Tribeca Games is partnering with Kill Screen to launch the Tribeca Games Festival, an event to bring together New York City’s passionate gaming community.   The festival will include behind-the-scenes looks back at some of the most fascinating games of the past year, and conversations with cultural leaders and game industry insiders, including a conversation with legendary game creator, Hideo Kojima. The inaugural Tribeca Games Festival will take place April 28-29 during the Tribeca Film Festival at The Tribeca Festival Hub at Spring Studios.  The Tribeca Film Festival runs April 19-30. The festival will kick off with the New York premiere of Telltale Games’ first-ever crowd play of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale series, Episode 1 and a concert headlined by British electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist Mura Masa. The Tribeca Games Festival program includes “X Post Conversations,” a series of cross-cultural conversations, each pairing a creator from the gaming community with someone of equal stature from an outside field; “Retro Active,” a series of talks that take a look back on some of the greatest titles from 2016, exploring every element from art, design and sound to storytelling; “Sneak Peeks,” previews of new and unreleased work from some of the most dynamic independent game studios from around the world, and an interactive arcade allowing attendees to get hands-on with new and unreleased games.   Hideo Kojima is widely celebrated as the godfather of the stealth action game genre, having created theMetal Gear franchise 30 years ago this July. He was awarded the Game Developers Choice Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award in March 2009, inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Science’s Hall of Fame in February 2016 and, most recently received The Game Awards’ Industry Icon Award this past December. Hideo Kojima leads a robust schedule of conversations to take place at the Festival, including additional keynote conversations given by Quantum Break, Alan Wake and Max Payne creator Sam Lake and BioShock director/writer Ken Levine, a celebration of the 25th anniversary of virtual reality-themed movie The Lawnmower Man with filmmaker Brett Leonard, principal filmmaker for VR at Google Jessica Brillhart and Cy Wise from Job Simulator’s Owlchemy Labs, and discussions with developers of recent and upcoming games such as Overwatch, The Banner Saga, Firewatch, The Stanley Parable,Watch Dogs 2, What Remains of Edith Finch and several more. In 2011, Tribeca was the first film festival to welcome gaming to the official program with the World Premiere of L.A. Noire, a detective-based Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (PS3) game. It has continued to support artists in the gaming world with the premiere of Beyond: Two Souls, a PS3 fantasy role-playing game led by Oscar^® nominee Ellen Page (2013); a panel series on innovation and storytelling in gaming with League of Legends’ designers, artists, producers, and musicians (2015); a partnership with Games for Change that illustrated how new and innovative platforms can serve the social good with participants including Morgan Spurlock, Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn (A Path Appears), Chief Scientist of Oculus VR Michael Abrash, and the developers of Rovio’s blockbuster mobile game Angry Birds (2015, 2016); and more. The Tribeca Games Festival program follows: OPENING NIGHT A celebration of games, play and interactivity set to the music of British electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist Mura Masa, who inspires game makers and players globally, and an exclusive Telltale crowdplay experience KEYNOTE CONVERSATIONS Intimate conversations some of the top game creators on the future of games and storytelling. Hideo Kojima The legendary creator of the Metal Gear franchise, on what’s next for him and the influences of cinema on his work. Ken Levine Director and Writer of the BioShock series, Levine reflects on his two decades in videogames and the legacy his work has created for interactive story-telling. Sam Lake The creator of Max Payne, Alan Wake and Quantum Break, on his unique approach to storytelling in games.  X POST CONVERSATIONS Cross-cultural conversations, pairing a creator of the gaming community with leading artists and filmmakers. Winslow Porter, Milica Zec and Tracy Fullerton Virtual reality directors Winslow Porter and Milica Zec and Director of USC’s Game Innovation LabTracy Fullerton discuss how to create real-world environmental awareness in digital worlds Ian Dallas Giant Sparrow’s creative director Ian Dallas takes the stage to discuss his upcoming game, What Remains of Edith Finch. Combining a family drama with famous supernatural Japanese tales, he will discuss how creators are making mysticism relevant to the modern world. Robin Hunicke with Maureen Fan Robin Hunicke, founder of indie studio Funomena, and Baobab Studios CEO Maureen Fan show how to create delight and joy in VR RETRO ACTIVE By breaking down each title piece by piece – exploring every element from art, design and sound to storytelling – we take a look back on the some of the greatest titles from 2016. Firewatch / Campo Santo The Firewatch team at Campo Santo dissects their award-winning debut with a focus on narrative design with writer and studio director Sean Vanaman. Overwatch /Michael Chu Overwatch senior game designer Michael Chu discuss how characters come into being in one of the best-selling PC games of all-time. The Stanley Parable / Davey Wreden The Stanley Parable creator Davey Wreden on how he designs virtual spaces that are perfectly suited for his unique narratives and how that’s pushed him to explore the everyday. The Banner Saga / John Watson Stoic co-founder John Watson on how classic films like Disney’s Sleeping Beauty inspired the Norse world of The Banner Saga series Watch Dogs 2 / Jonathan Morin Watch Dogs 2 creative director Jonathan Morin tackled issues like surveillance, the Silicon Valley housing crisis, and diversity in tech in their ground-breaking title. He’ll talk about how the team built a simulation where everything is connected. SPECIAL CONVERSATIONS 25th Anniversary of The Lawnmower Man + The Past, Present &  Future of VR Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of The Lawnmower Man, a special conversation on how Lawnmower Man influenced a generation of digital creators and to how capture images of the future with the tools of today with Brett Leonard, director of The Lawnmower Man, Jessica Brillhart, Principal Filmmaker for VR at Google, and Cy Wise from Job Simulator’s Owlchemy Labs. SNEAK PEEK AND THE ARCADE A preview of new and unreleased work with some of the most dynamic independent game studios from around the world like Might & Delight, Finji Games, and Giant Sparrow, and additional hands-on play with unreleased and newly-released titles.

