WFF2025 Directors Spotter Sheet

Michael Gorman and Donna Daly are co-directors of “The Forty Hour Club”—a theatrical production company dedicated to creating original productions that focus on the social, economic, environmental, and systemic challenges facing working communities, and the paramount issue of sustainability.Michael and Donna co-directed and self-produced the short documentary film A PHANTOM SONG—based on their on-going work with the addiction/recovery and reentry community in their home State of Maine.

Delfine Paolini’s interest in visual arts began when she became engaged in the New York punk scene as a teenager, photographing live shows. She met legendary photographer Mick Rock and gained the opportunity to become his intern. This experience encouraged her to study visual arts as a means to accompany her writing with imagery. Her work was discovered by famed WME agent Johnnie Planco, who set her on a path toward becoming a director.

Spencer Garland is an interdisciplinary artist and educator operating in Portland, OR. His work encompasses animation, video games, and films. Garland has been featured at the Portland Art Museum, BlackStar Film Festival, with upcoming collaborations with the Smithsonian and Xbox. He aims to tell Black stories that have never been told through animation while showing the process of making the project in real-time with his students. Their feedback and questions drive his own personal curiosity.

Mila Lignel is a French director. She grew up in Paris, where she earned a bachelor in philosophy, before changing path and moving to Brussels to study directing at l’INSAS.

Guy Hayout is an animator, illustrator, director and curator. A former New Yorker, he is now based in Haifa, Israel. He was previously Head of the Animation Department at Minshar College of Art. Guy is a creator of animated films, music videos and commercials and participated in the 2019 Winter Film Festival with his graduation film OLD FOLKS.

Clara Gallagher has spent nearly a decade in the film industry and was the Creative Director of Lightfuse & Gettaway, the production company behind Desert Warrior (MBC Studios), The Mosquito Coast (Apple TV+), Captive State (Participant Media, Focus Features), and more, before branching out into her own writing and directing work. She moved to Belgrade, Serbia in 2022 after falling in love with a costume designer on the set of a 7th century desert war epic in Saudi Arabia.

Zinha Morgan-Bennett is a writer/director, a film programmer, and author. Through her narratives, Zinha questions our understandings of apocalypse, kinship, and lives lived in the margins of society. After winning the prestigious Marshall Scholarship in 2020, Zinha trained as a director at Goldsmiths University of London and she's currently developing a number of immersive film and narrative short film projects.

Wooje Chang was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. He studied aesthetics and graduated from Seoul National University. To fulfill his longtime dream of making films, he has been an independent filmmaker since 2018, and has written, directed and worked as a production crew on feature films.

Minkyu Kang is an award-winning director, screenwriter, and editor based in the United States and South Korea. Minkyu's most recent short film, CHILDREN OF LIGHT, won the Grand Prize at the 28th DGA Student Awards and the Focus Features Awards. It's also shortlisted for the 2023 BAFTA Student Awards and the 50th Student Academy Awards Finalist.

Huriyyah Muhammad is an award-winning director, writer and producer whose projects have been invited to the Sundance Film Fest, Tribeca, Outfest, Newfest, AFI, New Voices in Black Cinema, American Black Film Festival and more. Huriyyah is the 2024 HBO Short Film Competition Winner, a 2024 SeriesFest Winner, a Sundance Creative Producing Award Winner, and an alum of the prestigious AFI Directing Workshop for Women (DWW) and the Film Independent Episodic Directing Intensive.

Director Yumi Joung has been creating animation and picture books with her delicate and distinctive pencil drawing technique. In 2009, her animated work DUST KID was invited to screen at Cannes’ Directors Fortnight. In 2013, LOVE GAMES made its world premiere at Berlinale Shorts and won the Grand Prix at Animafest Zagreb. In 2019, Yumi became a member of the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science).

