Inventors

Albert Shin is an award-winning Korean-Canadian filmmaker whose work as a director, writer and producer has been featured in major festivals around the world, including the Toronto International Film Festival, the Berlinale, San Sebastian, Locarno and Busan.

His Korean-language breakout feature, In Her Place (2014) won multiple awards around the world and cemented Albert as an emerging voice in filmmaking. His follow-up was the Niagara Falls-set noir mystery, Disappearance at Clifton Hill (2019) starring Tuppence Middleton, Hannah Gross and David Cronenberg.

In addition, Albert founded the production company, "Timelapse Pictures" along with fellow acclaimed filmmaker, Igor Drljaca. Through the company, he’s produced the features, Krivina (2012), The Waiting Room (2015), The Stone Speakers (2018) and The White Fortress (2020), the last of which was Bosnia-Herzegovina’s selection for the Foreign Language Academy Award.

Alison is a writer, actor, producer and comedian who has sold features and done rewrites for several major studios. She was the Head Writer on Steven Spielberg's Tiny Toons reboot, and she has appeared in numerous television shows, from Curb Your Enthusiasm to Parks and Recreation.

Amasia Entertainment was founded in 2012 by Michael Helfant & Bradley Gallo. Amasia recently set up "The Green Hornet and Kato" at Universal as a tentpole franchise, written by David Koepp. In 2020, they produced John Patrick Shanley’s Irish romance feature film, "Wild Mountain Thyme" starring Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Jon Hamm, and Christopher Walken. Amasia's other credits include the Sundance thriller "Them That Follow" starring Olivia Colman, Walton Goggins, Kaitlyn Dever, Alice Englert and Jim Gaffigan; "Mr. Right" starring Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick; and "The Call", starring Halle Berry. Amasia’s most recent projects include the upcoming AUDREY'S CHILDREN, a biopic about groundbreaking oncologist and Ronald McDonald House Charities co-founder Dr. Audrey Evans, starring Natalie Dormer, Jimmi Simpson, and Clancy Brown; and "World Breaker", starring Luke Evans and Milla Jovovich.

Andy Compton is an Asian American writer and director from the heart of the Midwest – St. Louis, Missouri. Once a hard-partying high school dropout from a dysfunctional home, Andy found sobriety in his late-20s, turned his life around, and went on to graduate Cum Laude from Webster University with a BA in Scriptwriting and a Minor in Film and Television Production. This sense of sweeping transformation often finds its way into his work, as his characters navigate small-town worlds in search of their own larger-than-life triumphs, through which Andy balances his comedic sensibility with dramatic storytelling - shining a light on topics such as class struggle, addiction, and other dark aspects of life in the working-class Midwest. During his time in film school, he wrote both of his 2021 Nicholl Semifinalist features, SUPLEX (Top 50) and BELLYACHE (Winner of Script Pipeline’s First Look Competition). In 2022, he wrote and directed his short film, CAPTCHA, winner of Best Comedy, Best Screenplay, and the "Best of Fest" Essy Award at the 2023 St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase.

Arnold Katto is a writer, director and OK guitar player currently based in Kampala Uganda. His short films have been received well by the public, most especially “On & On”, which placed as a finalist in the This Is Uganda Film Festival, held by renowned US based, Ugandan actor Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine. He recently completed his first feature screenplay, a fantastical film which merges Ugandan mythology with deep character driven narratives set in the modern world - a screenplay currently attached to Invention Studios.

He graduated with a BA in Motion Picture Medium from AFDA Film School in Cape Town in 2017 and returned home afterwards, where he began and continues to build his career as a filmmaker.

Arnold Mwanjila is an award-winning writer and director of films, TV shows, and games, based in Nairobi, Kenya. An alumnus of Columbia University in the City of New York, and of Talents Durban/ Berlinale Talents, his work attempts to adapt and merge African storytelling traditions with contemporary genre cinema. His debut feature film, TALIYA, a dark fantasy drama about a poor fisherman who ensnares a mermaid-like water-spirit and exploits her as a grand theatrical exhibit, is currently on NETFLIX Africa.

Founded by Mary Wanjiku & Arnold Mwanjila, STUDIO M&A is a production house that creates artistic and thought-provoking live-action and animated film and TV projects from Africa, for the World. We are committed to telling groundbreaking and revolutionary African stories using unique and exceptional visual and storytelling languages animated by our diverse cultures and ethnicities in order to project inspired and inspiring visions of our motherland in the past, in the present and far into the future.

Avinash Sampath is an award-winning advertising creative and screenwriter of Indian origin, based in Amsterdam. He has been an advertising creative since '97 working across India, Middle East & Europe, with clients from around the world. In 2020, Avi made a natural progression from advertising to screenwriting, and currently enjoys both worlds in equal measure.

Cami Delavigne is a film and TV writer, producer and director whose career began as the co-writer of Blue Valentine starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. She has had the good fortune to transition to TV where, as a producer, she uses the skills gained working in art department and editing bays in her twenties. She loves to collaborate with directors, and has a certain fascination with the character of the uptight but lovable woman. Cami has worked on a wide variety of TV shows, tonally, but they share a common bond of shows that hired her to write for them. When she isn't writing, she's a happy mom to an exceedingly talented daughter.

Charlotte is a French-Syrian filmmaker based between New York and London, and focuses on screenwriting and directing, for commercials, TV and film. She is the co-creator of THE COLONY, a TV series, starring Sarita Choudhury and executive produced by Nicky Weinstock (SEVERANCE). The pilot script was bought by HBO Max. Her viral condom commercial for Durex, which she wrote and directed, won numerous awards including the AICP award, the Porsche Award and was nominated for a Cannes Lions. It is currently archived at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Charlotte is currently developing her feature film SAMIR, THE ACCIDENTAL SPY, as a writer and director. For this script, Charlotte attended the Rawi Screenwriters lab, the Berlinale Talents, the Hamptons Screenwriters lab, the Torino Film Lab and the Cine Qua Non lab. It was also a finalist for France’s CNC Aide à la réécriture. STRAY DOLLS, a feature film she produced and co-wrote starring Cynthia Nixon, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and received the Tribeca All Access Grant, Jerome Foundation Grant and TFI's IWC Schaffhausen award. Charlotte holds a MFA in Directing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a bachelor’s degree in Management from the London School of Economics.

Chiara Barzini is an award winning Italian screen and fiction writer, named one of Italy's 100 Most Successful Women in 2020 by Forbes. She lived and studied in the United States where she covered Lifestyle and Culture stories for numerous American and Italian magazines.

