WRITER, DIRECTOR

Naomi Merlain is a Haitian-American filmmaker known for her compelling narratives that explore the raw truths and cultural nuances of Black life. Naomi's directorial debut, "The Genesis Project," premiered in 2019 and showed an avant-garde exploration of womanhood through the lens of scripture, showcasing her bold and innovative approach to storytelling. Her work has continued to delve into human themes with a specific focus on emotion, texture, and authenticity within the Black community. Naomi has work featured in Vogue, BeatsbyDre, YouTube, and Complex.

Naomi obtained her BA at Howard University. Currently, Naomi works as a Cultural Strategist, working with brands such as Nike, Apple TV+, Honest Co and Therabody.

EXEC PRODUCER

Naomi Lilly is the founder and CEO of NAL Media, a company dedicated to improving representation and opportunities for marginalized groups within the media industry. Located in New York, Naomi has had experience at Viacom, Live Nation Entertainment, Radio One, LinkedIn, Forbes Tate Partners, and Depop.

Naomi obtained her dual degree MBA/MA in Communications at Johns Hopkins University and was a participant in the Class of '22 Techstars Music program. Lilly completed her undergraduate career at Duke University where she majored in African American Studies and received a double minor in Gender Studies and Visual Media Studies. Lilly currently serves as the Director of Marketing and Storytelling at Girls for Gender Equity.

PRODUCER

Carole Copeland, Producer, credits include various projects both in front of and behind the camera as Producer, Locations Manager, Assistant Director and Casting.

The most recent feature film projects produced by Carole, #BlackSkin, You Married Dat, Survival, and Another Love Story have won awards at several film festivals.

She is the Founder of Recovery Media, a nonprofit organization that teaches filmmaking to survivors of trauma.

PRODUCER

Julian Vargas is a Writer-Producer-Director born & raised in Los Angeles, CA. In 2022 he founded 3Ponds Films, a production company based out of LA that has since produced 5 short films, including 3 so far in 2024. Julian wrote his first feature script by hand when he was 14 and has been rewriting it ever since.

PRODUCER

Emem is a producer who loves telling stories that capture the authenticity of our human experience and really makes people feel more seen. Her favorite genre is hands down a good "dramedy" because she believes that it's a good reminder that despite life's challenges, laughter brings us together.

Emem is very passionate about building engaging spaces and highlighting resources to black/ brown individuals to advance in their professional development. She graduated with her BS in Business Management and obtained her MBA concentrated in Marketing Analytics. She currently works at a large Tech Consulting Firm as a Senior Media Analyst.

CINEMATOGRAPHER

Sade Ndya is an LA based Cinematographer, whose creative style is grounded in surreal-like imagery and dynamic lighting dedicated to portraying the beauty in being black. American Cinematographer has named Sade Ndya as a '2023 ASC Rising Star' for her recent advancements in cinematography.

Sade is represented by The Gersh Agency. Her work has been published on platforms like The LA Times and Netflix, where her work was highlighted in the recent documentary Strong Black Lens. She has freelanced working for companies like BET, Disney, NBC, Hillman Grad and Hoorae. Her recent film, Soñadora, had its debut premiere at Tribeca Film Festival and is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Ndya's most recent video installation, "Re-Imagining Black ___" just finished a month long exhibition at WACO Theater Center in Los Angeles, curated by Tina Knowles Lawson.