Glass Ceiling Breakers Short Play & Short Film Festival
June 16, 17, 18 at the Philipstown Depot Theatre
Meet the GCB3 Filmmakers

Director: Midas' Son
Annetta Marion
Annetta Marion recently produced Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, which received standing ovations at the Sundance Film Festival and the HOPE Filmmakers Award at SWSX, and will be released theatrically and drop on AppleTV+ on May 12. Annetta is a Primetime Emmy-nominated director and showrunner known for her work on Oprah’s Master Class and NBC’s Making It.

Writer/Performer: I DIGRESS: The Intimate Insights of a Childhood Weirdo-Part 2
Sauda Aziza Jackson
Sauda Aziza Jackson originally from Chicago is a New York based writer/performer. Projects include: Now is the Time with Little Lord, Iona Flies Away with Tanisha Christie, Expense of Spirit & Limitless Joy with International Wow (Josh Fox), Sponsored by Nobody’s The Arts & Behind the Bullseye, and The Making of King Kong by Lisa Clair at Target Margin. Her project I Digress: The Intimate Insights of a Childhood Weirdo, a four part experimental, performance memoir, has been in transformation and development over the last five years. Sauda holds a B.A. in theater from Eastern Illinois University (Go Panthers!)

Writer/Director/Producer: Father Daughter Dance; Liberty Speaks
Gabrielle Fox
Gabrielle Fox is an award-winning playwright and filmmaker. Her play The Home was presented in the La MaMa New Playwright Marathon and won multiple awards including Best Playwright and Production. Her work has been included in online journals and print anthologies including The Best New Ten Minute Plays 2021 and We/US Monologues for the Gender Minority. She won the 914Inc. Women in Business Award for her work as Founder and Artistic Director of Theatre Revolution. Her films Liberty Speaks (directed by Lucia Bellini) and Father Daughter Dance have won awards in multiple festivals. She teaches playwriting at SUNY Westchester. She is a proud member of The Dramatists Guild. She is thrilled to be producing GCB3!

Writer/Director: Stuck; Firsts
Naya James & Lucia Bellini
Writer/Director team Naya James and Lucia Bellini have created and produced multiple plays, readings and short films, as well the world premiere of Abdication! at Theater for the New City. Other highlights for Naya—12 original one-acts produced all over NYC; plays 60/40 and Tipping Point; and a freshly minted feature-length action flick. For Lu— Director, Who Mourns for Bob The Goon? (HERE Arts Center); Assistant Director, The Floor is Lava (La MaMa Experimental Theater Club); Director, DARK PLANET: Not Your Mother's Valentine's Day; Award Nominated Director and Actor for LOVE/SICK by John Cariani (Hudson Guild Theater).

Writer/Executive Producer: Believin'; Seven Men of Hanukkah
Sharon Cooper
Sharon Cooper is a NYC based screenwriter and playwright. The Seven Men Of Hanukkah screened around the country in film festivals and on DirecTV in North America and South Asia. The film was one of the winners of the Boston Jewish Film Festival. Sharon is also the writer/executive producer of the short comedic film Believin' which screened nationally and won the “Filmmaker’s Favorite” award at the Chain Film Festival in NYC. She’s honored to have both films and one play, Simply Twisted in GCB3! Sharon is also a writing coach, yoga teacher, and proud aunty. www.sharonecooper.com

Writer/Director/Producer/Editor/Lead Actor: Phone Call
Z0ë Kim
Zöe Kim (she/her) is a Korean-American storyteller and Founder of Seoulful Productions, a Korean-American women led 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to tell the stories of the Korean-American diaspora. Additionally, Zöe works as the New Works Development Manager at The Public Theatre and as an Anti-Racist Theatre Facilitator. As an Actor, her recent credits include Eureka Day, Motherf**ker with the Hat, The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare’s Globe in London), 4000 Miles, The King’s Language (world premiere), and No Returns (AFI Film). As a Writer, her play Did You Eat? will have its world premiere at the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Edinburgh, Scotland. As a Filmmaker, Meet Me At the Funeral (MMF) and Phone Call have won her numerous awards including EMERGING FILMMAKER, BEST COMEDY, and BEST LEAD PERFORMANCE. thezoekim.com

Executive Producer: Believin'
Sonia Huang
Sonia Huang, Executive Producer, Believin’, was the director of Business Development for the New York Asian Film Festival for several years. She was the associate producer on the feature film Hotel Chelsea—which was widely released in Japan. She is the associate producer for the feature film The Last Sunset, currently in development. Sonia Huang is a physician’s assistant in Advanced Heart Failure at Cornell and the co-writer of Dr. Koufman’s Acid Reflux Diet. She provided the location, support, and the best craft services (her cooking!) for the entire cast and crew of Believin’. We wouldn’t have a film without her support.
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Director: Clones
Letia Solomon
Letia Solomon is an award-winning filmmaker with a MFA in TV & Film Production from the University of Southern California. Her film, The Cypher, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, received USC's 2020 First Look Faculty Award for Outstanding Director, and the 2021 Pan African Film Festival Programmer's Choice Award for Best Short Film. As a finalist of the 2020 ABFF HBO Competition, The Cypher is streaming on HBO MAX. She recently directed the pilot, 3 Blind Mice, and won the Lionsgate/Starz Speculative Film award for directing the mockumentary comedy short film, Clones. Her steamy medieval comedy romance The Queen, The Knight, and The Witch received funding from the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival x CHANEL Through Her Lens Female Filmmaking Program in New York.