She writes both in English and Italian and is the author of the short story collection "Sister Stop Breathing" (Calamari Press, 2012) and the novel "Things That Happened Before The Earthquake" (Doubleday, 2017) which was a Best Book of the Year for Esquire, Elle, Bustle, BBC, Oprah Magazine, and The New York Times that declared her as “a writer to watch, as she positions herself astride both American and Sicilian cultures.” Her work focuses primarily on female-driven stories and is strongly centered in a voice that is wry, sexy, and humorous. She is interested in exploring power dynamics, relationships, intercultural dramas, and coming of age through a variety of angles. Her screenwriting is versatile, but there is always a continuity of tone throughout the work she chooses to engage in. Elle magazine likened her mood to that of Elena Ferrante, with a ”cinematic view of the sexy, dirty business of becoming an adult ". She has been nominated for various Screenwriting Awards in Italy, including the Nastri D’Argento and the Italian Golden Globes.

Among her screenplays: "I Told You So", directed by Ginevra Elkann (2024, Apartment, RAI Cinema) which premiered at TIFF, the TV series, "The Gymnasts" (2022, Paramount + & Indigo), "Bang Bang Baby" (2022, Amazon & Wildside), "Sulle Nuvole," directed by Tommaso Paradiso (2022, Cinema Undici & Warner); "Wonder When You'll Miss Me", directed by Francesco Fei, (2018 Rai Cinema & Apnea Film); "Magari," by Ginevra Elkann (2019, Wild Side & RAI CINEMA) which opened the 2019 Locarno Film Festival; "Arianna", directed by Carlo Lavagna (2015, RAI CINEMA & ASMARA), nominated for Best Screenplay at the Italian Golden Globes; "La prima volta di mia figlia", directed by Riccardo Rossi (2015, ASCENT & RAI CINEMA), nominated for Best Screenplay at the Nastri D'Argento; "Into Paradiso" directed by Paola Randi (2011 ACABA FILM & RAI CINEMA) which premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and many more.

Zach and Dan are writers who started their careers in TV animation and have branched off into feature films. They've worked with The Simpsons, Illumination and Netflix, among others.

I grew up in New York City and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in screenwriting. In the beginning, I wanted to change the world, become a voice in an industry that allows voices to be heard. Kind of a tall order when I now think about it. All of us give ourselves to this industry in different ways. And what we receive from it is different as well.

Through the years, I have experienced success and great feelings of accomplishment. But, there have also been times, when things have not gone my way. I've learned to manage expectations and enjoy the highs and lows together because they are truly all part of the same journey.  For me, failure ignites drive and success brings trepidation.

I love the ride I am on. I'm not worried about the final destination. The passion I have for the journey has become my inspiration, has allowed me to create and invent new worlds, and above all else, it is this journey that keeps me wanting more.

Dominique Jossie is a mom, dancer and filmmaker with twelve years of industry experience working across documentaries, feature films, and television series. She produced the SAFTA award-winning short film Address Unknown and line-produced the South African award-winning feature, Barakat. Becoming a mom in 2018, inspired her to pivot from producing to writing. She has since worked as a staff writer on local television series and is currently working on her own original content through her company Blended Films co-founded with Quanita Adams.

Dominique is one of six writers for the first-ever Realness Netflix Episodic Lab and she is also a Film Independent Global Media Makers Fellow. She produced her first feature film for Showmax titled Here. After - A story about a blended family suddenly forced to arrange a traditional Muslim burial have to confront their ideas about family, culture, and religion.

As a filmmaker, she explores themes of womanhood drawing from the nuances of her mixed heritage as a South African woman of colour. Through storytelling, she hopes to evoke emotion, provide perspective, and spark conversations. As an African storyteller, she wants to share her magic to share with the world.

Fernanda Torturra is a writer and producer from Brazil residing in Los Angeles where she established a career in the entertainment industry. Having worked for production companies and studios in film and television, Fernanda is now focused on her writing career, where she is currently working on her own television series in partnership with Invention Studios. One of Fernanda’s main goals is to bring international diversity to her projects.

Gavin is currently developing both a feature film and a TV series alongside Invention Studios. He started off writing for the stage and, in recent years, has been focused on writing for the screen. He is a proud Kiwi (go the New Zealand Warriors!) who absolutely loves writing. Gavin currently resides in Mexico City with my wife and four dogs (all four are strays with big eyes... it's hard to say no).

He has had seven plays produced on stage and I have adapted Neil Cross' novel, Always The Sun, after being handpicked by Neil Cross himself for the film adaptation.

Gugu Mbatha Raw is an award-winning actor of the stage and screen. Her stage performances include Hamlet (2009) alongside Jude Law in the West End, "Elsinore" in Denmark and Broadway, and Nell Gwynn (2015), for which she was nominated for ‘Best Actress’ at the 2015 Evening Standard Theatre awards.

In film, Gugu has starred in LARRY CROWNE (2011) alongside Tom Hanks, and period drama Belle (2013), for which Gugu won Best Actress at the 2014 BIFA Awards. She has also starred in Concussion (2015) alongside Will Smith, The Whole Truth (2016) starring Keanu Reeves and Renée Zellweger, Miss Sloane (2016) with Jessica Chastain "Free State of Jones" with Matthew McConaughey and Beauty And The Beast (2017) where she played the playful character of Plumette.

In 2018, Gugu starred in Disney’s ground-breaking blockbuster fantasy A WRINKLE IN TIME opposite Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon, whilst also appearing in romantic tragicomedy "Cloverfield Paradox". She can also be seen in Stephanie Laing’s Irreplaceable You (2018) on Netflix, where Gugu starred as the lead character, Abbie. Farming (2018) is a story of the writer/director’s Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje childhood.

With regards to television, in 2016 Gugu starred in SAN Junipero, the only episode of Netflix anthology series BLACK MIRROR ever to offer a happy ending. It has been widely celebrated by both critics and the viewing public since its release as a socially important and otherwise enrapturing piece of art. In addition to several other accolades, "San Junipero" won two Primetime Emmy Awards, one for ‘Outstanding TV Movie’ and the other for creator, Charlie Brooker, for ‘Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Dramatic Special’.

Gugu also starred in Apple TV’s award-winning drama series MORNING SHOW (2019). Starring Billy Crudup, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, and Steve Carell, the series explores the unique challenges faced by the women and men who carry out morning TV. Gugu starred in both seasons of the hugely popular LOKI on Disney+ opposite Tom Hiddleston, the second season of which pulled in a record 11.2m viewers.

