CREATIVE TEAM

Eámonn Wrightstone (he/him) is a 22-year-old director based in NYC. With a start in award-winning social justice work and community organizing, he transitioned into filmmaking to tell stories with “taboo,” queer, family, racial, socio-economic, and mental health-related topics. Eámonn strives to uplift underrepresented voices/communities behind and in front of the camera. At this point in his career, he has directed 4 short films at NYU while studying Film and Television Production Studies. After graduating in May, he will be directing a new off-off-broadway play this Summer, 2023. Eámonn is additionally a producer for DADDY TV, a queer, sex-positive, and New York City/Los Angeles based reality tv production company. When he’s not directing or producing, Eamonn freelances professionally as a First Assistant Camera and in the G&E department.

Rebekah Strauss (she/her) is a 21-year-old Writer and Director based in NYC. She recently graduated from NYU with a Bachelor’s degree from the Dramatic Writing program at the Tisch School of the Arts with a minor in Film. Rebekah aims to provide representation to marginalized groups through her writing. Her social justice work began in high school, where she was awarded the Princeton Prize for Race Relations in 2018 for spreading racial awareness. Rebekah has written several short films, feature films, and plays. Her most recent short film ‘Rotten Meat’ was a finalist in the BlueCat Screenwriting Competition. Rebekah is currently a working professional Assistant Director with experience in commercials to feature films. Most recently, she has worked for Macy’s on their upcoming Christmas ad campaigns. Rebekah hopes to join the 2023-2025 DGA Assistant Director program in Los Angeles or New York.

Jessica Cochran (she/her) is a Chinese-Indonesian American producer based in New York City and raised in Florida. A 2022 graduate from the NYU Undergraduate Tisch Film and Television program, she strives to cultivate films and sets that are compassionate and inclusive, as well as focusing on uplifting stories and voices that challenges audiences, while also fostering empathy. Working in both documentary and narrative, Jessica has served as a Production Coordinator on Nam June Paik: Moon is the Oldest TV, premiering at Sundance 2023, a Production Assistant on Eat The Rich: The GameStop Saga currently streaming on Netflix, as well as worked as a Production Coordinator at Ummah Chroma Creative Partners, including working on OUT / SIDE OF TIME, a short film that is a part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in the exhibition Before Yesterday We Could Fly: An Afrofuturist Period Room.

Nifemi Adegboye (she/her) is currently based in New York, NY and is a New York University graduate with a BFA in Film & Television Production with a minor in Business in Entertainment, Music, & Television at Tisch School of the Arts. She has experience with short film and commercial production, production design, live broadcast production, and producing with Ark Media & HBO, CMG Studios, Amazon, and 
various independent film productions. 

She is a determined artist focusing primarily on developing herself as a producer, screenwriter, and cinematographer. "Birds & Bees," her most recently released short film that explores the experience and impact of police violence on Black children, was selected as a finalist at NYU's Film Fusion Festival. 

Her current focus is on honing her skills in producing and project management. She has a passion for working with like-minded individuals creating art that speaks on the Black experience. She’s now working as an Art department Manager at Walter Schupfer Management, a leading creative management agency. 

Matt Liang (he/him) is a 22-year-old Canadian cinematographer having experience as a Director of Photography and Gaffer on various short films and commercial work. Although he specializes in narrative filmmaking, he is also a professional photographer and videographer. Growing up in Hong Kong, Matt loves exploring differences in cultural dynamics and is inspired to create art that brings people together. He works part-time as a video creator for Gastronomous Technologies and additionally freelances. He is currently studying at NYU Tisch School of the Arts with an intended major in Film & Television and a minor in Business of Entertainment, Media, and Technology. Matt hopes his continued commitment to the craft will earn him a finalist spot for the 2023 Volker Bahnemann Award For Outstanding Cinematography from ARRI, given out each year to seniors in Camera 3 at NYU.

Malachi Parsons (he/him) is a rising production designer, filmmaker, and interdisciplinary performance artist. He will receive his BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2023 and will pursue an M.A. in Design for Stage and Film. His collaborations include partnering with student filmmakers on the undergrad and graduate level.

Erica A Hart, CSA (she/her) was born and raised in Washington, DC (the actual 202...not 301 or 703.) She graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, where she studied film and television. She has been casting for over a decade and has loved every minute of it. She started off in network and studio casting moving her way up to Casting Coordinator in the New York Office of ABC Primetime Casting. Erica has appeared in The Hollywood Reporter as a featured rising artist and has cast films that have screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, SXSW, Outfest, Cinequest, and the Cannes Film Festival. THE SURROGATE (a film she cast as well as associate produced) was in INDIEWIRE's Best Movies Eligible for a 2021 Oscar, was a VARIETY CRITICS PICK, and earned Erica her first Artios nomination and win in 2021. She has cast commercials for high-end brands such as Maybelline, Gillette, Hasbro, and Delta, to name a few, and cast H.E.R's music video for FIGHT FOR YOU which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. Her television/streaming Casting Director credits include both seasons of THAT DAMN MICHAEL CHE (HBOMAX), JODIE produced by Tracee Ellis Ross and Grace Edwards, BLACK DON'T CRACK (pilot for ABC), BUST DOWN (PEACOCK) and THE GIRLS ON THE BUS (HBOMAX). In 2021 she made her Broadway debut casting two Broadway plays: CHICKEN & BISCUITS and PASS OVER. In 2022, she co cast the Broadway revival of DEATH OF A SALESMAN and will cast the MTC Broadway production of JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING. She has cast theatrical productions for THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATRE and THE DRAMA LEAGUE. Erica was the Casting Associate for shows like RAY DONOVAN (SHOWTIME), THE BOLD TYPE (FREEFORM), DEFENDING JACOB (APPLE+), and GODFATHER OF HARLEM (EPIX). She is on the Board of Governors for Casting Society (CSA) and a member of the Television Academy. She also teaches TV auditioning techniques at colleges and universities around the country including Harvard University and NYU's Grad Acting Program. Outside of casting, she has received grants and awards from the Puffin Foundation, New York Television Festival and The Digital Bolex, and has developed series for BET and WeTV.

Maggie Brill (she/her) is a NYC-based director and cinematographer with a B.A. in Radio/Television/Film from Northwestern University. She is particularly passionate about character-driven stories, queer representation, and coming-of-age narratives.

Her recent cinematography work includes the dance film BACK IN A STORM and narrative dramatic short SKY. In 2022, Maggie was awarded the Northwestern University Women Filmmakers Alliance’s annual grant for her short film HOW TO GLOW IN THE DARK, which she wrote and directed. Maggie also graduated with honors from Prague Film School’s 2021 Autumn Filmmaking program, where her short film WALTER won the Audience Award for Best Film.

When she’s not filming, Maggie loves visiting museums, rock climbing, and discovering new music.

Oh and of course, her favorite color is orange.

Douglas Lau (he/him) is a Chinese American Steadicam Operator and Director of Photography based in Philadelphia, PA.

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Douglas is a member of the Steadicam Operators Association (SOA) and has completed multiple Steadicam courses both in the US and China. 

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Based but not bound to Philly -- available internationally. 

Alicia Qian (she/they) is a filmmaker and sound design with an irrational love for audio, writing, and most of all food. She has directed and sound designed several short, some of which have aired on NPR and featured on Apple's Best of 2021 Podcasts. Alicia is extremely excited to help bring this film to life and can't wait to get on set!