2026 Director's Spotlight

James Boss is an American filmmaker known for merging genre storytelling with emotional truth. Since 2006, he has actively created theater productions, short films, and feature-length narratives, working with international teams across multiple countries. As a filmmaker, Boss is driven by a desire to tell untold stories of modern human experiences through inventive blends of genre — combining emotional depth with cinematic spectacle to engage audiences on both an intimate and visceral level.

I’m Malachi Lewis, a filmmaker from Winfield, Kansas.

Hit-Woman was my first action-comedy and one of my biggest challenges. With no budget for a full crew, I got creative and improvised like when we played make-believe as kids.

I wanted to revive physical comedy and prove I could make it both technical and fun—and I’m thrilled to share the result!

Howard Gensler is a retired professor and now plays pool in sports bars, travels the world, and cosplays at comic conventions.  He wrote, directed and produced this Peter Pan feature-length rom/com.  Locations included a pirate ship, a church, bars, parks, and a beach.  The film features six dances and a music video, a wedding, two funerals, a car chase, multiple fights and a murder, and was shot in 18 days for under $100,000.  

Donald Tongue (Writer/Director/Producer) is a playwright-turned-filmmaker acclaimed for his innovative approach to bringing classic verse to the screen, creating a new film genre. His compelling adaptations of Robert Frost's lesser-known dramatic narrative poems capture insightful enactments of the verse. In The Death of the Hired Man, he merges theatrical depth with cinematic vision, offering a fresh, visually rich perspective on Frost's timeless elegy to the passing of New England rural traditions.

William Stancik worked a career in packaging, while spending a lifetime loving motion pictures.

For the last nine years he has been making his own, in the Pacific Northwest, with Laslo Films. This latest film is, by far, their pinnacle.

In cinema, one might notice that a bit of magic and charm can often outlive a big budget. Come along: the best seat in the theater will be the one that you are sitting in…

Dayna Lynne North is a screenwriter, producer, and self-described ‘Delightful Disruptor’. Before co-adapting and executive producing THE BEST MAN: THE FINAL CHAPTERS on Peacock, Dayna signed a two-year overall deal with Sony Television, where she created, produced, and supervised comedies and dramas. Dayna’s currently developing the workplace comedy BLKCOFFEE with writer/director Morgan Cooper and Gabrielle Union’s I’ll Have Another Productions along with DON’T TOUCH ME, a supernatural romcom in partnership with Matt Tolmach Productions. 

Nikita Hattangady is an award-winning filmmaker residing in Dallas, Texas.  Her films have featured in numerous international film festivals. Her storytelling often explores themes of social issues and personal transformation, delivered with an uplifting and inspiring tone.

Currently serving as the Head of Programming at The Center for Indic Films, Hattangady is dedicated to providing a platform for filmmakers to exhibit their talents, particularly through narratives celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Indic tradition. Outside of her professional endeavors, she finds joy in spending quality time with her loved ones, exploring new destinations, and of course, watching movies. Nikita has degrees in Electrical Engineering and Business Management. 

MONDA RAQUEL WEBB is an award-winning filmmaker dedicated to telling untold stories through her production company, Little Known Stories.  A visual archeologist, she’s committed to organic storytelling that educates and uplifts humanity. In 2024, Monda received a Trailblazer Award from African American Women in Cinema . Voted "Filmmaker of the Year" in 2020 by the National Black Movie Association, Monda writes, directs and produces films that deeply impact the human experience. 

Korstiaan “Kors” Vandiver is an award-winning filmmaker who began in Atlanta’s music industry before transitioning into film/TV. His scripts and projects have drawn interest from Ryan Gosling, Idris Elba, Mahershala Ali, and top studios and agencies. Producing in multiple roles on the Sundance Film Fest-winner The Birth of a Nation, his latest film Gym Rat, his feature directorial debut, and his work as an executive producer on the Tribeca-winner Color Book underscore his rising career. 

Nikita Hattangady is an award-winning filmmaker residing in Dallas, Texas.  Her films have featured in numerous international film festivals. Her storytelling often explores themes of social issues and personal transformation, delivered with an uplifting and inspiring tone.