Gugu starred as the lead role in HBO/BBC’s adaptation of JP Delaney's best-selling psychological thriller THE GIRL BEFORE, which aired to great acclaim in the UK in December 2021 and on HBO Max in the US in February 2022.

Gugu stars as the lead, as well as executive producer for Hello Sunshine on Apple TV+ SURFACE, an eight-part psychological drama series written by Veronica West. Gugu has just wrapped on the second season.

Gugu was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to drama. She is also a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

James Clayton is a producer, previously CEO of Ingenious, the UK’s largest independent investor in the creative industries, President of Simon Fuller's XIX Entertainment and CEO of Matthew Vaughn's Marv Films. Recent credits include PIXIE, with Olivia Cooke, Colm Meaney and Alec Baldwin, MY GENERATION, Michael Caine‘s autobiographical documentary and THE RETURN, Uberto Pasolini's adaptation of Homer's Odyssey, starring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche.

Jaylan Auf is an Egyptian writer/director residing between Cairo and Dubai. Her debut feature film, "The Inevitable Journey to Find a Wedding Dress," has been recognized with an invitation to the prestigious Film Independent Artists residency in Los Angeles, under the Global Media initiative. This film is produced by Film Clinic, and is currently in post production.

After completing her German Abitur, she graduated from the American University in Cairo, where she majored in Political Science and minored in Film. Her academic excellence led her to receive a scholarship to the University of Southern California (USC), where she completed a Screenwriting and Production diploma.

Auf's career began in documentary production, where she worked as a freelance field producer on over 30 field pieces for international channels such as Bloomberg, ARD, Swiss National Channel, and ORF. She later became a Senior Producer for the OSN/Discovery Channel show "Nida'," which showcases the stories and achievements of women in the Middle East.

Her debut screenplay, "Reminiscent of a Lost Time", received a nomination for the Robert Bosch Stiftung Prize at the Berlin Film Festival. Her follow-up short film, "Turning Ten," was officially selected at the Clermont-Ferrand International Film Festival 2019 and also garnered several prestigious awards, including the Amnesty International Film Prize of the year. The film was featured on BBC and toured globally across more than 40 film festivals winning multiple awards, including the jury Prize for Best Short at the Breakthrough Film Festival in Toronto, Best Script at the Festival Films Femmes Afrique, and Best Short Film at the Shnit International Festival.

In a new creative venture, Auf created the Saudi podcast series "Saqr’s Eclipse", a project that saw her writing and directing. Produced by Kerning Cultures, this thriller series ranked number one across 10 countries regionally and ranked number six globally as a trending fiction podcast.

Jaylan is a film enthusiast, dedicated to exploring and pushing boundaries of storytelling, eager to continuously highlight underrepresented stories.

John Ciarlo is a former, third generation, Army officer who served in the Field Artillery at Fort Sill, Oklahoma and in Schweinfurt, Germany. He is a West Point graduate who also holds an MFA from Columbia University. A Nicholl Fellowship and Arts in the Armed Forces Bridge Award winner for his screenplay "Bend in the River," he has written several other screenplays, two plays, and published a novel.

As an "Army Brat, "Mr. Ciarlo moved frequently in his youth, most notably living in Alaska, and then graduating from an American Department of Defense high school in Ankara, Turkey.

Josh Margolin is a writer, director, editor and actor from Los Angeles. He co-wrote, edited and starred in the absurdist horror-comedy DEEP MURDER, which premiered at the LA Film Festival in 2018 and ran theatrically before streaming on Paramount+. Previously, Josh co-created the digital series MY BOYFRIEND IS A ROBOT for Freeform, and has developed projects with TBS, Sony Pictures Television, Olive Bridge and Paul Feig’s Powderkeg. He performed over 100 shows with One Night Stand: An Improvised Musical, which had sold-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as appearances in the The New York Musical Theater Festival and a limited run in Los Angeles. THELMA is Josh's feature directorial debut.

Kagiso Lediga is a South African stand-up comedian, actor, writer, director and producer of film and TV. He is the creator of the pioneering South African comedy sketch show ‘The Pure Monate Show’ (PMS) and co-creator of the two time International Emmy nominated ‘Late Nite News with Loyiso Gola’ (LNN). Lediga’s debut film as director, ‘Catching Feelings’, was released in 2018 on Netflix. His second feature, ‘Matwetwe’ (Wizard), premiered the following year at the International Film Festival Rotterdam and attained cult status upon its theatrical release in South Africa. He is the creator of Netflix’s first original series from Africa, ‘Queen Sono’,  and his latest series, ‘Classified’, in partnership with Skybound Entertainment and Sony Pictures Television will release globally in 2024.

Kathleen Munroe is an award-winning actor and emerging filmmaker with two feature films in development. Her feature script, The Way Out, was selected for Mubi and WScripted's 2022 Cannes Screenplay List of extraordinary scripts by women, and was awarded support from the Canada Council for the Arts. Her feature film, Mount Vernon, is in development for a 2024 production with independent producer Molly Hallam and Nicky Weinstock’s Invention Studios. Cattails, Munroe’s first short film, recently had its world premiere at Inside Out, Canada's largest LGBTQ+ film festival. Kathleen attended The University of Toronto for Cinema Studies, and guest-taught at NYU/The Lee Strasberg Institute this year. Over the last fifteen years, she has performed in over fifty television and film productions. She currently stars in Law and Order: Toronto, as well as the Apple+ series City On Fire (2023 release), and was recently seen as Mari in the Facebook Watch series Strangers (Sundance, SXSW) and as Alice in Amazon’s acclaimed series Patriot (Berlinale, Critics’ Choice Awards). Kathleen is also a musician and songwriter, and has directed several music videos for her work (premieres: Chart Attack, CBC, Exclaim). Kathleen brings her lifelong passion for film, her deep love of storytelling, her unique voice, and her vast on-set experience to her burgeoning career as a filmmaker.

Keir Wilkins is a writer and script producer who has also worked extensively in development for companies such as Fremantle and Curio Pictures. He recently Script Produced and wrote on Season 2 of Netflix's Heartbreak High and was a writer on the Stan/Sundance series, Totally, Completely Fine, as well as two seasons of the Netflix series, Surviving Summer. He was a co-creator and writer on the AACTA nominated ABC ME series The Disposables for Photoplay Films and has also written and been a story-liner for the Channel 5/Network Ten series, Neighbours.

