Jessica W. Chen, the co-producer, is a Taiwanese-American producer, screenwriter, and actress. Originally from Rockville, MD, Jess's work explores themes of identity, love, womanhood, and becoming an adult. After graduating from St. Mary's College of Maryland with a double major in English and Asian Studies, Jess moved to Taipei, Taiwan, where she reconnected with her roots and tried her hand at producing, screenwriting, and acting. There, she founded Lil Swimmers Productions, a Taipei-based film production company. After six years abroad honing her skills, Jess relocated back to the U.S., where she founded Re-Casting the Movies, a non-profit that promotes diverse casting and media representation. While at LIU Brooklyn pursuing a TV Writing and Producing MFA, Jess created Drama High, a romantic comedy series and love letter to Asian dramas. Jess currently lives in Queens, NY, where she's finally found a home.
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Woo Ae Yi wrote, directed, produced, and acted in Something About Roxy in 1998, along with being the location manager, wardrobe stylist, property master, and FX coordinator. Yi also acted in The Taming of the Shrew in 2001, a high school theatrical performance. Yi’s next project is writing a TV show for nonbinary/GNC adult adoptees and people of color (POCs).
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Based in Panama City, Panama originally from sunny California, Brittany DeVries is founder and producer at Seedling Media Productions "planting seeds, growing ideas..." passionate about impact filmmaking and the use of media as a catalyst for change. Her award-winning work released internationally include short documentaries DEAR PANAMA (2012), A WORLD WITHOUT ORPHANS (2015), consultant producer of feature documentary LOST KITES (2016), co-producer of short film A SECOND HOME (2019) and producer of narrative features PENDING FILE (Stowe Story Lab Selection), SCARS OF AN ORPHAN and CHACALERIA (2020 Panama Film Fund Winner, MAUCC Selected Project) in various stages of development.
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Robert J. Atton is a producer, 2nd assistant director, set designer, special effects makeup artist, and key grip. Robert is a firm believer in God and grew up with the church in his life. Starting at 14 years old in the eighth grade, his youth group did a haunted house to raise money for the church and youth group trips. After that, he was in his fantasy world, and this is where his start of Special Effects Makeup began. Next, in his Freshmen year, he got hooked on Screenwriting; after seeing Scream and Dawson's Creek. Robert graduated from Alan B. Shepard High School, Palos Heights, Illinois (1997 - 2001), then went onto The Illinois Center for Broadcasting (2012 to 2013) and Flashpoint Chicago, A campus of Columbia College Hollywood, Chicago, Illinois, (2018 - 2020). He has an Associate of Applied Science in Film.
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J.E. Hertel, Line Producer, Unit Production Manager and location scout (WI), grew up in small town USA and is the daughter of an attorney and community organizer/homemaker. Her specific love of avant-garde theater led her to be a member of the legendary Living Theatre in NYC. She received her Master of the Arts from NYU and three of her plays (Reform, Being, and Text/Love Love/Text) have had runs in off-off Broadway theaters. She has produced features, shorts, TV pilots, acted in a variety of film/TV/theater projects, and directed/written for both film and theater. She loves being a storyteller in whatever capacity fits with the project.
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The style of Michael Givens’ work is the summation of a life’s study of visual arts as a director, cinematographer, and painter. His understanding of the human as an art form has grown from his distinctive understanding of the language of acting, developed over decades of research and refinement. Michael’s style engages all the senses to interpret and tell a story from a timeless and sophisticated point of view.
Director/Cinematographer Michael Givens has earned an international reputation for creating memorable stories through compelling images. A graduate of Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, Michael established his career as a photographer in the fashion and music industries before progressing into the film industry. There he became the cinematographer of choice for such noted directors as Sir Ridley Scott, Stephen Frears, Philip Borsos, Sean McNamara, Ron Maxwell and Peter Smillie. Michael’s directorial debut was at Sir Ridley Scott’s famed production company – RSA. His credits include over 70 feature films and 1,000 television commercials. Michael’s work is clarified and grounded by his years of creative work abroad. The majority of his films have been created in the far corners of the globe. Success has relied on his abilities to elegantly speak across cultures through his Timeless, Sophisticated, Intelligent, and Current style. |
Evan Bowen is the Production Designer and Boom Operator known for Ape Canyon (2019) and Panoply.
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Jane Daniel, set dresser, is a midwestern-born, Colorado raised artist and designer. She thrives in ideation and creating with her hands. She is fluent in Sketchup, Layout and VRAY. As well as applications like Photoshop, Illustrator and AutoCAD. She graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design with a BFA in Set Design and Art Direction. She currently resides in Atlanta, Ga. doing freelance art department work.
