New Writers and Directors We Need to See or Hear More From

Regina King was born in Los Angeles, California, to Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician. She began her career in the television show 227 (1985), followed by a role in Boyz n the Hood (1991). She began to be recognized by a mainstream audience after her role as Cuba Gooding Jr.'s character's wife in Jerry Maguire (1996). She co-starred in Enemy of the State (1998) as Will Smith's character's wife.

Rebecca Hall was born in London, England, the daughter of Peter Hall, a stage director and founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Maria Ewing, an opera singer. Her father was English. Her mother, who is American, is of Dutch and African-American origin. Her parents separated when she was still young, and they divorced in 1990. She has a half-brother, Edward Hall, who is a theatre director, and four other half-siblings, including theatre designer Lucy Hall, veteran TV drama producer Christopher Hall, and Jennifer Caron Hall, a writer and painter.

Benjamin Bryant is an Emmy-nominated film, television, radio, and news/communications professional with more than 70 credits as writer, director, actor, producer, and himself. Co-host of the award-winning travel docuseries Journeys Beyond (2020) and investigative podcast The Brink with Benjamin Bryant's Intersections (2019), Bryant is also an accomplished voice actor, portraying troubled hotelier "Gregory Marshall" on the audio serial Forever and a Day (2020) since the show's first season, as well as a besotted Prince Nolan Nutcracker in the JLJ Media holiday special "The Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince," and its follow-on series, "The Grown Up Adventures of the Tooth Fairy." In 2020, Bryant wrote and directed his first feature film, the psychological drama Station to Station (2021), and the sports mockumentary "Aidy Kane (Really Wants You to Love Him)." Previously, Bryant served as Senior Producer and Co-Executive Producer of the Daytime Emmy-winning (6x nominated) series Anacostia (2009).

Though Bryant's first experience on a feature film set was in the mid-1990s (as a background player in Ed Zwick's Courage Under Fire (1996)) he spent the first half of his career as an accomplished communications professional, including stints working in global public relations, crisis communications, and as in senior roles on high-profile government commissions, working groups, and task forces for the Pentagon and Barack Obama administration (including the Fort Hood Shooting Task Force and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Working Group" that recommended and guided repeal of the controversial military policy). During that time he frequently appeared in the news as a spokesperson, subject matter expert, or guest contributor and served as a speech- and ghostwriter for senior corporate and government figures. The vast majority of his work in film, television, and digital media has come in since 2016, when Bryant first sought to balance the demands of his government and corporate work with various artistic endeavors. Both sides of Bryant's life came together for the Vietnam veteran tribute special "Welcome Home! Honoring Your Legacy," for which Bryant was nominated for a 2024 Capital Emmy by the NCCB chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Bryant's additional work includes work as writer, director, producer, and announcer of live and virtual benefits and cultural celebrations, featuring high-profile celebrities and politicians, often highlighting Bryant's military roots and African- and/or Asian- American heritage, including DNC AAPI Caucus Heritage Month Celebration (2021).

Bryant lives in the Washington, DC metro area, working most frequently in Las Vegas, New York, Los Angeles, and multiple cities throughout the world.

Radha Blank is a proud Native New Yorker, Performer and Writer for TV, stage and film. Her plays include HappyFlowerNail, Casket Sharp, nannyland and the critically acclaimed SEED which The Huffington Post called "fresh, lively...and poetic". She's a Helen Merrill Playwriting Award recipient, an NEA New Play Development Award recipient (for SEED) and a NYFA Fellow. Radha's TV writing work include The Get Down (Netflix), Empire (FOX) and She's Gotta Have It (Netflix), where she's worked as Producer/Writer for two seasons. She co-wrote the screen adaptation of Walter Dean Myers best-selling novel Monster. Radha was a fellow for both the 2017 Sundance Directors and Screenwriters Labs with her original screenplay The 40-Year-Old Version (FYOV), which won The 2017 Adrienne Shelly Women's Filmmaker Award and The 2018 Maryland Film Festival Producers Club Award. When not writing for the stage or screen, Radha performs as emcee RadhaMUSprime, whose brand of Hip Hop Comedy, has sold out shows from NY to Norway. She is currently writing the feature film script for Malcolm Lee's latest Universal Pictures comedy "Real Talk". This year, Radha will write, direct and star in her first feature film, The 40-Year-Old Version (F.Y.O.V.)

Shatara Michelle Ford is known for Test Pattern (2019) and The Lost City of Z (2016).

Charlène Favier was born in 1985 in Lyon, Rhône, France. She is a director and writer, known for Slalom (2020), Omessa (2015) and Oxana (2024).

Francis Elliott "Fran" Kranz is an American film, television and Broadway actor. Kranz was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He started acting in third and fourth grade, and knew from a very young age that he wanted to become an actor. He graduated from Harvard-Westlake School in 1999 and later from Yale University in 2004, where he was a member of the improve comedy group The Ex!t Players. He is best known for his portrayal of Topher Brink in the science fiction drama series Dollhouse. He had prominent roles in the films The Cabin in the Woods and Much Ado About Nothing. In 2012, he played Bernard in Death of a Salesman beginning a career on Broadway that continued with 2014's You Can't Take It with You.

Katie Found is known for My First Summer (2020), The Widow (2015) and Down Came the Rain.

Emma Seligman was born on 3 May 1995 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She is a director and writer, known for Shiva Baby (2020), Bottoms (2023) and Shiva Baby (2018).

Michael Sarnoski is known for Pig (2021), A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) and Death Stranding.

Lauren Hadaway is known for The Novice (2021), Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) and The Hateful Eight (2015).

Emerald Lilly Fennell is an English actress, filmmaker, and writer. She has received many awards and nominations, including an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards, one Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominations for three Primetime Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. Fennell first gained attention for her roles in period drama films, such as Albert Nobbs (2011), Anna Karenina (2012), The Danish Girl (2015), and Vita and Virginia (2018). She went on to receive wider recognition for her starring roles in the BBC One period drama series Call the Midwife (2013-17) and for her portrayal of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall in the Netflix period drama series The Crown (2019-20).