2021 BREAKING THROUGH THE LENS
SHORTLISTED PROJECTS
HoVER OVER PHOTOS TO REVEAL BIOS
Elizabeth Woodward, Producer
Elizabeth Woodward is an independent producer from New York City and founder of Willa Productions. Current projects include ON THE DIVIDE about three people whose lives intersect at the last abortion clinic on the US/Mexico (Tribeca 2021), The Othrs and Vice Studios’ YOU RESEMBLE ME, and ANOTHER BODY a film about deepfake image based abuse. Past projects Netflix’s THE GREAT HACK (Oscars shortlist, Primetime Emmy nominee, BAFTA nominee, IDA nominee, Cinema Eye winner, Sundance premiere), HBO’s hit documentary series THE VOW: A NXIVM STORY; AFTERWARD (Executive Produced by Abigail Disney); PERSUASION MACHINES (Sundance New Frontier) a VR experience narrated by will.i.am, PBS American Masters’ BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY, and a film with Fareed Zakaria by the CNN Documentary Unit. Her projects have premiered at Sundance, Tribeca, AFI Docs and Sheffield Doc Fest and have been supported by Film Independent, Sundance Institute, Tribeca Institute, Bertha Foundation, Artemis Rising, Field of Vision, Level Forward, The Gotham, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She is a member of the Documentary Peer Group at the Television Academy (Emmys), the Documentary Producers Alliance, and the Young Professionals Group at the Council on Foreign Relations, and was selected for Berlinale Talents 2021. She graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University and received a masters with distinction from the University of Cambridge.
CAIN AND ABEL
DRAMA | EGYPT, FRANCE, USA
The fates of two French-born Muslim Arabs born in the same neighborhood collide as they find themselves on opposite sides of the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack, as police officer and terrorist. Who are these men beneath their uniforms? How many degrees of separation really exist between them?
Dina Amer, Writer / Director
Dina Amer is a filmmaker and investigative journalist. Growing up between the US and Egypt, her work has focused on sharing nuanced, intimate and humanized stories in the Middle East with a global audience. She experienced Egypt’s revolution on the frontlines for three years producing Academy Award-nominated and three-time Emmy-winning documentary THE SQUARE, the story of revolutionary Egypt beyond the news headlines. Dina has produced several documentaries for CNN and PBS. Her work has been published in The New York Times, CNN and the Huffington Post. She produced and was the correspondent on several films for VICE, including BLACK MARKET, during which she uncovered the human trafficking of Syrian refugees, and explored the underground economy of illegal Egypt-Gaza tunnels. Her directorial debut YOU RESEMBLE ME is an intimate lens into radicalization that explores the mirrored lives of a would-be suicide bomber and her surviving sister.
DirECTOR:
DINA AMER
pRODUCER:
ELIZABETH WOODWARD
Serena Armitage and Pietro Greppi, Producers
Joined by a common interest in stories of outsiders and visionary talent, Serena Armitage and Pietro Greppi are developing several projects together and their companies, Red Breast Productions and Lunapark Pictures, are both recipients of BFI Vision Award funding. In addition to English Animals, their combined slate includes a new feature film by Peter Strickland (The Duke of Burgundy, In Fabric) and Sarah Clift’s feature debut, developed via the iFeatures programme supported by Creative England, BFI and BBC Films. In May 2020, they completed their first production together, Sarah Clift’s BAFTA longlisted short film The Birth Of Valerie Venus. Previously, Serena spent a decade making programs for ITV before winning an Academy Award for producing Benjamin Cleary’s short film Stutterer in 2016. In 2020 Serena completed a Film London funded short FOG and in 2019 TV pilot Bored directed by Georgia Oakley, which premieres at SXSW2020. Serena is also developing LGBTQ drama Son Of A Preacher Man, with writer / director Chika Anadu, supported by BBC Films. Serena is an executive branch member of AMPAS. Pietro produced Andrew Steggall's BFI-funded debut Departure, a UK-French co-production starring Juliet Stevenson and Alex Lawther, and Giacomo Cimini’s award-winning short The Nostalgist. He has developed projects with partners including The Wellcome Trust and Ingenious and executive-produced three debuts due for release in 2020/21: Camille Griffin’s Silent Night, starring Keira Knightley, produced by Marv and Maven Pictures; Marley Morrison’s Sweetheart, funded by Film London’s BFI/BBC supported Microwave scheme; and Eliza Schroeder’s Love Sarah, starring Celia Imrie. Pietro began his career across sales, finance and distribution at Magnolia Pictures in New York and Goldcrest in London.
ENGLISH ANIMALS
drama | Uk
A young Polish woman is employed to help an upper-class couple on a rundown country estate in rural Britain. Her prime duty is to assist with the husband’s taxidermy art work, but things become complicated when she embarks on an unexpected romance with his wife.
Claire Oakley, Writer / Director
Claire is a filmmaker from London. Her debut feature 'Make Up', starring Bafta-winner Molly Windsor (BBC's Three Girls), was released in 2020 by Curzon Artificial Eye to critical acclaim. Robbie Collins from The Telegraph called it “the British film of 2020 so far” and Peter Bradshaw from The Guardian said it is “a clever and expertly made movie”. The film was produced by Quiddity Films and iFeatures with the support of the BFI, BBC Films and Creative England. The film was also released in the US, Canada, Spain and Scandinavia. Claire's four short films have played at festivals worldwide and have picked up several awards internationally. They explore themes of identity and place with an atmospheric visual style. Claire has been commissioned by the Wellcome Trust, Film London, Universal Music and the photographer Rankin. Her previous work also includes an essay film shot entirely underwater, which she produced. Claire was chosen as a Screen Star of Tomorrow, 2019 and is a graduate of Torino Film Lab, BFI Network, EIFF Talent Lab and iFeatures. In 2014 she co-founded Cinesisters a peer-to-peer mentoring group for female directors. She is currently developing feature films with the BFI and BBC Films and has two original TV series in development with Tiger Aspect and with Little Door.