Stacey Maltin is an award-winning filmmaker and performer. She directed, wrote, & starred in the feature film TRIPLE THREAT which, after winning awards on the festival circuit, was distributed by Peacock in 2023. She directed the mini-series MASHED which won best series at Hollyshorts, Nashville Film Festival, and social impact award at Series Fest. Stacey runs the production company Besties Make Movies and the commercial production company WIWU Productions. She is repped by Navigation Media Group.

Minerva Navasca is a Filipina-Canadian filmmaker exploring narratives of cultural dysphoria and girlhood with intimate specificity. Stating, “I want to make films about subjects that make me uncomfortable,” Minerva delves into perspectives steeped in anxiety and internalized shame, using the medium to interrogate the socio-political roots of these beliefs.

Jandro has been involved in the entertainment industry for 30 years. He is the Spanish Champion of Comic Magic and the only person on the planet to have won the prestigious 'Penn & Teller's Fool Us' award in Las Vegas five consecutive times. After spending several years studying filmmaking on his own, he decided to attend the New York Film Academy to study directing. DIG is his first short film as a scriptwriter, director, and producer. But it won't be the last one...

Sarko Meené is an Armenian filmmaker, writer, and multidisciplinary artist. With 16 years as a professional tennis player, she brings discipline and creativity to her storytelling. Her films and artworks have been showcased worldwide, exploring identity, human connections, and nature. Vahan Khachiyan is a filmmaker with 8+ years of experience. Co-founding a video production studio in 2016, he now focuses on filmmaking, believing in the power of storytelling to inspire and connect.

Fraser Byrne is the co-founder of Yeow! Films. He is a self taught filmmaker who has a wealth of experience making action sports films before progressing into documentary. He is passionate about narratives that celebrate personal autonomy, freedom, and self-actualization. His work often spotlights resilient individuals and communities forging unique paths against all odds. His recent work for Red Bull Media House featuring the burgeoning Lagos BMX scene generated over 11 million views.

Alfonso O'Donnell has been a director, editor and director of photography for over 14 years. He has extensive experience in the world of documentary filmmaking and in his career, he has garnered 50 nominations and 10 First Prizes in national and international festivals.

Step C. is an animation director, illustrator, educator and art director based in Hong Kong. She loves to use a variety of media to express the world in her imagination. Her animated short films were screened at festivals around the world. Tommy Ng is an animation director. He directed the animation short ANOTHERWORLD (2019) and won the Japan TBS Digicon6 ASIA Awards Grand Prize.

Xiaoying Su, known as Echo Su, is a New York-based documentary filmmaker specializing in women's rights and social justice. With a journalism background, she has directed, produced, and edited award-winning films like First Saké Brewery in New York and Christian Demarco, featured in festivals like DOC NYC, among others. She holds dual MFA degrees in Social Documentary Film (SVA) and Broadcast Television (CUC) and has taught filmmaking in Yunnan, China.

Rouven Gueissaz is a Swiss TV journalist and filmmaker, working in Bern for the political desk at RTS, the Swiss public TV in French. He has been covering Swiss politics over the past few years, after having spent 6 years in Zurich, as a correspondent for the Swiss French public radio. Rouven, 42, is passionate about people and their stories – what brings them together, what keeps them apart… and why. In 2024, he completed a short term documentary workshop at the New York Film Academy.

Madeline Rose is an MFA Candidate at NYU Tisch's Graduate Film Program, grew up between the US and UK and spent recent years producing and creating in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her international background sparked a deep curiosity for diverse human experiences. A lifelong dancer, she blends creative passion with observational storytelling through film. A 2019 Fulbright Scholar to Argentina, she was named one of "14 filmmakers to watch" and has worked with ARTEtv, NOWNESS, and more.

Esther Casas is a celebrated filmmaker recognized for seamlessly blending metaphorical storytelling with animation, establishing a distinctive cinematic style. Founding Claymaniak Studios, Esther produced three acclaimed short films and commercials, blending traditional animation, stop-motion, and motion graphics. Esther is currently developing her latest short THE MELODY WITHIN and her first feature THE INVISIBLE HEROES, blending her backgrounds as a former scientist and storyteller.