Keir has participated in writers rooms for companies such as Made Up Stories, See-Saw Films, Lingo Pictures, Matchbox Pictures and Guesswork Television, and currently has original projects in development with Fremantle, Maximo Entertainment and Werner Film Productions.

Hamedani (along with his co-writer, Travis Betz) became known when their script THE SAVIORS was selected to the 2018 Black List.The duo just finished adapting Pornsak Pichetshote’s popular horror graphic novel, INFIDEL for TriStar Pictures with Michael Sugar (Spotlight) producing, as well as selling the adaptation of the award-winning YA novel DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OK for Universal (Mandeville is producing).On the television side they have sold their suspense/thriller series idea to Amazon, TETHER, with Daniel Dae Kim’s 3AD producing, as well as adapting the Stephen King short story “N” to Paramount television, with Jack Bender attached to both showrun and direct. As a director, Hamedani has won numerous festival awards with his work, including the cult festival film ZMD: ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION, his award-winning comedy, JUNK, as well as his award-winning short film IN HER PLACE.

Studio credits include:

- Adapted Pornsak Pichetshote’s popular horror graphic novel, INFIDEL, for TriStar Pictures with Michael Sugar (Spotlight) producing.

- - Adapted the award-winning YA novel DARIUS THE GREAT IS NOT OK for Universal Studios.

- Wrote and directed the award winning feature film, ZMD: ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION. Starring Sydney Sweeney, acquired by Lionsgate.

- Sold the suspense/thriller pilot, TETHER, to Amazon Studios, with Daniel Dae Kim’s 3AD producing.

- Adapted the Stephen King short story“N” for Paramount television, with Jack Bender attached to both showrun and direct.

- The original screenplay, THE SAVIORS, was selected to the 2018 Black List and is being produced by Ben Stiller’s Red Hour Films. Starring Adam Scott (Severance), with Hamedani directing.

- IN HER PLACE - Winner best short at the 2015 LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL.

- Wrote and directed the award-winning comedy, JUNK. WINNER BEST FEATURE at the 2013 AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL.

Kyra Sedgwick is an Emmy and Golden Globe winning actress, producer and director. She has starred in seminal projects with actors and directors including Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Julia Roberts, Cameron Crowe, Gary Oldman, Lasse Hallstrom and Paul Newman.

Upcoming acting roles include Bad Shabbos, with David Paymer and Catherine Curtin; Connescence, starring opposite Judd Hirsch and Kevin Bacon and Emily Abt's forthcoming film Thirsty, opposite Jamie Neumann. Sedgwick was last seen in Amazon’s smash hit series The Summer I Turned Pretty. Sedgwick is currently in rehearsals on the New Group’s production of the play All Of Me, which is a humorously candid portrayal of class and disability in present-day America.

In addition to her theatrical directorial debut with Space Oddity, Sedgwick was nominated for a DGA Award for her directorial debut, Story of a Girl. Her short film, Girls Weekend, premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. Sedgwick also directed an upcoming episode of HBO’s The Girls on the Bus. Additional directorial credits include episodes of Grace & Frankie, Into The Dark, City on A Hill and Ray Donovan.

Previous film roles include Born on The Fourth Of July, Singles, Phenomenon, The Game Plan, The Possession and The Edge of Seventeen. On television, Sedgwick received numerous awards for her starring role on seven seasons of The Closer. She recently starred in Kari Lizer's Call Your Mother and received rave reviews on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.  

As a producer, Sedgwick, along with Valerie Stadler and Meredith Bagby, founded Big Swing Productions, which champions projects that authentically speak to cultures and communities largely underrepresented on-screen. Upcoming projects include: THE F***ING NEW GUYS, based on the book written by Big Swing Partner Meredith Bagby, about NASA's first class of civilian shuttle astronauts, which included the first American woman in space, the first African-American, the first Asian-American, the first mother, the first queer person, and the first Jewish person. Recent projects for the company include: the film SPACE ODDITY, directed by Sedgwick, ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE, which premiered at TIFF in 2022; and GIRLS’ WEEKEND, directed by Sedgwick, starring Amy Landecker and Linda Lavin, which premiered at Sundance in 2019.

Sedgwick is a tireless advocate for the awareness of and action to slow climate change and environmental damage to our Earth.

Lío Mehiel is an actor, artist, and filmmaker.

Lío made their feature film debut starring in Sundance 2023’s MUTT. Their critically acclaimed performance earned them the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award in Acting, making them the first trans actor to ever win the award. The film, which attended multiple other festivals and had a theatrical run in the fall of 2023, can currently be streamed on Netflix. Most recently, Lío returned to Sundance 2024, starring opposite Leslie Grace, Sasha Calle, and Resident in IN THE SUMMERS, which won the festival’s top honor of Grand Jury Prize in the U.S. Dramatic Competition.

As a filmmaker, Lío is a co-founder of Voyeur Productions. Their work includes producing CHAPERONE, a queer short film which premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, as well as writing, directing, producing, and starring in DISFORIA, a short film which premiered at the 2018 Outfest Film Festival. Voyeur’s latest short, ENTRE AMIGXS, co-directed by Lío, recently debuted on NOWNESS.

Lío is currently the producer and creative director of the transgender sculpture collection, Ancient Futures/Angels. The works most recently showed at GUTS Gallery in London. Their piece, Arcade Amerikana, was included in the list of 10 Best Immersive Shows in NYC by TimeOut and Gothamist.

Maria Pepin is a multi-Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer with over 20 years of experience in the Entertainment Industry. She has an extensive background in development, production and post-production. Notably, Maria was an Executive Producer on the award-winning and record-breaking documentary series, Surviving R. Kelly and Surviving R. Kelly: The Reckoning.

The Mash-Up Americans is your guide to hyphen-America. We're rooted in tradition, looking to the future, and creating culture each day we live it.

Founded in 2013, The Mash-Up Americans is a media company and boutique creative studio. They have a popular podcast, website and newsletter of the same name. The Mash-Up Americans partners with select clients who want to understand and connect to the dynamic, diverse, modern American audience.  They create original content in digital and audio including an award-winning fiction podcast, Love & Noraebang. The studio has produced chart-topping podcasts for everyone from Reese Witherspoon, HBO, Peloton and Rainn Wilson to The National Domestic Workers Alliance. They reveal and re-center stories on the voices of the future — the voices you don’t hear enough today.