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[caption id="attachment_21727" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] A still from The New York Timesí Op-Docs “Hotel U.S.A.”[/caption] The Tribeca Film Festival will spotlight creators who are pushing the boundaries of online storytelling in its N.O.W. (New Online Work) section. The Festival today announced the lineup for the section’s programs: the N.O.W Showcase, Special Screenings, and the Creators Market participants. The Tribeca N.O.W. program will run during the Tribeca Film Festival, taking place April 19-30. This year’s N.O.W. Special Screenings series features high profile content curated by Tribeca from the industry’s leading online networks and talent. Academy Award-nominated® Tribeca alumni Josh Foxand James Spione will premiere Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock, Executive Produced by Shailene Woodley, and co-directed by Myron Dewey. Eli Roth’s Crypt TV will premiere Monster Madness, a series of several character shorts from the digital brand’s scaremakers. Op-Docs, The New York Times’ award-winning forum for short, opinionated documentaries, will screen three films at the Festival.Burgeoning online studios DUST, Adaptive Studios, and Stage 13 will bring three fresh voices into the genre sphere from trailblazing female filmmakers Nicole Delaney, Vera Miaob and Arkasha Stevenson. Conversations will follow each screening with the creators, talent, and special guests. The N.O.W. Showcase is a curated selection of 10 independent online creators’ latest work that is representative of the industry’s freshest voices and most original forms of storytelling. In addition to the world premieres of the new online work during Showcase Screenings on April 20, a piece of past work from each filmmaker will be showcased on TribecaFilm.com. Rounding out the opportunities for online storytellers is the second annual Creators Market, which connects online creators with the industry, including buyers, producers and brands, and supports the creation, sale, and showcase of new online works. The N.O.W. program has become known for its curatorial expertise in discovering emerging talent. Discoveries include High Maintenance from Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld, which was picked up byHBO; Money & Violence from Moise Vernau, whose second season was picked up by Jay-Z’s Tidal; and up-and-coming talent like Brian Jordan Alvarez, whose 2016 N.O.W. series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo went on to receive a Breakthrough Series – Short Form nomination at the Gotham Awards.

N.O.W. SPECIAL SCREENINGS

A selection of high-profile content from the industry’s leading digital networks and online talent playing as official Special Screenings of TFF. Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock, directed by Josh Fox, James Spione, Myron Dewey, written by Floris White Bull, Josh Fox, Myron Dewey. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. Standing Rock North Dakota became one of the most watched places on earth. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe captured world attention through their peaceful resistance. While many may know the details, Awake, A Dream from Standing Rock, executive produced by Shailene Woodley, captures the story of Native-led defiance that forever changed how we fight for clean water, our environment and the future of our planet.  Crypt TV’s Monster Madness, directed by Ben Franklin & Anthony Melton, Alexander Babaev, Jon Kovel, Nicholas Mihm, John William Ross, Gabriel Younes and more. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative and Non-Scripted. Crypt TV’s Monster Madness features some of the best and biggest character shorts from the digital brand’s scaremakers. From a stunningly terrifying protector of the bullied to a child’s toy that reveals horrors around every corner of a suburban home to the real life tale of a man whose body is stretched and pierced into a piece of daring art, Crypt shorts proudly embrace the horror lifestyle. The Birch (directed by: Ben Franklin & Anthony Melton) My First Day (directed by: Jon Kovel) Odd Jobs: Body Modification (directed by: Nicholas Mihm) Stereoscope (directed by: Alexander Babaev) Sunny Family Cult (directed by: Gabriel Younes) The Thing in the Apartment (directed by: John William Ross) 