Jasia Ka is an Emmy and Telly Award-winning director. Jasia is best known for her atmospheric music videos, dark comedies, and character-driven documentaries - and always for turning the lens towards rebels and dreamers. She is the creator and director of BRIC-TV original series GIRLS AREN'T FUNNY and independent comedy series BUSHWITCHES.

Alicia J. Rose has directed over 3 dozen music videos for artists like First Aid Kit, Cake and Bob Mould as well as visually branding popular bands like The Decemberists with her imaginative portraiture. Her approach to directing utilizes her unique sense of visual style, grounded emotion and snappy storytelling to deliver authentic narratives that resonate deeply with viewers. She is known for her 2015 web series THE BENEFITS OF GUSBANDRY and 2021 debut feature A KADDISH FOR BERNIE MADOFF.

Nicole Taylor-Roberts is a writer-director who completed the Sony Diverse Director's Program in 2016. An alumna of Columbia University SAO's Film, her short films have won awards and been featured in festivals. Taylor-Roberts has been recognized by The National Foundation for the Arts; the NAACP; ABC - Disney Talent Development; NYWIF; and The Adrienne Shelly Foundation with a nomination for Best Female Director. Through her company, Rocketlight Films, Taylor-Roberts has done work for Sony Pictures, New York Fashion Week, General Motors and Nike -- a Black History Month campaign featuring Kevin Durant.

Natalie Jasmine Harris is a filmmaker from Maryland passionate about telling coming-of-age stories. Her short film, GRACE, premiered at The 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and her previous short film, PURE, received The DGA Student Film Award and was acquired by HBO, now streaming on HBOMax. Natalie is a current Sundance Ignite Fellow and has participated in artist programs with Film at Lincoln Center, GLAAD, Gotham, SFFILM, Outfest, and more.

Courtney James has been working in the Toronto Film and Television Industry for the past 25 years. He works on big budget Hollywood films, Indie projects, and cable network television, doing stand-in work, stunts, and assistant directing. He even occasionally gets to say a line or two with actors and actresses you might know. It's a fun and unique world he works in; these different roles have taught him a lot about making films and episodic TV. Courtney runs a company called Admit One Productions and loves to tell stories.

Min Yeong Kwak is an acclaimed South Korean film director and storyteller, renowned for her emotionally resonant narratives and visually compelling works. A graduate of the Korean National University of Arts with a major in Directing, she is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Film Studies at Dongguk University, further deepening her exploration of cinematic storytelling.

Golnoush Ansari is an Iranian filmmaker. She studied graphic design in art school, then completed both her bachelor’s and masters degree in Art and Architecture at the University of Tehran in the field Directing/Dramatic Arts. While studying, she directed the play “Hedda Gabler” written by Henrik Ibsen which was performed at the Art Center in Tehran (Khaneh Honarmandan).

Taro O’Halloran is an Irish-American filmmaker based out of Boston, Massachusetts. His work depicts intimate stories through heavily stylized “genre-film” imagery and motifs in exploration of the role escapism plays in human life.

Aidan Ryan is a writer, publisher, and filmmaker. IAM HERE YOU ARE NOT I LOVE YOU is the title of his first book (University of Iowa Press) and an accompanying short documentary film. His nonfiction and cultural criticism have appeared in the Millions, Public Books, Humanities, White Review, Colorado Review, and Annulet. He is a cofounder of Foundlings Press, senior editor at Traffic East Magazine, and literary curator at Artpark. Ryan lives in Buffalo, New York.

Daniele and Emanuele Ricci are brothers and directors from Tuscany. In 2013, together with the actor and director Eugenio Krilov, they founded Red Planet Production, a small independent production company. Since then they've made several short films and documentaries, participating and winning in some Italian and international festivals.

