Annual Virtual Event

Taught Acting On Camera at The Second City Training Center Chicago for two years and I'm currently teaching acting online since 2020. I've facilitated acting workshops at multiple film festivals and in-person workshops over the years. I've trained for over 20 years. I've also been in over 200 short and feature films.

Based out of Chicago's O’Hare Airport, my work revolves around capturing authentic and compelling storylines in new visually captivating ways with a blend of technical proficiency and creative insight. 

Gary Adcock has been a part of the film and television industry for over twenty years. He has extensive knowledge covering both the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking. Gary is renowned for sharing his expertise worldwide on topics related to cinematography, cameras, and lensing, with a focus on production, post-production tools, and the connection between production and post. As a testament to his commitment to the industry, Gary Adcock plays a pivotal role in the SMPTE RIS OSVP Committee, which is dedicated to providing continuous education to the film and television community. His active involvement in Filmscape Chicago, an educational non-profit organization, clearly demonstrates his dedication to training a new generation of crews to cater to the needs of the growing film and television community in the Midwest. In 2023, Gary Adcock's collaborations with PERG and ESTA to offer specialized training for the professional rental community and his instrumental role in developing a new series of Lens Technician Training sessions through his partnership with Duclos Lenses were notable achievements. His invitation to speak for the 25th consecutive year as Program Chair for NAB’s Remote Production Conference, NAB’s AI Creative Summit, and the Director of the Photography Conference relaunch, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the National Association of Broadcasters, is a testament to his industry recognition. He starts 2024 as a newly inducted Associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers and continues to lead Filmscape as its Executive Director.

Mark DeLorenzo is a former theatrical lighting designer and has been OSRAM's North American Product Manager for Entertainment Lighting since 2006. He has served as the Production Master Electrician on over 80 productions

Mikki Dick is a Camera Assistant based in Chicago. She primarily works on Union TV Productions and is a proud member of Local 600 as a Loader and 2nd AC. She graduated from Film school at the University of Michigan in 2018 and has been living and working in Chicago ever since. Mikki is passionate about stories in any format and loves the collaborative nature of the Film and TV industry.

I am Tamarra Campbell, a seasoned Impact Producer from West Michigan, leading as President of the West Michigan Film Alliance. My decade-long journey in the creative industry has honed my expertise in project impact, brand evolution, and pioneering digital strategies, with an unwavering commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equality. My passion for community enrichment is evident through active collaboration with various arts and education nonprofits, where I empower diverse voices through transformative storytelling. My dedication to fostering positive change is rooted in developing impactful initiatives and media collaborations that resonate and inspire.

Tim Corpus is an internationally-performed composer, producer, and arts manager who calls Chicago home. Highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and features on CNN Money, BBC Radio3, and 98.7 WFMT among others. His music for film and tv has received various awards from festivals around the country and his album, “MMXX”, was hailed as “a striking disc” by critic Robert Hugill and GRAMMY-considered for the 2022 GRAMMY awards. 

Beyond his own compositions, Tim often orchestrates and arranges music for international artists including Renée Fleming, Andrea Bocelli, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and others. His diverse career in the arts has also included leading arts organizations as an Executive Director and board member, and teaching at Loyola University Chicago and Chicago City Colleges. 

Megan Carnes is an award-winning Chicago-based media composer focused on bringing her music to unique indie projects. Her numerous credits include the documentary Shouting Down Midnight (SXSW, MSNBC), the animated series This Is Desmondo Ray! (winner: Best Music, Vancouver Webfest), the prairie restoration documentary A Prairie Almanac, and the popular video game documentary YouTube channel Noclip.

Tony Scott-Green sculpts original music for film, TV and media and has worked on feature films, TV shows, documentaries, web series and sonic branding for Fortune 500 companies. Originally from Scotland, he now composes and records at Greenhouse Sound Studios in Chicago and Los Angeles.

For almost twenty years, he did something completely different from music: pursuing a career in tech and consulting, advising Fortune 500 clients in management and tech strategy. Managing multi-million dollar projects with dozens of people. Considering himself a storyteller first, filmmaker second, and composer third, he is a firm believer that “The right music helps an audience see better,” and is known for often incorporating and manipulating vintage instruments and alternative textures into his scores, creating unfamiliar, yet undeniably emotive, threads woven into the music.

Kayo (Ky-yo) Williams is the visionary founder of Kayquarii Productions, a dynamic scoring and post sound media production company based in Chicago. Renowned for his innovative approaches to music scoring, sound design, and post sound mixing solutions. He’s worked with filmmakers from the indie to the Oscar and Emmy award winning phases of their careers, in addition to multimedia broadcast projects, brand entertainment  and  web series content nationwide. His work at Kayquarii Productions reflects a deep commitment to elevating unique voices and pushing the boundaries of creativity in the contemporary film industry.

Jeffrey “JQ” Qaiyum is a composer and producer from Chicago. He creates the score for Hulu/FX’s The Bear, often working with fellow Chicago artist Johnny Iguana. He is also a founding member of Q Brothers, known internationally for their hip hop adaptations of Shakespeare and other classics. The Q Brothers also performs annually at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits. JQ has received several awards, including Best Lyrics for Othello: The Remix at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and a BMI Streaming Media Award for his scoring work on The Bear.

