to inspire future youth by creating fun animations. In his spare time, he loves to draw his original characters, play video games, and watch cartoons. He recommends chocolate pie.

Andrew Lacy is an illustrator and animation generalist from Memphis, Tennessee. Baking and Entering will be the second animated short film he’s contributed to, the first being Corey Reece’s upcoming short film Half-Dead, for which he was a character designer and storyboard artist. In his free time, he spends time developing his stories and honing his abilities, with ambitions to become a storyboard artist or pursue a career in voice acting. Blueberry pie is his favorite.

Zach Legaux is a 3D character artist and animator from Maryville, Tennessee. Baking and Entering is the third animated project he has worked on after Corey Reece’s upcoming Half-Dead animated short film and an animated intro for The Ollie Foundation. From a young age, Zach has always been fixated on creating characters and telling their stories. He hopes to go on to model characters for animated productions and games. He loves chicken pot pie.

Brooklynne Scivally is an animator from Antioch, Tennessee. Baking and Entering may be the first animated short film she has worked on, but she is no stranger to animation. Since starting her YouTube channel in 2010, she has been obsessed with making animations and telling stories. She greatly enjoys apple pie.

Leslie Buchbinder is a Chicago-based writer and director, as well as the founder and Artistic Director of Pentimenti Productions, an arts non-profit dedicated to producing, supporting, and exhibiting films about art and artists. Her directorial debut was the award-winning, critically acclaimed “Hairy Who & The Chicago Imagists,” a 2014 documentary chronicling the history and impact of an iconoclastic group of young artists from the School of the Art Institute, often referred to as Chicago’s answer to Pop Art. Slated for release in 2023, Buchbinder’s second feature is “H.C. Westermann: Memorial to the Idea of Man If He Was an Idea,” a 3-D film about artist and marine H.C. Westermann. Executive produced by the international art icon KAWS, the film features the voice of four-time Academy Award nominee Ed Harris, in addition to music by Laurie Anderson & The Kronos Quartet, as well as bespoke music compositions by MacArthur Genius Grant winner, Tomeka Reid, who also worked with Pentimenti on “Hairy Who & The Chicago Imagists”. As Artistic Director of Pentimenti, she has helped expand the organization’s activities to include public screening series, community filmmaking workshops, and a grantmaking program dedicated to supporting work by women, non-binary, and LGBTQ+ filmmakers. Prior to founding Pentimenti, Buchbinder began her career as a professional dancer with companies in Chicago and San Francisco, then pivoted to working in museum & arts public relations at The Kreisberg Group, (New York City), & thereafter established her own arts public relations company in Chicago. For over ten years, her company specialized in local & international communications for clients including Sara Lee Corporation, (sponsor of a series of art museum exhibitions); The Art Institute of Chicago; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; The Arts Club of Chicago; The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago; Marwen Foundation, Chicago; the Israel Museum, Jerusalem; among others. In 2011, she was nominated to the Committee on Prints and Drawings of The Art Institute of Chicago, and to the Advisory Board of the Chicago Film Archives in 2012, and to the Board of Trustees of The Art Institute of Chicago in 2021.

Originally from Edgewater, Maryland, Luke’s first job was working at a movie theater, where one year he saw EVERY movie that came out. He attended the University of South Carolina, where he was able to hone his skills to start a career in video production. Luke lives in Atlanta, Georgia where he has produced, directed and edited several brand ads, live productions and short documentaries for Coca-Cola, ESPN College Gameday and UNESCO.

Lysandra is an Emmy® award-winning director living in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley. She grew up on a farm outside Staunton, VA, and attended Hampshire College in Massachusetts. After graduation, she learned filmmaking by way of producing a documentary about the American Shakespeare Center. In 2007, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film, and for the next decade worked in production on Hollywood features. She co-founded her own company, Deep Structure Productions, in 2014. In 2017, Lysandra relocated herself, her family and company back home to Virginia. As a writer/director, Lysandra has two feature-length films to her name: Bell Canyon, shot in Los Angeles in 2016 and premiering there in 2019; and 500 Fireflies, filmed in Virginia in 2021. She produces and directs the docuseries “Life in the Heart Land” for VPM, which won a Capital Emmy award in 2024 for her episode on farming.

Mallory and Jay are co-CEOs and co-founders of TFA Group, a social impact agency and production studio where they have served as producers, writers and directors on projects ranging from branded content to documentaries.

Mallory is a multi-time American and World record holder, ESPN ESPY award recipient and 5-time Paralympic medalist. In addition to her athletic career Mallory has served as on on-air reporter and host with NBC for the 2018 PyeongChang and 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games. In 2021 she released her memoir, LIMITLESS and has built a career as a motivational speaker.