DIRECTOR:
claire oakley
producerS:
serena armitage
PIETRO GREPPI
Emma Comley, Producer
Emma is an LA-based producer with over 25 years of experience in the industry. In 2012, she co-founded Blonde to Black Pictures in London - their progressive and diverse slate of films includes titles like Buttercup Bill, Set The Thames On Fire, and Two For Joy - all garnering festival plaudits and achieving worldwide distribution. She was the former Head of Production and Executive Producer at Flynn Productions - where she produced videos for the likes of Foo Fighters and Jay-Z, while boasting commercial credits for leading brands including Nike, NTC, Smirnoff, and Nokia. She has recently formed production outfit Hooligan Dreamers Productions with producing partners Jaime King and Sola Fasheun - with a focus on developing and producing stories for both screen and television with a fearless and sensitive approach that speaks a truth not always voiced.
FERAL
HORROR, magical realism, dark comedy | USA
The arrival of a lover/shaman scholar on a colonial estate in 1950's India, causes two tribal maidservants to a sadomasochistic English Madame to transgress - as they slowly take over the house and reclaim their lost wild mystical selves.
Nihaarika Negi, Writer / Director
Nihaarika is an International multi-award winning actor, an immersive theatre-maker and an independent filmmaker from India. Lying at the intersection of performance, magical realism and contemporary folktale - she tells stories that allow us to reclaim those parts of ourselves we try so hard to erase. Stories that capture our imaginative potential for healing and change. Through this, she seeks to make space for diverse female-identifying South-Asian voices in a sustainable international context. She holds an MA in Physical Performance and Actor-Training (University of Exeter, UK), where she has trained under master practitioner Phillip Zarrilli in the psychophysical acting methodology - which uses principles of meditative martial arts practices to train artists, create work and direct ensembles. Her work in film and theatre has been described as ‘revelatory and thoroughly riveting’ (Laurence Kardish, MOMA) and work ‘that stands at the cusp of what could be an artistic breakthrough for Indian theatre’ (The Hindu). An alum of Berlinale Talents 2021 and winner of the XR Market Award at NewImage Festival (Paris), her work has been supported by Sundance Institute + Women In Film, FACE Foundation (US), IFFR’s Cinemart, Venice Film Festival Development Labs and Gap Financing Market (Italy), French Ministry of Culture -CNC, UK Arts Council, Roundhouse Theatre, SPILL Festival (UK), Serendipity Arts Festival and NFDC Film Labs (India). Her films have been screened at New York Indian Film Festival, Austin Indie Meme Festival (US), London Asian Film Festival (UK), Mumbai Film Festival (India), Women Make Waves Film Festival (Taiwan); and broadcast on platforms like Channel 4 (UK), Disney+’s Star Gold & Hotstar (India) and Amazon Prime (US/UK). She holds an MFA from the Peter Stark Producing Program (University of Southern California, US), where she’s worked at places like MACRO, Amblin Partners, Bona Fide Productions and IFFLA.
DIRECTOR:
nihaarika negi
PRODUCER:
emma comely
Don Handfield, Timothy Linh Bui and Tony Bui, Producers
Handfield produced THE FOUNDER starring Michael Keaton and KILL THE MESSENGER starring two-time Academy Award nominated actor Jeremy Renner. He is currently producing SWITCHED ON at Focus Features with Marc Platt (LA LA LAND, CHICAGO 7) and GRAVE HILL with CJ Entertainment (PARASITE). Handfield is the co-creator and Executive Producer of the History Channel series KNIGHTFALL and wrote and directed the Saturn Award-winning film TOUCHBACK starring Kurt Russell. Handfield’s comic THE RIFT was optioned by Steven Spielberg and produced as the season finale of the Amazing Stories reboot on Apple +, for which Handfield also wrote the teleplay. He is a partner and board member of Scout Comics & Entertainment and teaches TV Writing in the Professional Program at UCLA. Tim co-wrote and co-produced THREE SEASONS, starring Harvey Keitel and is a triple award winner at the Sundance Film Festival. Tim followed up with his directorial debut on GREEN DRAGON, the film world premiered at Sundance in Dramatic Competition and is the recipient of the Humanitas Prize Award. Bui went on to make such films as the Spirit Award Nominee OWL AND THE SPARROW, INSIDE OUT, POWDER BLUE, starring Jessica Biel, Eddie Redmayne and Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, THE THROWAWAYS for Sony Crackle, starring James Caan and Kevin Dillon. Tony's films include Yellow Lotus, Three Seasons, Green Dragon and The Throwaways and has been nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards and received the Grand Jury and Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. He is also a recipient of the Humanitas Prize. Tony is a graduate of the Sundance Institute's Screenwriting and Directing Labs. Tony has written and developed projects for NBC, Warner Bros and HBO, and is currently adapting Lac Su's memoir I Love Yous Are for White People into a feature film.
IDOL
DRAMEDY, MUSIC BIO-PIC | USA
A music biopic about William Hung, the 21-year-old Asian kid whose infamous failed audition on American Idol of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs" catapulted him into the American zeitgeist.
Tricia Lee, Director
Recognized as one of Hollywood’s top new writers, Tricia Lee has been named on the 2020 Black List, CAPE List, Young & Hungry List, Athena List and BitchList. GOOD CHANCE, her feature script being produced by Janet Yang (The Joy Luck Club) was a semifinalist in The Academy Nicholl Fellowship, grand prize winner Francis Ford Coppola's Zoetrope Screenplay Competition, top 14 finalist Universal Studios Writer's Program, winner Cinequest Best Feature Screenplay, winner WeScreenplay Diverse Voices Features, and selected for the prestigious Producers Guild of America Power of Diversity Master Workshop. Currently, she is attached to direct a feature produced by Viola Davis’ company JuVee Productions and will be directing a William Hung (American Idol) biopic which she also wrote and is being produced by Don Handfield (The Founder), Tony and Tim Bui (won Sundance Grand Jury Prize & Audience Choice Award). Lee has directed 3 award-winning features including BLOOD HUNTERS, which sold to Hulu and was presented in Cannes by Frontieres and SILENT RETREAT, which was theatrically released across Canada and sold to NBC Universal’s Chiller Network.
DIRECTOR:
TRICIA LEE
PRODUCERS:
DON HANDFIELD
TIMothy linh bui
TONY BUI
Oliver Sunley, Producer
A founding parter of C24 Films Ltd, Oliver has produced a large body of UK and European productions that have reached over 100 festival screenings including Austin, Sarajevo and New Orleans. A London Film School graduate, he is an alumnus of Edinburgh Talents (2019), Berlinale Talents (2020) and a current member of BFI Network x BAFTA Crew. Having produced a large body of films which have screened at BAFTA and Oscar Qualifying festivals, he is currently developing LAYLA IN DREAMLAND with the support of the BFI.