Award-winning, master craftsman Tim Harrison formally founded Harrison Designs and Concepts, or HDC, in 2018 to break the standard of traditional design and fabrication. The HDC leadership team (Tim, Marty Dubin, and Rory Sunderland) has over 30 years of experience making fantasy reality and the impossible possible. They specialize in crafting cinematic and hyper-realistic details in multi-medium props, costumes, and practical effects. Their portfolio includes work for Amazon, Showtime, Blumhouse, Disney, Big Lots, Miller Lite, New Balance, Casey’s General Store, Pfizer, independent films, commercials, and more. The HDC team works together to pass on their love, knowledge, and passion for craftsmanship through educational panels and workshops for conventions, video tutorials on social media platforms, and Tim’s adjunct professorship with DePaul University in Chicago, IL

Andy is a virtual production supervisor at SMASH Virtual Studios, Chicago’s largest standing LED studio, which has worked with shows like Dark Matter and Chicago PD. With over a decade in the Chicago film industry, Andy has been at the forefront of innovation, developing numerous hardware and software technologies in the virtual production space. 

Attorney Elaine Wyder-Harshman practices entertainment, corporate, and nonprofit law at Convex Legal LLC. Elaine empowers her clients by advising and educating them on legal issues. For filmmakers, her services include production legal, finance legal, and intellectual property law. Elaine holds an MFA from Columbia College Chicago and a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and California.

Relationship banker with Wintrust for a year and a half. Total banking experience of over 4 years.

Anthony Stofflet has over ten years of experience as a lighting designer working with technical brands, including Luminex. He has experience training, designing, and consulting on projects in the house of worship, theater, and entertainment markets. He works for A.C. Lighting Inc. as the Luminex Brand Manager.

Erika Valenciana is an award-winning Chicana filmmaker from Chicago. She is a Film & Video graduate of Columbia College Chicago. Her work has been supported by Tribeca Film Institute, Kartemquin Films, Stowe Story Labs, Cine Qua Non Lab, Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Illinois Arts Council, Puffin Foundation, Ragdale Foundation, Allied Media Conference, DC Environmental Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, and Full Spectrum Features. Valenciana shares underrepresented stories to build towards a media landscape where diverse experiences are uplifted.

A producer and director, Nicole’s work spans narrative shorts and feature films, documentary features and television series, taking numerous projects from development to delivery for various broadcasters. Her independent documentary producing work includes Algren (2021) and Radical Grace (2016), (“Among the year’s best films,” RogerEbert.com). She is the producer and co-director of With This Light (22), her directorial debut. Additionally, she has produced and programmed film festivals and conferences, film pitch sessions and screenwriting competitions.

Ashley O’Shay is a director and DP living in Chicago. Her work focuses on illuminating marginalized voices. She specializes in immersive stories, recognizing the societal impact of observing life as is. She’s brought her unique style beyond the documentary space, collaborating with a number of national brands, including Lyft, Nike, Vox, and Dr. Martens. Most recently, her cinematography appeared in FOUNDER GIRLS, a 2022 Queen Collective film that premiered at Tribeca 2023. In 2020, she premiered her debut feature, UNAPOLOGETIC, which captures two fierce abolitionists whose upbringing and experiences shape their activism and views on Black liberation. The film premiered at the 2020 BlackStar Film Festival, broadcast on PBS POV, and was shortlisted for the International Documentary Association Awards. Ashley recently directed and premiered IN DUE SEASON, a short documentary commissioned by the American Cancer Society, illuminating the issue of Medicaid expansion and its disproportionate effect on Black Americans.

Curtis Matzke is an independent screenwriter, director, and producer based in Chicago. The legendary Werner Herzog recently mentored Curtis in the Canary Islands during an accelerator program for short projects. His latest horror short film, SINK, premiered at the Chicago International Film Festival. His work has screened at Cinequest, Athens International, NewFilmmakers LA, and more. Curtis completed residencies and labs at the Stowe Story Labs, Chicago International Feature Development Lab, Reykjavik International Talent Lab, and Chateau Orquevaux. In 2019, he founded The Chicago Cinema Collective for the Chicago film scene. Curtis has received professional development grants from the Illinois Arts Council and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and this past March, Curtis organized a panel about artist residencies at SXSW. Curtis holds a B.A. and M.A. in Media Arts and Technology from Michigan State University with a Minor in Film Studies and Specialization in Design.

Hailing from the rural small-town life in the midwest, Jesse is a Cinematographer based in Chicago, IL, working mainly in commercials, music videos, and short films. His background in photography and music, and his love for cinema often influence his taste and his creative approach to each project.

He has collaborated with global brands like Lululemon, IKEA, Arc'Teryx, Amazon, World Vision, Compassion International, and more.

