Thursday, September 21 @ Alamo DC Theater 1    //    1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

In this panel, a collection of composers and musicians chat about their process of creating scores for films or sound effects. Moderated by: Dewey Tron

ALEX HUMMINGSON is an award winning and critically-acclaimed composer, performer, singer, and writer. She has recorded her music in collaboration with Sony Music Entertainment Sweden and been active as a composer with Sony/ATV Music Publishing Poland. Alex recently published her poetry with SWEA New York and the Swedish Breast Cancer Association, amongst others. Her voice acting credits include The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Series of Mana.

ANDREW STAINER is a life-long guitarist, musician and composer. His current musical projects include Maryland’s preeminent steampunk-themed band, Night Watch Paradox and the privateer-pirate group, Bromo’s Bastards. Since 2016, he has been the musical director of Silver Spring Company A for ArtSteam, an inclusive theater organization. The past few years has seen Andrew getting back into sound for film, which includes both as a sound mixer, audio post-production and as a composer. He is currently scoring the feature length movie, Serious Profession, which should see a 2023 release.

JP WOGAMAN II is an American composer, producer, and musician who is most known for his arrangement of Strauss Waltzes for The Washington Ballet. A graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music, his portfolio of achievements includes working with esteemed choreographers such as Trey McIntyre, Mimmo Miccolis, and Katherine Barkman. JP’s primary musical influences are pop, rock, and orchestral. Subsequently, his music can be described as fun, fearless, and unforgiving. He recently completed his second feature film score and continues to compose a wide range of music for ensembles and productions in Washington, D.C. and New York City.

PHILIP COOK has written, directed, edited, and/or photographed hundreds of commercials, films, program opens, and on-air IDs from clients ranging from The Washington Opera to MTV. He holds a degree from the University of Maryland in film production. He has written and directed eight feature films that have been broadcast on HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, Netflix, Hulu, TubiTV, and Amazon. Titles include Outerworld, Invader, Despiser, The Malice Trilogy, A Witch’s Tale, and most recently Ghost Planet.

Thursday, September 21 @ Alamo DC Theater 1    //   4:45 PM – 5:45 PM

Actors of different genres talk about the true lifestyle of being an actor and share war stories. Moderated by: Ulysses Campbell

 

JESSE ROBINSON is an actor, producer and comedian who grew up in Northern Virginia. As a SAG-AFTRA actor, Jesse’s on-screen credits include principal roles for Netflix, ABC/ESPN, Apple TV+, CBS and Discovery+. His national commercial credits include Geico, Buffalo Wild Wings and Bethesda Games, with regional commercial credits for Washington Nationals, AwesomeCon, SparkBites and Bluejacket Brewery. Jesse served as Christian Bale’s body double during the star’s Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Dick Cheney in Vice, and was the stand-in for Big Beard in Hulu’s Predator: Prey film. Having spent the last half decade working in television in Los Angeles, Jesse has story-produced an ARTAS-nominated series for Crackle, and served as a writer-producer for two lifestyle series that aired weekly on CBS affiliates. Jesse has also written and produced several short/feature length projects in partnership with the Los Angeles Young Actors Camp program. Jesse graduated with a degree in media production and criticism, minor in acting, from George Mason University, where he was the President of the Mason Improv Association, and named the school’s Broadcaster of the Year in 2014 and Alumni Spotlight recipient in 2021. In addition to being an adjunct professor of Acting on the faculty of the Shenandoah University Conservatory, Jesse currently operates Virginia-based TV/film production company Shenandoah Studios.

LIZ CHRISTMAS is loving, learning, and living on the edge in Miniature America. A Mid-Atlantic actor of stage and screen, Liz enjoys immersive, equilibristic, and mixed-genre experiences

MADELYN FARRIS (she/fae) is a Baltimore based actor, writer, and filmmaker. She graduated from Pace University with a BFA in acting, a passion for the craft of collaborative storytelling, and strong opinions about bagels. You can catch her in Just Desserts and Netfins & Chill on Amazon Prime or in Kira Vs Everyone here at DC Shorts Sunday at 4pm.

Friday, September 22 @ Alamo DC Theater 1    //    2:15 PM – 3:15 PM

Celebrating those behind-the-scenes, gaffers and members of the Grip & Electric department. In this panel, they will speak their mind about their experiences – being one of the best storytellers on set. Moderated by: Jeremy Ponafala

JASON MITCHELL‘s roots are in Virginia and in Virginia film making. His professional career as a Gaffer began shortly after his return from Iraq, where he served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as an infantry-man in the United States Army. Since then, he has been involved in Grip & Electric departments in many productions, filmed in Virginia and around the United States. His friends call him “J-Bone,” affectionately.