Katie Colwell (she/her) is a director, cinematographer, and former competitive swimmer based in Brooklyn, New York. In the pool, she served as captain for Oakland University’s Division I program, leading the team to championship titles all while earning her B.A. in filmmaking. After retiring her swimming career, she turned her full attention to cinematography and directing. Her newest film, LAPSE, combines her love for horror and swimming for her professional directorial debut.

Hao Li, from Guangzhou, China, discovered videography by chance in 2015. Self-taught, he became a full-time videographer, starting with weddings and learning to capture key moments in unpredictable settings. He expanded to music videos, short films, and commercials, building his skills in each area. As a passionate cinematographer, Li Hao continually strives to produce satisfying work and remains dedicated to his craft.

Mumbai native Mrunal Mestri started working as a writer and director at the age of 17. She pursued her MA in Film and Media Production from New York Film Academy and graduated in 2022. Her thesis film VOLER has garnered 12 wins and 15 nominations and her debut independent short MALTI has received 18 nominations and 6 wins across the globe. Her stories primarily dominate narratives around identity of a brown women, self love, and relationships.

Anna Moot-Levin and Laura Green are award-winning documentary filmmakers with a passion for stories about health and healthcare. Their debut documentary, THE PROVIDERS, aired on PBS’s Independent Lens in 2019. Laura Green is an assistant professor at San Francisco State University.

Nahye Choi was born in April 1998, and loves the color pink. She attended Korea National University of Arts with a major in Filmmaking and minor in Multimedia.

Changhee Chun was a producer and director at several major broadcasting stations in Korea. He produced and directed over fifty television documentaries, commercials, music videos for many Korean pop stars and cooperate videos for major marketing firms. In 1996, his passion for communicating a personal message through the film image finally brought him to the United States. Most of his creative and professional visual projects have been well received at film festivals, juried screenings. He is a Morgan Woodward Distinguished Professor in Film at The University of Texas at Arlington.

Sen-I Yu is a New York based filmmaker originally from Taiwan. She has directed a wide range of productions including short films, documentaries and commercials. Her feature directorial debut MY HEAVENLY CITY was selected in the 43rd Hawaii International Film Festival, nominated for NETPAC Award, and received positive reviews from The Guardian, MovieWeb.com and Asia Movie Pulse. MY HEAVENLY CITY had its theatrical releases in Taiwan, Hong Kong, US (limited,) UK (limited) and Canada (limited.)

Alesia ‘Z’ Glidewell is a mutli-racial director, writer and creator originally from Hawaii. Her filmmaking career began in Seattle, where she was a semi-finalist for the Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett’s reality show competition for filmmakers. Her latest short film DEMO-LITION premiered at the 2024 Pan African Film Festival. Glidewell has been a Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Fellow and a Bamazing Collaborator with Stephen Curry and Storm Reid.

Jacquelyn Elder was a featured soloist of the Martha Graham Dance Company in NYC from 2005-2012. Today, as an MFA graduate from University of the Arts / Bennington College, Jacquelyn is based in Paris and performing with Liz Santoro and Pierre Godard, Olivier Dubois, Lenio Kaklea, Maud Le Pladec and Boris Charmatz. Currently she is a choreographic assistant, collaborator, and rehearsal director for the Ballet National de Marseille, under the direction of (LA)HORDE.

Among José Luis Acosta’s works are SEVEN FOOTPRINTS, STORY OF AN OWL, THIEVES GO TO THE OFFICE, and BARREIROS, winner of Best TV-Movie at the Houston Film Festival. For Netflix, he directed YOU CAN’T HIDE, winner of Best Series at Festival New York and Emmy-nominated, and THE INMATE. His projects, including THE PIRATES OF ARABIAN, have earned over 35 national and international awards.

Yegane Moghaddam is an Iranian animator and illustrator with a strong passion for nature, culture, and the reality she lives in.