Director: Getting Late
Hillary Phillips
Hilary Phillips, has worked in the animation industry for over 30 years, in several countries from Canada to Ireland to California. Starting as an animator, Hilary then moved into supervising design, storyboarding and directing; later becoming more involved in production and development. Hilary segued into live action filmmaking, directing two shorts: Day 17 (in distribution on Amazon through Shami Media Group, Inc); and Getting Late (short). She then went on to direct Dark Sunrise, a 90 minute suspense thriller, recently completed and in the festival circuit.

Director: Quel Enfer!/What The Hell!
Suzie Jane Pastor
A former student in filmmaking from ISPRA INSTITUTE based in Toulouse, France. For my final year, I've directed the shortfilm/TV-pilot Quel Enfer!/What The Hell!

Writer/Director: Mushkile'
Kami Shefer
Kami Shefer, a young designer and filmmaker from Tel-Aviv. Kami graduated from Holon Institute of Technology, department of visual communication in 2022. Kami wrote and directed the film Mushkile’ which participated in festivals all over the world and won a few prizes.

Producer/Director: Bill Murray Lost in Berlinale
Ana Trkulja
Born in Belgrade, Ana Trkulja is a talented film director and producer, and the founder of Berlin's Cookies and Movies. Mentored by renowned director Wim Wenders, Ana pursued film directing at the Academy of Fine Arts in Hamburg and acquired degrees in Media Studies and German Language and Literature in Belgrade. Her diverse film portfolio includes her existential, experimental short film Bill Murray Lost in Berlinale, which has won 15 awards and been screened worldwide. Additionally, she has produced award-winning audiobooks like The Monkey and the Wild, Wild Wind. Ana's multifaceted work continues to make a significant impact in the world of film and storytelling.

Editor: The Pragmatic Author
Tara Duffy
Tara Duffy is a Director, Writer, and Editor who has been honored to serve on the creative teams of award winning documentary films. She currently adapts renowned children’s books into animated shorts.

Co-Writer/Director: Slam Dunk, Sehaj!
Asis Sethi
Former Playback Magazine's 10 to Watch, an alumni of Women in Director's Chair, and CineFAM’s Limitless program, Asis Sethi is a South Asian Canadian filmmaker with 15 years of experience as a producer, creator and a host on lifestyle shows. Her REMI Award winning short on menstruation, A Bloody Mess, was screened at 30 film festivals. Her short film on postpartum depression, Rock the Cradle, was funded by the Canada Council for the Arts. Asis is in development for her feature Slam Dunk, Sehaj! which was supported by the CFC/Netflix Calling Card Accelerator and won Caribbean Tales' The Big Pitch at TIFF in 2022.

Writer/Co-producer/Co-director: Shame Full
Andee Kinzy & Chiara McCarty
Andee Kinzy educates and empowers youth in the creative arts through the Girl Improved Film & Television Festival and the ImprovEd Shakespeare Company. A multi-hyphenated Renaissance woman, she writes, produces, directs, teaches and more. Her superpower is storytelling and she has more curiosity than a cat. Chiara McCarty is an actress, director and producer. Catch her on Amazon Prime in the film Kill All Politicians, and in the short Spindletop: The Beginning. She was nominated for Best Acting Performance at Austin After Dark Film Festival 2022 for the short Vivían. Shame Full is Chiara’s directorial debut.

Director: Pretty Doesn't Hurt
Jennifer Rau
Jennifer received the Vanguard Award for Cinematic Excellence in Directing from the Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema. Other directing/producing projects include the short film Virginity, Period, the 2017 PSA Boys Will Be Better and the development of her feature film script Plan B. Jennifer began her career as an actor with the award-winning Atlantic Theater Company. Select acting credits include: Finding Amanda, Brightest Star, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Without a Trace, and the award-winning short film Some Boys Don't Leave. jenniferrau.com @jraudirector

Writer/Director: Choices
Lina Sarrello
After over 20 years in the industry as an actor, Lina Sarrello is in her first year of the Stonybrook University Graduate Film Program where she is focusing on Directing and Cinematography. Choices is her first semester film in that program, which she wrote, shot, and directed. As a result of this tiny film's success, Lina is now DPing 3 other films in the program. Lina is very grateful to be included in the Glass Ceiling Breakers Film Festival and hopes to make a long career of bringing diversity and socially relevant stories to life.

Cinematographer & Editor: The Breaking
Marta Di Giovanni
Marta Di Giovanni is a cinematographer and editor from Pescara, Italy where she studied film before continuing her studies in Ireland. She earned her BS in Creative Broadcast & Film Production with First Class Honours from Shannon University TUS.