Jennifer A. Haire is a Line Producer and DGA Production Manager with professional feature film and television experience since 1999. Her work includes domestic and international productions with budgets ranging from a few hundred thousand to hundreds of million and a diverse mix of feature films, episodic television, documentaries, game shows, and other short formats. She was the 2nd Assistant Director on the 2004 Academy Award winning short film, Two Soldiers. A proud “Fighting Pickle” and graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking, Jennifer has been actively involved in professional industry organizations serving on the Board of Directors for IATSE Local 871 and the Producers Guild of America. Jennifer has created film and TV production training workshops designed for entry level jobs up to showrunner as well as provided production safety and risk management education to PGA producing team members. She held a leadership position at The MBS Group as part of their studio consulting team with a focus on production crew training, studio management and sound stage builds. Most recently she co-authored, “Keys to the Production Office, Unlocking Success as an Office Production Assistant in Film and Television” the first book dedicated to production office operations and the role of the Office Production Assistant.

Dave Chameides, SOC is a Los Angeles based camera operator whose recent credits include The Chi and Snowfall. He won the SOC’s Operator of The Year Award in 2023 for his work on Ozark and is the creator of The Op Website and Podcast (www.theop.io).

Matt Rozek is a Chicago based 1st AC who has worked on The Bear and Chicago Fire to name a few. He has not won any awards yet, but is really good at running after his kids, walking the dog and spending time with his lovely wife.

Attorney Elaine Wyder-Harshman practices entertainment, corporate, and nonprofit law at Convex Legal LLC. Elaine empowers her clients by advising and educating them on legal issues. For filmmakers, her services include production legal, finance legal, and intellectual property law. Elaine holds an MFA from Columbia College Chicago and a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and California.

Gary Adcock has been a part of the film and television industry for over twenty years. He has extensive knowledge covering both the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking. Gary is renowned for sharing his expertise worldwide on topics related to cinematography, cameras, and lensing, with a focus on production, post-production tools, and the connection between production and post. As a testament to his commitment to the industry, Gary Adcock plays a pivotal role in the SMPTE RIS OSVP Committee, which is dedicated to providing continuous education to the film and television community. His active involvement in Filmscape Chicago, an educational non-profit organization, clearly demonstrates his dedication to training a new generation of crews to cater to the needs of the growing film and television community in the Midwest. In 2023, Gary Adcock's collaborations with PERG and ESTA to offer specialized training for the professional rental community and his instrumental role in developing a new series of Lens Technician Training sessions through his partnership with Duclos Lenses were notable achievements. His invitation to speak for the 25th consecutive year as Program Chair for NAB’s Remote Production Conference, NAB’s AI Creative Summit, and the Director of the Photography Conference relaunch, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the National Association of Broadcasters, is a testament to his industry recognition. He starts 2024 as a newly inducted Associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers and continues to lead Filmscape as its Executive Director.

Jay Holben is an award-winning independent director and producer living in Los Angeles, California. He was a former cinematographer with more than a decade experience behind the camera and is an associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers, co-chair of the ASC’s Motion Imaging Technology Council as well as chair of the MITC Lens Committee. He is the author of four books on cinematography: the highly lauded independent lighting manual, A Shot in the Dark: A Creative DIY Guide to Digital Video Lighting on (Almost) No Budget; a compilation of a decade of cinematographic journalism in Behind the Lens: Dispatches from the Cinematographic Trenches; the exhaustive The Cine Lens Manual: The Definitive Filmmaker’s Guide to the Design, Implementation and History of Cinema Optics and, most recently, American Cinematographer’s Shot Craft: Lessons, Tips & Techniques on the Art and Science of Cinematography. He is the contributing technical editor for American Cinematographer Magazine, former technical editor and columnist for Digital Video magazine and lighting columnist for TV Technology magazine in addition to contributing for several years to the prominent trade newspaper The Hollywood Reporter. He is an international lecturer, including former faculty instructor for the Global Cinematography Institute, a program started by the late Academy Award winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC and for the ASC Master Class program.

Desmond Huey is a true creative force, excelling as a multimedia producer and consummate artist who infuses his work with passion and subtext. With a Bachelor's degree in Film from Flashpoint Chicago, a campus of Columbia College Hollywood, Desmond has established a solid educational foundation. His extensive work experience encompasses diverse roles in the entertainment industry, including award-winning filmmaker, actor, writer, assistant location manager/scout, and music producer. Notable contributions to projects such as Empire, Power Book IV: Force, Netflix's Mo, and more have solidified Desmond's reputation.

In addition to his professional achievements, Desmond is deeply committed to mentoring and teaching, having instructed courses and developed filmmaking curricula for esteemed organizations like SAG-AFTRA, Columbia College, Chicago Filmmakers, After School Matters, and Filmscape Chicago. As a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit, Desmond co-founded a highly successful Facebook group, Chicago Production Assistants, in 2016 alongside his partner Dee Tate, which has amassed approximately 5,000 members. Desmond's unwavering dedication to nurturing talent has left an indelible mark on the next generation of filmmakers.

