BENJAMIN
HOWARD
WRITER / DIRECTOR
Benjamin is an Emmy-winning filmmaker and a graduate of UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television. As a Bruin, his short film Rendezvous was selected for the prestigious Director’s Spotlight in 2020, showcasing the 10 best films from the program each year. Benjamin expanded Rendezvous into Riley, his feature debut, in 2023. Over the course of two years on the festival circuit, Riley screened in 30+ cities worldwide, earning over a dozen awards along the way. The film was acquired and released on Amazon and Apple TV+ in 2025.
TOMMY
ANDERSON
PRODUCER
Tommy Anderson is a film producer and founder of CHARTHOUSE Films, specializing in independent features with bold, character-driven stories. He has shepherded multiple films from development through distribution, known for assembling strong creative teams and delivering high-quality work while championing distinctive voices in contemporary cinema.
LAURA
SCARANO
PRODUCER
Laura Scarano is an award-winning filmmaker based between Los Angeles, CA and Brooklyn, NY whose projects have screened at over 50 festivals worldwide. Throughout her career, her mission has been to elevate artists, giving them a platform to showcase their work and, through it, implement change in the world. After studying History of Art & Design at Pratt Institute, she fundraised in nonprofits, helping the next generation of filmmakers and writers share their stories. She is currently in post production on her second feature film OUTBOUND and in development on her third, A WORLD OF MY OWN which was selected for the 2025 Gotham Project Market and Inside Out International Financing Forum.
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