As a queer first generation Nigerian American artist, Chidozie Ekwensi draws inspiration from his own experiences to encourage others facing similar realities. Based in Brooklyn, he is currently crafting his latest work [quarter life] — a semi-autobiographical series following a 25-year-old NYC creative searching for love and meaning after coming out to his parents and quitting the corporate world. Through authentic and humorous storytelling, Chidozie strives to showcase fresh perspectives within the exploration of defining one’s identity.

Aspiring to specialize in originating unique stories, writer and director Amanda Gordon has recently been tapping into the paradox of desirability that coincides with Black women at the disposal of public judgment. Nuts, Amanda’s developing coming of age short film, revolves around a single night ensuing of comedic chaos and personal growth through the lens of religion, friendship, and desire. Her narratives reflect reality as one is met with truths behind the stakes that come with a desperate longing for acceptance.

Unfiltered narratives about young Black womanhood are at the core of NYC-based Sarah Rochon’s hyperbolic, slightly comedic, and vigilantly honest writing. Most recently, she has been developing a dramatic-comedy web series called the first 30 days, centered around the journeys of 3 roommates navigating a new city together. Sarah’s desire to uncover the unspoken struggles and perplexing experiences of adulting connect her with audiences through transparent vulnerability.

Writer and director LaChelle Chrysanne uses her creative platform to amplify voices of marginalized communities. Her latest short film in progress titled One of The Guys is inspired by LaChelle’s past as a woman in the music industry, unraveling the complexities of platonic male-female relationships and subliminal toxic masculinity within close-knit friendships. Bold ideas and thought-provoking themes encapsulate her work, aiming to shed a light on everyday experiences that are often overlooked.

Juan Wood is an actor, writer, and producer who seeks to portray Black characters in ways they’ve never been depicted before. His up and coming film project Movers tells the story of two money-hungry brothers who share the same intellect for heinous activities, but find conflict in morality, leading to a rocky shift from being trivial thieves to meticulous heist men. Through humility and empathy, Juan provides his audiences with insight into the lives of those who are cut from different sides of the same culture.