Jennifer A. Haire is a Line Producer and DGA Production Manager with professional feature film and television experience since 1999. Her work includes domestic and international productions with budgets ranging from a few hundred thousand to hundreds of million and a diverse mix of feature films, episodic television, documentaries, game shows, and other short formats. She was the 2nd Assistant Director on the 2004 Academy Award winning short film, Two Soldiers. A proud “Fighting Pickle” and graduate of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, School of Filmmaking, Jennifer has been actively involved in professional industry organizations serving on the Board of Directors for IATSE Local 871 and the Producers Guild of America. Jennifer has created film and TV production training workshops designed for entry level jobs up to showrunner as well as provided production safety and risk management education to PGA producing team members. She held a leadership position at The MBS Group as part of their studio consulting team with a focus on production crew training, studio management and sound stage builds. Most recently she co-authored, “Keys to the Production Office, Unlocking Success as an Office Production Assistant in Film and Television” the first book dedicated to production office operations and the role of the Office Production Assistant.

Born and raised in the Bronx surrounded by family hardship and violence, Joe nearly went down the wrong path until he found the theater. The theater opened him up to the intricacies of life and allowed him to be anything he wanted to be. He went on to earn his BFA at Adelphi University and his MFA at Northern Illinois University. After moving to Chicago he became the associate artistic director of Teatro Vista, the largest Latinx theater in the Midwest. He then landed a role on Chicago Fire where he’s been a series regular for 8 seasons. He funnels all of this experience into Mass Epiphany Studios as their Founder and Executive Creator, with the mission of creating and facilitating equity, inclusivity, and visibility for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ peoples through arts, media, and economic opportunity.

Timothy Troy has always been enamored with movies and storytelling.  When he discovered the making-of features on films like Star Wars and Jurassic Park, it exploded into a passion that led him to a career in professional filmmaking.  Using the skills and experience from working on large-scale union sets, he’s been steadily building a body of independent directing work for years which draws on the influence of filmmakers like Steven Spielberg and John Carpenter.

Timothy loves to experiment with genre and conventions, with his films ranging from monster movies to sci-fi relationship dramas to a comedy set in a Civil War camp.  His work includes multiple short films licensed by Dust and other online platforms, the award-winning short horror film Ding Dong, and the Creepy Cuts series of micro-shorts.  

Tim lives in Chicago with his wife, two children, and the “crazy little monster” dog he named his production company after.

Lisa Masseur, Executive Producer / Founder of Tessa Films A 30 year veteran of the Chicago production scene, Lisa Masseur worked her way up through the ranks of Film and TV sets before switching over to producing advertising content. After freelancing and executive producing at Chicago’s top production companies, she decided to strike out on her own and launched Tessa Films in late 2017. Tessa supports a roster of directors in both commercial and entertainment pursuits. In 2018, Lisa produced the pilot for “Work in Progress,” which premiered at Sundance and was then picked up by Showtime. More recently, Lisa produced the documentary series “HIV and the Journey Toward Zero,” directed by Chan C. Smith, which was nominated for a Midwest Emmy. As well, she produced the short film “A Real One,” written and directed by McKenzie Chinn, which won the Gold Hugo at Chicago’s International Film Festival in 2023.

Daniele Bernstein is a skilled Chicago-based producer with over 15 years cumulative experience in commercial, film, and television production. Daniele has an insatiable curiosity and thirst for knowledge that keeps her constantly changing and growing, both personally and professionally Having spent over a decade with Wolf Entertainment and NBCUniversal on Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med, she worked as an essential liaison between top show executives, network executives, talent, and production staff to negotiate creative concepts, schedules, budgets, and logistics for a variety of marketing and press EPK shoots, promo shoots, marketing, and photo shoots. She has been the linchpin in the development, planning, and execution of the annual “One Chicago Day,” an immersive press event featuring cast and producers, which was the cornerstone of the shows’ overall marketing plan each year. Forging out on her own in 2023, Daniele has most recently worked as Production Manager for Paramount+ and Showtime’s six-stage creative content and marketing shoot for The Chi, and produced short film The Invite, currently in post-production and coming to a festival near you.

Andy is a virtual production supervisor at SMASH Virtual Studios, Chicago’s largest standing LED studio, which has worked with shows like Dark Matter and Chicago PD. With over a decade in the Chicago film industry, Andy has been at the forefront of innovation, developing numerous hardware and software technologies in the virtual production space. 

Gary Adcock has been a part of the film and television industry for over twenty years. He has extensive knowledge covering both the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking. Gary is renowned for sharing his expertise worldwide on topics related to cinematography, cameras, and lensing, with a focus on production, post-production tools, and the connection between production and post. As a testament to his commitment to the industry, Gary Adcock plays a pivotal role in the SMPTE RIS OSVP Committee, which is dedicated to providing continuous education to the film and television community. His active involvement in Filmscape Chicago, an educational non-profit organization, clearly demonstrates his dedication to training a new generation of crews to cater to the needs of the growing film and television community in the Midwest. In 2023, Gary Adcock's collaborations with PERG and ESTA to offer specialized training for the professional rental community and his instrumental role in developing a new series of Lens Technician Training sessions through his partnership with Duclos Lenses were notable achievements. His invitation to speak for the 25th consecutive year as Program Chair for NAB’s Remote Production Conference, NAB’s AI Creative Summit, and the Director of the Photography Conference relaunch, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the National Association of Broadcasters, is a testament to his industry recognition. He starts 2024 as a newly inducted Associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers and continues to lead Filmscape as its Executive Director.

