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Li Lu

Li Lu is an award-winning narrative and documentary director. She was born in Suzhou, China and raised in Sugar Land, Texas. Her debut feature There is a New World Somewhere (2015) won three Best Feature awards prior to its theatrical release. Li's television credits include The Resident (FOX) and Echoes, a NETFLIX limited series. Her landmark docuseries A Town Called Victoria (2024) about the arson of a Texas mosque premiered on PBS’s Independent Lens and won Best Limited Series at the International Documentary Awards, earning Lu a place on DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 list. Lu is also a film curator and creator of HTX MADE, a film series celebrating artists and audiences in Texas.

Tara Garwood

Tara Garwood (she/her) is an award-winning filmmaker, and owner of Tarakata Films. She specializes in telling women's stories through the lens of horror. Garwood's background as an actor and former horror theatre Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director informs her work as a director, writer, and producer. Garwood's short films "Lonely," "The Lake," and "The Strangle of Ivy" have appeared in several festivals, with "The Lake" and "The Strangle of Ivy" receiving awards for independent short, directing, acting, and more. She won the Hayes Horror Workshop competition and is being mentored on her first feature film by the Hayes Brothers, writers of "The Conjuring." Garwood is also and award-winning actor and voice over artist and has been seen in several Hollywood films, including "The Invasion" with Nicole Kidman, "My One and Only" with Renee Zellweger, and John Waters' "Cecil B. DeMented". She has also worked on many industrials and independent films, including "Women's Studies", a wonderfully campy horror movie in which she plays a homicidal psycho with a feminist agenda. Tara is a proud member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors' Equity Association.

Alex Disenhof

Cinematographer · Known for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

In 2021 Alex Disenhof proudly joined the ranks of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), making him the youngest active member. Since his first breakthrough in the industry as the cinematographer for Michel Gondry’s 2012 Cannes Film Festival feature THE WE AND THE I, Alex has lensed over a dozen feature films and television shows spanning diverse genres. Highlights include the biggest budget television show in history - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: RINGS OF POWER, the cultural phenomenon WATCHMEN for HBO, an ASC Award nomination for his work on the pilot episode of THE EXORCIST, two Camerimage nominations (2020 Best Cinematography in a Pilot - CITY ON A HILL / 2009 Best Cinematography in a Music Video - MONO NO AWARE), and the 2014 Somali pirate film FISHING WITHOUT NETS, which received the US Dramatic Directing prize at Sundance and was screened at Camerimage in the Director’s Debuts competition. His work in independent cinema has also featured films screened at the aforementioned Cannes, Sundance, Tribeca, Camerimage, and SXSW. In recognition for his work, Alex was named in Variety's "Below the Line Impact Report" in both 2014 and 2016, and in 2021 he became the youngest active member of the prestigious American Society of Cinematographers.

Riley Barker

Cinematographer · Known for Mama Bear

Riley Barker is an American cinematographer known for his work on the sketch series That’s a Bad Idea. He also lensed the short film Warnings, written and directed by Curry Barker. In addition to these projects, Barker has shot a range of independent short films, developing a reputation for versatility, strong visual storytelling, and creative precision.

Mark David

Cinematographer · Known for Immortal Combat, The Odyssey

Mark David is an award-winning Writer, Director and Cinematographer. David's third independent feature film,"American Cowslip" (2010) starred Diane Ladd, Rip Torn, Cloris Leachman, Bruce Dern, Val Kilmer, Peter Falk and Lin Shaye. The film was released in North America through Warner Bros. and E1. American Cowslip, in which David directed the legendary Peter Falk in his last big screen appearance took out top honors at the 2010 Albuquerque Film Festival. David's work as a filmmaker often showcases his multi-faceted abilities as a director, cinematographer, editor and producer. A musician since childhood, Houston-born David's work in the visual medium began when he directed a music video for his former rock band "The Agency", while living in Austin, TX. The video caught the attention of the festival circuit,premiered in competition at the SXSW Film Festival. Also A composer, David has scored some of his previous films, creating and writing soundtracks with many musicians ranging from Coolio to members of Soundgarden and King's X. His studio band "Ultrarev" was signed on an indie label, Feudal Records in 2009. David has lensed numerous other independent features including the multiple award winning film "The Preacher's Daughter" and it's sequel, "A Woman Betrayed" AKA "The Preacher's Mistress". In 2014 Mark David directed and shot his fourth feature film , "Jonny's Sweet Revenge" (2016) In 2015 and 2016, "Jonny's Sweet Revenge" won ten awards at film festivals, including Best Director, Best Film and an Audience Award. David went on to Direct the Drama/ Thriller, "Texas Heart", starring Lin Shaye, John Savage and Daniella Bobadilla (Anger Management, The Middle). The film won Best picture at the Albuquerque Film Festival in 2015 and many other awards. David returned to the Director chair helming the controversial indie film "Star*cker" in (2017) on which he is also credited as Writer, Cinematographer and Producer.