Born in Alcamo (Sicily), Giuseppe Accardo works both in Palermo and in Brussels as a scenographer. He discovered the field of animation thanks to his meeting with Jeremy Depuydt as co-author of PINA, on which he acts as a chief decorative artist. French director Jeremy Depuydt made his first animated film in 2004 (il pleut bergère, les films du nord), then worked as an animator on TV productions. He produces animated advertising videos, co-directs the animation studio Pixileon and teaches motion design in Brussels.

Keenan Ferguson creates documentary and commercial content in Southern and Eastern Africa. He has worked with various production companies as a Director and Cameraman. Keenan films predominantly nature content, documenting various conservation stories and commercial work ranging from community uplift projects to anti-poaching films, as well as filming three seasons of three conservation series which air on networks around the world. Martha McGuinness began a career in journalism as a Fashion Editor at The New York Times. She left print journalism to be a freelance fashion and lifestyle correspondent for WNBC News New York and WCBS News This Morning, then Director of PR for Victoria’s Secret. She continues to freelance write for various lifestyle publications. Martha is a trustee and Director of Documentary Development & Partnerships of Empowers Africa.

Award-winning filmmaker, Ryan Singh's first feature documentary is a labour of love focused on amplifying the Tamil story of survival and resilience.A critically acclaimed choreographer/dancer/filmmaker, Nikila Cole transitioned into film, circling the globe with her 11-year-old daughter to create the Vision TV/PBS documentary WANDERINGS: A JOURNEY TO CONNECT. Her film, INTIMACIES won the Audience Vote for Best Documentary at the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival.

Ceres Machado was born in Melilla Spain and moved to Malaga to study Audiovisual Communication at university. She has won more than 90 awards and 350 selections in festivals around the world. In the framework of the Cannes Film Festival in 2022, the prestigious Variety magazine highlighted her as one of the 10 film directors to keep an eye on. REFLECTIONS IN A ROOM is her debut feature, starring Adriana Ozores.

An LA-based film & TV director, Julie Herlocker started in network television as a post producer working closely with showrunners on several award-winning series. She made her network directorial debut on NBC’s GRIMM. A graduate of DGA's DDI Mentorship Program, and a director in the Paramount Directing Initiative, she was recently selected for the inaugural 2024 Alliance of Women Directors Rising Director Fellowship for feature film directors. Her first feature THE SINTERN is now streaming on Tubi.

Nieves Garcia Perchin was born in Madrid, Spain. Because of her passion for storytelling from a very young age, Nieves studied study film directing at Instituto del Cine de Madrid and earned an MFA in Film Directing from Boston University. After graduating in 2018, Nieves moved to NYC where she works as a director, writer, and Script Supervisor. Nieves is passionate about telling stories about mental health, grief, and healing.

London based Ghanaian writer/director Bernard Kordieh works across the genres of documentary and drama. Bernard has gained acclaim on the festival circuit with his award winning short films. RUN is Bernard's eagerly anticipated debut feature film.

Cephra Stuart is a filmmaker with a background in analytics and psychology. She began her career in entertainment at the Walt Disney Studios, advising on strategies to improve representation on and off-screen. She then built Mansa, a streaming platform elevating Black culture-related content. Cephra merges data-driven insights with a passion for impactful narratives. Her work explores challenges in education, tech, and dating delivering stories that inspire, empower, and advocate for equity.

Lonnie Iske and Nathan Talan are a dynamic directing duo. Their latest project, SAY SOMETHING, marks their second dance video collaboration, following the success of their debut, THE CHAIN, which was showcased in select art house theaters across the country. In addition to their work in dance films, Lonnie and Nate are currently collaborating on a deeply personal documentary that delves into Lonnie’s upbringing, with an aim to finish post-production this year.

SUPER TCHIP is a young creative production company from Belgium working mainly on mixed-media music video.

Eileen McQueen is a director, writer, editor, and special effects artist living in Brooklyn, NY. She tells visceral stories that blend genre and character. Other past short projects include BLACK MOON WHITE RABBIT, A GIRL AND A GUN, WE NEVER HAD THE ANTIDOTE and a series pilot SAVOIR FAIRE. She is currently working on a feature sci-fi feature project.