Kylie Renee Clark is an ICG Local 600 Digital Utility. Kylie’s main experience has been working in narrative TV shows, having been lucky enough to work on shows with networks such as HBO, FX, Showtime, and NBC. Most recently, Kylie was the staff Digital Utility on “Somebody Somewhere” Season 3. Her favorite film as a child was (and still is) The Iron Giant.

Award-winning, master craftsman Tim Harrison formally founded Harrison Designs and Concepts, or HDC, in 2018 to break the standard of traditional design and fabrication. The HDC leadership team (Tim, Marty Dubin, and Rory Sunderland) has over 30 years of experience making fantasy reality and the impossible possible. They specialize in crafting cinematic and hyper-realistic details in multi-medium props, costumes, and practical effects. Their portfolio includes work for Amazon, Showtime, Blumhouse, Disney, Big Lots, Miller Lite, New Balance, Casey’s General Store, Pfizer, independent films, commercials, and more. The HDC team works together to pass on their love, knowledge, and passion for craftsmanship through educational panels and workshops for conventions, video tutorials on social media platforms, and Tim’s adjunct professorship with DePaul University in Chicago, IL

Gary Adcock has been a part of the film and television industry for over twenty years. He has extensive knowledge covering both the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking. Gary is renowned for sharing his expertise worldwide on topics related to cinematography, cameras, and lensing, with a focus on production, post-production tools, and the connection between production and post. As a testament to his commitment to the industry, Gary Adcock plays a pivotal role in the SMPTE RIS OSVP Committee, which is dedicated to providing continuous education to the film and television community. His active involvement in Filmscape Chicago, an educational non-profit organization, clearly demonstrates his dedication to training a new generation of crews to cater to the needs of the growing film and television community in the Midwest. In 2023, Gary Adcock's collaborations with PERG and ESTA to offer specialized training for the professional rental community and his instrumental role in developing a new series of Lens Technician Training sessions through his partnership with Duclos Lenses were notable achievements. His invitation to speak for the 25th consecutive year as Program Chair for NAB’s Remote Production Conference, NAB’s AI Creative Summit, and the Director of the Photography Conference relaunch, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the National Association of Broadcasters, is a testament to his industry recognition. He starts 2024 as a newly inducted Associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers and continues to lead Filmscape as its Executive Director.

Stephanie Dufford is a Chicago based cinematographer/operator who’s most recent work has been on 4400 and The Chi. A 2009 short she shot while at Columbia College earned her the ASC Heritage Award and the ICG Emerging Cinematographer Award.

Award-winning, master craftsman Tim Harrison formally founded Harrison Designs and Concepts, or HDC, in 2018 to break the standard of traditional design and fabrication. The HDC leadership team (Tim, Marty Dubin, and Rory Sunderland) has over 30 years of experience making fantasy reality and the impossible possible. They specialize in crafting cinematic and hyper-realistic details in multi-medium props, costumes, and practical effects. Their portfolio includes work for Amazon, Showtime, Blumhouse, Disney, Big Lots, Miller Lite, New Balance, Casey’s General Store, Pfizer, independent films, commercials, and more. The HDC team works together to pass on their love, knowledge, and passion for craftsmanship through educational panels and workshops for conventions, video tutorials on social media platforms, and Tim’s adjunct professorship with DePaul University in Chicago, IL

Bjorn Amundsen is an IATSE 600 DP local to LA and Chicago. The projects he’s filmed have won a variety of awards including the Cannes Young Directors Awards and Ciclope. Client list includes: Apple, Google, Nike, Intel, AT&T, GE, Compassion International, and World Vision. In addition to his commercial work, his humanitarian film projects have allowed him to travel to over 30 countries.

Rebecca Martin is the Managing Editor of Cinema Femme magazine and the Festival Director of Cinema Femme Short Film Fest. She founded her publication in 2018 because she wanted to create a platform for female and non-binary voices in the film community. She has hosted film screenings in Chicago, led virtual panel discussions, Q&As, and has covered festivals like the Chicago International Film Festival, Sundance, Tribeca, and the Bentonville Film Festival. Rebecca is the editor in chief for THE CALL SHEET, a magazine that launched in January 2023, a collaboration between Cinema Femme and Camera Ambassador.

Henry (they/he) is a filmmaker and programmer based in Chicago. His self-produced, self-distributed directorial debut “Bros Before” screened at dozens of venues internationally while gaining notoriety as an online cult hit, garnering several reviews deeming it “viral” and landing the highest Letterboxd rating of any short film with a 2022 festival premiere. Their first feature "Dog Movie" sold out its premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center and is currently on a self-organized world tour. As an independent programmer they partner with a variety of organizations — such as Facets, The Music Box, The Leather Archives and Solidarity Cinema — to present fresh, radical, and under-seen cinema with an emphasis on the queer/trans underground. As the Curator & Exhibitions Manager for Full Spectrum Features, their goals are to legitimize short films as a serious art form with viable commercial potential, make media accessible for diverse audiences, and re-imagine equitable compensation structures for filmmakers.