Hillary Spera

Cinematographer · Known for Daredevil: Born Again, You

Hillary Fyfe Spera is an American director of photography. Rather than following a conventional film-school path, she began in still photography and then “learned by doing,” taking on whatever camera or operator work she could find and evolving into being a director of photography. Early in her career, Spera built a diverse body of work that includes documentary features such as After Tiller (2013) and Oxyana (2013), and narrative features such as Wildlike (2014) — the latter filmed on location in Alaska and starring Bruce Greenwood and Ella Purnell. It was for Wildlike that she received the Gerald Hirschfeld A.S.C. Award for Cinematography (Narrative Feature) at the Ashland Independent Film Festival in Oregon in 2015. As Spera’s work progressed, she moved into more high-profile television and streaming productions. She served as director of photography on the mini-series Dexter: New Blood (2021–22), working in highly challenging conditions of snow, cold, and extended exterior shoots. She also brought a distinctly cinematic style to the series Daredevil: Born Again (2025-), drawing inspiration from 1970s New York thrillers and employing vintage anamorphic lenses to bring texture, width, and character to the visual world. Spera emphasises the collaborative nature of cinematography and the idea that a cinematographer serves the crew just as much as the director: “we are only as good as our team — we are not doing this solo.” Although she does not come from a formal graduate-level cinematography program, she counts influential cinematographers such as Harris Savides, Gordon Willis, and Vilmos Zsigmond among her artistic inspirations.

Grant Cramer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Grant Cramer (born November 10, 1961) is an American actor who has starred in films and on television. He is the son of actress Terry Moore. Grant's first feature film role was in 1980, when he starred in the horror film New Year's Evil. It wasn't until 1984, his big role came in the 1984 cult comedy film Hardbodies in which he played Scotty Palmer. His other big film was the cult classic 1988 Killer Klowns from Outer Space. He appeared in the 2001 film Mach 2. His most recent appearance was in the 2009 movie Follow the Prophet. Grant has starred on television shows, his first TV role was in the 1982 made-for-television movie Desperate Lives as a teen drug user. He starred in the hit CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless as the psychotic stalker Shawn Garrett from 1985-1986. He later returned to the soap in 1996 to play Adam Hunter, a love interest for Ashley Abbott. Grant has made guest appearances on television shows like The Facts of Life, Rags to Riches, and Murder, She Wrote. In recent years, Grant has turned his attention to writing, producing and directing. A short film he wrote, produced and directed, "Say Goodnight, Michael", won numerous awards including the Grand Jury Award at the New York Independent Film and Video festival. In 2008, he created and executive produced the VH1 series, "Old Skool with Terry and Gita", which is currently airing in over 20 countries internationally. Recently, he produced and directed the first-ever "cooking show for guys" called, "Cooking is For Play." Currently, he is producing an Action-Adventure, Horror 3D film called, The Fallen which, will be directed by Brett Leonard (Lawnmower Man) and stars Dominic Purcell, Vinnie Jones and Peter Stormare. The Fallen will begin lensing in March 2011. Description above from the Wikipedia article Grant Cramer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Rubin Rubio

