BENJAMIN
HOWARD
WRITER / DIRECTOR
Benjamin is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and alum of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. In 2019, his short film "Deviant" won a Student Emmy Award for its shocking exploration of ex-gay conversion therapy used on queer youth in the 40’s and 50’s. Since its release in 2021, the short has amassed a quarter-million views online. As a Bruin, Benjamin's short film "Rendezvous" was selected for the esteemed Director’s Spotlight, the yearly collection of the 10 best films to come out of the prestigious film program. Benjamin expanded "Rendezvous" into “Riley”, which premiered at festivals in 2023, and marks his directorial feature debut.
LAURA
SCARANO
TOMMY
ANDERSON
PRODUCER
Tommy is an award-winning filmmaker and founding member of CHARTHOUSE FILMS, where the ideas of exploration and venturing into unfamiliar territory often dominate their stories. Tommy is a graduate from the film department at the University of Notre Dame, and his work includes Play It Cool (2022), First Time Caller (2023), Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (2023) and Rumination (2024).
After studying at the Pratt Institute, Laura worked in nonprofits in New York City, enabling students to become the next generations of fine artists, filmmakers, and writers. Throughout her career, her mission has been to elevate creatives by giving them a platform to showcase their work and implement change in the world. Scarano has produced a repertoire of feature-length and short films, typically emphasizing queer stories. Her work has screened at Hollyshorts, Urbanworld, Montclair, Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, InsideOut Toronto, and more. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
PRODUCER
MICHAEL
THOMAS
CINEMATOGRAPHER
Michael's early efforts filming live dance performances while at the University of Alabama ignited a passion for capturing moving images. Michael relocated from his hometown of Birmingham to Los Angeles in 2015, where he studied at UCLA's MFA Cinematography Program. After earning his MFA in 2018, Michael started building a diverse portfolio of work, for artists like Wrabel, Daya, Buika, Lila Downs, Barbara Morrison, and more. Highlights include First Position (2019), The Latent Image (2022), Desert In (2022), Riley (2023), and a notable collaboration with Opera Philadelphia for the mesmerizing La Voix Humaine (2021).
Cast
Jake Holley
Connor Storrie
J.B. Waterman
Colin McCalla
Riley Quinn Scott
Rib Hillis