TAYLOR ROESCH is a Gaffer and rental house owner who works throughout the mid-Atlantic on commercial projects as well as television and feature films. Taylor got his membership into IATSE Local #487 while working on Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. Teamwork, problem solving, and always having fresh-brewed coffee are some of Taylor’s reasons for working in this industry. While pursuing his undergraduate degree at Virginia Wesleyan University, Taylor focused most of his attention on documentary film.  This led him to pursue his own projects after graduation while getting his MAIS in Film Studies at George Mason University.  With his extensive knowledge of lighting equipment and coursework in educational technology, Taylor produced a video tutorial series on HMI lighting and ballast repair for his masters thesis. You’ll have a friend for life in Taylor if you can talk about any of these subjects at length; podcasts, NBA basketball, sheet metal fabrication, or Frasier.

LAUREN SCOTT started her journey in the film industry 7 years ago when she began studying Cinematography at Stevenson University. Since graduating in 2019, she has continued to work in various and dynamic capacities from feature/short films and commercials to tv shows such as Hulu’s Dopesick, AppleTV’s Lady in the Lake, and Paramount’s Lioness. Lauren traveled across seas with Discovery Channel this year and is looking forward to the next opportunity that comes her way.

STEPHEN LYONS is a Director / Cinematographer, who began his career in 1989 working in Circuit City Store’s internal video production department. During that time, out of necessity, he often worked as his own gaffer and key grip, taking out a 1-ton package with HMIs all while balancing camera duties (in the day and age of 200 iso). In recent years he has focused on historical and museum projects that often involve custom aspect ratios, 4D elements, firearms, and pyrotechnics. These experiences in both small crew productions, combined with larger scale shoots, and tech nerdiness, have fostered an approach of ‘aim for the sky expectations, but always have a plan B for when Murphy’s law rears its head’

Friday, September 22 @ Alamo DC Theater 1    //    5:45 PM – 6:45 PM

Listen into this panel, where a group of cinematographers, possibly meeting for the first time, discuss their thoughts and share secrets of the cinematography game. Moderated by: Rebecca Chen

BILLY CAUSEY. I’ve journeyed from the heartland of Alabama to the bustle of the DMV, where my love for storytelling through visuals has truly blossomed. My work as a cinematographer has allowed me to capture the essence of human experiences, share impactful stories through indie documentaries, and contribute to the rich cultural fabric of public TV and indie feature films. I also have extensive experience working in the TV advertising space shooting ads for The University of Maryland, The US Coast Guard, The Department of Energy, and many more. I’m deeply honored that my work on a piece about Admiral Will Watson (US Coast Guard) has recently been recognized and is now part of the Library of Congress. My passion for adding depth and emotion to narratives also led me to become a colorist, where I breathe life into television programs and indie films through the magic of color grading. Every project I undertake is an opportunity to connect with audiences and leave a lasting impression, and I’m excited to continue this artistic journey in a new market and meet people to both be inspired by and share experiences with.

BRADLEY CREDIT is a Washington, D.C. born-and-raised cinematographer whose work spans narrative, commercials, documentary, and music videos. His work has screened at festivals such as the Blackstar Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the Pan African Film Festival, and the Chicago International Film Festival, and has been featured in Rolling Stone, The FADER, PAPER Magazine, Booooooom, and Director’s Notes. His commercial work includes clients such as Gucci, Vogue, Apple Music, Facebook, Adidas, Puma, Amazon, Walmart, Sephora, and Topicals. In 2023, he was named a Rising Star of Cinematography by American Cinematographer magazine.

EMILY MARQUET (she/her) is an emerging cinematographer based in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of London Film School and her work has screened at festivals all over the world such as CineQuest, BronzeLens, and the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. Cinematography credits include the narrative films Snowfall, Wildman, and Shanidar, a documentary series with Bill T. Jones and many music videos. Upcoming work includes the indie feature film Withdrawal as well as several short films. She is a proud member of BECTU, Women in Film and TV and CineGirl. Her work as a cinematographer in narrative and nonfiction has taken her all over the world for work. 