Out of This World: Female Filmmakers in Genre

An evening of three diverse works from female filmmakers working online in the genre sphere. From post-apocalyptic love and telekinetic mother/daughter relations to an unseen predator in a mining town, these stories from up-and-coming online studios DUST, Stage 13 and Adaptive Studios, artfully skew everyday travails into the bizarre and visually fantastic. YOYO, directed by Nicole Delaney. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Caroline can’t stand that she is a virgin…And then the world ends. In post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, after a dust storm has wiped out humanity, she meets Francis and is convinced that he’s the man to pop her cherry. YOYO is a heartfelt, dark comedy about finding meaning in life, even when life ceases to exist.​ With: Martin Starr, Sophie von Haselberg. Presented by DUST and Gunpowder & Sky. Two Sentence Horror Stories: MA, directed by Vera Miao. (USA) – World Premiere, Narrative. Like many traditional Chinese families, Mona still lives at home with her stern but loving Ma.When she meets cute Erica, their instant chemistry awakens something dormant inside. But Ma is not going to let her daughter go easily. Because nothing is allowed to come between a mother and daughter. With: Wei Yi Lin, Ayesha Harris, Mardy Ma. A Stage 13 production. Pineapple (Episodes 1 & 2), directed by Arkasha Stevenson. (USA) – New York Premiere, Narrative. The local coal mine in the town of Black Rock becomes a crime scene when a miner’s daughter is assaulted in its tunnels. She utters only one word, which leaves the town baffled: “pineapple.” Tensions rise as the mine’s opportunistic owner uses the investigation as an excuse to shutter the dying operation indefinitely. With: Tyler Vickers, Kel Owens, Ron Gilbert, Gloria Vonn, Lucille Sharp, Brooklyn Robinson. An Adaptive Studios production. 

THE NEW YORK TIMES’ Op-Docs

The New York Times’ Op-Docs poignantly explore relatable struggles faced by everyday citizens.  From immigrant families overwhelming first night in America, to women struggling with Louisiana mandated abortion waiting periods, to a Japanese man’s attempt to both parent his young child and provide palliative care for his mother, the short films provide a window into universal experiences and acutely relevant conversations. Undue Burden, directed by Gina Pollack. (USA) – New York Premiere. When you live in a state with laws that restrict access to abortion, an unwanted pregnancy is only the start of your difficulties. Taller Than the Trees, directed by Megan Mylan. (USA) – Special Screening. Japanese men haven’t traditionally been caregivers. But for Masami Hayata, it’s a crucial part of raising his family. Hotel U.S.A., directed by Andrea Meller & Marisa Pearl. (USA) – New York Premiere. For refugee families, the very first night in the U.S. can be an exciting and bewildering experience.

 N.O.W. SHOWCASE (and Creators Market Participants)

A curated selection of 10 independent, online creators invited to showcase their latest work on TribecaFilm.com and at two public screenings as official Tribeca selections.

