Proven Success

Jill is an award-winning Atlanta-based producer, actor, and writer committed to expanding opportunities for underrepresented filmmakers.

Her viral hit We’re Getting Nowhere, widely credited by the press as “the video blog that started it all” for LGBTQ new media, led to a development deal with Viacom and a series of roles in television and film. Her acting work earned two Audience Choice Awards at Logo’s NewNowNext Awards. She has served on the Screen Actors Guild LGBTQ National Board and has spoken on LGBTQ media issues in more than two dozen cities worldwide, including mainstage appearances at San Francisco Pride, Clexacon Los Angeles, and Munich Pride.

Jill later shifted her focus to writing and producing, launching two single-camera comedies with significant festival success: the two-season ensemble series We Have to Stop Now, winner of three Curve Magazine Awards, and Second Shot, which won Picture of the Year at London’s LFest. Together, both series screened at over 40 festivals worldwide.

Since 2008, Jill has written and produced high-impact video content for Democratic and progressive causes. She most recently served as Creative Director for Volunteer Blue, a coalition of more than 30 national and regional grassroots organizations dedicated to registering voters and electing Democrats nationwide. Her work has generated millions of views across the social platforms of MoveOn, Indivisible, and Voters of Tomorrow.

Her 2024 thriller feature, Under the Influencer, was selected for Queer Screen’s prestigious Goes to Cannes initiative. It received the Panavision Award from the Micheaux Film Festival, Director’s Choice at Palm Springs Cinema Diverse, Best Feature at San Antonio QFest, and Best Feature at the San Francisco Queer Film Festival. She's currently in production on a horror-comedy feature entitled The Transfer, which takes place on the campus of a fictional HBCU set in Atlanta.

Jill Bennett: Producer & Writer

Lauren Neal is a multi-hyphenate filmmaker, data scientist, and AI/ML engineer. She is a graduate of Brown University’s Department of Theatre Arts & Performance Studies and the University of Virginia’s School of Data Science, where she studied applications of machine learning to filmmaking.

Lauren was nominated for Best Lead Actress at IFF London for her work in The Lovely Rejects, which she also co-produced. Her acting credits include Westworld, FOX’s unaired pilot Delirium, and indie feature The Sympathy Card. Lauren won Best Guest Actor (Comedy) at the Hollyweb Festival for her turn in the web series Those With Class.

Notoriously obsessed with the discipline of acting, Lauren is the resident data scientist at Castability, a start-up devoted to providing actors with actionable feedback and quantitative analysis of their work.

Lauren has edited, produced, and directed for several political campaigns. She also won the Hyundai Emerging Director Award at Outfest Fusion 2020–Hyundai then enlisted Lauren to direct a commercial that aired during the GLAAD Awards, OutFronts, and Outfest LA. In 2023, Lauren was named a Commercial Directors Diversity Program semifinalist. Her work often interfaces directly with nascent technologies and mental health matters: where neural networks meet neurodivergence meets NeRFs.

A graduate of Warner Bros. Discovery’s inaugural VFX Coordinator training program and current employee of Ingenuity Studios / Ghost VFX, Lauren is editing two documentary projects and has been tapped by Story Mill Entertainment to direct the forthcoming romantic comedy Ex Life.

Lauren Neal: Post Producer & Director

dr. tara jae: Producer & Community Outreach

Dr. tara jae is a visionary storyteller, cultural curator, and mental health advocate with a deep passion for supporting our QTBIPOC community. They are the founder of Black Pride Colorado, established in 2021, and the Founder & Executive Director of YouthSeen, where they lead transformative initiatives centered around mental health, wellness, and the arts through community empowerment.

An award-winning producer and cultural consultant, dr. tara harnesses the power of storytelling to address the intersection of identity, culture, and healing. Their work is grounded in a commitment to creating inclusive spaces where individuals can thrive, experience abundance, and embrace their own personal growth.

With an extensive background in the arts, dr. tara has made a lasting impact through intentional, transformative narratives that uplift, educate, and inspire. As an advocate for mental health, they focus deeply on building resources and experiences that support the healing journeys of QTBIPOC individuals, empowering them to navigate challenges through resiliency and living authentically.

Driven by the belief that everyone deserves the opportunity to heal, grow, and express their true selves, dr. tara continues to push the boundaries of creativity to impact lives and promote the journey of healing.

Rachael Hastings Adair: Producer/Technical Advisor

A true technical Swiss Army knife on set, Rachael has worked in the camera departments and grip/electric departments for Hallmark Channel, Travel Channel, Netflix, Yahoo, HGTV, Firefox, Disney Channel, Facebook TV, All BLK network, Adidas, Speedo, Hydroflask, Qualcomm, Intel, United, Chase, Blue Shield, amongst many others.

After film school, she focused on cinematography, spending 15 years as a Producer/Shooter worldwide for non-profits, and was recently selected for the ASC Vision Mentorship program with legendary cinematography mentor Polly Morgan.