Li was born in Suzhou, China, and raised in Sugar Land, TX. Her award-winning projects have been supported by Sundance, Firelight Media, Ford Foundation, Austin Film Society, Gotham, and others. Her narrative feature, television, and documentary work can be streamed on Hulu, Disney+, Amazon, and Netflix.

A lover of all storytelling, Li strives to create bold and fearless projects spanning genre and form.

Website / IMDB

Anthony is an independent filmmaker who dedicates his time to creating content that cultivates inclusion, community building and collaboration.

His work has premiered at Sundance, Tribeca, Slamdance and Locarno, and can be streamed on Max, Amazon, Hulu and Peacock.

IMDB

Deniese Davis is a four-time Emmy nominated Producer and the Founder/CEO of Reform Media Group, which recently inked an exclusive development deal with Tyler Perry Studios. Previous producing credits include: HBO’s comedy series’ INSECURE, A BLACK LADY SKETCH SHOW, and the MAX comedy series RAP SH!T.

An alum of CUNY Brooklyn College and AFI, she is also Co-Founder of ColorCreative.

IMDB / Instagram

Samir Mohamed Chiali is an Algerian American entrepreneur and filmmaker. He was born in Tlemcen, Algeria and moved with his family at an early age to New Orleans, Louisiana where he spent his formative years before relocating to Houston, Texas following Hurricane Katrina.

Samir developed a passion for film from an early age. While working as an engineer, he founded Ten23 Films, a video production company in Houston. His commercial and music video works focusing on artists of MENA and South Asian descent have gathered acclaim.

Website / Instagram

Zohaib “Zo” Qadri grew up in Victoria, Texas and was elected to represent District 9 in 2022 on the Austin City Council. He’s a proud graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.

Zo currently lives in Downtown Austin with his wife, Wafa and their cat, Daisy Mae.

Fahd Ahmed is a British/Pakistani editor and producer based in London. He's participated in the Gotham Edit Lab, Close-Up Edit Lab and the Sundance Story & Edit Lab.

He co-produced and edited the award-winning documentary, 'Q' that was named by Vogue as one of the best documentaries of 2023.

LinkedIn

Mike Saenz is a filmmaker based in Austin. He cut Richard Linklater’s Hulu series, "Up to Speed," and was an editor on the Netflix series “Happy Jail,” and on the PBS series, “A Town Called Victoria.”

He co-produced the 2022 Indie doc “Chop and Steele,” and served as Assistant Editor on "Boyhood," which was nominated for 6 Academy Awards.

IMDB

Originally from Indianapolis, IN and currently residing in Los Angeles, CA, Marie Richardson is a queer editor and assistant editor who earned her MFA in filmmaking from UCLA in 2021.

Specializing in social issue documentaries, her work ranges from short films and branded videos to long-form feature films and series.

Website

Jimmy LaValle is an artist and composer who creates rich sonic textures with synthesizers, sampling and effects. His music defies easy categorization, blending soothing melodies with unexpected dissonance. With over two decades in music, he's composed film scores, including "Ovarian Psycos" and “Something in the Dirt,” gaining acclaim at top film festivals including Sundance, Toronto International and SXSW. LaValle meticulously crafts mood and atmosphere, using silence as an instrument. He explores dark, melancholic yet uplifting soundscapes, tailoring each composition to a film's unique vision. He also has performed as "The Album Leaf," since 1999 and he continues to push the boundaries of instrumental music and cinematic soundscapes.

Website / IMDB / Instagram

Halyna Hutchins, ASC, was a Los Angeles based cinematographer. She graduated from the AFI conservatory in 2015 and had an illustrious career before her life was cut short in 2021. Originally from Ukraine, Halyna grew up on a Soviet military base in the Arctic Circle surrounded by reindeer and nuclear submarines. She holds a graduate degree in International Journalism from Kyiv National University and previously worked as an investigative journalist with British documentary productions in Europe. Halyna was selected as one of American Cinematographer’s Rising Stars of 2019. She is now an honorary member of the American Society of Cinematographers. With over 30 features and shorts lensed, Halyna leaves behind a legacy of artistry, impact, and friendship to all who knew her.

Please contribute to the AFI Halyna Hutchins Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Jason Gamble Harter attended the University of Texas at Austin film program and graduated in 2009. Having worked on a variety of projects from commercials, narratives, documentaries, and music videos, Jason currently live in the Netherlands in Europe and has focused on live-streaming and broadcast work.

Website

Erick likes to see things here and there. With a background in commercial photography he adapts to the visual arts and hopes to transmit feelings through his images.

Website / Instagram

Cynthea Satsuki Mazur is primarily an animator but also loves watercolor painting and illustration. Her career includes Nick Jr.’s Wonder Pets and Team Umi Zoomi, a number of shorts for Sesame Street, as well as a variety of commercials, promo gfx, print work and illustration. A Town Called Victoria was an amazing opportunity to bring together her love of painting with her skills as an animator and compositor.

Website

Nelson Diaz is an award winning Director, Designer, Animator and Educator from Brooklyn, NY who is formerly the Creative Director of The Animation Project in NYC. He has also been a character designer and character Animator for the last two decades on shows like Sesame Street, Wonder Pets, Our Cartoon President, and others.

A Town Called Victoria is the first project to help launch Nelson and Cynthea’s Art and Animation studio, Stardorkz.

Stardorkz / Website

InBetweens Co is a creative studio based in Los Angeles that focuses in creative direction, animation production and post-production.

Website

See our full series credits here.