SHOWCASE A

The Holdouts, directed by Ramon Campos Iriarte (Colombia) – World Premiere. The Western hemisphere’s oldest civil war is still going strong in the jungles of Colombia. The National Liberation Army (ELN) —a Marxist military organization— has been fighting for revolution since 1964, and with the FARC having declared a ceasefire, the ELN is today the last active guerrilla army in the Americas. In Spanish, English with subtitles. Ramon Campos Iriarte is a producer and filmmaker with a photography and journalism background, and extensive experience working in the field. He started his career working on commercial television, and then specialized in documentary production, focusing on environmental and social subjects mainly in the Americas Midnight Service, directed by Dean Colin Marcial and produced by Brett Potter (USA) – World Premiere. Midnight Service is a true-crime series about urban legends, notorious criminals, occult pop culture, and first-hand accounts of the unknown. Dean Colin Marcial is an international filmmaker working in New York and Manila. In 2009, he apprenticed under Antonio Campos, Josh Mond, and Sean Durkin of Borderline Films. In 2010, he co-founded Calavera USA, an award-winning production company. In 2014 he co-directed Sea Devil with Brett Potter, a Vimeo Staff-Picked short that went on to play festivals worldwide, garnering prizes at Fantasia and Slamdance. Brett Potter is a filmmaker and producer. He co-founded production services company Meadow Street Films and is also chairman of the board at Borscht, a film and arts non-profit. As a narrative producer, his films have premiered and won jury prizes at Sundance, SXSW, AFI, Rotterdam and more. Brett was a 2014 fellow at the Sundance Creative Producing Institute. Most recently he directed a raunchy game show pilot for Time Warner 150. New Deep South, created by Lauren Cioffi and Rosie Haber (USA) – World Premiere. This series explores the vibrant and multifaceted queer culture emerging in the American South. Playing against old stereotypes of Mississippi as a state of social conservatism and stagnation, we follow the lives of queer youth to explore the tangled and complex nature of sexual identity in the New Deep South. Lauren Cioffi is a documentary producer and shooter who has worked with award winning directors Margaret Brown, Liza Mandelup, and Amber Fares. In her free time, she programs for Sundance. Their film Instababy took home the audience award at LAFF after their digital series New Deep South was hailed by Jill Soloway as her favorite show. Rosie Haber is a graduate of Film Independent’s Project Involve, the Outfest Screenwriting lab, and AFI’s Directing Workshop for Women. She has won the Jury prize for dramatic shorts at Outfest and the audience award at LAFF. She is the writer of the screenplay adaptation of the iconic transgender novel, “Stone Butch Blues.” New York is Dead, produced by Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas, and Randy Harrison and directed by Matthew Wilkas (USA) – World Premiere. A darkly hilarious webseries about two broke NYC artists who become hitmen to make ends meet. Bio: Jenn Harris is an actress/writer/producer best known for her co-starring role in the film Gayby and playing Jodi Foster in the hit Off-Broadway musical “Silence! The Musical.” She has written and performed her solo show in NYC and was a writer for CNE and “Billy on the Street.” Matthew Wilkas is an actor/playwright/screenwriter also known for his co-starring role in the film Gayby. His play “Big Babies” was at the Vineyard Arts Project and Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre. His play “Pageant Play” was published by Dramatist Play Services after its production at the Berkshire Theatre Festival. New York is Dead is Randy Harrison’s directorial debut. He is best known for playing Justin Taylor for five seasons on Showtime’s acclaimed series Queer as Folk. Woman of a Certain Age, created, written by, and starring Kate Dearing, co-directed by Amanda Cowper and Sami Kriegstein and co-produced by Dearing, Cowper and Kriegstein- (USA) World Premiere. Kate confronts the daily challenges of being an adult, she is spontaneously visited by versions of herself at different ages – each offering their “best” advice. Like “A Christmas Carol” but without the pesky morals, Woman of a Certain Age explores what happens when we actually listen to the voices in our head. Kate Dearing is an actor/writer who has worked on numerous series, including High Maintenance, Good Neighbor Presents  and The Outs. Recently, she won Best Actress at LA Comedy Fest for,Starting Out. Dearing is also the co-creator of Doin’ Everythin’ a sketch series that has been featured on JASH, CollegeHumor, and Huffington Post Comedy. Sami Kriegstein is a creative EP who made her mark at Maker Studios, Fullscreen Media, Caviar Content, Astronauts Wanted, and most recently, Refinery29. In 2010 she founded the Los Angeles Music Video Festival and in 2016 produced her first feature length documentary, Figures of Speech. Amanda Cowper is a producer and director who is currently the Associate Producer on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers. Cowper previously worked at Peacock Productions.