KUNITARO OHI, a good friend, a fantastic family member, an adequate cinematographer.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, but raised in the US;  the perpetually lactose-intolerant Kunitaro Ohi is a freelance cinematographer specializing in narrative content and high-end commercial work. He received his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University with a concentration in Photo/Film. Notable credits include Paul Harrill’s debut feature Something, Anything (NYT Critics’ Pick), the documentary series Years of Living Dangerously (Showtime Channel), and the short film Always Together (Best US Narrative Short, Sarasota Film Festival). Ohi’s works have also been featured on HULU, Apple Music, Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Netflix.  In 2019 Kunitaro was the recipient of Film Independent’s Project Involve Fellowship. When he’s not working you can see him wandering the streets taking photos of abandoned shopping carts.

 Friday, September 22 @ Alamo Theater 1  //  9:15 PM – 10:15 PM

Moderated by: Joe Carabeo

CALVIN “JAI” JAMISON, JR. is writer/director from Richmond, Virginia.  He was most recently an Executive Story Editor on The CW’s Superman & Lois, where he also directed episode 311 “Complications.” In 2016, his film TRI, an action sports drama about Triathlons, led to his selection for the Shoot Magazine New Director’s Showcase. His most recent short film, Slave Cry, was The Commonwealth Award Winner at the 2019 Virginia Film Festival and screened in the 2021 Pan African Film Festival. He’s also written comic books for DC Comics and Boom Studios, including Creed: The Next Round in collaboration with LaToya Morgan, Michael B Jordan, and Outlier Society.

Jai graduated from Hampton University and received his master’s in film from American University, before working in various capacities on a number of productions in Virginia including Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, Turn on AMC, and the Apple+ show Swagger.

In miscellaneous facts, Jai served on the Board of Tourism for Virginia from 2018 to 2022. He was a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellow.

Helen’s in Richmond has the best pancakes in the world (but he challenges anyone to prove otherwise.)

Jai is the nickname his mother came up with to differentiate him from his father and prevent confusion in the household. It is pronounced “Jay.”

Saturday, September 23 @ Alamo DC Theater 1    //    1:15 PM – 2:15 PM

A group of professional action filmmakers and stunt performers discuss the lifestyle, the process of planning and craft development and why what they do is possibly the most fun part of films. Moderated by: Cameron Kit Robinson

Founded in 2011, the DC STUNT COALITION (DYLAN and ABRA) is a Mid-Atlantic training and networking organization for those interested in pursuing the profession of stunt performance, action acting, and action design. The DCSC has produced several award-winning short films and has developed and performed live shows for multiple DC area fan conventions. The Coalition and its members have designed action and coordinated stunts for dozens of local productions, and has provided qualified SAG-AFTRA stunt performers for major industry motion pictures and TV shows such as PURGE: Election Year, Wonder Woman 1984, We Own This City and Special Operations: Lioness. Members have also gone on to be cast in live stunt shows such as The Bourne Experience at Universal Studios, Marvel Universe: Live, and multiple seasons at the Six Flags America stunt show. The DCSC will be represented on this panel by SAG-AFTRA stunt performers, Dylan Hintz & Abra Burkett.

To simply state who we are: “ART SCHOOL DROPOUTS (JOEY and STEPHANIE) is an east coast based digital media group that creates weekly original narrative-driven “feel-good” content.” But that doesn’t tell the whole story. We’re a family of creators, often pursuing what’s on our hearts and sleeves; it just so happens that we love action filmmaking and comedic acting. We remember the smiles and laughs we’ve had growing up to the exciting and intricate martial arts action of Jackie Chan and the light-hearted humor that genre can bring… but, into the modern era. While most action films nowadays focus on the brutal nature of “realistic” fights, we tend to focus on both the technical and creative applications of traditional arts from around the world. We hope that by applying this nostalgic yet updated style of action cinema, we inspire people to pursue martial arts, not for the violence but for the appreciation of it. Blend all of that martial arts action while incorporating fresh, new ideas from cultural trends of inspiration to modern day media like comic books to anime… we aim to entertain with a refreshing look of martial arts action to old and new fans alike!

Saturday, September 23 @ Alamo DC Theater 1   //    4:45 PM – 5:45 PM

In this panel, LBGTQ+ and LGBTQ+ focused filmmakers will have chat about their experience in the current film industry, what it took to get where they are and their plans for the future. Moderated by: Madelyn Farris

ANDY ESPINOZAis a writer, director, and producer from Winchester, Virginia. They are best known for the short film Lamentation, which was awarded Best Short Film at the Virginia Emerging Filmmakers Festival in 2020.As a storyteller, Andy’s goal is to shine a light on underdogs; recontextualizing the stories of immigrants, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, making them the leaders of their own narrative both in front and behind the camera.