Rubin's patriotism has led him to serve 10 honorable active duty years as a member of the United States Navy Special Forces, and 3 years in the U.S. Navy Reserves. He recently graduated from California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) School of Theater, where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Acting. Rubin was born in Culver City, CA after his parents migrated from Jalisco, Mexico at a young age. At the age of 18 he attended the California State Summer School for the Arts theater program at CalArts. In 2003 he graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Theater, Film, & Television, where he graduated with honors and received a Bachelors in Arts degree in Theater. He has co-starred in the Golden Globe Award winner for Best Television Show - Drama in 2002, "The Shield" alongside Emmy and Golden Globe award winner for Best Lead Actor in a Drama (2002) Michael Chiklis. He has worked on several independent films and national commercials (LensCrafters, Gatorade, Panasonic). Furthermore, Rubin has a strong theater background and has performed in Italy, Spain, and Cuba and has had the privilege to work with internationally acclaimed actor, writer, director Roger Guinevere Smith in "The Hendrix Project."

Brando Quilici

Independent Italian filmmaker Brando Quilici's career spans over two decades, during which he has worked on many projects for American networks including the National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, PBS [NOVA] and European networks including Channel 4, ZDF, France 5, Rai, and any other national and international media outlets. He is the son of Director Folco Quilici, and the father of director Corso Quilici.

Łukasz Róg

Director · Known for Rage of Stars

Lukasz Rog is an independent, self-taught film enthusiast from Rzeszów (Poland). For years he has been passionate about creating music videos and commercials because all his life while listening to the music (that is most important to him), he sees images to it. In 2021 Lukasz directed his first feature film NO STARS ANYMORE which has been awarded at 38 international film festivals and also he won the main awards at 11 of them, including the best film of the year and the best directorial debut. NO STARS ANYMORE was created by one person entirely. Lukasz was responsible for everything on the set, from directing, production, post-production, sound, editing, lighting, set design, script, clothes and all the rest, having no one else to help while doing this. After the success of NO STARS ANYMORE, Lukasz created LUKRA FILMS, a film production company with the aim of creating an international breathtaking, Hollywood look like movies, with passionate people from all around the world. [lukaszrog.com]

Natasha Straley

Natasha Straley is an independent narrative film director working between New York City, Texas and Los Angeles. She began as an actor before accepting roles on the other side of the camera in 2010. She worked on various film productions sifting through every department until directing naturally rose to the surface in 2016. Her work focuses on both comedic and dramatic narrative content exploring the dark underbelly of the human condition, diving into uncomfortable nuances of behaviors and relationships. She is driven by subtle screenplays which push boundaries and examine the grey area between right and wrong. ​ ​She has directed several short films, which have screened at festivals across the country. She just completed the proof-of-concept short film, SIDESTEP, after receiving a grant from the San Antonio Film Commission. She was awarded the Michelle Mower Female Filmmaker of the Year Award from Austin Revolution Film Festival, 2018. She received the San Antonio Film Commission in 2019 for a new short documentary designed to interweave opposing viewpoints along the border of Texas. Select directing credits include the post-apocalyptic action film, THE RESISTANCE; the lonely romantic comedy, UP OR OUT; the comedic social commentary, CAULIFLOWER; and the delicately nuanced slice-of-life film, FINISHED. Select producing credits include PICKUP (starring Mandy Evans, Jim True-Frost and Griffon Robert Faulkner, written by Jessica Blank, directed by Jeremiah Kipp), SOUND/VISION (starring Ari Rossen, directed by Jeremiah Kipp). Select acting credits include THE BLACKLIST (with James Spader and David Costabile on NBC), BRUNCH ON SUNDAYS, and THE LEFTOVERS. Natasha was born in DC and lived across the world as a military kid. Texas became her home before moving to New York 2007-2017. She currently resides between Los Angeles and San Antonio, Texas while she completes her first feature film, SIDESTEP.

Zoe Gardner

Zoe Gardner is an independent migration policy researcher and campaigner who works in the UK and across Europe to promote rights based and effective migration and refugee policies. She has held policy and communications positions at the European Network on Statelessness, JCWI, Asylum Aid, the Race Equality Foundation and the European Council on Refugees & Exiles. Bio from thelead.uk/zoe-gardner

George Adams

George Adams is an independent filmmaker from Hollywood, California and currently lives in Oklahoma. His motion pictures have screened internationally and won many awards and accolades. After growing up in California, he lived and worked in New York City for several years and has traveled abroad. Now in the Mid-West with its sprawling landscape, farm country, and the open range, he has found a means to a simpler carefree lifestyle along with an exciting local filmmaking community.