LAYLA IN DREAMLAND
DRAMA | UK
Layla is a 60-year-old Syrian refugee relocated to the seaside town of Margate with her undocumented granddaughter, Ritaj. Sharing a room in a halfway house for refugees, she struggles to build connections until she meets Femi, a young boy who teaches her to skateboard.
Celine Cotran, Writer / Director
Celine is an award-winning British-Lebanese writer and director with a slate of female- driven, children’s and young adult projects for Film and TV. She is currently developing LAYLA IN DREAMLAND, a coming-of-age drama exploring UK migrant culture. With early development funding from the BFI, the project is being mentored by Will Clarke (Altitude Film Entertainment) and was selected as part of Edinburgh International Film Festival Talents 2019 and Berlinale Talents 2020. The project was developed from her most recent short, LAYLA, which is currently on a strong festival run having won and been nominated for awards at a number of Academy Qualifying festivals. Her children’s drama, THE TIME TREE, was funded by the Doha Film Institute and made in association with the Academy-award winning Trademark Films. Premiering at Sarajevo Film Festival, it is now available online through Omeleto, receiving over 280K views. THE EDGE OF HOME, funded as part of Club London’s Film Emerging Creative scheme 2019, is a documentary exploring the lives of refugees in London. Recently completed, the film is about to begin its festival run. Celine’s TV projects include children’s animation, MICE OF THE UNDERGROUND and YA comedy/drama, FIRST BLOOD. A London Film School graduate, she is part of Directors UK Access and Inclusion committee and will be shadowing BAFTA winning director Andy De Emmony on ITV’s THE LARKINS. Her favourite filmmakers are Guillermo Del Toro, Billy Wilder, and Agnes Varda. She is represented by Katie Langridge at Knight Hall Agency.
DIRECTOR:
Celine Cotran
PRODUCER:
OLIVER SUNLEY
Shruti Ganguly, Producer
Shruti is a filmmaker and the founder of honto88. Prior to honto88, Shruti ran video departments and developed the video strategy at various media companies from MTV to Conde Nast/Vogue, to being the VP of TV & Video at NYLON and been a co-founder at Fictionless. Shruti has worked with James Franco for the last five years on several feature films, digital content, and other productions including a performance piece at MoMA PS1 featuring Franco and Marina Abramovic. The films have included talent such as Jessica Chastain, Mila Kunis, Zach Braff, Olivia Wilde, Whoopi Goldberg, Chloe Sevigny and Logan Marshall-Green and have gone to Sundance, Venice, Berlin, Telluride, and AFI. She is currently producing a feature with Keanu Reeves and is developing several other scripted films and TV series. Shruti received her Bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and was the first graduate of NYU’s dual MFA (in Film) at Tisch and MBA at the Stern School of Business, where she had the Kenshin Oshima Scholarship and a Wayfare Fellowship. Shruti has also been a TED India (INK) Fellow and was a Global Economic Symposium Young Fellow. Shruti is a member of the Entertainment Consortium Collaborative Outreach Program (ECCO) for the White House and is on the Creative Council for Emily’s List. Shruti hails from India by way of Oman.
LECHE
THRILLER, MAGICAL REALISM | USA
After the death of her abuela, Nina, a grieving, 9-year-old Dominican girl with albinism, moves to the States to live with her estranged mother. In a misguided attempt to cope and assimilate, she manifests the vodou spirits from her abuela's altar and discovers they're more than.
Gabriella A. Moses, Writer / Director
Gabriella is an award-winning director, writer, and production designerbased in Brooklyn, NY. She is a graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Her latest short films Sticky Fingers and Leche are currently playing the festival circuit. Her award-winning thesis film Las Mañanitas has played at numerous international film festivals winning Best Ensemble Cast, Production Design and Score at NYU's First Run Film Festival and Best Film at the Katra Film Fest Series. Her production design work has been featured across top film festivals across the globe including Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca and SXSW. Gabriella was selected by the Hispanic Coalition of NY as one of their 2015 Rising Latino Stars. She also served as a Shadow Director for the 2015 ABC Diversity Showcase. Gabriella is currently developing her directorial debut feature, Leche, which has received support from 2016 Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Lab, the 2017 NYWIFT "From Script to Pre-Production" Workshop, 2018 Sundance Screenwriter's Intensive, 2018 Tribeca Film Institute All Access Lab and 2018 . Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund program. She most recently was a TFI x Chanel Through Her Lens Fellow. She believes in sharing stories with underrepresented protagonists that test viewer’s perceptions of identity and their imaginations.
DIRECTOR:
gabriella a moses
PRODUCER:
SHRUTI GANGULY
MARTTISE HILL
JULIUS PRYOR
Lauren Avinoam, Producer
Lauren hails from Toronto, Canada. Graduating Western University with an honors degree in Film Theory & History she became the lead festival strategist for OUAT Media. Later, she founded LA Publicity handling festival strategy for independent filmmakers. Then, she began to Produce and founded Jemstone Productions with partner Jed Mellick. Producer credits include: Ask Me Anything (eOne, 2014) featuring: Britt Robertson, Christian Slater, Justin Long & Martin Sheen. From Fat To Finish Line (Netflix, Gravitas Ventures, 2015) a documentary that follows the 100LB weightloss journey of 12 people who embark on a 200 mile Ragnar Race. 4th Man Out (Netflix, Gravitas Ventures, 2016) a queer buddy comedy which played over 35 film festivals and won awards including the Iris Prize, Outfest Audience Award & more. Starring: Evan Todd (Broadway’s BEAUTIFUL: The Carole King Musical), Parker Young, Chord Overstreet, Jon Gabrus, Kate Flannery. All These Small Moments (Orion Classics, 2019) premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2018. Directorial debut of writer Melissa Miller Costanzo, starring: Molly Ringwald, Brian d’Arcy James, Jemima Kirke, Brendan Meyer, Harley Quinn Smith and Sam McCarthy. Lowland Kids (RYOT/ HuffPo) premiered SXSW 2019 & won the Audience Award for Best Doc at Palm Springs Shortfest among others.