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Kathy Friend is the key hair and makeup artist, costume designer, and location scout. Kathy's background includes time as as art director with expertise in advertising campaigns. Her discerning eye, natural instinct, and collaborative attitude are highly valued among her clients. Kathy and her team (she lovingly refers to as her "Glam Squad") have styled, held model calls, produced and managed nearly 100 fashion shows of all sizes in the Midwest.
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Nick Messersmith (Fight Choreographer) was born in Seongnam, South Korea on July 24, 1985. He was adopted and came to the United States on July 1, 1986, just shy of his first birthday. In 2009 Nick graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Film. While in college Nick was a regular cast member of a University TV show called Fallout where Nick played the role of Zach Chang. The show ran for 3 years and is considered one of the best shows in the history of the University. It was at this time Nick realized how fun acting was and began acting. In the Summer of 2010 Nick was offered to do Fight Choreography and a small role in the movie Kung Fu Graffiti in which Nick accepted. In 2011 Nick began directing his first full length Action film entitled A "Brief" Case. Nick wrote and also played a role in this film as well.
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Amanda Edwards is the Intimacy Coordinator and Mental Health Practitioner. Amanda studied dance, theater, choreography and education while appearing onstage at the Oriental Theater, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, and internationally at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. While in college, Amanda felt called to pursue mental healthcare, obtaining a Masters of Science degree in Counseling and becoming a Certified Yoga and Meditation Teacher specializing in Somatic and Attachment healing with attunement to the Autonomic Nervous System. For over a decade, Amanda worked in the nonprofit sector, providing therapy, case management, and support to women and children with trauma. She still serves clients with trauma and other mental health conditions in her private practice located in Parker, Colorado. In 2020, Amanda decided to unite her love of acting and choreography (having now expanded into film, print and commercial work) with her knowledge of trauma, somatic awareness, the body and its boundaries, and client advocacy to embrace the new role of Intimacy Captain and Coordinator. These days, Amanda can be found onset and stage in any number of roles: actor, singer, dancer, voiceover artist, Intimacy Captain, Choreographer, Coordinator.
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Author, composer and performer, Thibaut Falgairette, born in 1984 in Marseille, France, began as a child as a classical training pianist then pursued a guitar apprenticeship.Former student of the ATLA school of Paris, he made his weapons with masters such as Claude Worms, Alexis Didier, Renato Velasco, or Jacques Labarriere. During this time, he went deeper in theory, harmony and instrumental techniques, continuing his program of thesis in classical literature at The Sorbonne and then at University of Lausanne. He studied guitar and harmonics with André Decosterd before passing an AVCEM degree in harmony at the Jazz School of Lausanne : EJMA. Besides composing music for films, podcasts and TV, he composed three albums of a Tetralogy project called : Sounds of Life. The last album is in production.
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Jamie Coleman has been composing, producing, songwriting, arranging, and performing in the music industry for over 20 years. Leaving the recording industry in 2014 to solely focus on the film industry, Jamie has scored feature films, short story films, documentaries, as well as web series. In 2003, Jamie migrated to Atlanta, Georgia where he has provided music beds and commercials for two of Atlanta’s hottest radio stations, V-103 and Hot 107.9. Jamie has worked with R&B, Hip-Hop, and Gospel artists and producers on a national level including but not limited to, Hip-Hop groups The Youngbloodz & Jim Crow, Gospel group The Scott White Family, R&B singer Sterling Simms, and Bad Boy producer Joe Howell. In addition to composing for film, Jamie’s education in history also allows him to provide historical consultation to screenwriters and film directors during the research stage of a project. Currently, Jamie is working on a Christmas movie to be aired on BET in November 2022. Jamie Coleman is a highly motivated composer, producer, and consultant, who can create original top quality music for films, television, and artists of today.
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EJ Seeley specializes in social media/online marketing consulting and publicity for artists and entertainers around the globe. She has clients in the U.S., Switzerland, and Australia, which makes her work so much fun! She's been in business since 2008. Social media consulting and press releases/publicity are the most popular services her company offers but occasionally she'll enter into other fun ventures with clients. Why does she do this? Because she LOVES it! She is excited to help clients reach their highest potential through online marketing and spreading the word about their amazing work! What else? She sits on the board of Women in Film and Media Colorado (WIFMCO), and she writes for several local publications, as well as promotes people via abundant business connections.
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