Yuiga

Yuiga is a Japanese independent professional wrestler. She debuted on December 10th, 2000, and created and currently operates the Batos Cafe Entertainment promotion based in Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan.

Isabel Sandoval

Director · Known for The Summer I Turned Pretty

Isabel Sandoval is an independent Filipino filmmaker and actress who is currently based in the United States. She directed the films Señorita (2011), Aparisyon (2012), and Lingua Franca (2019). She also directed the short film Shangri-La (2021) as part of Miu Miu's Women's Tales series of female-directed short films commissioned by the fashion brand.

Desray Armstrong

Producer · Known for Tenzing

Desray Armstrong is an independent producer with a diverse slate of credits. From 2007-2011, Desray and producer/director Chelsea Winstanley ran New Zealand production company StanStrong with a focus on creating compelling, conscious and informative content with a Maori worldview. In recent years, Desray has built up a mass of physical production experience, predominantly in feature film.

Jiarui Guo

Executive Producer · Known for The Musical

Guo Jiarui is an independent producer who joined the American Production Union in 2022. She interned at Netflix and later joined the International department of SONY Pictures as a production assistant. She now works as a Line Producer at Lifetime Global Film production, LLC. She has produced more than 30 short films that have been selected for/won awards in more than 80 film festivals. As a producer, she has participated in a number of Tencent and iQiyi Online Movies. She co-produced the theatrical film, Harper, which was released in the US in November 2021. She has also line produced three Lifetime TV movies.

Robert Floyd

Cast · Known for Sliders

He has appeared in several independent films as well as the feature film Godzilla. He has also guest starred on a variety of television series including Dark Angel, Walker, Texas Ranger and NCIS. He is best known for his role as an accidentally merged version of the lead character, Mallory (played by Jerry O'Connell in the first four seasons) in the final season of the science fiction television show Sliders. He appeared in 18 episodes, aired from 1999 until 2000 on the Sci-Fi Channel. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sal Mistretta

Sal completed work on an Independent film tentatively titled "Building Girl" and another entitled "Immaculate Misconception" He recreated his role of Pirelli in the top notch production of Sweeney Todd at Seattle's 5TH Avenue Theatre. David Armstrong, the Artisitic Director, staged this critically lauded and audience pleasing gem. It was part of the Halloween season and as it had never been seen in Seattle the reaction was effusively enthusiastic. He played John Tedesco, the Law firm partner to John Rubinstein's George Simon, in Off-Broadway's Counsellor At Law by Elmer Rice at the St. Clement Theatre. This classic 1930's play received great audience and critical support along with two Lucille Lortel Awards. It garnered the Best Revival for the play and Best Actor award for John Rubinstein's insightful and moving portrayal. Dan Wackerman, the director, received the coveted Obie Award for his work. Sal shot a Law & Order episode entitled "Fluency" appearing with Dennis Farina and Jesse Martin and did a Third Watch episode "In The Family Way" as Lawyer Alexander Sapp. In the Law & Order, "Acts of Contrition" episode he was seen as yet another lawyer named Wright. He was Coordinating/Aritistic Director last season for the Sutton Place Synagogue's (the UN's Synagogue) first Spring Sing Cabaret/Concert: Sutton 'Ly Spring. Gathered for this event were Broadway veteran's Karen Mason (Mamma Mia/Sunset Blvd),Nat Chandler (Scarlet Pimpernel), Wayne Scherzer (Les Miserables), Patricia Parker (Doll's Life) and Beth Glover (Counsellor At Law) as well as the talented Cabaret singer Julie Reyburn. Sal sang his "signature" song "On This Night Of A Thousand Stars" from his role as Magaldi in the Broadway and First National companies of Evita. He has also enjoys volunteer singing for the Vocal Ease Organization. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Sal Mistretta

