A talented film team is crucial for its diverse skills, fostering creativity, efficiency, and problem-solving. Their professionalism ensures quality, upholding the production's reputation. Emotional support and camaraderie sustain morale. Without them, a film's success is compromised due to lacking expertise, cohesion, and the inability to overcome challenges efficiently.
DAKOTA TICHELI- DIRECTOR
Dakota Ticheli is a New York City-based writer-director. On commercial sets, Dakota has directed celebrity clientele such as Michael Strahan and Odell Beckham Jr. For music videos, he has directed rapper Bobby Shmurda in “On Something”, as well as Dogpark Band’s “Breaking in Brooklyn”. However, his passion is making narrative films, with three full-length screenplays under his belt and countless short films. Dakota hopes to continue pushing the limit with every project. "Wherever You Are, I'm Here" is the project he hopes propels him from short form to full-length features and becomes not only a filmmaker but a certified storyteller.
Gregory Abbey - WRITER
Gregory is a writer, actor and filmmaker who grew up in the midwest. Which means he's skilled at forced politeness and backyard soccer. He's written several pilots, directed short films and created the web series Marriage and Other Tragedies. His one-hour tv pilot script, SHARK was a recent finalist in Screencraft (top 15 out of 2150 submissions) Semi-finalist for Slamdance (top 8) and semi-finalist for Outstanding Screenplays TV pilot competition. As an actor he has appeared on Law & Order: SVU, FBI, Bull, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Jessica Jones, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods, and The Americans. He has a BFA in acting from Rutgers University and an MFA in Television Writing from Stony Brook University.
Zach Rineer - PRODUCER
Zach Rineer is a New York-based filmmaker hailing from Philadelphia and Delaware roots. Zach has been recognized for his producing and directing work on over 30 short films over the past five years. In 2022, Zach graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Directing for Film and Television. Recently, Zach served as lead producer alongside Yoni Azulay on NO DYE (2021) which has screened at Nashville, Philadelphia, Santa Fe, and NFFTY Film Festivals. More recently, Zach partnered with Yoni again to produce western thriller short film, IDLE SPEED, which was featured at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner and Awarded the Best Producing Craft Award by NYU’s 2023 First Run Film Festival.
PRINCE SPRAUVE - PRODUCER
Since 2013, Sprauve has written, produced and directed three additional Films; Make it Home, Cradle and The Last Shot. He has also produced the soundtrack to his films and completed several music videos. Sprauve has additional projects that he is currently working on. What makes Prince Sprauve stand out is his ability to connect with local culture and understand the day-to-day hardships of struggling communities. His films highlight issues related to at-risk youth, teen pregnancy, drugs, addiction, crime, gun violence and death. At times it may seem harsh, but these are the realities and struggles of many of our communities and Sprauve often says, “As a community, how can we heal from something, we can’t talk about. ”
MAYA DAUGHTRY - PRODUCER
Maya Daughtry is an Award-winning filmmaker with a strong work ethic and creative ability. She is seeking to develop and expand her knowledge of film, with an emphasis on directing and producing Her goal is to become a film director, focusing on bringing diverse stories to the big screen. She enjoys coming-of-age, drama, and period drama films that focus on family dynamics and relationships. This past spring she studied abroad in London where she studied directing at the prestigious National Film & Television School. She wrote and directed the micro-short A Little Tipple which has been recognized and nominated for awards at various film festivals.
Maya is currently an Acquisitions Intern at Bleecker Street.
Maya is currently an Acquisitions Intern at Bleecker Street.
MICHAEL FAHEY - PRODUCER
Michael Fahey, a Los Angeles native with a deep-seated passion for the arts, particularly film, is a bi-coastal producer known for his collaborative efforts with both LA and NY-based film crews. A graduate of The New School in Manhattan, he holds a BA in Arts and has an impressive portfolio that spans music videos, commercials, and short films. Michael is also a co-founder of Tenth Avenue Production Company alongside Dakota Ticheli and Evan Miller. This venture is dedicated to producing projects that push the boundaries and set new standards in the constantly evolving film industry.
YONI AZULAY - PRODUCER
Yoni Azulay is a Philadelphian and Israeli-American filmmaker, currently pursuing a dual-degree MFA/MBA at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and Stern School of Business. A 2022 graduate with a BFA in Film & TV Production from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, he believes in storytelling that juxtaposes generational perspectives by bending time and personal memory. His short film "Idle Speed" was selected for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival SFC Catalogue and won the audience award at both the Beverly Hills and NFFTY film festivals. His short, "No Dye," was screened at the Nashville, Philadelphia, and Santa Fe Film Festivals."Idle Speed," which served as his undergraduate thesis project at NYU Tisch.