Sebastian is an award-winning filmmaker and actor based in Brooklyn, NY. He was an Associate Producer of the 2022 feature film ARMAGEDDON TIME, which was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. SLUMBER PARTY is his debut short film as a director. He was also the writer/producer of the 2022 short film DOUG EVER AFTER directed by Anderson Tram and Executive Produced by Patty Jenkins.

So Young Shelly Yo is a Korean-American filmmaker whose films are supported by HBO, SFFILM, Sloan, CAAM and others. Shelly's first feature, SMOKING TIGERS was the winner of Tribeca x AT&T UNTOLD STORIES and was awarded best screenplay, best performance and a special mention for the Nora Ephron prize. Prior to SMOKING TIGERS, Shelly created many award-winning short films including SOFT SOUNDS OF PEELING FRUIT and MOONWALK WITH ME.

Ji-Eun Hwang directed A SMALL, GOOD THING (2016), A LETTER (2020) and several more shorts.

Eytan Millstone is an award winning writer, director, and comedian. In 2004 he was a runner up in the Toronto Star Short Story Contest, and published in a Star that summer. In 2014 he gave a TED Talk at The Crescent School on the African word “Sankofa”. Dan Bricker is a Canadian-born director whose award winning films have been shown across the globe. He focuses his energy on shooting narrative fiction and comedy specials.

Yunchang Zhang is a non-fiction film and moving image maker from Hangzhou, China. She is currently a student at the School of Visual Arts, where she focuses on visualizing subtle emotions and complexities through her work. Her explorations delve into raising questions through observation and the interplay between emotion, relationships, and imagery.

Martín Seeger (1983, Santiago de Chile) is a Director and Screenwriter. He directs the production company NACROVIA and is also an academic at various universities. He is currently releasing the short film EL CANON and producing his second feature film VENTANAS.

Scott Morris is a director, writer & editor based in Los Angeles. He is represented by CAA and studied at Emerson College. He was selected in Variety’s "10 Artisans to Watch" for film editing. As an editor, Scott’s work has been selected for competition at the Cannes Film Festival and Venice International Film Festival. His previous editing projects, AD ASTRA, DON'T LOOK UP and THE CREATOR have been nominated for Academy Awards and BAFTAs. THE CONSTRUCTOR is Scott’s directorial debut.

Panu Aree is a Thai filmmaker renowned for his works that explore Muslim identity in Thailand. Panu has directed several documentaries, including ONCE UPON A TIME (2000), PARALLEL (2002), THE CONVERT (2008) and BABY ARABIA (2010), many of which have been showcased at international film festivals such as the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

Alicia Mendy is a young director focusing on genre cinema in Senegal. An alumnus of HEAD-Geneva, she is interested in cinema that represents and valorizes African and Afro-descendant peoples through the fantasy and science-fiction genres. African spiritualities and oral traditions are central to her short films, which explore utopias and dystopias. She also composes her own film scores, ranging from classical to electro and Afro rhythms.

Robin Scovill’s films have premiered at Sundance, Toronto, and AFI. His documentary, THE OTHER SIDE OF AIDS won the Special Jury Prize at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival and was sold for broadcast to MTV. He has written and directed videos and ad campaigns for numerous clients and is CEO of Paradise Valley Investment Group, a company revitalizing properties in Detroit. Mr. Scovill’s creativity and leadership consistently attracts top collaborators and produces inspiring results.

Clove Lee is a filmmaker based in New York, having recently graduated from New York University with a bachelor’s degree in Film & TV and a minor in Studio Art. As a first-generation Hong Kong immigrant, they look to explore the Chinese-American diaspora in relation to family history and generational storytelling in their work.

