Meet Our Advisors & Mentors

Brenda Strong

Actress | Director | Producer

Brenda Strong is an award winning actress, director and producer, perhaps best known for her seminal work on the ABC hit series Desperate Housewives as Mary Alice Young, which garnered her two Emmy Nominations and two SAG Awards. Her long and consistent work on Television and Film (Seinfeld, Dallas, Starship Troopers, Fear the Walking Dead, Supergirl, and most recently UnPrisoned, an ABC Signature/Onyx/Hulu production) has led her to find her voice behind the camera.

Her directorial debut short film, #3 Normandy Lane, had a successful 21 Film Festival run and won 12 Awards worldwide. She also directed two pivotal episodes of the hit series “13 Reasons Why” for Netflix in its fourth and final season.

Alex Trudeau Viriato

Editor | Producer

Alex Trudeau Viriato is an Emmy Award winning editor and producer in Santa Monica, California. His projects include the documentary series Simone Biles Rising, Thank You Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story, and Killer Inside: The Mind Of Aaron Hernandez. He has made a career crafting stories about those who have reached the top of the mountain. From Jon Bon Jovi, to Tom Brady, Alex has learned from the elite few who are the greatest at what they do. All of this with the goal of telling stories that inspire and cause viewers to reevaluate their own perceptions and life situations.

Alexandria E. Martin

Producer

Alexandria is a California native, born in Oakland and raised in Fresno. She has produced across various media, from music videos to branded content and political ads, collaborating with companies from RCA Records to Netflix. She began her film career in independent filmmaking before joining Annapurna and later became a development executive at STX. She is currently an executive at Kas Kas Productions, with a deal at Lionsgate.

Aaron Abrams

Actor | Writer | Producer

Aaron Abrams is a versatile actor known for his roles in Hannibal, Masters of Sex, Rookie Blue, Slings & Arrows, and Children Ruin Everything. He won the FilmOut Award for Closet Monster and has starred in the Code 8 franchise and Nose to Tail. His upcoming films Levels, Clown in a Cornfield, and Best Boy are set for release in early 2025.

As a writer and producer, Abrams co-wrote the Netflix hit The Lovebirds and the acclaimed comedies The Go-Getters and Young People Fucking (TIFF 2008). He also produced The L.A. Complex for The CW and stars in Children Ruin Everything, Canada’s #1 comedy. His short film It’s Not What You Know won multiple awards and was a Vimeo Staff Pick.

Vincent Grashaw

Director | Producer

Vincent Grashaw is an acclaimed director, writer, producer, and editor known for his bold storytelling. He produced Bellflower (Sundance 2011), which earned two Independent Spirit Award nominations. His directorial debut, Coldwater (SXSW 2013), was followed by And Then I Go (LA Film Festival 2017), an adaptation of Jim Shepard’s Project X. His psychological horror What Josiah Saw (Fantasia 2021) received critical acclaim, earning a 91% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and recognition as a top horror film of 2022. His latest films include Bang Bang (premiering at Tribeca 2024) and Keep Quiet, currently in post-production.

Amey René

Casting Director

Artios-nominated casting director known for assembling bold, unforgettable ensembles. Her work spans more than 40 festival standouts (Sundance, SXSW, Cannes, and beyond) and includes breakout series like PENELOPE (Netflix) and EVERYTHING SUCKS! (Netflix).

Her latest independent series THE SCREENER, from frequent collaborator Jim Cummings, premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Coming soon to Hulu is NEVER CHANGE!, starring and written by John Reynolds and directed by Marty Schousboe, featuring an incredible ensemble of rising comedic stars. Upcoming SXSW 2026 premieres include STAGES, a Live Nation production spotlighting musicians from the Nashville and Austin scenes and featuring standout cameos from David Strathairn, Raúl Castillo, Leslie Grace, and Marc Menchaca, and THEIR TOWN, a two-hander starring Ora Duplass and Chosen Jacobs, directed by Katie Aselton and written by Mark Duplass, with the two leads carrying the camera for the entire film.

A trusted collaborator to indie icons and rising stars alike.

Christina Moore

Actor | Writer | Producer

Christina Moore is a multi-hyphenate with a prolific, successful career as an actor, writer, and producer. She has starred in more than 90 television shows and films since moving from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1995. She branched out and wrote two films in 2015, which led her to serve as lead creative producer on 16 films and 1 television series in the last 10 years. These projects have found homes on Netflix, HBO MAX, Amazon Prime, and TUBI, many reaching #1 globally. Her focus: excellent storytelling and high production value while creating a nurturing environment for talent to emerge in front of and behind the camera.

Ali Afshar

Actor | Producer | Race Car Driver

Ali Afshar is an actor, producer and race car driver. Born in Tehran, Iran, Afshar was forced to flee the country at five years old and arrived in the small town of Petaluma, CA. In 2001, Ali turned pro, racing for Subaru of America. Ali won 2 World Championships, 18 National Hot Rod Association championships and numerous world records, inspiring the first film he produced titled BORN TO RACE.

Creating ESX, Ali has thrived producing 24 films, all with a focus on diversity, underdog themes and the promise of the American Dream. These films include AMERICAN WRESTLER: THE WIZARD with Academy Award Winner Jon Voight, THE RIDE (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges), and BORN A CHAMPION (Dennis Quaid). In 2020 Ali produced A CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS, which became the #1 film worldwide on Netflix. Ali’s next 6 holiday films for MAX and NETFLIX all reached the #1 spot. In 2025, DAY OF RECKONING hit #1 on HBO Max Globally, and ESX produced 3 films: CASA GRANDE: THE MOVIE, DOUBLE TROUBLE, and WIND OF CHANGE. ESX has been housed on the Warner Bros lot since 2016.

Kelli A. White

Producer | Line-Producer | Script Supervisor

After a couple of decades as an aviation accident investigator and emergency planner, Kelli fell in love with filmmaking and the teamwork it requires. She has produced or worked on 15 projects in the last 5 years. She produced Lost, Not Forgotten with a team from HBO’s Winning Time, and most recently co-EP’d I Really Love My Husband, which premiered at SXSW. Kelli has three goals as she selects her projects: work with a great team, do something meaningful, and have fun.