C. Fitz is an award-winning filmmaker, director, writer, and producer known for her bold visual storytelling and commitment to authentic narratives in both scripted and unscripted spaces. She has earned multiple awards for her work spanning television, documentary feature films, and commercials. Her directing credits include OWN’s award-winning drama Queen Sugar, the first season of HBO Max’s One Perfect Shot, and the acclaimed documentary Jewel’s Catch One, which was distributed by Ava DuVernay’s ARRAY and premiered on Netflix. She was also the producer on the original pilot for Queer Eye and has directed ad spots for McDonald’s, Disney, and Pepsi.

Carol Bash is the Founder and President of Paradox Films, a media production company based in Peekskill, New York. Her most recent projects: BLUEPRINT FOR MY PEOPLE, a visual poem that explores the African American experience by featuring rare, archival cyanotypes (aka "blue prints"), premiered at the 2024 Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF); and WINDOWS, a music video of the Future One song from their latest album "Do We Need Another Psycho", premiered at the 2024 Transparent Film Festival. Her feature documentary, MARY LOU WILLIAMS: THE LADY WHO SWINGS THE BAND, which focuses on this unsung pianist, composer and arranger is currently available on Kanopy. Carol is also an Organizer/Programmer of the annual Peekskill Film Festival.

Danielle Ash is a New York based experimental filmmaker and stop-motion animation director. Her animations have screened at film festivals, symposiums, museums and libraries, including Slamdance Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, The Orphans Film Symposium, Thomas Edison Film Festival, New York Film Festival, and on Sesame Street. Scratching imagery onto repurposed 70mm film, drawing on paper, wood branches, and huge piles of recycled cardboard are the makings of her films.
Winner of the Helen Hill Animation Award  and an Emmy for her work in educational entertainment "Dash", has collaborated with many artists, musicians and puppeteers, taught and shared her passion for animation at Pratt Institute, Dartmouth College and City Tech. She has a BFA in Film from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA from the Experimental Animation Program at CalArts. Danielle enjoys playing along to old records on her musical saw, and is now working in the forest on her next film about the fate of the Ash trees.

Ava DeVoe is an actress with over a decade of experience! A freshman at Chapman University’s Dodge College, she’s pursuing a B.F.A. in Creative Producing. An OCSA Acting alum and 2024 OC Artist of the Year finalist, you may have seen Ava on This is Us, recurring on Grey's Anatomy, or in The Nian on Hulu’s Bite Size Huluween. She’s booked commercials for Five Below, Meta, CMS Medicare, Lumen, and Poopouri, to name a few. Beyond acting, Ava writes, directs, and produces short films, recently completing No Strings Attached. She also plays guitar, sings, and loves boba tea!

Rachel Handler is a writer and actor known for her stint as Peg Leg Doris on AMC’s “Interview With the Vampire” and her award-winning Slamdance films “Committed” and “HOW MUCH AM I WORTH?” Other acting credits include, “New Amsterdam,” “Goliath,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “NCIS: New Orleans,” “Best Foot Forward,” “Bull,” and “The Upside.” 
Handler became an amputee after a tragic car accident in 2012. As an artist and activist, she strives to find humor and hope in even the most awful circumstances. Her awards as a writer/producer include the AT&T Underrepresented Filmmaker Award, Best Writer and Best Actor in the Disability Film Challenge, Best International Film in Focus on Ability, and she won the Sundance Co//ab Monthly Challenge for her script, “Derailed.”
 
After performing in the Off-Broadway play, “The Lucky Star,” Rachel recently played Ani in “Cost of Living” at Philadelphia Theatre Company. When she isn’t performing or writing, Handler works to expand disability equity within arts organizations, corporations and schools. 

Daphne Macy is a screenwriter, playwright, and actress. Her work has been featured in the Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival, American Stage, Heartland Theatre, Primary ESPA's Detention Series, Chicago Blow Up Art House Festival, the Lee Strasberg Alumni Film Festival, NewFilmmakers NYC, NYCLife, CrossingsTV, and more. She was also a finalist for Playwrights Realm's Scratchpad Series, and a semifinalist for Playwrights Realm's writing fellowship and for the Premiere Stages Play Festival. Daphne studied at the Lee Strasberg Theatre & Film Institute and at Primary Stages ESPA. www.daphnemacy.com

Victoria Suyas (she/her) is a Puerto Rican filmmaker who was born and raised in Bushwick Brooklyn. She attended SUNY Purchase College where she earned her BFA in filmmaking. Victoria primarily focuses on the stories of working-class families and adolescents. Presently, Victoria works at Sesame Workshop as an Assistant Editor. She helps with content supporting mental health and emotional well-being initiatives by spreading awareness and coping strategies for preschool-aged children. She has also worked as an Assistant Editor for seasons 53-55 of Sesame Street.

Having written, produced, and starred in her own short, HER TURN is Rachel’s first venture into indie filmmaking. She’s thrilled it’s been enjoying such a solid festival run and resonating with its audiences. As an actress, Rachel can be seen on CBS, NBC, AMAZON PRIME, MIRAMAX, and DISCOVERY CHANNEL, and NYC stages, while working under the direction of industry icons such as Susan Stroman, Mike Ockrent, Graciele Daniele, and Gordon Hunt. She's also shared the stage and screen with many luminaries. Rachel loves meeting so many talented creatives at the fests and looks forward to future collaborations!