May Calamawy is a Bahraini born, Egyptian-Palestinian actress. She completed her undergrad in Acting at Emerson College and continued her studies at William Esper. She is known for the Hulu series Ramy, Marvel's Moon Knight for Disney+, National Geographic's The Long Road Home, CBS' FBI and Madame Secretary, and NBC's The Brave.

Mayenzeke Baza started his career in engineering and property management then went on to produce feature films and television productions for the past 15 years. He co-founded AAA Entertainment in 2014, a boutique global sales, distribution and financing entity and is the current CEO. Mayenzeke serves as an advisor to several organisations, key decision makers and stakeholders, and served on the boards of the DFA, ATFT (co-founded), IBFC and SASFED.

Mercedes Bryce Morgan is an award-winning queer, mixed Latinx director. Mercedes’ feature debut (“Fixation”) premiered at TIFF in 2022. Her second feature (“Spoonful of Sugar”) is viewable on AMC’s Shudder. She is currently in post for her third feature with LD Entertainment. Her narrative music video “Happier” (Bastille and Marshmello) was nominated in 2019 for a VMA, and was #1 trending on Youtube in the world the day of its release. She has directed numerous high-profile actors such as Tiffany Haddish, Idina Menzel, Miranda Cosgrove, Hayley Kiyoko, and Billy Porter among many others.  Her work collectively has over 1.5 billion views. Mercedes is represented by UTA and Navigation Media Group  and has a BA in Film and TV Production from USC.

Latvian-American screenwriter and novelist Michael Idov moved to the U.S. at the age of 16. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a film degree but began his career in journalism, winning three National Magazine Awards for his writing in New York Magazine. Michael’s works include the 2018 Palme d’Or nominee Leto, hit international series such as U.S.-German Deutschland 83 and British-Russian Londongrad (all co-written with his wife and partner Lily Idov), as well as the forthcoming spy novel The Collaborators (2024, Scribner). He and his wife, Lily, live in LA.

Lily Idov is a screenwriter of the Palme d’Or-nominated feature Leto (Main Competition, Cannes 2018) and a writer on the global hit TV series Deutschland 83 (Emmy winner for Best International Drama, 2015). A Russian-American born in Moscow, she has a JD degree from Columbia University, and practiced law at several major U.S. firms before switching her focus to writing. Several of Lily’s works have been collaborations with her partner Michael Idov, including international features The Humorist (Latvia-Czech Republic-Russia) and Jetlag. Based in Los Angeles, she is currently developing her new TV series with German and U.S. studio partners.

New York Times bestselling author of I Can't Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I've Put My Faith in Beyoncé, I Don't Want To Die Poor, and I Finally Bought Some Jordans.

Molly Hallam is a graduate of Dartmouth College and an independent LA-based producer. She last produced Alice Englert’s debut feature BAD BEHAVIOUR (with Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly and BAFTA award winner Ben Whishaw) which had its premiere in World Competition at the 2023 Sundance Festival. Prior to her independent career she was the Head of Film and TV for Iconoclast, an award-winning global production company. Previous to that ran the US shingle of French production company Legende Films, led by Academy Award nominated producer Alain Goldman. With Legende she Executive Produced Sundance-premiering THE MUSTANG by Laure de Clermont Tonnerre with Focus Features and worked on Netflix’s award-winning limited series THE SPY by Gideon Raff which stars Sacha Baron Cohen. Hallam is a francofile and passionate about working with early-career filmmakers as well as amplifying stories that inspire social change.

Nicholas Verso is an Australian writer/director. His short film, 'The Last Time I Saw Richard', won the Australian Academy Award and showcased his passion for stories involving mental health, LGBTIQ+ issues and youth culture. Nicholas’ debut feature film Boys In The Trees, made its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival before screening at festivals around the world including Toronto, Busan, Sitges and winning Best Feature at the Austin Film Festival. It’s now available to stream internationally. He is currently in development on his next feature The Surface of Venus for Invention Studios.In 2023, he won the Logie for his first original series as creator - 'Crazy Fun Park' - a horror-comedy for the ABC and is currently in post production on Invisible Boys. His other television work includes directing the Syfy Christmas horror Toys Of Terror, the BAFTA and Emmy award-winning Nowhere Boys, The Unlisted, Itch, In Our Blood, Swift Street and won Australian Director's Guild Awards for his work on Indigenous series Grace Beside Me as well as Crazy Fun Park. As a director, Nicholas has attended the Berlinale Talent Campus, Binger FilmLab Directors Coaching Programme (Amsterdam), trained with Song Of The Goat theatre company (Poland), was awarded an Asia link Arts Fellowship to work in robotics labs in Beijing and became a Churchill Fellow to study show running practices in the USA and UK.

Omotunde Akiode is a highly accomplished Nigerian screenwriter with an impressive career spanning 15 years in the dynamic realm of live action TV shows in Africa. Her creative journey has been marked by a distinctive blend of talent, dedication, and an innate passion for storytelling.

With a keen eye for humor and a heartwarming touch, Omotunde has become a trailblazer in the field of children's entertainment. Over the past eight years, she has lent her storytelling prowess to some of the most beloved animation shows on globally renowned platforms, including Netflix, Disney, and various other production companies.

Omotunde's storytelling is characterised by its ability to captivate audiences of all ages, seamlessly blending entertainment with valuable life lessons. Her commitment to crafting narratives that resonate with diverse audiences has made her a sought-after voice in the world of animation.

Beyond her extensive professional achievements, Omotunde Akiode is known for her unwavering dedication to promoting African stories and voices. Her unique perspective has contributed to the cultural richness of the projects she has been involved in, showcasing the vibrancy and diversity of African storytelling on a global stage.

With a portfolio that reflects her versatility and a commitment to bringing joy and laughter to audiences, Omotunde Akiode continues to shape the landscape of both adult and children's entertainment, leaving an indelible mark on the world of animation and live-action television alike. She is represented by Hudson Agency, New York.

Peres Owino is an Emmy-nominated Kenyan-American writer/director whose credits include Netflix’s Emmy winner “African Queens – Njinga, ” Netflix's global hit and National Film Award nominee, “Queen Cleopatra,” “Seasons of Love”, nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Writing of a Television Movie, “BOUND: Africans vs African-Americans”, winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival in Los Angeles, the 20th Century Fox produced, “Stray” and several other projects currently in the works. Peres lives with her hubby and occasionally performs standup across Los Angeles.

Emmy Award-nominated Indian actress Punam Patel is quickly establishing herself as a multifaceted artist, captivating audiences with her scene-stealing roles and expanding her creative reach as a writer and producer.

