Emma Bruno
Emma Bruno is an LA-based actor/writer/director. She graduated from AMDA College with her BFA in Acting and continued her studies at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. She is currently performing in several stage productions at The Open Fist Theatre, including the world premiere of the play Amerika and the sketch comedy show This Week, This Week, and co-hosts and co-produces the podcast Life in Quarters, where she and her best friend of 22 years break down life’s big scary topics. Growing up in a loud, chaotic, artistic family, Emma learned quickly that she absolutely adored existential, absurdist comedy and became obsessed with writing it. As she cried through Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, finding meaning in their cyclical, 2-dimensional lives and laughed with the ever drunk, manic, and traumatized Hawkeye Pierce in M.A.S.H., she found her own voice in writing absurd genre comedies about lonely people finding meaning and love in the most unexpected situations.
Erin Deason
Erin Deason is a bi screenwriter and writer, producer, and co-host of This Feels Bi: a weekly podcast exploring pop culture through a bi lens, frequently featuring queer guests. Her screenplays have placed as Finalists in Screencraft’s Horror and Stage 32 x The Blood List’s Search For New Blood competitions. She honed her craft at Columbia University’s MFA program in Creative Writing, and while her work runs the gamut of genre, it tends to gravitate toward all things strange.
Sarah Granger
Sarah Granger draws from her background in tech to craft grounded, authentic dramas and sci-fi. She is the recipient of the SFFILM Rainin Filmmakers with Disabilities grant and the inaugural Loreen Arbus Fellowship. She is an alumna of the Athena Writers Lab, Stowe Story Lab, and Disability Belongs Entertainment Professionals Lab. Her scripts have been included on The Black List’s annual Disability List and The Women’s List, co-curated by WGA writers. Sarah previously worked in high-tech and media, including in cybersecurity, startups, and government. Her book, The Digital Mystique, was published by Seal Press (Hachette). She has penned pieces for Slate, Huffpost, SFGate, Inverse, IEEE Spectrum, and Harvard Business Review. She studied computer science and screenwriting at the University of Michigan and lives in Los Angeles.
CoquieHughes
CoquieHughes is a Chicago-based filmmaker, writer, and creative entrepreneur known for her bold, character-driven storytelling and innovative use of smartphone filmmaking. A self-taught artist with a catalog spanning over two decades, she has written, directed and produced numerous original films, web series, and stage works that center Black voices and urban experiences. She is the founder of Pocket Set Studios, a creative ecosystem dedicated to producing high-quality content using mobile technology, and the nonprofit Lights Camera Youth Action, where she has taught hundreds of young people across Chicago the art of digital storytelling. Her work blends humor, social commentary, and stylized visuals.
Chelsea Javier
Chelsea Javier is a multi-hyphenate filmmaker with a penchant for dark comedy. Her projects include pilot Halloween Club (a Women in Film x Black List Episodic Lab semi-finalist) and debut feature Smile or Hug, which she co-wrote and starred in opposite Danny Trejo, executive produced by Justin Baldoni. It premiered at Geena Davis’s Bentonville Film Festival, won Best Feature at Mixed Asian Media Fest, and is now streaming on Tubi. She’s appeared on the CW series Walker and in national comedic campaigns for Buffalo Wild Wings, Snapple, Verizon, and more. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and longtime collaborator, Paul Sprangers, rescue bun Hammy, and puppy Teddy.