John e. (they/them) has always been inspired by people and how they express themselves through their gender. Dominican Jewish descent, they identify as Non-Binary, a supported filmmaker through The Future of Film is Female, and graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design.

They began in documentary segments shown on NBC and independently produced and directed narrative shorts shown at Inside Out, NewFest, Outfest, Bentonville, and Maryland Film Festival. John e. has been written up in Deadline and screened at MoMA through FOFIF (“Pierce Me.”) and PBS (“Vestirse.”)

Camille Ora-Nicole (she/they) is a Writer, Producer, and Artist living in Southern California. Her work focuses on creating more inclusive spaces for Queer and BIPOC people, whether it be the space within pages, on the screen, or IRL.

Camille is the founder of The Queer 26, a non-profit multimedia organization that helps queer creatives of color thrive through filmmaking, writing, and photography. The Queer 26 provides a platform that gives queer folks the space to speak their truths, express themselves, grow in their craft, and find new opportunities.

Alongside The Queer 26, Camille runs Oracami Studio, which examines the impacts of our environments on how our memories are formed and how it affects our relationships with others and the universe. Camille combines poetry with visual arts in order to illustrate the themes present in her work.

Camille received her BFA in Graphic Design from Cal Poly Pomona in 2014, and her Master of Heritage Conservation from USC in 2018.

PAYTON ROYCE is a professional actor (SAG) and filmmaker who has a true passion for authentic storytelling. This love inspired him to create Royce House Productions to support him producing films that represent LGBTQIA+ lives. Royce received his Associate of Applied Science degree in video technology from North Lake College, and immediately began to create content that shares transgender-themed stories. To ensure a home for this important work he created RNTVPRIDE.com, a streaming distribution platform dedicated to showcasing LGBTQIA+ content. If Royce looks familiar, it may be because you recognize him from the Emmy Award winning POSE; the motion picture Honk for Jesus; or his autobiographical visual journal, WHO AM I BECOMING. Payton is also an amateur bodybuilder and certified personal trainer. But more important to him than training his body is exercising his voice to speak his truth, and support others in celebrating their true selves.

Michael Donte, is an acclaimed filmmaker who has earned awards like the Newfest Black Emerging LGBTQ+ Filmmakers and the Urbanworld Film Festival's Best Young Creator. His standout short film, "The Spirit God Gave Us," featuring Nic Ashe (known for "Queen Sugar" and "Choir Boy"), has been showcased at festivals including Outfest, NewFest, Blackstar, and Bronzelens Film Festival. The support of GLAAD, BEAM, and The Film Collaborative has backed Michael’s work.

In addition to his acclaimed independent projects, Michael has also made significant contributions to the commercial landscape, collaborating with industry giants such as Google and Lenovo and agencies like Portal A. In his role as a Creative Executive collaborating with YouTube Originals, he contributed to the development of a show titled "Recipe for Change" with LeBron James' SpringHill production company. His work culminated in the creation of a captivating 3-part series named "Spectrum," which sheds light on Black lives across Asia, spanning Japan, India, and Korea.

Sharon “Rocky” Roggio’s background includes large budget physical production on award winning shows and films such as House of Cards, Parks and Recreation, With Bob and David, Whip It and Red Dawn. In 2016, Roggio associate produced and production designed GOOK, a feature film that premiered at Sundance in 2017 and Won the Audience Award in the Next Category. Rocky has been a member of three IATSE unions nationwide and has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications with a focus in Radio, Television and Film. 1946 is Roggio’s directorial debut.

Stacey Rushchak is a Ukrainian-American director/screenwriter, who moved to Poland in 2015 to pursue film directing in Warsaw Film School. Her previous directorial work includes the short film Kindling, which has gained over a dozen international official selections and 4 awards.

Megan Mead (She/They) is a queer stop-motion artist, director, and former production designer based in Los Angeles. With an eye for detail and a passion for depicting complex emotions with profound simplicity, Megan has become a leading force in the industry.

Ashton Pina (He/King) is an outrageous storyteller who is deeply committed to amplifying the voices of diverse characters and creators. His award-winning first feature, Nana’s Boys (Inside Out, NewFest, aGLIFF & Out on Film) was acquired by Breaking Glass Pictures. Ashton’s short films, In The Paint (Outfest) and FAYTH (Pan African) are available on YouTube. He received an MFA in Film from The City College of New York, MBA in Media Management from Metropolitan College of New York, and studied Acting at Florida International University. Ashton supported Radha Blank on The Forty-Year-Old Version as Director’s Assistant and has been blessed with amazing opportunities like working with Lena Waithe and Beyoncé. With a fierce passion to empower the next generation of storytellers, the New Bedford, Ma native supports LGBTQ+ youth filmmakers through the Queer Storytelling Project and recently launched a non-profit to award scholarships to HIV+ college students.

Julianna Notten (She/They) is a Toronto-based, award-winning, queer filmmaker and co-founder of Switch Hitter Films. Her work includes the shorts "Earth To Avery" (16), "Erin's Guide To Kissing Girls" (18) and "Fresh Blood" (21). Their debut feature "Erin's Guide To Kissing Girls" was chosen as one of 30 projects across Canada for Telefilm's Talent to Watch program. She is also currently working on her first scripted series "Well That's Just Super".