LOWLAND KIDS: THE NEW ISLE
Documentary | USA
An intimate coming-of-age story about America’s first climate refugees, MOVING HOME follows the last two teenagers on a dying Louisiana island as their community searches for higher ground and a new place to call home.
Sandra Winther, Director
Born in Copenhagen and based in New York, Sandra Winther’s style melds documentary and narrative with an emphasis on capturing the stories and pulse of vibrant youth culture and climate focused issues. Her critically acclaimed documentary LOWLAND KIDS premiered at SXSW in 2019 and screened at 30+ major festivals. The film was hailed for its “compassionate and intimate portrayal of climate refugees” and received several awards, including the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Palm Springs Shortfest and a Cinema Eye Honors Nomination for Outstanding Achievement in Nonfiction Short. She spends part of her time in Puerto Rico where she filmed SHADOW OF A HURRICANE in 2019 as part of NOWNESS Survival Season –a visual exploration that celebrates the resilient spirit of the Puerto Rican people in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Sandra is currently in development on her first narrative feature and a doc/sci-fi hybrid slated to film in winter 2021.
DIRECTOR:
SANDRA WINTHER
PRODUCER:
lauren avinoam
Elizabeth Woodward, Producer
Elizabeth Woodward is an independent producer from New York City and founder of Willa Productions. Current projects include ON THE DIVIDE about three people whose lives intersect at the last abortion clinic on the US/Mexico (Tribeca 2021), The Othrs and Vice Studios’ YOU RESEMBLE ME, and ANOTHER BODY a film about deepfake image based abuse. Past projects Netflix’s THE GREAT HACK (Oscars shortlist, Primetime Emmy nominee, BAFTA nominee, IDA nominee, Cinema Eye winner, Sundance premiere), HBO’s hit documentary series THE VOW: A NXIVM STORY; AFTERWARD (Executive Produced by Abigail Disney); PERSUASION MACHINES (Sundance New Frontier) a VR experience narrated by will.i.am, PBS American Masters’ BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY, and a film with Fareed Zakaria by the CNN Documentary Unit. Her projects have premiered at Sundance, Tribeca, AFI Docs and Sheffield Doc Fest and have been supported by Film Independent, Sundance Institute, Tribeca Institute, Bertha Foundation, Artemis Rising, Field of Vision, Level Forward, The Gotham, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She is a member of the Documentary Peer Group at the Television Academy (Emmys), the Documentary Producers Alliance, and the Young Professionals Group at the Council on Foreign Relations, and was selected for Berlinale Talents 2021. She graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University and received a masters with distinction from the University of Cambridge.
ON THE ROAD TO HADES
DOCUMENTARY | ITALY, UK, FRANCE
Drawing on the greek myth of Demeter & Persephone, On the Road to Hades tells the intimate stories of two mothers, one Nigerian and one Italian, fighting to protect their children in the Land of Fires, near Naples, where an environmental disaster of epic proportions is unfolding.
Daisy Squires and Sophia Seymour, Directors
Daisy is a documentary filmmaker based in London who has worked on award winning character led obs docs - all with authentic human stories at their heart. She has 7 years experience producing TV documentaries working in countries all over the world from Syria to Venezuela. She has worked alongside Bafta and Emmy award winning directors such as James Bluemel on BBC series 'Exodus: Our Journey to Europe’ and ‘Pandemic 2020’ as well as with Dan Reed on ‘Calais: End of the Jungle’ where she has cast and carefully produced stories unfolding in a cinematic and powerful way. She often works on sensitive storylines and deals with vulnerable and difficult to access contributors such as BBC series ‘Football’s Darkest Secret’ (Dan Gordon) and BBC series ‘In the Face of Terror’ (Tim Lawton). Daisy has a wealth of experience producing and now directing documentaries which put the contributors stories at the forefront covering issues of our time. She is an IWMF fellow after directing a documentary for the Intercept about young women in Venezuela opting to be sterilized. Isosceles Productions was born from a joint award-winning documentary project called 'Teranga: we dance to forget'. Daisy Squires, Lou Marillier and Sophia Seymour met and joined forces to co-direct, film and edit their first feature documentary which was published by both Guardian Documentaries/ Boiler Room and BBC Africa Eye. Sophia is a British journalist and documentary filmmaker based in Naples and London working for the likes of the Guardian, BBC, and Vice. She is the founder of the critically praised Looking for Lila, an independent local production company in Naples working with news agencies, production houses, and fashion photographers as a casting and location scout and and local producer. They are currently based between London, Paris and Naples.
DIRECTORs:
DAISY SQUIRES
SOPHIA SEYMOUR
LOU MARILLIER
PRODUCER:
ELIZABETH WOODWARD
Ezra Miller, Producer (they/them)
Ezra is a person from New Jersey. They are an actor, producer and musician. 20 years into a career performing in opera, theatre, tv, film, and as a touring and recording member of the band Sons of an Illustrious Father, they have produced their first two films. The first, Neptune Frost, is the forthcoming Kinyarwanda sci-fi musical and directorial debut of acclaimed multi medium artist Saul Williams. The second film, Asking For It, is an intersectional feminist vigilante justice genre film and the directorial debut of Eamon O’Rourke.
PONYBOI
COMING-OF-AGE DRAMA, LGBTQ | USA, UK
When a high-profile John dies coitus interruptus, intersex sex worker Ponyboi finds himself on the run from the New Jersey mob. ZOLA meets Tangerine in a fever dream.
RIVER GALLO, Writer / Director (they/them)
River Gallo is a Salvadoran-American filmmaker, actor, writer, model and intersex activist from New Jersey. They are a recipient of the 2019 GLAAD Media Rising Star Award, the 2020 Ryan Murphy HALF Foundation for television directing, and was selected as a 2021 Berlinale Talent fellow. River’s work explores the dynamics of personal and confessionary storytelling, and the media's ability to transcend human consciousness via re-envisioning underrepresented narratives. Ponyboi which they wrote, starred in, and co-directed with Sadé Clacken Joseph premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival where it was named one of the “Five not to be missed short films” by Forbes. Ponyboi is the first narrative film created by and starring an out intersex person in cinema history. Executive produced by Stephen Fry and Emma Thompson. River was one of the faces of the 2019 NYC Pride Campaign, and has worked on campaigns with Facebook, Birchbox Beauty, Badoo, Youth to The People, and Maison Margiela. They were named one of the “Most Exciting Queer People to Follow in 2019” by Out Magazine, PAPER Magazine’s list of “100 People Taking Over 2019”, and were the cover star of the 2019 Fall/Winter issue UK Hunger Magazine shot by RANKIN. In 2020 they starred in an episode of Hulu’s “Love, Victor”. River is a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts Experimental Theatre Wing and the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts MFA program.