Kelsey Egan's award-winning first feature – the dystopian fairytale GLASSHOUSE – premiered at Fantasia and Fantastic Fest in 2021. Her second feature, THE FIX – an adrenaline-fueled sci-fi thriller with +600 VFX shots – was selected to close Chattanooga Film Festival (winning the Dangerous Visions Award), opened MIP Africa and was awarded Best VFX at Sognielettrici Festival. Acquired by The Exchange, THE FIX has received distribution worldwide. Kelsey is repped by CAA, 42 and Circle of Confusion.

Enricka M.H wrote and directed her first short film LA K-Z in 2019, a self-production which won several prizes in festivals. DORLIS, her second movie, was written at La Ruche de Gindou Residency, shot in Martinique and produced by Caïmans Productions. The film was selected in more than sixty festivals worldwide and won 42 prizes. THE GENIE is her third short film.

Julien Mouquet is an awarded filmmaker with a Master’s in Filmmaking from the London Film Academy and a Bachelor's in Film & Drama from Queen Mary University. He began his career directing short documentaries in Southeast Asia. He blends comedy and drama to craft sensitive, imaginative stories, tackling challenging subjects while highlighting positive aspects. His first film, L’HYPERMNÉSIQUE, showcases his heartfelt approach. He has worked as a production manager on TV shows and feature films.

Yangxi Chen (Bilbao, 1995) studied theater and languages but pursued her passion for cinema with a Master’s in Audiovisual Translation at City University London. She trained in Cinematography at Bande a Part and with David Curto, and in screenwriting with Pedro Loeb. As an actress in film, theater, and advertising, she gained experience to direct actors. After a Master’s in Film Directing at Instituto del Cine de Madrid, she created TESORO (2022), SWEET RONG (2023), and THE IMPOSTER (2024).

Carolina Sandvik is a filmmaker and artist with a Master in Fine Arts. She is based in Malmö, Sweden. Her short film THE EXPECTED won the Best Swedish Short Dragon Award at Göteborg Film Festival and Børge Ring Award at Odense Film Festival 2021. In addition to film festivals, her work has recently been shown at art venues such as Malmö Art Museum and Färgfabriken in Stockholm.

As Zoe Poppenga sets her focus on the Film and TV industry, she finds herself drawn to the work of visual and story development. She travels between her California hometown and New York City, but her dream is to exist in a world that took hundreds of hours to conceptualize, storyboard, and pitch, and hundreds more hours to draw. Zoe has an overwhelming love for several mediums of visual expression, and always believes in the power of a good story. Consuming art is how she lives, and creating art is how she feels alive.

Antonio Cuesta (Seville, 1989) is the director, producer and writer of the short films UMBILICAL (2013), ANGÉLICA (2014), THE BULLRING (2016), THE LIFE BETWEEN TWO NIGHTS (2022) and THE NIGHT INSIDE (2023). He’s currently developing his first feature film.

Gabriella Kessler is a French-American filmmaker. Her first feature documentary, BRADDOCK AMERICA, co-directed with Jean-Loïc Portron, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the ACID selection in 2013, and was selected in a dozen film festivals. Gabriella also works as an editor, and has edited documentaries for Canal Plus and Arte, most recently about Robert De Niro.

Angeline Marie Michael Meitzler is a writer and animator from the Detroit Metro area. Her work and research utilize fiction and myth to deconstruct how power, race and colonialism are entangled in political and personal narratives of worth and value. Her work has been awarded fellowships and supported by Asian Cultural Council, The Studios at MASS MoCA Fellowship, Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, Philippine American Writers and Artists (PAWA), and Harvestworks.

Mehdi Sedighi earned a Master's degree in television production and is the director of three animated films selected by more than fifty international festivals.

Chris Messineo is an award-winning writer and director. As the owner and director of NJ Film School, he has taught the craft of independent filmmaking to hundreds of kids, teens, and adults - who have gone on to win their own awards for writing and directing. THE STRANGE DARK is his first feature length film.

Kateryna Kurganska is a Ukrainian-American filmmaker based in Los Angeles, with roots in Eastern Ukraine. She holds an MFA in Film and Television Production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. Her work has earned recognition at the Hawai'i International Film Festival, St. Louis Film Festival, Catalyst Story Institute, Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition, AmPav at the Cannes Film Festival, and others. Kateryna is a Student DGA Award winner and a College Television Awards nominee.

