Indie Filmakers you Need to Know about!!
A list of Independent Filmmakers, Actors, Writers, Directors and Producers you need to know about. They may or may not be at Sundance but they are earning their way in there own right.
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Galt Niederhoffer was born in 1975. He is a producer and writer, known for The Romantics (2010), Robot & Frank (2012) and After.Life (2009).- Additional Crew
- Producer
- Actress
Mercedes LeAnza was born on 12 November 1981 in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. She was a producer and actress, known for Fancy Article Presents (2014), Chaperones (2015) and The Real Housewives of America: Political Spoof Parody (2013). She died on 10 April 2022 in California, USA.- Producer
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Sarah Louise Wilson is known for The Accidental Death of Joey by Sue (2010), Jelly (2010) and No Exit (2019).- Actress
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- Producer
Jess Weixler is an American actress. She played Dawn O'Keefe in the comedy-horror film Teeth and Jordan in the comedy The Big Bad Swim. Weixler graduated in 1999 from Atherton High School in Louisville, Kentucky, where she also attended the Walden Theatre Conservatory Program and was in The River City Players acting group and in the Chamber Singers choral group. Subsequently, Weixler, attended Juilliard where she was a classmate of Jessica Chastain. She was a participant during the first year of Bruce Brubaker's InterArts performance project at Juilliard.
In 2007 she was nominated for a Breakthrough Award at the Gotham Awards, and won the Special Jury Prize in Dramatic category For a juicy and jaw-dropping performance at the Sundance Film Festival, both for her role in Teeth. She also appeared in the TV series Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In January 2009, she was named by New York magazine as the "New Indie Queen" of the year and one of the fourteen "New Yorkers you need to know".
In 2013, she joined the cast of CBS series The Good Wife, playing investigator Robyn Burdine. That same year she appeared in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby as the titular character's sister. The part was written specifically for her.
Weixler next turned her hand to writing, penning the script for Apartment Troubles with her friend, and former roommate Jennifer Prediger. The two co-directed and co-starred in the movie. Apartment Troubles premiered at the 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival. It was picked up by Gravitas Ventures and given theatrical and VOD distribution in March 2015.
On June 9, 2015, Variety announced that Jamie Bamber, Kellan Lutz, Jesse Williams, and Jess Weixler had joined the cast of a thriller film titled Money, directed by Martin Rosete and produced by Atit Shah.
Weixler is married to Hamish Brocklebank, an English businessman and co-founder of Flooved.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Jason will next be seen starring in MATLOCK for CBS opposite Kathy Bates, and he can mostly recently be seen in ACCUSED for FOX. He also starred in Netflix's RAISING DION and CANDY on Hulu. Previous television credits include starring in ABC's KEVIN SAVES THE WORLD as well as Comedy Central's ANOTHER PERIOD. OTher work includes a run as a recurring guest star on ABC's A MILLION LITTLE THINGS, GOLIATH, DRUNK HISTORY, GIRLS and PARENTHOOD, for which he received an Emmy nomination. Jason's film credits are the Emmy-nominated HBO film THE TALE opposite Laura Dern, BITCH, THE INTERVENTION directed by Clea Duvall, and THE MEDDLER opposite Rose Byrne and Susan Sarandon. Jason also voiced the lead role of "Dipper Pines" in Disney's GRAVITY FALLS and the supporting role of "Fox Dad" in SLUMBERKINS for Apple TV. Jason will next be heard voicing the lead role of "Jonathan Fall" in Netflix's animated series, CAPTAIN FALL.- Actor
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Spencer Parsons is known for Bite Radius (2016), I'll Come Running (2008) and Saturday Morning Mystery (2012).- Producer
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Vanessa Libertad Garcia is a Cuban - American filmmaker born in Los Angeles who has lived throughout the United States, Mexico, and Europe. She graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Film Production from Loyola Marymount University in May of 2005. During and after which she has worked on a variety of film projects, which tackle both the documentary and fiction film worlds. While living in Germany from 2003 - 2004 Ms. Garcia completed a rigorous film program and made her first short documentary, Parental Discretion Advised, in which she explores the underground world of schmoozing and the fine line between selling oneself and selling out. In the summer of 04' she arrived back in the United States and worked as Associate Producer on a documentary by Anayansi Prado, Maid In America, which explores the trials and tribulations of Latina domestic workers in the United States. Maid in America has toured the film festival circuit screening at top venues such as Cinequest, the Habana Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Film Festival. The documentary was bought by PBS and debuted on its network in fall 2005. In spring of 05' she wrote, produced, directed, and edited her short musical film, A Two Woman One Act, which explores the destruction of a lesbian relationship between two repressed gangsters from a rough Los Angeles ghetto. It is screening at top film festivals such as The International Film Festival of Cinema and Technology 07', Outfest: The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 07', and Fusion: LGBT People of Color Film Festival 07.' She also produced, directed, and edited a short documentary filmed in India in winter of 04/05. The film, Little Statistics, travels through India's poorest neighborhoods setting up elementary schools with the Ninash Foundation for the neglected children of India's lowest caste, the untouchable class. The film takes a personal look at the impoverished children attending the Ninash schools and how education has affected their lives.
