Shu is a graduate from American Film Institute’s MFA Directing Program and holds a BFA from New York University in Film and TV Production. With a special interest on rebellious expressions regarding social and cultural norms and identity, Shu has created works that have been showcased at prestigious festivals and institutions around the world, such as Telluride Film Festival, National Museum of Art in Mexico, National Film Archive of India, Jia Zhangke Art Center, among others. Shu's interest in experimentation of the medium led him to the forefront of 3D animation and virtual production after graduation, having served as Creative Director for Shanghai Mokai Technologies developing cyberpunk animation for iQiYi.

G. Wilson was raised in the sin and excess of Las Vegas, and developed a tendency for the strange early on. After writing and producing a slew of warped comedy and horror content, he earned his MFA in Screenwriting from the AFI Conservatory. As a storyteller, G. Wilson believes in pushing the boundaries of convention and exploring the darker corners of the human psyche with an eye for absurdity. His creative process often involves drawing inspiration from real-life experiences and reimagining them through a twisted lens. His short films have been screened at over 35 international film festivals. His screenplays have placed in a number of competitions including the Austin Film Festival, Screencraft, Launch Pad, Cinestory, and Filmmatic. G.'s latest short film, “Dinner is Served,” is now streaming on Disney+. His next short film, “Ash Valley” is in post-production. Most recently, he was a selected writer in the 2023 New York Stage and Film Filmmakers' Workshop.

Anderson Le diligently works in the global promotion of independent and world cinema as Artistic Director of the Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF). In addition to his duties at HIFF, Le also serves as a program consultant for several film festivals including the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, focusing on international and gala presentations; the Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy, where he is in charge of the annual documentary sidebar and Southeast Asian selections. Previously, he has consulted with Singapore International Film Festival and Reel Asian in Toronto. Le previously worked as the international programmer for Comcast, working in providing monthly content for Xfinity on Demand with a focus on Asian and Asian American content. He recently co-founded a US/ Vietnam joint venture called EAST, a transpacific production company producing global content.

Brady Morell a writer/producer from Boston Massachusetts. He earned his MFA from the American Film Institute Conservatory, after which his 2019 short film Retrieval played at over 30 film festivals worldwide, including multiple Academy Award Qualifying contests. He currently has several screenplays optioned or in various stages of development, along with original projects and adaptations by authors such as New York Times Bestselling journalist Phil Rogers. Since graduating AFI, Brady has worked primarily as a script doctor collaborating with executives such as Kary Antholis (Chernobyl, Black Bird), and independent producers Ann Ruark (Boy Erased, Love & Mercy), Greg Johnson (The Squid and the Whale, Smoke), and Leal Naim (Call Jane, The Endless) He most recently co-produced and co-wrote the independent film Lifeline starring Josh Stewart (The Dark Night Rises, The Punisher) and Judah Lewis (Demolition, The Babysitter). Lifeline is currently in post-production and set to be released by XYZ films.

Sultan Pirzhan is an experienced film professional with a decade-long career in producing and consulting on feature films, TV shows, and commercials. He began his career as a film festival programmer, where he gained valuable experience in selecting and building programs that showcased films from underrepresented countries.

Maksat Bolotbek is a veteran in the film industry in Central Asia. He is the co-founder of Bairak Productions based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Maksat is a successful artist, designer and illustrator. He is also the proud owner of three Ak Ilbirs statuettes - the National Film Award of Kyrgyzstan.

Brielle Yuke Li, a Los Angeles-based Chinese female producer, dedicates herself to thought-provoking and artistically unconventional storytelling that challenges the cultural status quo. Her portfolio boasts an array of features, shorts, commercials, and documentaries celebrated at festivals such as the Venice Film Festival, Urbanworld Film Festival, Cinequest Film Festival, and more. Her collaborations span organizations and companies such as Film Independent, CAPE, Disney+ and Duplass Brothers Productions. During her serving as the Development Executive and Head of Productions for BarBHouse Productions (A Wounded Fawn, Tribeca Film Festival 2022), one of her works, The Fetus, was covered by The Hollywood Reporter. Her efforts with ReelShort, a rapidly expanding vertical series app, have been highlighted by major publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Economist, and now a leading partner with Tribeca Film Festival.

Fanfan Zhou is an independent producer and director based in Los Angeles. She holds an MFA in Film Directing from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Her work unearths the complexities of intergenerational relationships, exploring themes of identity crises of people from the underrepresented community. Integrating cutting-edge technology into her creative process, she leverages AI tools to enhance storytelling and visual effects, pushing the boundaries of traditional filmmaking. She is honored to have received Alexander Mackendrick and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association scholarships.

Like many foreigners, Leqi learned English from watching Friends too many times. Her funny graduation speech from AFI class of 2018 gathered 20 million views on Chinese social media and her thesis film The Chef won the 2nd place in 2019 Student Academy Awards. Born and raised in Northern China, bordering Russia and North Korea, Leqi has a unique view on globalization in the postmodern era.

Mboni Mau is a Tanzanian-Chinese filmmaker based in Los Angeles. As production designer, she is a two-time Student Oscars winner for The Chef’19 and Shedding Angels’21. Her film Arabian Alien’20 premiered at Sundance and won best narrative at the Atlanta Film Festival. Her first feature film, The Listener’22, directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Tessa Thompson premiered at The Venice Film Festival, Giornate Degli Autori section as the closing night film. Her second feature - The Tuba Thieves, following a deaf drummer’s life for 11 years and filmed in American Sign Language premieres at Sundance 2023.

Gemma Doll-Grossman is an LA-based cinematographer. She graduated from AFI Conservatory in 2019 with an MFA in Cinematography. She was a cinematography fellow of Film Independent's Project Involve 2022. She has lensed films which have premiered at Venice, SXSW, Maryland, and AFI Film Festivals. Her features are currently in post-production: Francisco Ordoñez's erotic crime thriller The Low End Theory, Seabold Kreb's psychological drama Bury Me When I'm Dead and Matt Hardy's Dogme 95-inspired Bare. A San Franciscan with Wesleyan dual degrees in Film and Biology, Gemma is fluent in Italian. She is committed to capturing untapped perspectives, utilizing experimental techniques, and exploring sexuality, grief and body horror.