Jay has a storied career in the sports industry, starting in market research at the NBA prior to his transitioning to athlete representation. Through his personal passion for sport and his professional career in working with brands he has seen first hand the power sport holds to transcend the field of play.

It is through their unique personal perceptive and shared passion that they have built TFA Group. A husband and wife duo who are utilizing their passion to fuel their purpose – creating greater representation for individuals with disabilities. For the two of them, it is personal – Mallory, paralyzed at the age of 18 and Jay taking witness to the inequities that still exist today for the disability community. They have merged their passion for sport and storytelling to drive the conversation forward.

At the core of it, they are intimately aware that we as society form our perceptions based upon our experiences and surroundings and when one of the largest minority demographics is left out of the conversation it fuels inequity for the disability community in our society. Their answer, authentic storytelling in the entertainment industry. Their craft, changing the narrative of how we tell stories of disability.

Matthew R. Brady is a versatile and accomplished director and producer, known for his work across various entertainment mediums. With a career spanning several years, Brady has left an indelible mark on the industry, contributing to numerous successful projects.

Most recently Brady directed American Humane’s inaugural feature documentary, Escape from Extinction, narrated by Dame Helen Mirren. The documentary was #1 doc at the box office in it’s opening week, opened in 100 cities, and continues to win awards and find success internationally and on streaming platforms.

On the producing side, In 2016, Brady made his mark with “”The Night Stalker,”” a festival marking that showcased his producing prowess. This early success paved the way for Brady to work on a diverse range of projects, including “”All I Wish”” in 2017, which featured a star-studded cast including Sharon Stone and Ellen Burstyn.

Continuing his trajectory, Brady lent his talents to “”Back to Life: The Torin Yater-Wallace Story”” in 2018, a documentary that earned critical acclaim for its compelling storytelling and was acquired by ABC and Redbull.

Brady’s portfolio also includes his role as an executive producer on television specials such as “”The Golden Globes””, “”Miss USA 2021″” and “”Miss USA 2022,”” & “”An Unexpected Christmas””, which Variety voted the number 1 Christmas movie of the year.

With a track record of success and a passion for storytelling, Matthew R. Brady continues to make his mark in the entertainment industry, captivating audiences with his diverse range of projects and unwavering dedication to excellence.

Matthew Vargas is a 27 year old Film at Mason alum who currently works professionally as a camera assistant in the film industry. He started film after high school when he grew an interest in creating psychological films. In his college years, he created films very personal to himself and worked for George Mason University’s OSCAR office as a video content creator, where he honed his fundamental skills. He also spent time as a producer for a large student-led documentary project that focused on the USA’s education system. After college, he entered work at a camera rental house as a prep tech and left in 2023 to pursue a career as a freelance camera assistant. Matthew now finds time to create artistic projects when he isn’t pulling focus on the field.

Motoki Otsuka is a Japanese and British commercial film director and producer at Kaleidoscope Productions, a boutique production company. For nine years as their global producer, he has helped companies create branded content aimed at industrial story-telling. Before that, he toured as a drummer in metal bands across the United States. His industrial film and music sensibilities – especially his passion for metal music – serve as the stylistic foundation and inspiration for his debut film about three brothers driven by shared passions for the same.

Nate Henry is a cinematographer and director studying Film and Visual Studies at George Mason University. It’s there, where he is a recipient of the Film at Mason Scholarship for his commitment to excellence in filmmaking. In his time at Mason, he has shot and directed dozens of films, many of which that have gone on to have festival success around the globe. Some of his most notable festival wins were at the Urban Action Showcase, Magic of Horror Festival, Under Five Minute Festival, and James River Short Film Showcase. Outside of narrative film, he has also been the cinematographer for Mason’s Green Machine Pep Band Media Day and a commercial for the nonprofit organization, ALIVE! Food Inc. Additionally, Nate works for offices at George Mason University like University Life, New Student and Family Programs, and GMedia as a videographer and editor.

Nico Casavecchia is an Argentine director, screenwriter and illustrator based in Los Angeles. His work employs mixed media techniques ranging from animation to live action.

His first feature film “Finding Sofía” debuted at the 2016 Austin Film Festival and was distributed domestically by Gunpowder & Sky / Film Buff and is currently available in HULU, among other VOD platforms.

BattleScar, a virtual reality film starring Rosario Dawson, written and co-directed by Nico premiered in Sundance Film Festival 2018. Adi Robertson, from The Verge described the film as done with “Unusual confidence and Sophistication”. BattleScar was covered by Indi Wire, Screen Anarchy, Filmmaker Magazine, among other outlets.

In 2013 Nico directed A Boy and His Atom, a stop-motion animated short film created by IBM Research scientists. It was made by moving carbon monoxide molecules, and is recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s smallest stop-motion film.