Ms. Garcia recently finished writing her first feature film, Deity, about a lonely Cuban-American dreamer determined to become an award-winning photojournalist who struggles to survive LA's worst demons - temp gigs at tabloid rags, hipster nightclubs, and the ruthless 101 freeway - only to be consumed by her own. She is also co-producing a documentary, Synthnation, about the revolutionary impact underground industrial music has had on club and youth culture by investigating music geniuses such as VNV nation, Front 242, and others. Vanessa Libertad Garcia is a director, writer, and editor who seeks to make films that experiment with style, grapple unique issues, and always challenge convention. Inspired by the plight of existence she investigates its many concepts by delving into the conflicts and dilemmas that comprise life/the human condition through the artistic medium of film.- Actor
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Steve Talley was born on 12 August 1981 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile (2006), Peaceful Warrior (2006) and American Pie Presents: Beta House (2007). He has been married to Lyndon Smith since 4 July 2015. He was previously married to Lindsay Rae Bledsoe.- Actress
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Lin attended the University of Michigan, where she was an Art History major, although acting in as many University productions as possible, including "Bye Bye Birdie" and "On The Town". After U of M, she attended Columbia University School of the Arts, and acquired a Master of Fine Arts degree in Acting. She stayed in New York upon graduation and worked in numerous off- and off-off- Broadway productions, as well as Lincoln Center and Broadway. She has studied with some of the finest: Uta Hagen, Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg. Lin is a lifetime member of the Actors Studio.- Writer
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- Director
Antonio, a Latinx independent filmmaker, a Blacklist writer, Spirit Award nominee, Sundance alum, FIND Screenwriting Fellow, and a proud member of WGA. He has over fifteen years of experience with four feature films (Affluenza, Anne B. Real, Holy Rollers, BlackJack: The Jackie Ryan Story) to his credit. He is also faculty member at AFI Conservatory in Hollywood, where he teaches screenwriting.- Director
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Kevin received a B.A. in film directing from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, and has studied with Joe Paradise Film Acting Studio. He began his career at the New York based studio, The Shooting Gallery, involved with the production and distribution of over thirty films including You Can Count On Me and Croupier.
Kevin won Breakthrough Director at the 2010 Gotham Independent Film Awards, the Most Promising New Director Award at the 2010 Deauville Film Festival, and Best Drama at the 2010 High Times Stoney Awards for his feature directorial debut Holy Rollers. Starring Oscar nominated Jesse Eisenberg, Holy Rollers premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival in Dramatic Competition, was released in North America in the summer of 2010 and played in theaters worldwide throughout 2011. Asch also wrote, directed and produced the short, Characters, and produced the independent feature, Point&Shoot.- Director
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- Producer
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Damon Beesley was born in 1971 in the UK. He is a producer and writer, known for The Inbetweeners (2008), The Inbetweeners 2 (2014) and The Inbetweeners (2011).- Producer
- Actor
- Production Manager
Ash Christian was an Emmy Award-winning producer, director, and actor, with more than 15 feature films and television series to his credit.
Most recently, he produced the SXSW hit film 1985 (2018), which was released. Ash recently produced the thriller Burn (2019), released by eOne in 2019. He also executive produced After Everything (2018) (written and directed by Hannah Marks and Joey Power), which premiered at SXSW. Other productions include Southern Pride (2018), Little Sister (2016), Miles (2016), Hello Again (2017), Coin Heist (2017), Stranger in the House (2015), Petunia (2012), Mangus! (2011), Addiction: A 60's Love Story (2015), Nate & Margaret (2012), and Fat Girls (2006). In 2019, Coyote Lake (2019), was released. Other films released in 2019 included Kindred Spirits (2019) (directed by Lucky McKee) and Milkwater (2020). In 2018, he produced Social Animals (2018), which will be released in theaters from Paramount Pictures. He also produced Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate (2018) (the sequel to Hurricane Bianca (2016)), released theatrically in 2018.
Through his company, Cranium Entertainment, he is developing several feature film projects. Titles include "Untitled Timothy McVeigh Project" (directed by Mike Ott), "As Sick As They Made Us" (directed by Mayim Bialik), "Platonic" (directed by Cameron Fay and written by Sono Patel), and "Nightfall" (written and directed by Addison McQuigg).