Punam most recently starred in the Showtime comedy series I LOVE THAT FOR YOU, opposite Vanessa Bayer, Molly Shannon, and Jenifer Lewis, as well as Disney+ original film WORLD'S BEST. She can also be seen as the hilarious, fan-favorite “Kim,” in the history-making Netflix comedy, SPECIAL. Other notable television credits include: CBS' hit comedy GHOSTS; Netflix comedy SPACE FORCE from creators Steve Carell and Greg Daniels; HBO’s CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM; Freeform's KEVIN FROM WORK; the Amy Poehler-produced comedy I FEEL BAD from NBC; and 20th Century Fox comedy THE COOL KIDS from creators Charlie Day and Paul Fruchbom. Her voiceover work includes shows like AMERICAN DAD and MIRA, ROYAL DETECTIVE. Off-screen, Punam has lent her voice to various advocacy groups, furthering the cause on everything from voting to representation to anti-bullying. Patel is a Cum Laude graduate of the University of Florida where she majored in Journalism with a minor in Theatre. The Florida native currently resides in Los Angeles.

Ranjan Singh, is an independent producer, marketer and distributor of films with an experience of over 22 years. He has produced content and handled Marketing & PR for leading Entertainment brands like Phantom Films, Good Bad Films, PVR Pictures, INOX and Viu. In his last stint at Good Bad Films, he produced films like Almost Pyaar with DJ Mohabbat and Kennedy (both Directed by Anurag Kashyap) which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival 2023. His next independent film Little Thomas starring Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Duggal, is ready for release.In his stint as the Marketing head and Associate producer at Phantom Films, he has worked on films like Lootera, Queen, Masaan, NH10, Ugly, Bombay Velvet, Udta Punjab, Raman Raghav 2.0, Hunterrr, Trapped etc. Ranjan has also been an independent distributor of acclaimed documentaries and independent films like Chintu ka Birthday, Eeb Allay Ooo and the recent Kastoori.In the interim he founded VDOVIDEO, a specialist agency for creating Marketing units, for films and web shows. Some of their key Marketing campaigns for films and shows including Visual promotions for Danis Tanovic’s TIGERS, Anurag Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz and Geetu Mohandas’ Moothon. In one of his stints, he was also the Content consultant for CreativeFirst, a website run by the Motion Pictures Association of America.

Ravi Muppa is a writer-director based in Mumbai. He has developed critically and commercially successful films including Stree, Bala and the Amazon Prime Video’s hit show The Family Man.

His short film, Valu (Sand), which premiered at Austin Film Festival, is now slated to become a crime/drama series set in India.

Ravi’s most recent short film, Incognito, which qualified for the 96th Academy Awards, is being adapted into a feature film set in the US.

Ravi is the founder of Campfire Studios, an IP creation and production company with a slate of exciting films and series.

Rob Burnett started at Late Night with David Letterman as a 22-year-old intern. He became a writer,  head writer, and then Executive Producer. He also was the CEO of Letterman's production company Worldwide Pants. During his tenure he co-created the NBC show "Ed" with Jon Beckerman, and the ABC show "Knights of Prosperity" (also with Jon). He wrote and directed the movie The Fundamentals of Caring, which was the closing night film of the Sundance Film Festival. It can currently be seen on Netflix.

Silas Miami is a Kenyan filmmaker and creative consultant. He has directed, written and co-written several film projects – including SUPAMODO (2018) LUSALA (2019) and DISCONNECT (2019). He holds a BA in Motion Picture from AFDA (Cum Laude – Valedictorian), a BA Hons. in Film Studies from the University of Cape Town (First Class) and an MA in Media Theory and Practice (with distinction), also from UCT, as a Mandela-Rhodes scholar. As a ‘writer for hire’ over the years, Silas has crafted truthful and beautiful projects that have served to celebrate and bring light to the endless glory of African storytelling. But these incredible works have, ultimately, served only a fraction of the kind of culturally specific cinematic translation he is currently committed to exploring on screen. Now, his focus remains exclusively trained on producing the kinds of stories that only he can create. These stories are largely inspired by his lived experiences and are framed around his identity markers:

Queer. Black. African.

He believes his gift, the ability to craft truthful reflections in narrative form, is his ancestral inheritance – passed down to him through generations, as part of his genetic heritage. He hopes, through his creative work, to carve out worlds that celebrate identity and cultural ownership as forms of resistance and celebration. He currently resides in Amsterdam with his life-partner, Patrick, and their lazy chocolate lab, Monster.

Skye Fitzgerald founded SPIN FILM to bear witness to unfolding crises with the intent to deepen empathy and understanding. He is best known for a trilogy of films on the global refugee crisis. The first, 50 FEET FROM SYRIA, focused on doctors working on the Syrian border and was voted onto the Oscar® shortlist. The second, LIFEBOAT, documents Search and Rescue operations off the coast of Libya and was nominated for an Academy Award® and national Emmy®.

The third, HUNGER WARD, explores the impact of the war and famine in Yemen on children, families, and healthcare workers and was nominated for an Academy Award®.

As a Fulbright Research Scholar Fitzgerald directed the film BOMB HUNTERS and has worked with organisations as varied as the Sundance Institute, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and Mountain film.  Fitzgerald is an honorary member of SAMS (Syrian American Medical Society) for his work with Syrian refugees and a Distinguished Alumnus at his alma mater EOU for documentary work.

Before film-making, Skye cut fire-lines as a member of a Hot-Shot wild and fire crew. He rides his bicycle(s) to ruin and hugs three dogs on a daily basis.

Fitzgerald is a member of the Documentary Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Sonali Mehta Bhandari is a writer based in Los Angeles, CA. In 2023, she was a staff writer on PRADEEP'S OF PITTSBURGH from Semi-Formal Productions and Sony TV. Previously, she was a Show runner’s Assistant for writer-producer Ben Karlin (The Colbert Report, Modern Family) on HBO Max’s MINX, a Writer’s Assistant for an Indian-American sitcom as part of Paul Feig’s Break The Room program and a CAPE 2021 New Writers Fellow. In an even earlier life, Sonali worked in interactive storytelling, merging the worlds of gaming and narrative fiction.