Currently serving as the Head of Programming at The Center for Indic Films, Hattangady is dedicated to providing a platform for filmmakers to exhibit their talents, particularly through narratives celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Indic tradition. Outside of her professional endeavors, she finds joy in spending quality time with her loved ones, exploring new destinations, and of course, watching movies. Nikita has degrees in Electrical Engineering and Business Management. 

MONDA RAQUEL WEBB is an award-winning filmmaker dedicated to telling untold stories through her production company, Little Known Stories.  A visual archeologist, she’s committed to organic storytelling that educates and uplifts humanity. In 2024, Monda received a Trailblazer Award from African American Women in Cinema . Voted "Filmmaker of the Year" in 2020 by the National Black Movie Association, Monda writes, directs and produces films that deeply impact the human experience. 

Korstiaan “Kors” Vandiver is an award-winning filmmaker who began in Atlanta’s music industry before transitioning into film/TV. His scripts and projects have drawn interest from Ryan Gosling, Idris Elba, Mahershala Ali, and top studios and agencies. Producing in multiple roles on the Sundance Film Fest-winner The Birth of a Nation, his latest film Gym Rat, his feature directorial debut, and his work as an executive producer on the Tribeca-winner Color Book underscore his rising career. 

Nikita Hattangady is an award-winning filmmaker residing in Dallas, Texas.  Her films have featured in numerous international film festivals. Her storytelling often explores themes of social issues and personal transformation, delivered with an uplifting and inspiring tone.

Currently serving as the Head of Programming at The Center for Indic Films, Hattangady is dedicated to providing a platform for filmmakers to exhibit their talents, particularly through narratives celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Indic tradition. Outside of her professional endeavors, she finds joy in spending quality time with her loved ones, exploring new destinations, and of course, watching movies. Nikita has degrees in Electrical Engineering and Business Management. 

MONDA RAQUEL WEBB is an award-winning filmmaker dedicated to telling untold stories through her production company, Little Known Stories.  A visual archeologist, she’s committed to organic storytelling that educates and uplifts humanity. In 2024, Monda received a Trailblazer Award from African American Women in Cinema . Voted "Filmmaker of the Year" in 2020 by the National Black Movie Association, Monda writes, directs and produces films that deeply impact the human experience. 

Korstiaan “Kors” Vandiver is an award-winning filmmaker who began in Atlanta’s music industry before transitioning into film/TV. His scripts and projects have drawn interest from Ryan Gosling, Idris Elba, Mahershala Ali, and top studios and agencies. Producing in multiple roles on the Sundance Film Fest-winner The Birth of a Nation, his latest film Gym Rat, his feature directorial debut, and his work as an executive producer on the Tribeca-winner Color Book underscore his rising career. 

Yannis Zafeiriou is a Greek-born, LA-based director-editor-writer whose emotionally charged, genre-disrupting stories bend and toy with the nature of reality. 

His recent work includes shorts DON'T FRIGHTEN THE HORSES and DICHOTOMY (RevryTV), and segment-directing the zombie horror feature DAWNING OF THE DEAD (AppleTV). Satirical comedy NAMAS DEI: THE TUCKER J. JAMES STORY is his feature directorial debut.

Yannis has directed children (ages 3-10), Thai monkeys (all ages), and has a thing for penguins (strictly platonic).

Andre Oziol is a Maui-based adventurer, filmmaker, and aspiring professional surfer. Raised on the ocean, he began documenting surf trips with friends, turning raw travel footage into story-driven films about growth, faith, and grit. His debut feature documentary, Going Pro, follows a group of surfers pushing themselves on the road—chasing better waves and becoming better people along the way.

Jamon Holmes is a local filmmaker based out of Los Angeles, California. He’s a Director/Producer/Actor/Editor/Cinematographer. He’s been cast in commercials like “Nike, Brand Jordan, and Adidas. Jamon started filmmaking at Chaminade University of Honolulu in 2014, where he shot his first film titled, “Showdown In Paradise,” and Jamon is also a Semi-Pro Basketball Player.