DIRECTOR:
RIVER GALLO
PRODUCER:
EZRA MILLER
Sam Levy, Producer
Sam first gained recognition with Kelly Reichardt’s Wendy and Lucy - voted one of the “Best 25 Films of the 21st Century” by The New York Times. He went on to shoot three films for Noah Baumbach: Frances Ha, Mistress America and While We’re Young. His recent films include Lady Bird - nominated for 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture - as well as two projects for director Spike Jonze: Changers and Untitled Frank Ocean Project. Sam produced and photographed Mayday, Karen Cinorre’s feature. The film was shot in Croatia and world premieres at Sundance 2021.
RHYTHM IN BLUES
drama | USA
Aging out of a broken system, three foster siblings’ paths from East New York—school, service, streets—are detoured when mothers reappear, forcing them to lean on African rhythms and heal their own wounds without benefits.
Tamika R. Guishard, Writer / Director
Tamika’s first-generation American born of Kittitian & Nevisian heritage in East New York, Brooklyn. With the mind of a Park Ranger, heart of a teacher and soul of a dancer, she taught middle school before completing NYU Graduate Film. She believes in powerfully fusing education and cinema, collaborating with school districts, Tribeca, and on Leech Lake Reservation for “films that help”. Her forthcoming feature, "Rhythm in Blues” is supported by Rooftop Filmmakers Fund, Digital Bolex’s Women Cinematographers Grant, and NYSCA. Recognized by Oscar-qualifying festivals, its proofs of concept were shot, directed, written, and co-produced by its Black women’s team. Tamika’s an inaugural fellow with Athena Film Festival's LA Writers Lab, Residency Unlimited, and one of two non-Canadians with Black Women Film Canada! at TIFF. Profiled in Shadow and Act's and her alma mater Phillips Andover, as a trailblazer, she’s won the Governor's Office's "Celebrate Equality NY”. Tamika’s ideated social justice new media content for NYC youth employment, and interactive curricula for Ghetto Film School with WarnerMedia & AT&T as a certified Minority and Women-owned business enterprise. The first Black Communications professor at Adelphi University, and Director of Communications & Development for Mastery Transcript Consortium, a movement to holistically value the whole child, she shot her most recent short at Lower Manhattan’s African Burial Ground.
DIRECTOR:
TAMIKA R. GUISHARD
PRODUCERS:
SAM LEVY
David Harry Yoon, Writer
David is a New Jersey-bred, Los Angeles-based writer and director who completed his B.F.A. at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts film program. Yoon was recently selected to participate in the 2019 Film Independent Episodic Lab with his pilot, “Oh Country.” He was also a screenwriting fellow in the Film Independent Project Involve program where a short film he wrote was produced and premiered at the 2015 LA Film Festival. He has spent the last decade working steadily on notable film and TV productions that have shot all across the country in various capacities, including HBO’s Girls, CW’s Gossip Girl, The Amazing Spiderman 2, Man on a Ledge, and The Avengers. He has worked intimately with award winning filmmakers So Yong Kim and Bradley Rust Gray, serving as the associate producer for Kim’s For Ellen, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and as 2nd assistant director on Gray’s Jack & Diane. He has also produced a web series called WASP starring Sophie von Haselberg.
SAMSON
DRAMA, THRILLER, MUSICAL | USA
A man so desperate to rekindle his failed relationship, plans a faux kidnapping that allows him to "save" his girlfriend to prove he's the only one for her.
Ruth Du, Director / Producer
Ruth is a director and producer who gravitates towards relationship-based stories with a genre twist. She constantly pushes diverse representation, in front and behind the screen and believes that the filmmaker’s greatest gift is an audience. Du received a B.F.A. at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and subsequently worked multiple production positions in New York City. Her extensive experience ultimately led her to produce feature film The Archer which premiered at SXSW 2017. Her directorial credits include digital series Seeking and TV movie Your Baby Is Mine. Du was the Executive Director of the AT&T Hello Lab Mentorship Program, working closely with Lena Waithe to produce five festival selected short films. She is a 2020 Film Independent Project Involve Directing Fellow and just completed her short film Yugen, starring Christine Ko (Tigertail, Dave). Most recently, she wrapped principal photography on feature film A Dangerous Thing starring Erica Tazel (Justified) and Natasha Marc (Timeless). She currently resides in Los Angeles and enjoys singing and dance competition shows in her spare time.
DIRECTOR / PRODUCER:
RUTH DU
CO-WRITERS:
DAVID HARRY YOON
RUTH DU
Steven Chester Prince, Producer
Before joining TPSC Films in 2012, Steve teamed up with Brian Oliver and the Thompson family to create Cross Creek Pictures. During his time as Vice President of Development, CCP financed and produced BLACK SWAN, THE WOMAN IN BLACK, with THE IDES OF MARCH next in the pipeline. As President of TPSC Films, Steve was a producer on THE QUIET ONES, co-produced A WALK AMONG THE TOMBSTONES, wrote and directed DIVINE ACCESS, and executive produced JOSIE in conjunction with The Coalition Group. Steve plays a pivotal role in locating and developing new projects and guiding the strategic direction of TPSC Films. Besides finding new talented voices in filmmaking, through his decade-long relationships with sales agencies and distributors, Steve thrives on finding the best distribution strategies for his films.
SATISFACTION
PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA | GREECE
Satisfaction is a love story that breaks down gender stereotypes and constraints of the traditional sexual identity - it's about love's universality and human errors. A woman takes revenge against her sexual partner as they escape "old sins" on a Greek island off-season.
Alex Burunova, Writer / Director
Alex is a Los Angeles based writer-director whose films premiered at over 60 International Festivals and garnered numerous Best Director and Best Film awards. Her recent projects include a digital pilot for A&E and a Netflix documentary feature, ENTER THE ANIME, which was shot in Tokyo and was released last fall. Alex holds a degree from USC School of Cinematic Arts and is a well versed traveler and explorer, having lived and worked in Moscow, Tokyo, Belarus and Spain.