JORDAN “JAIME” OGIHARA [they/them] is a non-binary Japanese-American filmmaker, playwright and songwriter. They are the producer, writer and director of the short films “Green Sleeves Grow Cold” starring Singaporean-Filipino pop star Ysa Yaneza, “Still More and Again” starring Carmen Liao, as well as “WRRKN_GRRL,” developed in collaboration with Danish mixed-media artist Lise Haller Baggesen. Their written work has been published by various outlets, includingNo CinemaandHyperallergic. Jamie currently co-hosts the podcastMael Living Space, which provides a comprehensive critical overview of the discography of American rock band Sparks. They live in Washington D.C. with their partner and spend their spare time devising television pilot scripts, formulating cocktail recipes and obsessing over the Spice Girls.

NIA TYSON

Saturday, September 23 @ Alamo DC Theater 1    //    8:15 PM – 9:15 PM

In this panel, we give the productions assistants and former production assistants a platform to share their behind-the-scenes stories, and how awesome everything is . . . or not. Moderated by: Carlos Padilla

MEGAN KUHN is a Video Production Coordinator based in Baltimore, MD. After graduating from Towson University with a degree in Electronic Media and Film, she balanced a year and a half between working in the restaurant industry and as a production assistant. Through production assisting on various projects for brands such as Target, Footjoy, and Benjamin Moore, and working on the HBO mini-series, White House Plumbers, Megan gained valuable skills and experience within the industry. Today, she is a Video Production Coordinator for an award-winning, Baltimore-based video production company where she prepares and identifies pre-production and production elements such as but not limited to casting, locations, budgets, crew management, wardrobe, props, and you guessed it – documents! Her favorite part about working in film? Having the ability to fulfill a role that perfectly blends creativity and logistics while working with a diverse multitude of talented individuals.

JULIE HABERSTICK’s film and television credits include Homeland(Showtime),Chicago Fire(NBC-Universal),Lincoln(DreamWorks),Bones(Fox), as well as commercials and independent productions. She’s been a production assistant, props and set dec coordinator, writers’ room associate, script supervisor, and more. Haberstick is now an independent writer-director and the founder of creative production service, Citric Focus Consulting. She currently serves as George Mason University’s Digital Programming Producer and manager of their streaming platform, Mason Arts Amplified. Her first book,Coyote Gratitude: A Cross-Country Coming-of-Age was published Spring 2022.

CAT MAYES is a freelance Producer, Director, Casting Lead, and Voice Actor. In addition, she’s also a passionate gamer and content creator whose intentions are to occupy space unapologetically and transfer good energy into every arena she enters. In 2016, she landed her first gig as a Production Assistant under her mentor who has since trained her from PA to Producer. Now, as the Producer for Black Girl Gamers, Cat oversees productions that take place both in-studio for the US, and online. She’s worked with brands such as TED Courses, BEACN, Ava Estell, Total Mayhem Games, Lumi Interactive, Capital One, and more. Outside of freelancing and content creation, she also loves anime, tech, traveling, plants, phenomenal food, and learning languages!

Sunday, September 24 @ Alamo DC Theater 1    //    12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

A group of Directors talk about the realities of being a movie director in today’s filmmaking climate. Moderated by: Troy Allen

JOHN LOMBARDY BECKHAM is a filmmaker and musician from Prince George’s County, Maryland, best known for the SHOWTIME Sports Documentary Basketball County: In the Water (2020), the GIAI Health Documentary The Diabetes Solution (2021), and the dark comedy short 20FN20 (2022)

LEROY NGUYEN is an American film director, actor, writer, editor, and fight choreographer. He is best known for the semi-autobiographical fictionalized short film One Last Rumble (2009), video game fan-film Shenmue: Yokosuka Blues (2018), and his neo-noir feature film debut Black Scar Blues (2017).

SHERWYN SANTOS is a filmmaker based out of the DC area. He was raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and attended the University of Maryland studying English and Philosophy. He has directed and produced branded content and ad campaigns for the NBA, WNBA, Google, Wendy’s, Dr. Pepper, Corona, Bud Light, Wilson, AT&T, Nike and Amazon. He has also produced several shows and content for Discovery, National Geographic, Investigation Discovery, the BBC and Disney+. He has directed several web series: Night School, Mondaze, and PAT and various comedy sketches with high subscriber count Youtubers, which has garnered millions of views. He is currently in pre-production for two separate indie features, one of which he is directing and is a co-writer. He is currently a member of the Producers Guild of America.