Sonejuhi is a writer / director / filmmaker working in both TV and film. She is currently developing an original TV series called EVAPORATED with UNIVERSAL and Two and Two producing. She’s also developing her feature STRAY DOLLS as a TV series, with Nicky Weinstock producing and Sarita Choudhury starring. She is also the writer / creator on a series called DANCING GIRLS OF LAHORE (based on a book by the same name), with Double EE producing and Huma Quereshi attached to star. She is attached to EP and direct all 8 episodes of Endeavor Content’s series, COLLEGE, and will be directing an original thriller film for Amasia Entertainment this fall.

Sonejuhi’s feature STRAY DOLLS, a Crime Thriller / Drama starring Cynthia Nixon, Rob Aramayo, Olivia Dejonge and Geetanjali Thapa, premiered at the TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL 2019, winning a SPECIAL JURY MENTION FOR LEAD PERFORMANCE and TFI’S IWC award. Before that, Sonejuhi’s narrative short film, LOVE COMES LATER, played in competition at the Cannes Film Festival. She was also invited to participate in Cannes’ Semaine De La Critique Development Lab, where she developed her feature STRAY DOLLS. Sonejuhi was selected for the prestigious Shoot New Director’s Showcase in New York and participated in Tribeca Film Institute’s Through Her Lens program where she was mentored by Dee Rees, Catherine Hardwicke and Jenni Konner, among others.

Sonejuhi began her career as a film editor.  During her ten-year stint as an editor, she edited high profile campaigns such as Keep a Child Alive and Stand Your Ground, which garnered recognition from ADcritic, Creativity, and Huffington Post and won Gold Lions at Cannes. As an editor, Sonejuhi has worked alongside acclaimed directors such as HARMONY KORINE and SPIKE JONZE. She edited two award-winning feature-length documentaries, THESE BIRDS WALK and HOMEGOINGS, that played at several festivals, including SXSW, Full Frame and True/False, and garnered several international awards.

Sonejuhi is one of INDIEWIRE’S 25 RISING FILMMAKERS TO KNOW alongside Lulu Wang, Olivia Wilde and Minhal Baig.

Source Global is an inclusive creative collective which is committed to harnessing the power of storytelling. At the core of our purpose is the desire to cultivate a community where imagination can flourish without fear or constraints. We are committed to creating an empowering space where underrepresented voices can flourish and thrive, and where every story finds its audience, and every voice is heard. The Source envisions a future where a new generation of storytellers can blossom, irrespective of their backgrounds, because imagination should know no bounds. This vision is fueled by the understanding that stories act as bridges, connecting people and blurring differences, especially during times of isolation and disconnection like the devastating pandemic and the ongoing conflict in the world.

She was an executive producer and showrunner on THE REAL O'NEALS and BLACKISH on ABC Network. After being a co-executive producer on DAISY JONES AND THE SIX for Amazon Network she wrote a pilot for Ben Affleck called HOME based on the British series of the same name.  She is currently writing a limited series about Leona Helmsley for Fuzzy Door and UCP after finishing her first novel.  She has also been a SHAPER for the Imagine Impact program several times. Stacy believes that everyone has an important and unique story to tell. She enjoys helping writers find their specific voice and share their story with the world.

Suchir Batra is a Los Angeles-based manager focusing on the Indian media and entertainment industry. He primarily represents writers, directors, producers and showrunners. Most recently he was an agent in the Global Group at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), helping to build the agency's business in and with India. Prior to joining CAA, Suchir launched the Los Angeles office of Mumbai-based talent management company Tulsea. 

Suchir began his entertainment career in the William Morris Agency (WMA) mailroom in Beverly Hills and was soon promoted to agent before relocating to WMA’s London office for two years. Thereafter, he was an associate in the Entertainment Practice Group at Greenberg Traurig in Los Angeles. He eventually joined Fullscreen’s business and legal affairs division and subsequently became a Business Affairs Executive at William Morris Endeavor.   Suchir received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics / International Area Studies from UCLA and his J.D. from Cornell Law School.

Suparn S Varma is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for directing television series such as ‘The Family Man 2’ (Prime Video), ‘Rana Naidu’ (Netflix), ‘The Trial’ (Disney+) and ‘Sultan of Delhi’ (Disney+). Additionally, Suparn produced the film 'Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai' which went on to win multiple awards and accolades, including the prestigious Filmfare Awards for Best Web Original Film, Best Director in a Web Original Film, Best Actor in a Web Original Film and Best Story. Suparn has recently begun producing under his own banner, ‘Andromeda Films’ and currently has multiple projects, both television and film, in the pipeline.

Blacklist Screenwriter Theodore Bressman grew up in New York City and graduated from Harvard before starting his career in Film and Television. He wrote the film "Jungleland", starring Charlie Hunnam and Jack O'Connell. He is a Co-EP on "Sausage Party" for Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg / Annapurna / Amazon. Prior to that, he wrote on "Pam & Tommy" for Annapurna / Hulu, "Miracle Workers" on TBS, and contributed to the last three seasons of "Curb Your Enthusiasm". He co-created and EP’d the Peacock/SyFy animated series "The Pole", and was an associate producer on the cult classic hockey film, "Goon".

Thomas is an award-winning director and screenwriter. He wrote the smash hit series 'Heartbreak High' for Netflix which won an International Emmy and was #1 in Australia and top 10 in 45 other countries within a week of its release. "Heartbreak High" won 5 AACTA awards and was nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding New Series.

Thomas’s other credits include "Heartbreak High " S2 and Paramount+’s "Paper Dolls". He is currently writing his second feature film WILD FLOWERS with script editor Anna Seifert-Speck (Ammonite, Supernova, Gods Own Country) and adapting a best-selling novel for TV.

His debut feature film THE GREENHOUSE premiered at BFI: Flare London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival and Frameline. It won Best Direction in a Feature Film (budget under $1M) at the 2021 Australian Directors Guild awards, multiple Best Film awards and the Audience Choice Award at 2021 Mardi Gras Film Festival. The Greenhouse was then acquired by Netflix ANZ.

Thomas is the creator, writer and executive producer of his autobiographical TV series SICK TO DEATH with the support of Screen Australia and Screen NSW and in collaboration with Invention Studios and Rhapsody Films.

He is repped by Cullen Conly at Anonymous Content and Mark Ross at Paradigm.

I was fired from my corporate job. That’s OK: I had to do my work from the women’s restroom so that my bosses couldn’t hunt me down, when I wasn’t crying around the side of the building. I wrote a novel. I tried to adapt it. I didn’t know how to use Final Draft. I failed. I kept writing. My marriage fell apart. I made questionable choices. My choices met me on the way back down and I took a minimum wage job handing out towels, sometimes to people who had, just months before, hired me for projects. I kept writing.