Francine’s Strickwerda’s award-winning independent feature documentaries OIL & WATER and BUSTING OUT screened on Showtime, PBS, Netflix and Amazon. With stories ranging from one of the world’s worst oil disasters, to the politics of America’s breast obsession, and immigrant kids finding belonging in America, her films explore power, trauma and healing. Her work has been funded by MacArthur Foundation and Corp. for Public Broadcasting. She co-owns Hullabaloo, a Seattle creative video agency.

Sparky Tehnsuko grew up on England’s south coast, working through minimum-wage cinema jobs before attaining a film degree and relocating to London to pursue silver screen ambitions. He and producer Sej Davé have collaborated on numerous short films, corporate videos, artist showreels and music promos through their company, Cowboy Funfair Productions. Their latest short, VILLAIN, has played and been awarded at festivals across the globe.

Gerardo 'Gerry' Maravilla is a Mexican-American writer/director based in Los Angeles. Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, he escaped his suburban, Catholic upbringing through punk rock and horror movies. The bicultural lovechild of Tim Burton and Guillermo Del Toro, Gerardo tells supernatural horror stories with heart. He’s been a fellow in Film Independent's Project Involve, the New York Film Festival's Artist Academy, and Hola Mexico’s Tomorrow's Filmmakers Today.

Alireza Sharifi is an Iranian writer and director and an MFA Film student in Directing and Screenwriting at Columbia University. A graduate of Tehran University of Art, he directed two acclaimed short films, RUSSIAN ROULETTE and VOMITING ON AN OPEN WOUND, which showcased at festivals. He has completed Oscar-winning Filmmaker Asghar Farhadi’s directing course, and his work merges Iranian drama's emotional depth with American genre films' stylistic elements.

Beth Graczyk is a choreographer, director, performer, educator, and scientist based in Brooklyn/Lenapehoking. Her 22-year career blending creative practice and scientific inquiry offers a unique perspective on art and science. As the Artistic Director of Beth Graczyk Productions, Inc. (BGP), a national nonprofit based in NYC, she creates contemporary dance projects that celebrate LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse communities.

In 2016, Larissa Thompson began working as a voice actor, specializing in audiobook narration. She is also an associate producer for 'The Sojourn', an award-winning sci-fi audio drama, for which she wrote and directed two episodes. It wasn’t until 2023 that she discovered she was autistic, and is excited to share her unique experience of the world through film.

Daniel Henry graduated from HEC-Liege. He started working as a teacher while being involved with several theater companies. His debut as a director was in 1987. He joined Le Moderne Theatre, a famous local company in 1990, where he directed over 20 plays in the course of 15 years. He started experimenting as a filmmaker in 2000 and moved to Los Angeles in 2005 to pursue his career.

Carol Bash is the Founder and President of Paradox Films, a media production company based in Peekskill, New York. She is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with over 20 years of experience. Her most recent project, BLUEPRINT FOR MY PEOPLE is also on the film festival circuit. Christopher Fox began his film career in audio 20 years ago. His feature, RUB, won several awards and is now available to stream on Tubi. Chris is the Director/Programmer of the annual Peekskill Film Festival.

Elham Ehsas is a BAFTA nominated and Oscar-shortlisted writer/director working in Film and Television. He loves stories that explore what it means to be human, how the tiniest of moments can change us forever through connection, and where hope can take us if we are allowed to dream.

Safiyah Chiniere has a deep love for storytelling and filming. She uses film to amplify the stories and the voices of people of color, women and femmes. The specific space of Safiyah’s subject matter gives a firm footing to develop a visual style necessary to operate within the fertile interior spaces of these communities. It presents a stimulating approach to capturing the faces, bodies, and various expressions of intimacy all while maintaining wholehearted and sincere storytelling.