SHOSHANA ROSENBAUM is a writer/director based in Washington, D.C. In May 2021, she was named DC Filmmaker of the Month (listen to the DC Radio interview here.) Shoshana was an inaugural member of the 2021 Destroy All Boundaries Directing Mentorship with Adam Egypt Mortimer and Jordan Crucchiola. She is currently in postproduction with her feature film directing debut THE OTHER YOU. Her latest feature script, A.I.L.A. is an exploration of how A.I. will change our families. Her feature film script THE LAMIA is a #MeToo supernatural thriller about shape-shifting snake women who take out bad men. Her feature screenplay AT THE EDGE OF THE WOODS was recognized by The Bitch List (as THE GOBLIN CHILD) and was previously in development with AMP Productions and director Danishka Esterhazy. With her family-friendly horror script THE CREEPY HOUSE, Shoshana was a finalist in the Austin Film Festival Pitch Competition. Shoshana’s most recent short film, NIGHT WAKING was named Best Sci Fi Film at the Sick Chick Flicks Film Festival. Her award-winning short films THE GOBLIN BABY and HIDE AND SEEK have screened at festivals around the U.S. and internationally. Her screenplays have been recognized by the Nashville Film Festival, Hollyshorts Film Festival, DC Shorts Film Festival, and Asian Pacific American Film Festival. She is repped by John Zaozirny and Kate Sharp at Bellevue.

Sunday, September 24 @ Alamo DC Theater 1    //    4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Straight from their minds, writers share their storytelling process – from ideas to print; from character development to writing for the screen; from dialogue creation to the actor’s voice. Moderated by: Al Sotto

CHRISTIAN DETRE is a multi-disciplinary artist. He is a creative and logisitcal film Producer, Director, Photographer and Writer. He’s been a Publisher at VICE, a Photographer for Ford Models, a music video Director, and a travel writer. He apprenticed under Andrew Fierberg (Secretary, Fur: The Diane Arbus Story, Hamlet) in Tribeca, NYC, and broke out with a string of celebrated fine art productions with Sir Isaac Julien, Elli Papakonstantinou, and most recently, Julian Rosefeldt. His work has toured and debuted at the Tate Museum, the Berlin Museum, NY’s Park Avenue Armory, the Melbourne Festival, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. A NYC native, he currently lives and works in Richmond VA, where he is plotting his next moves – but mostly playing video games on his couch. 

DAVID FRITZSON is a filmmaker based in Richmond, VA. His background includes a history of theater as a child actor and later directing short plays. At the end of his college career, he found his true passion directing short films after winning ‘Best Picture’ at a college film competition. His focus on character development and storytelling as seen in his award winning short film, “Wireless”, has resulted in connections with audiences around the nation with tens of thousands of views on YouTube, and over twenty screenings plus over ten awards, including Best Original Short Film from South Dakota Film Festival, and the Independent Film Festival Boston where it won the Audience Award. His production company founded in 2019, Son of a Fritz, is creating more short-form content in a variety of narrative films, documentaries, and photography.

JULIE HABERSTICK’s film and television credits include Homeland(Showtime),Chicago Fire(NBC-Universal),Lincoln(DreamWorks),Bones(Fox), as well as commercials and independent productions. She’s been a production assistant, props and set dec coordinator, writers’ room associate, script supervisor, and more. Haberstick is now an independent writer-director and the founder of creative production service, Citric Focus Consulting. She currently serves as George Mason University’s Digital Programming Producer and manager of their streaming platform, Mason Arts Amplified. Her first book,Coyote Gratitude: A Cross-Country Coming-of-Age was published Spring 2022.

TROY-JEFFREY ALLEN is a producer, writer, and host. He is primarily known for his work in comic books and hosting PREVIEWSworld Weekly. He’s the writer of ‘MF DOOM: All Caps,’ Public Enemy’s ‘Apocalypse ’91: Revolution Never Sleeps,’ ‘Fight of the Century,’ the Harvey Award-nominated ‘District Comics: Unconventional History of Washington, DC,’ and the Ringo Awards-nominated ‘Magic Bullet.’