I stopped eating sugar but developed a taste for humble pie. I decided to write about it, how it felt to make mistakes and pick myself back up. I rolled up my sleeves. I stared into myself and one day she was staring back at me, that person I was writing about. I began to feel the sun on my back at the laptop. I kept writing. And I will keep writing because it opens my heart, and maybe then I can reach in to where my boundless belief is, and find it. Find myself. Trusting that, like water below ground or the last bottle of Pellegrino at the back of an icebox, If I need it, I just have to dig it out.

Tony Ayres is an award-winning Australian show runner, writer and director, and one of the founding members of Matchbox Pictures. In 2018, Tony established his own production company Tony Ayres Productions (TAP), developing and producing feature films and television for global audiences and international marketplaces.

Overall, Tony’s feature films and TV shows have been nominated for more than 100 Australian and international awards, and he has won more than 60 of these awards, including an International Emmy, a BAFTA, a Golden Horse (the Asian Oscars), six AACTA awards, and six Logies.

Tony was the creator/show runner on The Slap, Nowhere Boys and global number one Netflix hit, Clickbait. He co-created and was an Executive Producer on Glitch, Stateless, and Fires. He has executive produced acclaimed shows such as Barracuda, Seven Types of Ambiguity, Wanted, Creamerie, The Devil’s Playground, Old School, Underground: The Julian Assange Story, The Straits, and The Family Law.

In feature films, Tony directed Cut Snake (2015), The Home Song Stories (2007), and Walking on Water (2002). He has also executive produced award-winning feature films such as Ali’s Wedding and Lou. His films have premiered and screened at A-list festivals around the world, including the Berlinale and the Toronto Film Festival.

Tony Ayres Productions or TAP (estd. 2018) is a Melbourne based production company specialising in high-end scripted drama for international audiences.

Yashna Malhotra is a screenwriter based out of Bombay and Los Angeles. She got her MFA in Screenwriting at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television in 2020. She has been recognized as a Sloan grant recipient, and a finalist for the Sloan Grand Jury Prize awarded by the Museum of the Moving Image and Film Independent.

She was also a part of BAFTA’s Newcomers cohort from 2020-2023, and their Connect program as of 2024.

She writes character-driven dramas and dramedies - both features and series - about characters who don't quite belong, but carve out their own unique path. She gravitates towards darker themes and enjoy playing with the elements of time, memory and perception. Her goal is to tell authentic South Asian stories for a global audience.She also holds an MSc in Integrated Marketing Communications from North-western University. Before moving to sunny LA to pursue screenwriting, she worked in advertising/digital marketing in Bombay, Chicago and New York, where she helped inject a sense of storytelling/ brand personification to some very well-known international and homegrown brands.

She currently has projects in different stages of development for global streaming platforms and for theatrical release.

Yasir Masood is a Pakistan-born, Houston, Texas-raised filmmaker exploring issues regarding masculinity, migration, and identity in working class communities. Most recently, Yasir won the Emerging Filmmaker Award at the Los Angeles Asian American Film Festival for his debut feature film, "Istikhara, New York". Shot in Brooklyn and self-financed for a budget of $15,000, the film was picked up for finishing and distribution by Nicholas Weinstock's Invention Studios, Executive Producer of Apple's Severance. Yasir then produced  the film, "Out of Order", which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and made its debut on VICE. Yasir served as an in house director and producer at XTR, a nonfiction studio based in LA, where he was named the Show runner for the nonfiction series' "Picture Locked & In My Own Words" as well as directing individual episodes.

Yasir aims to expand the breadth of how the American experience is articulated by redefining the Muslim image in popular culture, to one that is nuanced, intersectional, and more honest about their experience, especially for working class communities.

Yuhi Amuli is a filmmaker and lawyer from Rwanda. His feature films "A Taste Of Our Land" (2020) and "Citizen Kwame" (2023) have been screened at various film festivals worldwide and won awards including the Africa Academy Movie Award for Best First Film by a Director. He is an alumnus of Berlinale Talents (2021) and Toronto Filmmaker Lab (2020).

His films delve into themes that explored the complexities of African identity, colonial legacies, and the socio-cultural dynamics of his homeland. He often juxtaposed traditional values against the backdrop of change, providing a nuanced perspective on the challenges and aspirations of post-colonial African societies.

He is currently pursuing a Master of Laws Degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles.

04 Entertainment launched in 2019 and is led by veteran television executives and producers Colet Abedi, Jasmine Abedi, and Brian Zagorski. 04 Entertainment is currently in development on several series in the unscripted and scripted space including West Point a scripted series centered around the United States Military Academy at West Point with Aperture Media Partners, Nicky Weinstock’s Invention Studios, and Ari Schlossberg (Hide and Seek and Harper’s Island); My Summer in Seoul with New York Times best-selling author Rachel Van Dyken; scripted feature Dying To Be Me in partnership with Wonder Street and based on Anita Moorjani’s NY Times bestselling book. They have partnered with Jonah Hill’s Strong Baby Productions and Asylum Entertainment Group on an art crime documentary, and with Asylum Entertainment Group on a docuseries with actress Annalynne McCord and sisters Rachel and Angel. Their scripted slate also includes The Devil In The Kitchen based on the original and world-renowned celebrity chef, Marco Pierre White.

Colet Abedi, an author of 14 best-selling novels, previously served as Head of Unscripted and Scripted Development at ITV Studios, Head Writer for the Fox-owned MyNetwork TV Serials American Heiress and Fashion House and Creator and Executive Producer of Unsealed: Alien Files and Unsealed: Conspiracy Files. Brian Zagorski served as Head of Production at ITV Studios overseeing #RichKids of Beverly Hills, The Chase, I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. Brian also served as Executive Producer and Co-EP on hit programs Dancing With The Stars for the BBC, Big Star Little Star, World Star TV, and EJNYC. Jasmine Abedi has co-authored 3 best-selling paranormal novels with Colet, originally optioned by Scott Free Productions. Jasmine has also Executive Produced programs in the unscripted space while working as a television executive in production legal affairs for over 20 years overseeing hit programs such as Dancing With The Stars for the BBC, The Weakest Link, Outlast for Netflix, and the Emmy award winning documentary The Cost of Winning.

Throughout their careers, the 04 partners have worked with and produced for entertainment powerhouses the BBC, ITV, Netflix, Fox, NBCUniversal, Viacom, Paramount, Endemol Shine, among others.