DIRECTOR:
ALEX BURUNOVA
PRODUCER:
STEVEN CHESTER PRINCE
Camille Gatin, Producer
Camille's feature debut, The Girl With All The Gifts, has earned her a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding Debut, as well as a win with the BIFA Breakthrough Producer Award and an Empire Award nomination for Best British Film. The film was directed by Colm McCarthy and written by Mike Carey, and stars Glenn Close, Gemma Arterton, Paddy Considine, Anamaria Marinca, introducing 12 year old Sennia Nanua. The feature was financed by the BFI, Creative England and Altitude and was released in the UK by Warner Bros. The world premiere took place on opening night at the Locarno International Film Festival. Locarno International Film Festival - Opening Night Toronto International Film Festival - Midnight Madness Busan International Film Festival Sitges - Winner Best Actress for Sennia Nanua Frightfest - Surprise Screening Austin Fantastic Fest - Winner Best Horror Director for Colm McCarthy In 2014, Camille produced the second season of Endeavour for ITV, the reboot of Inspector Morse, which consists of 4 x 90 minute films, directed by Kristoffer Nyholm (The Killing), Giuseppe Capotondi (Venice film festival winner La Doppia Ora), Andy Wilson (Ripper Street) and Geoff Sax (White Noise). Camille Gatin's feature, Shadow Dancer, directed by Oscar winning director James Marsh, and written by Tom Bradby, starring Andrea Riseborough, Clive Owen and Gillian Anderson, was released by Paramount in the UK in summer 2012. Shadow Dancer premiered at Sundance 2012 and is out of competition at the Berlin Film Festival 2012.
STAMPEDE
THRILLER, SCI-FI | USA
On a plantation in 1802 Georgia, a young slave girl named Lena has telekinetic powers she cannot yet control. When she is separated from her mother and moved into the Big House, Lena must grapple with the danger of her gift as well as its potential.
Sontenish Myers, Writer / Director
Sontenish is a Jamaican-American writer-director based in Harlem, NY. She is a graduate of NYU's Graduate Film program where she’s now an adjunct professor. Her most recent short film, Cross My Heart, has screened all over the world. It was awarded the Alexis Award for Best Emerging Student Filmmaker at Palm Springs International Shortfest for the short. Cross My Heart was also included in Refinery29's list of The Most Exciting Woman-Directed Films at the 2018 Palm Springs Shortfest. Cross My Heart won the Vimeo Staff Pick Award at Hamptons International Film Festival for its “outstanding performances from its two young leads and a nuanced directorial approach.” Sontenish's feature film, Stampede, was accepted into the 2021 Sundance Screenwriting Lab, 2021 Sundance Directing Lab, 2021 Sundance Producing Lab, 2019 HIFF Screenwriting Lab, Film Independent Screenwriting Lab and IFP Week 2019. It is also a selected script on the Black List, and a recipient of SFFILM’s Rainin Grant, the Filmmakers First Fund and the Tribeca All Access Grant.
DIRECTOR:
sontenish myers
PRODUCER:
camille gatin
Oliver Ridge, Producer
Filmmaker Oliver Ridge grew up on the south coast of England before moving London to attend Drama Centre. Upon graduation, Ridge moved to Los Angeles and produced his debut feature ‘The Neighbor’. After producing several independent films and documentaries Ridge was a recipient of the BAFTA LA Newcomer award and inducted as a full member of BAFTA in 2019. Ridge is currently in Vancouver producing ‘Corner Office’ alongside Anonymous Content- the film stars Jon Hamm and is slated for release spring 2022.
THE ABANDONED
THRILLER, HORROR | USA
Two gifted sisters agree to investigate a series of gruesome murders after their friend is found dead on an abandoned farm.
Leigha Kingsley, Writer / Director
Leigha is a writer, director, producer and actress. After graduating from the two-year Meisner training at the prestigious “Baron Brown Studio,” she booked the feature film “SEMI-PRO” starring Will Ferrell and Woody Harrelson, the TV Series “CRIMINAL MINDS” and several other films and television shows. She began writing and directing to help create stronger female roles and female driven stories. Leigha co-wrote her first one hour drama pilot “CYCLE 14” which became a FINALIST for SUNDANCE and THE NEW YORK TELEVISION FESTIVAL. In addition, she created and co-wrote her first feature, the female driven thriller/horror film “THE ABANDONED” which became a TOP 10 FINALIST for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck/HBO's PROJECT GREEENLIGHT. In addition she wrote and starred in "SPLITTING THE SYNAPSE," directed by Matt O'Leary (Brick, Lone Ranger). She just recently shot a Proof of Concept for THE ABANDONED which can be seen in this submission. Leigha is producing feature films alongside her producing partner, Jessica Kemejuk. Their first film they Co-Executive Produced, “THE NEIGHBOR” stars William Fichtner, Jessica McNamee and Michael Rosenbaum and was written and directed by Aaron Harvey, co-founder of Annapurna Pictures. The film was also produced by Robert Ogden Barnum (Lawless, American Ultra, All is Lost.) "THE NEIGHBOR" premiered at the Rhode Island Film Festival, an Academy Awards qualifying festival, where it won the lucrative award for Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature. In addition to these projects, Leigha currently has a female driven one hour Television show she created that is currently in development with Space Pilot Media.
DIRECTOR:
LEIGHA KINGSLEY
PRODUCERS:
OLIVER RIDGE
Leah Chen Baker, Producer
Leah is an MFA candidate in Filmmaking at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Her writing and directing work has been awarded by AT&T, WIFTA and selected at Oscar-qualifying festivals. She is the 2020 recipient of The Robert Oberman, Gregory Pickert and Media Services Producing Award and a member of the Producers Guild of America. Her credits include the award-winning short, YOUTH (SXSW) and feature, HER COMPOSITION (Austin Film Festival). Previously, Leah was a production manager for shows on History, HGTV, A&E and MTV and served on the Board of Directors for Women in Film Dallas. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago in Economics and Cinema and Media Studies.
THE LEFTOVER LADIES
COMEDY | EGYPT
A 60-something woman tries to leave her polygamous husband after he expresses a renewed commitment to their stale relationship.