SHOWCASE B

HEROIN, directed by Jessica Beshir (USA) – World Premiere. For an artist, free will is just an illusion. Heroin explores the creative process, inspiration and alternative reality of an artist. Jessica Beshir is a first-time filmmaker. Raised in Mexico and Ethiopia by parents from each country, Beshir’s multi-cultural heritage and perspective makes her a perfect fit for the diverse New York filmmaking community.  I LIVED: Brooklyn, directed by Jonathan Nelson and produced by Danielle Andersen (USA) – World Premiere. I LIVED: Brooklyn was created by director/cinematographer Jonathan Nelson and audio producer Danielle Andersen. Nelson and Andersen both live in Brooklyn and I LIVED was born from a desire to investigate the intricacies of place and identity in the borough’s distinct neighborhoods. Jonathan Nelson has worked in the New York film industry for the past ten years and has credits on prominent documentaries such as Twenty Feet From Stardom and last year’s The Witness. Danielle Andersen works as a field producer and outreach coordinator for the national oral history non-profit StoryCorps. Phone Calls, co-directed by Bonnie Wright and Martin Cohn (USA) – World Premiere. Phone Calls is an anthology series of conversations exploring the way people speak to each other when not face to face. Free of physical proximity, a space is born in which personal truths and, often times, ugliness is unleashed by those closest to you as well as those most foreign.   Bonnie Wright’s directorial debut, Separate We Come, Separate We Go premiered at Cannes. She went on to direct a music video for Sophie Lowe and wrote and directed the short film, Know Thyself, which develops Wright’s fascination with landscape and feeling. Wright is currently developing an exhibition, SEXTANT. Martin Cohn, primarily an actor, found his way into screenwriting as an extension of his love for storytelling. He is a core member of London-based performance company, Theo Adams Company.Phone Calls marks his first foray into screenwriting. Shiva, Bankrukt Productions (Jeff Seal, Shaina Feinberg, Chris Roberti, Chris Manley) (USA) – World Premiere. Improvised vignettes from an Upper West Side Shiva, exploring the absurd, mundane, sad and spiritual. There will be lox. Jeff Seal is a comedian and filmmaker. His videos on dumpster diving and train hopping both made it to the front page of Reddit. Seal is a graduate of the Clown Conservatory and studied mime in Paris. Shaina Feinberg’s award-winning feature film, The Babymooners, blurred the lines between documentary and fiction. She made a cha cha album called “Everyday I Cha Cha Cha.” Chris Roberti is an actor and writer who can be seen in Broad City (Comedy Central), and High Maintenance (HBO). He performs throughout the city in places such as the Peoples Improv Theater and UCB. Chris Manley made an award winning film, The Babymooners. He is a founder at Bankrukt Productions and has had a hand in making over 150 short films as part of the creative team. The Show About The Show, directed by Caveh Zahedi (USA) – World Premiere. The Show About The Show is Caveh Zahedi’s self-referential scripted meta-series about a Brooklyn filmmaker trying to make a TV show. Co-starring Alex Karpovsky, Eleonore Hendricks, Dustin Defa, and a who’s who of Brooklyn’s independent filmmaking community, it tells the story of everything that can and does go wrong in trying to get a television series funded, produced, and distributed. Caveh Zahedi is an autobiographical American independent filmmaker whose films include I Am A Sex Addict (2005), In The Bathtub of the World (2001), I Don’t Hate Las Vegas Anymore (1994), andA Little Stiff (1991).