Ash Christian died on August 13, 2020, aged 35, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.- Camera and Electrical Department
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Nathanael Coffman was born on 4 March 1977 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. He is a director and actor, known for Getting That Girl (2011) and Coded Court (2016).- Actor
- Writer
- Director
Joshua Grannell was born on 7 January 1974 in Maryland, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015), Whatever Happened to Peaches Christ? (2004) and All About Evil (2010).- Director
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Christian was inspired to pursue his passion for storytelling after reading Robert Rodriguez's Rebel without a Crew while attending SDSU. Self taught, he made his first feature in 2006, which was released domestically on VOD and DVD everywhere and has since made a name for himself in the indie action space as a genre filmmaker. After a handful of low budget features he made Vigilante Diaries, which debut at SD Comic Con, and was HBO's first under a million dollar action film acquired in over a decade. Sesma followed up with the indie heist movie PayDirt, starring Luke Goss and Val Kilmer, then quickly went into production on two films during the pandemic lockdown. The action thriller, Take Back, with Mickey Rourke and Micheal Jai White and Every Last One of Them starring Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss, Taryn Manning and Jake Weber. Christian re teamed with Richard Dreyfuss on the thriller Abandonment in 2021 and made back to back action films set for release in 2022 -- Section 8, starring Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, Dermot Mulroney and Ryan Kwanton and Lights Out with Frank Grillo, Mekhi Pfiefer, Scott Adkins and Jamie King. Sesma is the head of Seskri Film Inc., a production company committed towards creating mainstream stories and developing new projects for the Latin-X market across multiple genres.- Director
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William Clift is known for No Goodbyes (2021), 100 Years of Men in Love: The Accidental Collection (2022) and The Advocate Celebrates 50 Years: A Long Road to Freedom (2018).- Matthew Martin is known for I Want to Get Married (2011), The Fairy Tale (2005) and Baby Jane? (2010).
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Julia Solomonoff is an Argentine filmmaker with an MFA in Film from Columbia University, New York. She is currently Distinguished Lecturer and Head of Directing at Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema, Brooklyn College. She previously taught Film Directing at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and Columbia University MFA Program. She is a Fulbright and PEO Scholar. In 2011, the Film Society of Lincoln Center celebrated her work in a special showcase of her shorts and features. She wrote, directed and co-produced "The Last Summer of la Boyita" (El último verano de la Boyita", 2009), co-produced by Almodovar's El Deseo (Spain) and Epicentre Films (France), winner of over twenty international awards including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. She developed the screenplay at Fundacion Carolina/Casa de Americas, Madrid Writers' residency. Her directorial debut, "Sisters" (Hermanas, 2005) opened at the Toronto Film Festival, her original script was developed at the Sundance Writers' Lab. It was produced by Vanessa Ragone, Walter Salles and Tornasol (Spain). Solomonoff also produced Alejandro Landes' documentary "Cocalero" following Evo Morales during Bolivia's historic Presidential election which premiered at Sundance 2007 and Julia Murat's debut film "Historias que existem quando lembradas" (Brazil, Argentina, France, 2011) selected at Venice, Toronto, San Sebastian and Rotterdam winner of over 25 international awards. She is Associate Producer of "Everybody's Got a Plan" directed by Ana Piterbarg, staring Viggo Mortensen, which premiered at Toronto 2012 and "The Third Bank of the River" directed by Celina Murga, produced by Juan Villegas, Peter Rommel, Exec producer Martin Scorsese. She is producing Alessandra Sanguinetti's documentary "The Illusion of an Everlasting Summer" (2020) Her television work as a director includes: "Parana, chronicles of a River" a series of 13 documentaries following a scientific and cultural expedition on a boat from Buenos Aires to Asunción and "Aerocene Pacha" (2020) a four episode documentary series following Tomas Saraceno's project. Previously, she has directed the mockumentary "Chin Chon Fan" and a fiction piece for PBS, "The Suitor" based on a story by Julia Alvarez, winner of Grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and Latino Public Broadcasting. During 2009 she was Creative Consultant for Canal Encuentro, the National Educational TV station of Argentina. She was the 1st AD on Walter Salles' "Motorcycle Diaries" and has collaborated with such well-regarded directors as Isabel Coixet, Fabian Bielinsky, Dan Algrant, Carlos Sorín, Luis Puenzo and Martin Rejtman. In 2002 Carlos Sorin casted Solomonoff in a supporting role in "Intimate Stories" (Historias Mínimas) for which she was nominated "New Actress of the Year". Solomonoff is an Advisor for the prestigious McDowell Foundation. She participated as a juror of Miami, Zurich, NEFIAC, Seville and Argentina's Women Film Festival and was in selection comittees of Sundance/Toscano, INCAA and ARGENTORES. She has taught directing workshops at Columbia University, FUNAVE (Cervantes Institute), NYFA/Femis, France NYFA/Cambridge, UK, CIC, Cievyc and Facultad Libre (Argentina). She is a Berlinale Talent Campus and Berlinale Projkt Market alumni. Her short films won awards from the Director's Guild of America, FIPRESCI, New Line Cinema, Milos Forman Fund, La Mujer y el Cine and her short, "Siesta", was regional nominee for the Student Academy Awards.