Patrick Wimp is a biracial, Black American screenwriter, director, and producer from Chicago. Pat recently completed the original comedic pilot Brothers from the Suburbs, for Warner Bros TV, and sold to HBOMax. His web series of the same name won the Jury and Audience awards at the Austin Film Festival, Best Web Original at UrbanWorld, and Best Director at SeriesFest. That series currently streams on Mansa and OTV. Pat’s 2017 crime-drama pilot Public Housing Unit was awarded Best Writer at SeriesFest and Best of Fest at HBO’s International TV Festival. Patrick’s produced films have screened in renowned film festivals like Chicago International, Cannes International, the Atlanta Film Festival, and many more. He has also worked as a DP for A-list music artists like Jennifer Hudson, Billie Eilish, and the Chance the Rapper. Pat was listed as #7 on NewCity’s Chicago Film 50 in 2021, and named to Austin Film Festival’s 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2020.

Andrea Zile Bish is a director and writer for film and theater. After graduating with a BFA in Directing from the no-nonsense conservatory program at Carnegie Mellon University, she fell in love with film at the all-nonsense comedic powerhouse Second City. She marries these disparate backgrounds, pairing a solid grasp of traditional theatrical technique with an out-of-the-box improv approach to storytelling. During her time at the Second City Film School, she wrote and directed over 25 short films including her thesis comedy, ‘Last Date.’ As a writer, she created three original sitcom pilots, including ‘Needs Repair,’ a quarterfinalist in the Filmmatic Comedy Screenplay Awards. In addition to her work at Second City, Bish wrote and directed the short films ‘Tow Zone’ and ‘Conversions’ with her personal production company, Cathode Ray Pigeon Productions.

Emily Lape is an award winning filmmaker, artist and actress. Her feature film, Mercy's Girl, won several festival awards and is available to stream on Apple Tv, Netflix and Amazon Prime. Before Emily moved to Chicago, she studied acting with the world renowned Ivana Chubbuck and held various positions in multiple studio and indie productions during her 8 years in Los Angeles. Emily continues to write and direct with several upcoming productions.

Rebecca Fons is Director of Programming at the Gene Siskel Film Center, a public program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and serves as the Development and Programming Director for the historic Iowa Theater in her hometown of Winterset, IA. Rebecca previously served as Programming Director for FilmScene in Iowa City, IA; Director of Film at the John and Nancy Hughes Theater in Lake Forest, IL; and as Education Director for The Chicago International Film Festival for nearly a decade. Rebecca received her MA from Columbia College Chicago and BA from the University of Iowa. She is co-founder of the Chicago event series Destroy Your Art, and has proudly served on screening committees and juries for festivals across the country, including True/False, SXSW, the Seattle International Film Festival, and the Hawaii International Film Festival. In 2022 she was named Chicagoan of the Year in Film by the Chicago Tribune.

Raphael Jose Martinez is an artist, writer, and filmmaker based out of Chicago. The child of two Latino political refugee immigrants, their work focuses on America as an idea(l), with the city of Chicago often being the focal point and/or backdrop for this exploration. Coming from a background rooted in DIY punk culture, they embrace imperfection and limitation as powerful aesthetics and create nearly all their work using analog technologies. They have had their films screened at Facets, Analog Video, Sweet Void Cinema, the Chicago Underground Film Festival, and the Highland Super8 Film Festival in Tokyo. They are currently a film programmer at Facets and have programmed in the past at Doc Films, Analog Video, the Rock Island Public House Drive-In, and Thrillhouse Records. They currently write regularly for Chicago's Cine-File, and have been published in other outlets as Film Cred and Daily Grindhouse, as well as served as Co-Editor of the magazines No Friends and Maximum Rocknroll.

Gary Adcock has been a part of the film and television industry for over twenty years. He has extensive knowledge covering both the technical and creative aspects of filmmaking. Gary is renowned for sharing his expertise worldwide on topics related to cinematography, cameras, and lensing, with a focus on production, post-production tools, and the connection between production and post. As a testament to his commitment to the industry, Gary Adcock plays a pivotal role in the SMPTE RIS OSVP Committee, which is dedicated to providing continuous education to the film and television community. His active involvement in Filmscape Chicago, an educational non-profit organization, clearly demonstrates his dedication to training a new generation of crews to cater to the needs of the growing film and television community in the Midwest. In 2023, Gary Adcock's collaborations with PERG and ESTA to offer specialized training for the professional rental community and his instrumental role in developing a new series of Lens Technician Training sessions through his partnership with Duclos Lenses were notable achievements. His invitation to speak for the 25th consecutive year as Program Chair for NAB’s Remote Production Conference, NAB’s AI Creative Summit, and the Director of the Photography Conference relaunch, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the National Association of Broadcasters, is a testament to his industry recognition. He starts 2024 as a newly inducted Associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers and continues to lead Filmscape as its Executive Director.

Jaxi Alegría has been a set lighting technician in Local 476 for six years and is currently the Best Boy Electric on season 7 of Showtime’s The Chi. Her credits include FX’s The Bear, NBC’s Chicago P.D., and Apple TV’s Dark Matter. You may also recognize her from Filmscape’s Instagram page, telling you to register for classes. And here you are! So meta.