N.O.W. CREATORS MARKET

A daylong, private industry market that brings together leading online creators/talent looking to pitch new projects with a curated group of industry (distributors, brands, MCNs) with particular interest in engaging up-and-coming online talent. Azie Mira Dungey After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Azie Mira Dungey moved to LA and created her critically acclaimed comedy web series Ask A Slave; this sparked her career in television. Dungey is currently an Executive Story Editor on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and she recently closed the deal to write her first book “How I Survived the 18th Century.” Arkasha Stevenson Arkasha Stevenson is a Los Angeles–based writer and director, and a recent graduate from the American Film Institute. Her thesis film, Vessels, was awarded the 2015 Iris Prize. Prior to attending film school, Stevenson worked as a photojournalist at the Los Angeles Times, which greatly informs her narrative filmmaking. Christian Larrave Christian Larrave is a filmmaker, musician, and artist from Dallas, TX whose work has screened at over 70 festivals and galleries across the world, and often involves a mixture of comedy and existential unease. He has a BFA in Animation from the Rhode Island School of Design and currently resides in New York City, where he works as a production artist. Dom Fera Dom Fera is a writer, director, actor, and composer raised in New Jersey and living in Los Angeles. Fera graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts for Film & TV in 2014, and has run his YouTube channel since 2006. The channel has picked up over 82 million video views thanks to a varied collection of short films, sketches, and animations. Hazel Hayes Hazel Hayes is a director, writer, actor and vlogger. She has a thriving community of over 230,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel. As an independent filmmaker, she has written, directed and starred in a number of sketches and short films. Hayes is heavily inspired by science fiction and horror. Hye Yun Park Hye Yun Park is an actor, writer, filmmaker, who has written and performed in several short films and created 2 seasons of the award winning web series, Hey Yun. When not making videos, Park is clowning around town or acting in other people’s films. Her new web series BKPI is a comedy about 3 female private investigators in Brooklyn. Jacquelyn Ryan, Kyle Brown, Katie Micay Jacquelyn Ryan is currently production supervisor on Pretty Little Liars and Famous In Love, and production coordinator on the John Wells production American Woman. Jacquelyn produced the digital series Hers and History and the indie web series Slave 4U. She is also the founder of a nonprofit called Wide Angle Film Center, a 501(c)(3) organization that supports a more sustainable and diverse media industry. Kyle Bown is a writer/producer who began his career moving from show to show, putting in time at hits such as The Mentalist, Heroes and Scrubs. He found a home when he landed on Pretty Little Liars, where he has been fortunate enough to co-write two episodes. He also co-wrote the short film The Firefly Girls and is a Creative Executive at Long Lake Media. Katie Micay graduated from Loyola Marymount University’s film production program. Her short film Limited Engagement was an Official Selection of the Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival.  Her second film My So Called Family was an Official Selection of the Bel Air Film Festival. Her third short film, Flirt, was an Official Selection of the Reality Bytes Film Festival. Lisa Ebersole Lisa Ebersole is an award-winning playwright and filmmaker. Her plays have been produced Off-Broadway and regionally: “Baby” (Best of The Fringe Festival), “Mother” (starring Buck Henry and Holland Taylor), “Brother” (published by Samuel French). Ebersole’s films include the feature film Brother (Tribeca Cinemas), the short Puddin’ (Palm Springs Film Festival), and the web series 37 Problems (Austin Film Festival). Lyle Friedman Lyle Friedman is currently an Executive Story Editor for Darren Star’s hit TV show, Younger. She is an alumni of UCB and the LAByrinth Theatre Company in New York. Friedman co-created the web series #hotmessmoves. Patrick Starrr Patrick Starrr is a beauty guru and LGBTQ activist. He has over 2.9 million Instagram followers and 2 million YouTube subscribers. Starrr recently attended New York Fashion Week as a backstage correspondent for Time Inc. (People, EW, InStyle) and hosted NBC’s Hairspray Live’s live stream alongside Manny Mua and Glee’s Darren Criss. Starrr has collaborated with countless celebrities such as Jessie J, Tyra Banks, Shay Mitchell and more. Paul Gale Paul Gale is an NYC-based comedic filmmaker whose work has been featured on the front pages of Reddit, BuzzFeed, and USA Today. He’s made content for companies like Broadway Video, MTV and The Huffington Post, and, if you’re in from out of town, he’s happy to make restaurant recommendations. Smaranda Luna, Michelle Flanagan Smaranda Luna is an Eastern-European actress, stand up comedian, writer, and improviser. She immigrated to the U.S on a Fulbright scholarship after graduating from the National Drama Conservatory in Bucharest, Romania. After getting her MFA in Acting from UT Austin, she relocated to Los Angeles. Her credits include Closer to the Moon, Harley and the Davidsons and numerous theatre productions. Michelle Flanagan is a performer and writer originally from Austin, where she worked with a number of theatre companies and received a degree in Theatre from the University of Texas. Since moving to Los Angeles, her voice work has been featured on Adult Swim’s China, IL, and she performs improv and character sketches at UCB, iO West, and Second City. Starsha Gill Starsha Gill is a Chicago-based filmmaker. The writer, star, and director of Jon and Starsha are Having a Baby (Official Selection, Los Angeles Film Festival 2015), also co-starred and co-wrote the feature film Cat Scratch Fever which premiered at the Brooklyn Film Festival. Gill’s most recent project, a web series entitled The Elephant in the Room, draws on her experience as a young mother in Brooklyn. Vera Miao Vera Miao is a child of Chinese immigrants and the writer/director/EP of Two Sentence Horror Stories. Her feature, Best Friends Forever, premiered at Slamdance. At First was part of the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab and Sundance/WIF Financing Intensive. Miao was a fellow of the 2016 Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program. Zane Rubin Zane Rubin is a nineteen year-old filmmaker from Los Angeles. Getting her start at the age of fifteen, Zane has written, directed, and acted in six shorts and a feature. Her work has been featured on Huffington Post, Wifey.tv, BUST, as well as a few festivals. It showcases the perspective of a teenage girl without the presence of curfews, parents, and homework, while addressing her debilitating anxiety and aversion to “the system.”

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