Danicah Waldo is an award-winning director, writer, and producer based out of New York City. She got her 10,000 hours directing and producing narrative short films starring kids for the Applause New York, whose YouTube channel now sits at 1.5 million subscribers and 1 billion views. She now holds the title of Director of Production at LIT Videobooks, where she directs all live-action content and built the production system from scratch. Her debut narrative short film, Sally, Get the Potatoes, has gone on to win awards at numerous festivals around the world. She is represented by Sandstone Artists and is a member of Alliance of Women Directors and NYWIFT.

Jamie Navarro is a Filipino media production student based in Doha, Qatar. She specializes in film, photography, and creative direction.

"Breakdown" is Jamie's second film. She wanted to bring light to the hardships of grief and loss. In it, Jamie also symbolizes her relationship with loved ones who helped her to become who she is today.

As an aspiring creative, she aims to continue to showcase her craft, as well as uplift the voices of Filipina women in the media industry.

Donna Bonilla Wheeler is a Latine Indigenous writer and director working in film, stage and TV, focused on stories of diverse women with unusual or heroic skills, humanity, or insights. She explores cultural silencing, family and identity, and rugged individualism versus community. Works are Nicholl SFs, Gotham No Borders, Slamdance, Stowe, Sidewalk and PageCraft Labs, NYSAF Workshops, and MIPTV/Cannes invited projects. Her short film, The Girl Next Door won Grand Jury Prize at Mystic Film Festival, Jury Award at Silent River, REMI Award at Worldfest Houston, and Honorable Mention at Cine Pobre. Her family mockumentary, Death of a Saleswoman, sold at Cannes / AFM / Berlin markets and streams globally. Donna created and leads the #MentorLatinaDirectors Fellowship Program via Alliance of Women Directors.

Susan Jennifer Polese is a queer American playwright, filmmaker & crisis-care psychotherapist. She’s an award-winning playwright whose work is seen regionally, Off-Broadway and at venues including La Mama Experimental Theatre Club, NY. Trained at The Wonderhorse Theatre, Herbert Berghof Studio, and Hunter College Susan teaches writing up and down the east coast. She is published in the Alexander Street Contemporary World Drama Collection. An alum of La Mama’s International Playwright Retreat, Italy, her work explores social justice and is performed as fundraisers for non-profits. Susan is a member of The Dramatists Guild & New York Women in Film & Television. 

Dionna is a Brooklyn based filmmaker back again to share her work at Glass Ceiling Breakers. Seven was the very first film she finished during her time in New York City, and very excited for its screening debut.

Jamey Jacobs is a Brooklyn-based actor, screenwriter, and producer. Her first screenplay, BABY BUMPS—developed with co-creators Tova Hopemark, Amanda Lee Hawkins and Rosie McDonald—recently won the "Best Comedic Short Film" audience award at the Yonkers Film Festival. She's currently editing the team's sequel film, CLARAVOYANCE (penned by Hawkins) and working on her first feature.

Originally from Hayward, Wisconsin, Elaine Menigo obtained her MFA in Film in May 2023. Prior to graduate school, Elaine worked for Senator Tammy Baldwin for four years. Along with engrossing herself in television and film, she can often be found reading political news and FaceTiming her nephew.

Kendra Augustin is a Brooklyn based playwright. She's a former sketch comedy writer, and budding filmmaker currently editing her short story collection.

Born in Tizi Ouzou (Algeria), Lyna Tadount grew up in France and became a self taught passionnate artist in many fields. She graduated at University Sorbonne’s Faculty of Letters where she studied French-English Literature and specialized in Journalism. She is currently a Director-Screenwriter and a Photographer based in Paris.

Marta Renzi has made more than 75 dances for her Project Company including her Bessie- award-winning VITAL SIGNS. Her site-specific pieces in locations such as the Guggenheim Museum, Union Station and the Staten Island Ferry led naturally to her work in video and film. In 1981 You Little Wild Heart, to music by Bruce Springsteen, was Marta's first half-hour for PBS, followed by Mountainview, made in 1989. Since 2005 Marta has self-produced over three dozen short videodances, which have been presented at over 300 festivals nationally and internationally. Her debut feature film Her Magnum Opus was released in 2017. 

Roe Moore, an comedy director with a passion for laughter and a taste for cookies best known for directing the award-winning short films "Breakfast Salad," "How We Met," "Drive to Airport," and theatre play "Recess" at Brisk Fest, Roe's expertise extends to prominent department head roles like associate director and script supervisor for HBO Max's "Fresh Prince of Bel Air Reunion," VH1's "RuPaul's Drag Race," Disney+'s "Earth To Ned," and CW's "Masters of Illusion." A seasoned standup comedian and graduate of Second City's Conservatory program, Roe infuses her work with irresistible humor. Actively engaged in industry initiatives, she participates in Black Magic Collective's Future Women of TV, Alliance of Women Directors, and contributes her humor to Gold Comedy's sketch team, Crop Top. Balancing her professional pursuits, Roe is an avid runner and skilled baker, adding a personal touch to her multifaceted career. With a commitment to excellence and a penchant for humor, Roe Moore stands as a dynamic force in the entertainment industry, crafting laughter and memorable moments with every project she undertakes.

Mo is a Chinese filmmaker base in New York. She's an engineer by day, a screenwriter & director on weekends. The film adopts a documentary style. At its core, it's a heartfelt ode to the magic of New York City.

Writer and director Sarah Carlot Jaber grew up in the Middle East and today works in Brussels. With a diploma in movie direction from the IAD and a specialized master’s degree in gender studies, her interest lies in themes at the intersection of these two disciplines. Her third short film, She’s the Protagonist, a “meta” comedy questioning representation in the movies, has been presented at around 100 international festivals and won numerous awards. Sarah is currently presenting her fourth short, Olga’s Eyes, while developing her first fiction feature, A hill of thyme.