Virginia Newcomb

Virginia Newcomb is a performer and independent filmmaker known for her acclaimed performance in A24's The Death of Dick Long (2019) by Daniel Scheinert (of Oscar winning, The Daniels). "Best of all might be Lydia, whom Newcomb invests with a terrific energy - fiercely protective, vulnerable and angry all at once - as she reels from the particulars of a situation as imbecilic as it is impossible. You share in her disbelief, and you believe her entirely." LA Times, Justin Chang This film and others returned her to her home state of Alabama, including producing on Lynn Shelton's Sword of Trust (2019) and numerous award winning short films. Virginia can also be seen in Peacock (2010) with Cillian Murphy, Reparation (2015) with Marc Menchaca, and opposite Jim Cummings in Vanishing Angle's, The Beta Test (2021), which premiered at Berlinale and Tribeca '21 and released by IFC. She performed in Julian Rosefeldt's epic video installation project, Euphoria with Cate Blanchett & Giancarlo Esposito for Park Ave Armory in NYC and toured internationally. Newcomb's influences hail from a vast theatre background and it's the boundary breaking, media mashup kind that inspire much of her own creative work. Her Broadway debut came in Jay Scheib's live-cinema production of Chekhov's Platonov, which live streamed to Time Square and BAM Rose Cinemas. Virginia took a similar, and more immersive, approach as creator of Cucalorus Film Festival's annual commissioned Blue Velvet installation, Bus To Lumberton. Whether adding dynamic movement to the screen or intimate nuance to theatre, Virginia thrives in commingling these worlds. A true indie film and alt theater kid, Virginia can also be seen in popular shows, Law & Order SVU, The Walking Dead, The Office, Halt & Catch Fire, and Netflix series From Scratch opposite Zoe Saldana. Catch Virginia as an injured coal minor in the Appalachian Eco-body horror, Occupational Hazard, on Hulu. She was selected to participate in the inaugural Constellation Incubator beginning summer of '21, formed to apply design thinking to re-imagine and scale a more sustainable, equitable filmmaking ecosystem and continues to search for new innovative ways to enrich support for artists. Regardless of role or medium, Virginia desires to share bold, evocative stories in deeply collaborative projects that portray women honestly, particularly in nontraditional southern narrative.

Mark Borchardt

Mark Borchardt is an American independent filmmaker, actor, and writer best known as the cult DIY filmmaker featured in the acclaimed documentary American Movie, which chronicled the making of his horror short Coven. A longtime icon of Midwest indie cinema, he most recently served as the narrator for the indie film Once Upon a Time in Carroll County, Iowa.

Mina Shum

Mina Shum (born 1966) is an independent Canadian filmmaker. She is a writer and director of award-winning feature films, numerous shorts and has created site-specific installations and theatre. Her features, Double Happiness, and Long Life, Happiness & Prosperity both premiered in the US at the Sundance Film Festival and Double Happiness won the Wolfgang Staudte Prize for Best First Feature at the Berlin Film Festival and the Audience Award at Torino. She was director resident at the Canadian Film Centre in Toronto. She was also a member of an alternative rock band called Playdoh Republic.

Fred Seibert

Executive Producer · Producer · Known for Adventure Time, The Fairly OddParents

Fred Seibert is one of the leading independent animation producers, and a serial media entrepreneur. He was the first creative director of MTV, the last president of Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, and the founder of Frederator Studios and Next New Networks (acquired by YouTube). Fred's on the board of directors of Sawhorse Media, and was the first investor in Tumblr. He's received the Lifetime Achievement Medal from the American Institute of Graphic Arts and is in the Animation Magazine Hall of Fame.

Kate Devlin

Kate Devlin is Whitehall Editor at The Independent, covering politics. She is particularly interested in Brexit and its impact on the economy, MPs behaving badly and money in politics. After a short stint on a local newspaper in her native Northern Ireland, her career began as a trainee at the Daily Telegraph. While there she broke the story of the Liverpool Care Pathway scandal. She often appears on the BBC and other broadcasters, providing her insight on the latest breaking political stories. George Osborne called here a "North (Irish) powerhouse."