Tony Gapastione
Originally from Chicago, Tony Gapastione has been acting in theater, commercials, and film for over twenty-five years. He's passionate about human stories, social justice, and finding collaborative ways to create film and TV that engages audiences in life changing conversations. He and his wife Wendy have three daughters and live in Northern California.
Louise Marie Cooke
Louise Marie Cooke is a writer and director with a passion for stories featuring diverse and complex female characters at the centre of the narrative, something she feels is lacking in mainstream cinema. Her previous short films have screened across the world at International Film Festivals such as Frameline, Mix Festival Brasil, and Brooklyn Girl Film Festival. Her last two shorts, SIREN, and FIRST BITE have also been shown at the highly regarded London Short Film Festival and Underwire Festival which champions female cast and crew.
Mu Sun
Born in China but raised all around the world, Mu’s international upbringing has bred a desire to tell stories with a universal and timeless relevance. Now living in Los Angeles, he has directed six short films that have played a collective 75+ film festivals around the world, including his latest musical/sci-fi film “Sing For Your Supper”. He is currently developing “Sing For Your Supper” as a feature film, among other TV and feature film projects.
Anu Valia
Anu Valia is a writer, director, and actor who has produced videos for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, MTV, IFC, CollegeHumor, Vox Media, Refinery29, NYLON Magazine, Above Average, and more. Her work at CollegeHumor has won a Bronze Telly Award and was nominated for a Webby Award.
Petr Makaj
Half Czech, half Croatian, he was born in Prague. From 2010 - 2012 studied directing in Prague's Film Academy (FAMU), afterwards in Béla Tarr's film school in Sarajevo, Bosnia, called film.factory.
Josephine Decker
Recently named one of Filmmaker Magazine's 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Josephine Decker premiered her first two narrative features at the Berlinale Forum 2014 and theatrically in NYC. Her film “Thou Wast Mild and Lovely,” starring Joe Swanberg, Robert Longstreet, Sophie Traub and Kristin Slaysman and inspired by a character from John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, balances horror, beauty, and intimacy as an erotic thriller set in the wilds of Kentucky and was said by The New Yorker to be ushering in a "new grammar" of narrative.
Frances Bodomo
Frances Bodomo is a Ghanaian filmmaker & one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film. Her first short film, Boneshaker (starring Oscar-nominee Quvenzhané Wallis) premiered at Sundance 2013. Her second short, Afronauts, premiered at the 2014 Sundance, Berlinale, and New Directors/New Films Festivals. Frances is currently developing the feature version of Afronauts (supported by the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Film Institute, IFP, the Alfred P Sloan Foundation, and Spike Lee).
Lily Baldwin
Lily Baldwin is a multi-faceted creative working in New York City and Los Angeles who combines her penchant for film and dance to craft intricate narratives.As a filmmaker, her films are featured on The Criterion Collection on FilmStruck, iTunes, ShortsHD, Filmmaker Magazine, NOWNESS, Vimeo Staff Pick, Short of the Week and Fandor. They have also screened internationally at film festivals, art fairs, galleries and museums.