FRANCESCA LO BIANCO - PRODUCER
Francesca Lo Bianco is an Italian writer and producer. She was born in Milan, where she perused a degree in Economics and Management at the prestigious Bocconi University, and is currently a Producing Fellow at the American Film Institute of Los Angeles. In the past two years she has worked on several film projects in both the States and Europe and continues to push for an international approach to filmmaking, bringing creative people together from all over the globe. She also studied writing and producing at NYU, and credits New York City as the genesis of her cinematic career.
ELLIOT GONG - PRODUCER
Elliot Gong is an NYC-based film industry professional. Upon graduating from NYU Tisch with a double major in Film & Television and East Asian Studies, he joined the New York Asian Film Festival, overseeing shorts programming and content marketing. Currently serving as a PR & Marketing consultant at Metrograph and Dekanalog, he also took part in the US distribution of critically acclaimed asian films including “The Shadowless Tower”, “Art College 1994”, and four 4K restorations by Lee Chang-dong. With over 30 producing credits, his projects have been selected by Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, Red Sea International Film Festival, Flicker’s Rhode Island International Film Festival, and LA Shorts International Film Festival.
Rob Luo - PRODUCER
Robin Luo is a New York based film producer with a lifelong love of quality storytelling and acting. Although he studied mathematics at Penn State University and currently works as a data scientist at UnitedHealth Group, he has slowly begun to venture into filmmaking over a year ago. Having always been a film buff, Robin was finally able to enter the world of filmmaking when he became an executive producer on Dakota Ticheli’s Pop, Hit, Burst, a short film where Robin provided creative input. In the future, Robin hopes to further express his creativity by telling more personal and intricate stories about the human experience through film.
LUIS RODRIGUEZ - LINE PRODUCER
Luis Rodriguez is a producer and filmmaker from Queens, NY. He has contributed to projects for A24, Netflix, VICE, and Comedy Central, as well as for business publishers Fast Company, Inc., and Yahoo! Finance. Luis holds a BFA in Film & Television from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, achieved through a full-tuition Tisch Scholarship. As a first-generation American, he is committed to creating stories promoting increased access and overcoming biases. Luis has produced short and feature films and runs the creative agency MatterVision, dedicated to promoting health equity through story.
EVAN MILLER - CINEMATOGRAPHER
Evan Miller is a New York based Cinematographer and alum of NYU Tisch’s School of the Arts. He has shot over 30 short films, a multitude of music videos, and many commercials. He has worked with artists such as Fetty Wap, Push T, and Michelle, and brands such as Nike, Tilepix, and Apple Music. He grew up in a small town in Westchester, NY and has always been into entrepreneurship and sports. In his final year at NYU in 2023, he won the Arri Volker Bahnemann Award for Best Cinematography and has been selected at film festivals such as Cannes, NFFTY, and the Beverly Hills Film Festival.
Matt Liang - CINEMATOGRAPHER
My name is Matt Liang and I am a DoP who grew up in Hong Kong/Toronto but now based in NYC/LA. I have shot various narrative short films, commercials, and music videos. I recently won the ARRI Volker Bahnemann Award for outstanding cinematography and have also worked on multiple award winning projects, including films that have been selected for Tribeca Film Festival and New York Short Film Festival. I believe strongly in the power of filmmaking and the responsibility that comes with it. I tend to draw artistic inspiration from diverse cultures and nothing inspires me more than authentic stories that can bring people together.
Ilana Portney - PRODUCTION DESIGNER
Ilana Portney is a Production Designer based in New York. She has an extensive background in the research of art history, interior design, textile, furniture, and film. Her work spans from music video, commercial, and short film, with soft skills such as fabrication, miniatures, welding, art producing, props sourcing, amongst other things. Her portfolio stems from top A List celebrities, long-standing record labels, and evergreen brands like Kanye West, Bella Hadid, Vogue, Maybelline, and Nike.
molly farrell-savage - costume designer
Molly Farrell-Savage is a Northeast-based costume designer, wardrobe stylist, and fashion designer whose work can be seen across film, television, commercials, and live entertainment. Molly is excited about bringing her experience with a specialty in uniform costumes; including prison inmates, medical professionals, and law enforcement; to Wherever You Are, I’m Here! Favorite credits include: You’re Not There (Isle of Shoals), Perception (Shluffy Studios x Mainframe Pictures), From New York I Love You (C&I Films), and Project Runway: Threads (Lifetime). Special thanks to: Betsy Renwick, Kelly LeVine, Jimm Halliday, and Sachi Masuda.