Nico’s work has been showcased in Wired, BBC, Indi Wire and New York Times, and film festivals as Sundance, SXSW, Austin Film Festival, BAFICI, Siggraph, Holland film festival, Ars Electronica, among others, and collected Gold and Bronze statues in Cannes, Clio, AICP, and London LIA awards.

Paul grew up making theater at his local theater company where acting was his introduction to storytelling. Today, Paul is emulating his hero’s, Agnès Varda and Steven Soderbergh, directing across platforms in documentary, commercial, narrative, music videos, and theater. Recently he directed “You Have Changed” with Bandits on the Run featuring Tony Award winner John Gallagher Jr. and Morgan Siobhan Green. Recently, his music video, “You Are Not a Ghost” by the Bandits on the Run was featured on NPR’s, Tiny Desk “Top Shelf” series. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Rachel Wolther is a writer and director, featured as one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film. She is an alumna of the Sundance screenwriter’s lab for her script NOBODY NOTHING NOWHERE, which also appeared on the the Black List. Her mid-length film SNOWY BING BONGS is avaible on mubi.com

Robert Kendzie is a writer, director, producer, and publisher making content for print and digital distribution. After several years as a mercenary production staffer in Hollywood, he moved to historic Fredericksburg, Virginia where he spends his hours hunting for inspiration in the region’s dark forests and haunted streets. He is the author of the Dire Destiny graphic novel series, director of award-winning short films, and the Managing Director of the Northern Virginia Motion Picture Co-Op.

Roxy Shih is a Taiwanese-American director who was nominated for best directing at the DAYTIME EMMYS in 2020 for her work on DARK/WEB. She has directed episodes on both seasons of THE HAUNTED MUSEUM, a series produced by Zak Bagans and Eli Roth, which can be viewed on MAX.

Her feature LIST OF A LIFETIME, with Kelly Hu and Shannen Doherty, was acquired by Lifetime and served as their centerpiece film for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The film was nominated for Best Made-For-TV Movie by the 2022 Critic’s Choice Awards and Hollywood Critics Associations Awards.

In 2021, Roxy directed the entire series of Facebook Watch’s MIRA MIRA, a smash-hit seen by over 60 million viewers. The show broke the record for the highest viewed Crypt TV series on Facebook Watch.

In 2019, her second feature, the horror- thriller PAINKILLERS premiered on Hulu. And in 2016, Roxy directed her debut post-apocalyptic thriller, THE TRIBE, which was received well by critics and audiences alike after a successful festival run.

A big champion of her community, Roxy co-founded the Taiwanese American Film Festival in Los Angeles and previously served as the festival director for two years.

Sarah is a queer, neurodivergent writer + director (pronouns- they, them) who uses genre narratives to explore the role of myth in distorting and healing personal and generational trauma. Born and raised in the agricultural community of Alamosa, Colorado, Sarah graduated from NYU’s Tisch, where they also studied Neuroscience and Ancient Religion. In television, Sarah worked as a Writer’s Assistant on Netflix’s BLACK SUMMER, for which they also wrote an episode. They have previously worked on shows at SyFy, Netflix and Amazon (Z-NATION, LORE). Sarah’s magically real pilot – COTTONWOOD – was selected as Series Fest’s Writer’s Initiative’s Grand Prize Winner, presented at IFP’s Project Forum, featured in Deadline as a top un-produced pilot for 2020’s WeForShe List, and is currently in development with Brad Silberling (JANE THE VIRGIN, CHARMED). On the film side, their feature documentary – American Bear: An Adventure in the Kindness of Strangers – screened theatrically across the United States, and can be found online at Amazon, iTunes, and Hulu. Sarah’s short narrative – Hold Your Arms Out – was offered a fellowship at Hewlett-Packard’s inaugural post-production program at Sundance Film Festival, and screened at festivals across the country in 2018. Sarah’s work has been supported by IFP, Women In Film, Series Fest, The Stowe Story Labs, Cinestory, CDDP, Austin Film Festival and more. They are a founding member of THIRD SPACE artist’s collective — a group of artist-activist-witches working to bring about a new America.

Timothy Parsons is a writer/director living in Washington D.C. His prioritization of story and his visual intuition produces images that resonate on a authentic, intimate level. Tim has worked alongside a variety of prominent organizations, from the New York City Ballet to NASA .

Zach Solberg is an American film director and screenwriter. He is known for writing and directing the high school drama/comedy short film Beautyosity (2023). Beautyosity was curated in the Catalogue Marché for the 2023 Cannes Short Film Corner. He works in the film industry and is also known for his work on Doom Patrol (2021), Tales of the Walking Dead (2022) and Kindred (2022). He currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia and holds a bachelor’s degree in Cinema/Television.