WRITER & DIRECTOR

Nana (she/her) is a black queer filmmaker of Ghanaian descent based in New York City. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Screenwriting & Directing from Columbia University. Nana is passionate about telling stories that center characters and communities not often seen on screen. Her work thoughtfully blends heart and humor to explore themes that lie at the intersection of the personal and political.

Nana’s work has screened in festivals across the U.S. and internationally. Her most recent short film CONFIRMATION (2023)—the first-ever Columbia student short produced in Ghana—premiered at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in the New York African Film Festival and received Honorable Mention at the Academy Award qualifying Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival.

PRODUCER

Raman (he/him) is a producer, writer, and director of Indian descent based in New York City. As a producer, Raman combines analytical skills from his background in mathematical finance with his passion for storytelling. He is currently pursuing an MFA in Creative Producing at Columbia University, where he has successfully produced four short films, including two international productions in India, in addition to writing and directing. Ultimately, Raman endeavors to tell intersectional stories that center memorable characters in unique, specific worlds, and have the power to push audiences’ perspectives past the boundaries of their own experiences.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Nava Mau is a filmmaker, actress, and cultural worker from Mexico City and San Antonio, Texas. Nava wrote, produced, directed, and starred in WAKING HOUR (2019), a short film that screened in festivals around the world and won the NewFest Audience Award. She was a Production Fellow for the Netflix documentary DISCLOSURE (Sundance 2020), and worked as a producer on the short film WORK (Sundance, Tribeca 2022). She has also appeared as a series regular in the HBO Max series GENERATION (2021) and the Netflix limited series BABY REINDEER (2024).

For eight years, Nava worked in the fields of healing justice and culture change with community-based service providers, student organizations, and survivors of violence. She first worked with immigrant survivors as a legal assistant, and then as a peer counselor and advocate for LGBTQ survivors of violence. Nava's work has been recognized by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, the Mexican-American Cultural Education Foundation, and the Critics Choice Association.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Shane King Zackery is a queer, black, non-binary writer, producer, and poet based in the San Francisco Bay Area. They are also the owner of Yarner Studios, a creative lab dedicated to bringing QTPOC stories to life. Shane loves being on set in any capacity, and has served on numerous projects as a director and photographer. They are most proudly credited as a production assistant for Nava Mau’s Waking Hour and Eli Horowitz’ Gone in the Night, and as an executive producer for Nava Mau's All The Words But The One.

CO-PRODUCER

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Nurie (she/they) is a dynamic filmmaker whose work reflects the city's vibrant culture. Inspired by the community around her, Nurie is dedicated to illuminating untold stories and amplifying voices through the transformative power of cinema. With experience directing impactful short films and contributing to projects as a producer, director, editor and cinematographer, Nurie brings a blend of storytelling and visual expertise to every endeavor. Outside of film, she has also made contributions in the tech and journalism sectors, leveraging her creative skills in innovative ways working at WIRED and Datastax. As the founder of her own boutique production company, NKALIMO, she has worked with companies such as Meta, Kronos Quartet, Confluent, Black Girls Code and Startree.

CO-PRODUCER

Jackson Gravagno (any/all) is an assistant director and producer working in the San Francisco Bay Area. A San Francisco State University alum, he works to combine his two majors and passions, Political Science and Cinema, in the film projects he works on. The work that they're most passionate about is insightful and thoughtfully constructed while maintaining a distinct sense of personality and place. When he isn't working to facilitate conscientious media, he spends his time reading with their cat, playing soccer, and snowboarding.

EDITOR

Sowjanya (they/them) has worked as a filmmaker for 20+ years, specializing in producing and editing across a variety of media. Their work has screened nationally and internationally at festivals, conferences, and major media outlets. In their current role as an assistant professor of Cinema & Television Arts at Elon University, Sowjanya focuses their scholarship on production studies, media literacy, and the political economy of communications. Their award-winning essay, "Neoliberalism & Disclosure’s New Trans Activism: The Politics of Discrimination and How to Fight It," was recently published by the Journal of Film and Video (University of Illinois Press, Winter 2023). Their most recent narrative short film (in)convenience (Alexandra Greenspan, 2023) is on the festival circuit—has currently screened at 20 festivals and won 4 awards.

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Evan (he/him) is an esteemed award-winning cinematographer. Evan's passion for capturing stunning visuals is evident through his extensive training, having studied Cinematography at San Francisco State University and obtaining his MFA in Cinematography from the distinguished American Film Institute Conservatory. His impressive body of work has been recognized and exhibited at some of the most prestigious film festivals worldwide, including Cannes, Palm Springs International, and TIFF. Evan's exceptional creative collaboration and ability to use light sensitively have made him a renowned figure in the industry, skillfully bringing a director's vision to life in a variety of commercial, documentary, and narrative works.