Farida Zahran, Writer / Director
Farida is an Egyptian writer/director based in Brooklyn, working across film and TV. She is currently a staff writer on RAMY (A24 & Hulu). Her last short film, YOUTH, premiered at SXSW in 2019 and screened at festivals worldwide. It received an Oscar-qualifying award at Palm Springs ShortFest, was awarded the IFP Student Film Award at the 2019 Gotham Awards, and is a Vimeo Staff Pick. Farida was also selected for the 2019 NYFF Artist Academy and served on the jury for the 2020 edition of the Palm Springs ShortFest. She is a graduate of NYU Tisch's Graduate Film Program. Farida is currently in development on her debut feature as well as a dark comedy musical that she is set to direct in 2021.
DIRECTOR:
FARIDA ZAHRAN
PRODUCER:
LEAH CHEN BAKER
Jessie Fisk, Producer
Feline Films is a Dublin based Production Company run by Nathalie Biancheri and Jessie Fisk. Feline Films aims to produce innovative and thought provoking feature films and documentaries which support diversity in both subject matter and talent. The company’s first fiction feature will be, WOLF, developed at Le Group Ouest’s 'Less Is More' script lab. WOLF was awarded development funding from the Women In Film Lottery Fund in 2017.
THE RED VIRGIN
drama | SPAIN, IRELAND
Madrid 1933, Aurora Rodrigez makes headlines across Europe when she murders her child prodigy daughter, Hildegart.
Sheila Pye, Writer / Director
Sheila was born in Millgrove, Canada in 1978 and studied painting and photography before doing her Master´s degree at Concordia University in film production. As a writer, director and producer she has completed 11 award winning short films, including “The Red Virgin” starring Maribel Verdu (Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN) many of which screened at Toronto and Locarno Film Festivals. She maintains an active art practice working in photography and video art. Her work has been exhibited and collected internationally and is in the permanent collections of museums such as the Smithsonian Institute. She is a graduate of the Canadian Film Centre´s director´s lab and is currently based in Madrid where she founded the production company Luna 1 dedicated to female-driven projects. www.nickandsheila.com www.theredvirgin.com www.luna1.es
DIRECTOR:
SHEILA PYE
PRODUCER:
JESSIE FISK
Romy Waller, Producer
Romy started her career in music video and multi-cam production over 11 years ago, and since has worked within advertising, animation, television and film. Previously she has worked at Unanimous Entertainment as a Development Associate on films such as ‘The Childhood of a Leader’ which went on to win multiple awards at Venice Film Festival. Romy has also been funded by the BFI, Barbican and the BBC for her narrative work. One of her most recent films screened at the Barbican as part of ‘The Smalls’ Festival, along with another project premiering at the BFI Southbank which went on to be broadcasted on BBC4. Over the past year and a half Romy has been a Scripted Development Producer within Warner Music Entertainment, the new creative production arm to the Warner Music Group. Her focus within the company is to develop both scripted and documentary feature films with music as a central theme.
THE TIDES
drama | ENGLAND
While a British carer must prove she’s adult enough to care for her Nan, an Iraqi boy must prove he’s a child to gain asylum.
Isla Ure, Writer / Director
Isra writes and directs for both theatre and the screen and her work has gained recognition from the British Film Institute, Papatango, Sherman Theatre, BAFTA Rocliffe, and Toronto Independent Film Awards. She has two short films being released this year: BFI funded Reprise and Genera Films funded Canvey Island. Her debut short film Passengers gained a BFI Future Film nomination and her micro-budget feature Halcyon Heights won best feature at the International Film Festival of Wales and came in the top three at TIFA. Her feature screenplay The Tides was recently shortlisted for the 2020 BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing prize, and was also a semi-finalist in Ava DuVernay’s ‘Diverse Voices’ and Final Draft’s ‘Big Break’ screenwriting contests. She recently won the iFilmThings and Final Draft short screenplay competition with The Conversation and is currently funded by Ffilm Cymru to develop her feature film R.A.G.E. She was 1 of 5 selected for the New Welsh Playwright programme with the Sherman Theatre (Best Regional Theatre 2018) in 2018 and her full-length play Observations of a Sparrow went on to read at Theatre 503. It also came in the top 1.5% of plays read in the Papatango playwriting competition and is currently long listed for the Traverse Playwriting award. Darkling Sky, her first full-length play was the top 5 in the Bread & Roses Playwriting competition and the top 12 at Bristol Old Vic Open Session, 2018. Her short play NEON was performed alongside Ruth Jones’ work at The Other Room theatre. Isla is also a John Brabourne award winner and is represented for theatre, film and TV by Nicky Lund at David Higham Associates.
DIRECTOR:
ISLA URE
PRODUCER:
ROMY WALLER
Anand Ramayya, Producer
Indo-Canadian filmmaker and producer Anand Ramayya founded Karma Film Inc. in 2001 to focus on original content from original voices. Combining a passion for humanist, inclusive stories Karma has built an impressive track record with over 75 hours of completed content and 40 awards including 6 Geminis/Canadian Screen Awards (Canada’s Emmy) which include 2 Canada Awards for excellence in diverse content. Karma projects range from live action feature films to animation and documentary. Notable projects include “Wapos Bay” the ground-breaking indigenous stop-motion animation which premiered at Sundance and following a successful series run went onto win Best TV Movie at the Kidscreen Summit in New York, International doc “Cosmic Current” winner of the Gemini Canada Award, Interactive feature doc “Who Killed Gandhi?” nominated for 2 CSA’s and included in the Best in Canada Showcase at MIPDOC, Theatrical feature film “Brotherhood” starring Jake Manley(The Order, Midway) winner of the 2020 CSA for Best Visual Effects (SPIN VFX) and most recently Shadow of Dumont official selection at ImagineNATIVE 2020. Ramayya is currently in pre-production on feature dramedy INDIANS IN COWTOWN with Agam Darshi (Colossal, The Good Doctor) for Telefilm Canada, Level Film, Sasktel Max Equity and Superchannel slated for production in January 2021. Notable development projects include feature documentary THE ART OF DANCE with Kevin Fitzgerald (Freestyle : The Art of Rhyme - HBO documentary award winner) – Bell Media / Crave Original Commission & Mongrel Media, Animated feature TRUTH ABOUT MONSTERS with Anita Doron (Oscar nominee for THE BREADWINNER) – Mongrel Media. The Boyfriend w/ Director Ashim Ahluwalia (Miss Lovely – Cannes 2012). Ramayya is an alumni of CFC, TAP, NSI and a recipient of the 2020 Trailblazer Award presented by Reelworld.