I hold an MFA in Film Directing from Columbia College Chicago and a BA in Psychology with a Spanish minor from Knox College. Since earning my degrees, I have taught film and design at Northwestern University, Loyola University, Columbia College Chicago, North Park University, Westwood College, the Second City Training Center, Chicago Filmmakers, Kankakee Community College, and the Harold Ramis Film School and SC Film School. I have recently accepted an appointment as Full-time Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Film and Digital Media in the School of Communications at Loyola University Chicago where I plan to continue my scholarship in film production and share my experience with my students to help them develop into industry colleagues.

Gary Malouf is a Chicago based camera operator who has most recently completed work on Season 3 of The Bear. He was nominated as the SOC’s Operator of the Year the last two years in a row for his work on the show.

Spencer Gillis, SOC is a Chicago based camera operator whose most recent work includes Somebody Somewhere and Chicago P.D. As a writer/director, his first short film premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and won the GrandJury Prize at the Atlanta Film Festival.

Seth Thomas is a Chicago based camera operator. His credits include Power Book IV: Force, Chicago P.D and Soundtrack.

Dana Kupper is a documentary cinematographer from Chicago, and has traveled the world to tell people’s stories. She started in the film business as a union camera technician, working on feature films and TV shows, but left to follow her passion in documentaries. She is an associate at the highly respected Kartemquin Films, a media arts organization that received the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Dana was one of the main Director of Photographers on “Stevie”, a documentary by Steve James, director of “Hoop Dreams”. “Stevie” won the Documentary Cinematography Award at The 2003 Sundance Film Festival. She recently went to Sundance with the Roger Ebert film, “Life Itself”. Dana and her husband own a production company, and have produced over 30 videos for Chicago Public Schools. She also shoots corporate pieces and commercials in the naturalistic documentary style that is her specialty. Recently she traveled to Saudi Arabia as an Arts Envoy for the US State Department to talk to fellow filmmakers in the kingdom. She has taught digital and documentary cinematography classes at Columbia College for over 28 years, and is now a full time faculty member at DePaul University's School of Cinematic Arts.

Jennifer Reeder was recently named by Bong Joon Ho as a filmmaker to watch in the 2020s. She constructs nuanced genre films about relationships, trauma, and coping that borrow from a range of forms including after-school specials and amateur music videos and could be classified as NOIR CAMP. These films have shown at festivals and museums around the world, including Sundance, Berlin, Rotterdam, SXSW, Tribeca, BFI-LFF, and The Whitney Biennial and the Venice Biennale. She received the 2024 Tour De Force Award from the Chicago International Film Festival. PERPETRATOR premiered at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival. The Playlist claims that “Jennifer Reeder has cemented her status as a horror doyenne with her fourth feature film.” Perpetrator is Certified FRESH on Rotten Tomatoes. KNIVES AND SKIN, premiered at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival and was released theatrically by IFC Films. The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as the arrival of a “boldly original voice”. Reeder's NIGHT'S END, with Michael Shannon, is a Shudder Original and premiered on the platform in March 2022. She directed a segment for horror anthology V/H/S '94, which she co-wrote with David Bruckner (THE NIGHT HOUSE and HELLRAISER) and premiered at Fantastic Fest. Reeder’s first feature, SIGNATURE MOVE (2017), premiered at SXSW and won the Grand Prize at the 2017 Outfest in LA. Her shorts can be seen on The Criterion Channel. She has been an advisor at the Sundance Indigenous Program and the Sundance Ignite Program. She is the recipient of numerous grants and fellowships, including the USA Fellowship, the Alpert Film Award residency at MacDowell Colony, a Creative Capital Grant and the SFFIM/Rainin Foundation award.

Jason Culver is a Chicago-based sound mixer and film-lover who has been working in the film industry for more than a decade. His work spans TV, commercials and feature films, including four feature films with Jennifer Reeder who was his mentor and professor at UIC. Jason is also a proud member of the Chicago local IATSE 476 union.

Christopher Rejano is an award winning cinematographer representing the Great Lakes and Midwest region. Rejano has forged a career in feature film, commercial and television. A consistent presence in the Chicago independent film scene has allowed Rejano to work on many diverse projects and with a wide variety of different filmmakers. His work has shown at Sundance, Berlinale, Tribeca Film Festival and SXSW. Rejano is a member of the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600

The first time Louie met Chris Rejano Chris offered him a pastrami sandwich. They have been friends ever since. They have also worked on more indie and commercially successful films together than there are episodes of the show Friends. Friends from making movies making friends making movies. Chris introduced Louie to Jennifer Reeder. They are all friends. These friends along with a bunch of other friends made the movie Knives & Skin. It is better than the show Friends.

Relationship banker with Wintrust for a year and a half. Total banking experience of over 4 years.