Director: RESIST: The Resistance Revival Chorus; When We Arrive As Flowers
Susan O'Brien
Susan O’Brien is a NY-based filmmaker and writer whose work has been featured in film festivals globally, the Smithsonian, online publications, and global campaigns for Me Too International and Planned Parenthood. She is an alumni of the prestigious Tribeca and Chanel’s Through Her Lens filmmaking program. Susan creates art to celebrate and amplify the voices of women, the LGBTQIA+ community and marginalized groups.

Writer/Director/Producer/Lead Actor: Boo
Rakefet Abergel
Rakefet Abergel is an accomplished director, writer, and producer known for her unique voice. Born in L.A., Abergel began her career as an actress in film and television. She has been recognized with numerous awards and honors and her films have screened at festivals around the world. Her films explore issues related to identity, relationships, and personal growth, and she has been praised for her ability to tackle these topics with sensitivity and nuance. An established multihypenate, Abergel’s creative vision has earned her a loyal following of fans and admirers, and continues to inspire and provoke audiences around the world.

Writer/Director/Producer: La Protagoniste/She's the Protagonist
Sarah Carlot Jaber
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, Tell al Zaatar, a hill of thyme.

Writer/Director/Cinematographer/Editor: The Red Dress
Marwah Ghazi
Filmmaking and storytelling captivated Marwah's heart from a young age. She's passionate about telling impactful stories that deeply connect to the audience and transcend the screen. She has written and directed short films, music videos, and mini documentaries. She also loves being behind the camera and experimenting with cinematography. Marwah dreams of one day being able to make feature films for the silver screen.

Writer/Director: Beach Day
Robin Johnson
Robin Johnson is an award winning actor and choreographer making her screenwriting & film directorial debut with Beach Day. Robin is interested in film as a healing modality for individuals and communities alike, and in exploring the space where art, social justice, and magic converge. Robin is a proud intersectional feminist who seeks to challenge viewers and subvert expectations with her work. She holds a BFA in Drama from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.

Writer/Director Producer: The Waiting Room
Debra Markowitz
Debra created and served as Director of the Nassau County Film Commission and serves as President of the Long Island Film-TV Foundation which runs the Long Island International Film Expo, returning July 2023. Her films have screened at Academy Award Nominating Film Festivals - Chosen (Director/Producer), screened at LA Shorts, The Last Taxi Driver (Writer/Director/Producer) screened in the HollyShorts Monthly Screening Series, Shoot Me Nicely (Casting Director/Producer) screened at HollyShorts and Won Best TV Pilot, was a Winner of the Diamond Award at LA Shorts, and My Cross to Bear (Producer/Casting Director) screened at Flicker’s, Rhode Island International Film Festival. The Only Woman in the World feature film is screening on Prime Video, Tubi, The Alice Channel of Xumo, Momentu and several other platforms. Debra’s work can be found at www.IntentionFilmsandMedia.com

Writer: Star Quality
Evelyn Mertens
Evelyn Mertens, has had plays produced through Westchester Collaborative Theatre (WCT); Axial Theatre; Glass Ceiling Breakers; the Aery and Ariane Festivals; Irvington Arts; and Manhattan Rep. She studied acting with Howard Meyer’s Acting Program, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Circle in the Square. Evelyn is a member of Honor Roll! and the Dramatists Guild. A Broadway World review said, “Mertens is more than a writer -- her mastery of imagery, story and the human condition casts her as a portrait artist whose palette is words, each of which she chooses with utmost precision and affection.”

Writer/Producer: Greetings From Sarajevo
Penny Jackson
Penny Jackson is an award-winning screenwriter and film producer. Her two short films, My Dinner With Schwartzey and Greetings from Sarajevo, have received many nominations and honors. Her current short film, Overdue, has won two awards in screenwriting and best romantic short film. As a writer and producer, Penny is committed to to creating films focusing on women's stories, particularly stories of women not seen on screen. She is a member of New York Women In Film and Television, The League of Professional Theatre Women and The Writers Guild. Penny's novel, Becoming The Butlers, was optioned by Warner Brothers. Please follow her at pennybrandtjackson.com

Director: We Love Work
Isabel Steuble-Johnson,
Director and producer of documentaries and short films, including Bloomberg's Art + Technology, winner of a Cannes Dolphin; Home Girl, selected by BFI London Calling; and National Anthem, nominated in the Underwire Film Festival. Creator of unique television and social content for Coca-Cola, Walkers, Tropicana, WorldRemit, FLANNELS, LinkedIn, easyJet, Novartis, GSK, UCB, DHL, NHS and Channel 4. Her most recent short film Custard Creams was selected for a Genera Grant and has been selected for the Oscar-qualifying Bronze Lens festival. In addition to directing narrative films, Isabel has directed films for the Tate, Legal & General, Novartis, UCB and Aldi.

Producer/Actor: DIVR
Maria Diez
Maria Diez is a Latina multi-lingual, multi-hyphenate theatrical and film actor, director, producer, singer, and designer. She has worked with The Lark, The Civilians, Two River Theatre, The Hangar Theatre, Planned Parenthood, Spotify, and more.