THE TRUTH ABOUT MONSTERS
Animated SCI-FI | CANADA, INDIA
A family of aliens have been stranded on Earth since crash landing their space ship. Pete, a loner and nerdy indigenous boy discovers the monsters he has always read about are actually aliens and only he can help them return home. "This is a love letter to kids aching to belong."
Anita Doron, Writer / Director
Born into a family of mountaineering engineers in Transcarpathia, Anita Doron made her very first film at age twelve. The environmental protest piece raised the ire of the Soviet bureaucracy and taught her the power of visual storytelling. Since then, her movies have screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, SXSW and at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The Lesser Blessed, which she wrote and directed, received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Anita is a Senior TED Fellow, an initiative bringing together international visionaries – scientists, artists, activists, entrepreneurs, journalists and inventors – to collaborate across disciplines to create positive change around the world. As part of her fellowship, Anita has created a memory-based experience at the 2014 TED Salon in Berlin, and, in 2016, a creative workshop for TED Fellows in Monterey, California. Through the support of the Guggenheim Foundation, she is collaborating on a sci-fi graphic novel with Senior TED Fellow Jessica Green. With Suleiman Bakhit, another TED Fellow and 2016 WEF Young Global Leader, Anita is working to prevent violent extremism through stories of heroism inspired by mythology and narratives of hope and tolerance. Most recently Anita wrote the screenplay for the Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated "The Breadwinner", an adaptation of a novel by Deborah Ellis, executive produced by Angelina Jolie and produced by Aircraft Pictures, Cartoon Saloon and Melusine Productions. Anita won a Canadian Screen Award and was nominated for an Annie Award and a Humanitas Prize for her work on the film.
DIRECTOR:
ANITA DORON
PRODUCER:
ANAND RAMAYYA
Nerenda Eid, Producer
Nerenda has been at the helm of commercial productions with top industry leaders for over a decade, with a focus on branded, digital and multi-platform entertainment. From producing commercials, brand activation and experiential, Nerenda has been the producer behind several award-winning campaigns, and remains as a go-to producer for global agencies and brands alike. She is known for her forward-thinking approach and extensive network, having worked with clients including Moncler, GE, Nike, Givenchy, P&G and MGM Resorts. She has applied her expertise, eye for talent and attention to detail in her approach to independent narrative and now documentary film.
UNTITLED UNDERGROUND RAILROAD RIDE
DOCUMENTARY | USA
Five Black and Brown cyclists set off to traverse a route that helped enslaved people escape to freedom. Over the course of 17 days, the continuous threat of the road transforms the story from an ambitious athletic feat into a thought-provoking, complex tale of heart versus mind.
Fiz Olajide, Writer / Director
Fiz is a New York based filmmaker, directing and producing documentary films independently and for global brands. Her films combine both composed and observational techniques, always striving to preserve the emotion of a lived encounter. Equal parts vérité and cinematic, her work is informed by a love of still photography - each frame should tell a complete story. A careful curation of beautifully considered visuals and intuitive storytelling has driven the creative thinking on collaborations with the likes of Google, Uber and Brand USA, across a variety of film projects and garnered recognition from SXSW, New York Film Festival, DOC NYC, Vimeo Staff Picks, among many others. Fiz has filmed across continents in countries from Amsterdam and Hong Kong to Russia and Colombia, and has brought stories to life that cover wrongful conviction, drag king culture and domestic violence. In an era of great social division, her ultimate mission as a Black female filmmaker is to create art that gives real dimension to our ideals, and to amplify and uplift undiscovered voices and experiences.
DIRECTOR:
FISAYO (FIZ) OLAJIDE
PRODUCER:
NERENDA EID
Michelle Lang, Producer
A graduate of Northwestern University’s acting program with a concentration in business, Michelle is a talented actress and an incredibly savvy producer of feature films such as Fatman, starring Mel Gibson, Walton Goggins, and Marianne Jean-Baptist and the award-winning film Lost on Purpose starring Jane Kaczmarek, C. Thomas Howell, and Dale Dickey. In addition, her production company, RBL STUDIOS, recently produced the hit TV show, Everyone is Doing Great, starring James Lafferty, Stephen Colletti, and Alexandra Park, now streaming on HULU. As an actress, Michelle is most known for her role as Linda Lee, Bruce Lee's wife, in the 50 episode television series The Legend of Bruce Lee. Her credits also include Small Town Crime where she acted alongside Academy Award® Nominee John Hawkes as “Tina,” an ex-girlfriend of Hawkes’ character, Strangely in Love where she stars alongside Golden Globe Nominee® Amanda Plummer and stunts in Vampires Suck, Date Movie, and Deadliest Warrior.
WE ARE EACH OTHER’S
THRILLER, SCI-FI | USA
To save her daughter, a seasoned hitwoman from 2122 must hunt down and assassinate her novice comrade who went rogue in the year 2019, but unbeknownst to her, their lives are intrinsically linked.
Morgan Lariah, Writer / Director
Morgan graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Antioch University Los Angeles with a BA in Film Studies. Her thesis film from Antioch, Colony One, which she directed, was one of three short films selected to take part in the prestigious showcase on campus. Always seeking roles that are challenging and enriching married, with a deep desire to help shift the way women are often portrayed in the media, Lariah began to write and produce her own works in 2011. Her first short film, 2-Star, premiered at the East End Film Festival in London and went on to screen at festivals around the world. 5th Passenger, which features beloved sci-fi actors from The Shape of Water, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and Star Trek: The Next Generation, marks her first feature film as co-writer, producer and actress. The 5th Passenger screenplay made it to the second round in the 2012 Austin Film Festival and won Best Feature Screenplay, 2nd Runner-up at the 2012 Fantastic Planet Film Festival. 5th Passenger had a limited theatrical run in Los Angeles and was picked up for distribution by Epic Pictures. Her script, Full Take, was a semi-finalist for the 2017 Sundance/YouTube New Voices lab. The teaser trailer Lariah created for Full Take was an official selection of the 2018 Women in Film Mini Upfronts program and screened at Netflix with sixteen other female filmmakers.