Lee is a co-founder and serves as COO of New Use Energy. Since 2004, Lee has worked in every segment of the solar industry from residential, C&I and Community Solar to Utility Scale in key roles associated with business development, strategic partnerships, project development, finance and acquisitions. In 2006 Lee founded SolEquity, a project development company responsible for the first large scale commercial solar systems financed via Power Purchase Agreements in Arizona (at Arizona State University). SolEquity merged with CarbonFree Technology, a Toronto based IPP in 2009. Lee has also played the role of intrapreneur, introducing new business models and initiatives at larger companies such as Kyocera (NYSE: KYO) and ReneSola (NYSE:SOL) in which these global solar panel manufacturers moved into the project development space. Lee also consulted for a large European company on its go to market strategy for introducing its product to the US solar market. Lee’s last corporate role prior to starting a predecessor entity to NUE was as head of business development and acquisitions for C2 Energy Capital, a NYC based Independent Power Producer that was subsequently acquired by EDP Renewables North America. Lee served on the board of the Arizona Solar Energy Industry Association from 2010—2018, including as its president in 2011-12, representing the industry at the state’s regulatory and legislative bodies and liaising with utilities. He also served as an industry advisor for Arizona State University’s Professional Science Masters Program in Solar Energy Engineering and Commercialization from 2013-2020. Prior to entering the solar industry, Lee spent 12 years in the GIS/ Analytics industry and was managing partner of a Toronto based consulting firm serving the retail and direct marketing industries providing geodemographic profiling, customer segmentation and target marketing services. Lee has an undergraduate degree from Toronto Metropolitan University and an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business.

Robert Diaz LeRoy is an award-winning filmmaker, with two of his films having been ranked in the top 50 Latino films of all time. Moving between commercials, shorts, features, documentaries, and series, he has always experimented with storytelling and the mechanics of the filmmaking process. His most recent narrative series, Dark Gospels, was shot in many unique and challenging locations using only state-of-the-art lighting and battery power. He believes that the fusion of new technologies allowed him to craft images and story elements that would have been impossible. His Native American roots have instilled in him from childhood the concept of sustainability not as an objective but as a way of life. Robert created "A Dance With Light" as a film within a film, a fiction within a fiction within a non-fiction. A meta experience about sustainability and storytelling.

Ecofixr is Chicago's premier sustainable production service company, committed to minimizing the entertainment industry's environmental impact while actively engaging the community and fostering resource recovery. Our consultation spans across multiple facets of sustainability, including renewable energy, carbon footprint analysis, and department-specific education. We specialize in seamlessly transitioning our clients to new industry standards from development to production. With Ecofixr, you're not just keeping up with the times--we lead you into the future of production, where sustainability and innovation go hand in hand.

Austin Heemstra is sustainability coordinator for Good Planet Innovation. He has been working in film for 10 years. In that time he found a passion for sustainability in film and has been working for the last 4 years to try to help sets find their footing on a greener set.

Justice Obiaya is the Marketing & Community Relations Director for the Atlanta Film Society (ATLFS), one of the oldest and largest art nonprofits in the region dedicated to supporting Georgia's rapidly growing film production industry. ATLFS’ signature event is the annual 11-day, Oscar-Qualifying, Atlanta Film Festival (ATLFF). Each year, ATLFF selects over 150 films, from nearly 10,000 submissions, to showcase to 25,000+ attendees. In addition to working with ATLFS, he serves as the Marketing Committee Chair for Out On Film, Atlanta’s Oscar-Qualifying LGBTQ+ film festival; and on the board of directors for ASIFA-South, the US southeastern chapter of the International Animated Film Association.

Sophie Gordon is a film programmer, filmmaker, and musician based in Chicago. She is currently a programmer of international feature films and LGBTQ+ cinema at the Chicago International Film Festival. For three years, she was the Programming Manager of the Chicago Latino Film Festival. As a filmmaker, she has directed short films and music videos and has worked as a documentary editor, associate producer, first assistant director, and production designer for short and feature films in the US, Colombia, and Spain.

Logan Crow is an avid and lifelong film lover, with an affinity for horror, cult, avant-garde, and genre cinema. A first generation American born to a Nicaraguan mother and Ecuadorian father, Logan has distinguished himself as one of Southern California’s preeminent film and art house cinema advocates. In 2014 he founded The Frida Cinema, the only non-profit art house cinema in Orange County, CA. Prior to founding The Frida, Crow’s passion for film led to the formation of non-profit Long Beach Cinematheque, which presented hundreds of classic film screenings, including outdoor presentations at historic Sunnyside Cemetery, in Long Beach, CA. He also started and ran the since-retired, Los Angeles-based classic and cult cinema website MonoCelluloid.com, and served as a founding Board Member of the Cultural Alliance of Long Beach. Along with his service to Art House Convergence, Crow currently sits on the boards of Arts Orange County and Orange County LGBT Pride. Crow often serves as a guest speaker in the fields of cinema, non-profit leadership, outdoor event planning, and civic engagement, and in his free time enjoys creative writing, film critique and analysis, and spending time with his beloved dog Nomi.

Attorney Elaine Wyder-Harshman practices entertainment, corporate, and nonprofit law at Convex Legal LLC. Elaine empowers her clients by advising and educating them on legal issues. For filmmakers, her services include production legal, finance legal, and intellectual property law. Elaine holds an MFA from Columbia College Chicago and a JD from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois and California.