Katie Leary – Writer|Director|Producer
Katie Leary is a producer of award-winning independent film, documentary and theater projects. Her film, ALL THESE SMALL MOMENTS, premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. Most recently, she produced WHAT BREAKS THE ICE which premiered as a drive-in screening at the Woodstock FF in 2020.
Katie has both an MA & BA in Cinema Studies from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. As part of her graduate studies in the Program in Culture and Media, Katie directed her first documentary short. RAISE AND REMEMBER focuses on the impact of 9/11 on one firefighter/survivor and his son as a generation of teenagers comes of age with no personal memories of that historic day.
Katie grew up studying dance at the New Haven Ballet, lives in New York City, and regularly has very vivid dreams.
Anna Crivelli – Lead Actress
Anna Crivelli is a San Fransisco native currently residing in Brooklyn, NY. Anna received her M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama and her B.A. from Fordham University Lincoln Center. Off-Broadway: Doll’s House Part 3 (Exponential Festival), Drink with Death (La Mama) Regional: How to Defend Yourself (Victory Gardens, 43rd Humana Festival), Private Lives (Dorset Theatre Festival), Once Five Years Pass, Dental Society Midwinter Meeting (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Appropriate (Westport Country Playhouse), Steel Magnolias (Geva Theater Center), Film/Television: Evil (CBS), The Falling World (BKE Productions), Playing with Matches.Writer|Director
Rebecca Eskreis – Producer
Rebecca Eskreis is a director, producer and writer whose work has screened at film festivals around the world. Her feature credits as producer include INFINITY BABY (SXSW 2017, J.R. BOB DOBBS AND THE CHURCH OF THE SUBGENIUS (SXSW 2018), JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE + THE TENNESSEE KIDS (associate producer, Toronto International FF 2016). Short film credits include NOODLING (producer/director, deadCenter 2012), THE ARGUMENT (Stockholm FF 2012), INTO THE UNKNOWN (Palm Springs FF, 2009).
Eskreis is most recently director/producer/writer of WHAT BREAKS THE ICE, which will premiere at the Woodstock FF in 2020. Mentored by the late Jonathan Demme, Eskreis previously worked in production and development at his company, Clinica Estetico, following stints at 72 Productions, Red Hour Films and Di Novi Pictures, where she was the creative executive. She’s received accolades from the Austin Film Society, the p.g.a., NYWIFT and the NY Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. She holds a BA, Magna Cum Laude, from Barnard College at Columbia University and an MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
Kathryn J. Schubert – Editor
Kathryn is a NYC-based Editor who began her film career working as an assistant editor for Todd Solondz on “Life During Wartime”. She went on to work as an associate and assistant editor on a host of wellreceived independent films including “Only Lovers Left Alive” (Jim Jarmusch), “Beasts of the Southern Wild” (Benh Zeitlin), “Mississippi Grind” (Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck), “Green Room” (Jeremy Saulnier), and “The Wall” (Doug Liman).
In 2014, Kathryn edited her first film and has enjoyed collaborating as editor on many films since. Her editing credits include three films with director Michael Almereyda, “Experimenter, The Stanley Milgram Story” (2015 Sundance premiere) , “Marjorie Prime” (2017 Sundance premiere) and “Tesla” [2020 Sundance premiere]. Kathryn edited the acclaimed “The Transfiguration” (2016 Cannes Un Certain Regard world premiere and 2017 SXSW domestic premiere), directed by Michael O’Shea. Kathryn was the recipient of the 2017 Sundance Institute Sally Menke Memorial Editing Fellowship and has served as an editing mentor in the IFP Narrative Labs and has taught at The Edit Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Alexa Wolf – Director of Photography
Alexa Wolf is an NYC based Director of Photography with a sophisticated visual sense built on a deep knowledge of cinematic history and an eye for finding beauty in the moment. With years of experience in the camera and lighting departments, her creative visual storytelling is backed by a comprehensive knowledge of modern cameras and lighting techniques. She works in all genres, though she holds a special love for narratives and the visual unfolding of strong stories. Her recent projects include In France Michelle is a Man’s Name which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best US Narrative Short at Outfest ’20, What She Said a new feature length dramedy, and commercial work for clients such as Zeiss, LOFT, Google, & Sanofi Pasteur. She holds a B.A. in Film and Electronic Arts from Bard College and is a recipient of the 2020 ASC Vision Mentorship Program for emerging cinematographers.
Meg Bell – Production Designer
Megan Elizabeth Bell was raised in Pennsylvania and decided as high school student that she wanted to pursue a career in production design. She attended Clemson University and with that plan in mind, earned a degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture and a minor in Business Administration. Meg’s experience spans the worlds of television, feature films and commercials. Recent credits include Chris Von Hoffman’s MONSTER PARTY, starring Julian McMahon and Robin Tunney, Eric England’s
JOSIE, starring Sophie Turner and Dylan McDermott, the short form Warner Bros. series GOLDEN REVENGE, directed by Tom Stern, and WHAT BREAKS THE ICE, directed by Rebecca Eskreis, starring Sofia Hublitz. She is currently in pre-production on YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT, directed by David Koepp, produced by Kevin Bacon.
Kristen Klein – Movement Consultant
Klein received her dance training from the New Haven Ballet School, North Carolina Dance Theater (now Charlotte Ballet), Ballet Austin, and Boston Ballet. Ms. Klein went on to study at The Boston Conservatory in Boston, MA where she graduated Cum Laude in 2008 with a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography. While at the Conservatory she performed in works by Jose Limon, Murray Louis, and Olivier Besson and was the recipient of the Julie Ince Thompson Choreography Scholarship. After graduating she transplanted to Brooklyn, NY and founded Inclined Dance Project in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and in Japan. She has freelance performed with
the Harvard University Historical Society, Catie Cuan & Dancers, Six Degrees Dance Company, Tribe of Human, C.Eule Dance, Leyya Mona Tawil/Dance Elixir, Kelley Donovan & Dancers, The Paper Dances, and Stephan Koplowitz Projects, among others. In addition to performing and choreographing, Kristen is the Special Orders Manager and Custom Pointe Shoe Fitter for Freed of London’s USA Branch. She has worked with ballerina’s from the nation’s top ballet companies including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Los Angeles Ballet, and Carolina Ballet, among many others.
Lauren Avinoam (LA Publicity) – Publicist
Lauren Avinoam founded LA Publicity in 2010. After serving as the Festival Strategist for Oscar Winning distribution house OUAT Media (based in Toronto, Canada), Lauren went out on her own to include new clientele and filmmakers primarily located in the USA. LA Publicity clients have amassed dozens of awards at internationally recognized festivals such as SXSW, BFI, Outfest, Palm Springs, Hamptons, Tribeca, TIFF and more. Lauren brings immense dedication and thoughtfulness to each specific strategy for her filmmakers, whether the film is an experimental narrative short or a music documentary feature. Understanding the hierarchy which exists and ties into Awards season, she drives
each film with the goal of reaching its potential by connecting with audiences. Recent projects include LOWLAND KIDS (2019) which debuted at SXSW and went on to enjoy a robust festival life including winning the Audience Award for Best Doc Short at Palm Springs Shortfest and Jury Awards from deadCenter, MSP Film Society, Chicago Film Critics Festival and the honor of a Nominee for Best Documentary Short Subject from the CINEMA EYE HONORS.