THE ROOM HAPPENED.

Honnie Korngold

Producer

CineVantage | PhilanthroFilms | Georgia Storylab

Athens, Georgia

Honnie Korngold is a producer and the founder of CineVantage Productions, Georgia StoryLab, and co-founder of the nonprofit PhilanthroFilms, all based in Athens, Georgia. A sought-after speaker on independent filmmaking, she has presented at Cannes, Sundance, and Toronto International Film Festivals and is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Her dedication to craft and mentorship carries forward the legacy of her family's two-time Academy Award-winning composer, Erich Wolfgang Korngold.

Gary Korngold

Executive Producer

Georgia Story Lab

Gary Korngold is a producer, entrepreneur, and creative leader whose work bridges legacy Hollywood storytelling with today’s independent film and television landscape. Based in Georgia, Gary is associated with CineVantage and has contributed to projects spanning documentary, narrative, and inspirational media. As the grandson of legendary composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Gary brings a unique connection to film history while continuing to champion meaningful stories, emerging productions, and purpose-driven entertainment for modern audiences.

Chris Fogg

Owner Of Magick Lantern

Magick Lantern

Chris Fogg is a seasoned post-production executive, creative producer, and studio leader with more than 30 years of experience shaping audio and visual content for film, television, publishing, brands, and digital media. As Owner of Magick Lantern, and part-owner of John Marshall Media, Chris leads a talented team delivering high-end audio and video services across feature films, episodic series, commercials, corporate projects, web content, audiobooks, podcasts, sound design, foley, music, and immersive Atmos mixing. With a career rooted in innovation, collaboration, and audience-focused storytelling, Chris brings both strategic leadership and creative precision to projects that aim to capture attention, spark imagination, and leave a lasting emotional impact.

Jim Bowhall

Vice President & Creative Director

Magick Lantern

Jim Bowhall is Magick Lantern’s Vice President and Creative Director, bringing decades of experience as an artist, animator, designer, and visual storyteller across film, television, motion design, commercial, and branded content. With a strong background in animation, design, title work, and creative development, Jim helps guide projects from early concept through final execution—shaping treatments, style frames, visual approaches, and creative teams that bring each story to life. His work blends artistic instinct with practical production experience, helping clients turn ambitious ideas into polished, memorable visuals that reflect Magick Lantern’s craft, creativity, and collaborative spirit.

Mona Love

Operations Manager

Magick Lantern

Mona Love keeps Magick Lantern moving as Operations Manager, supporting the people, projects, and day-to-day production flow behind the studio’s visual effects, motion design, animation, and branded content work. With a steady hand for organization, communication, and logistics, Mona helps coordinate the moving pieces that allow artists, producers, and clients to stay aligned from intake through delivery. Her role bridges creative ambition with practical execution, bringing structure, clarity, and follow-through to the process so the studio’s work can move smoothly from idea to finished screen.

Tyler Grow

Creative Production Coordinator

Magick Lantern

Tyler Grow is a Creative Production Coordinator at Magick Lantern, bringing a background in film composition, sound design, dialogue editing, and studio operations to the company’s growing production and post-production work. A SCAD-Alumni sound designer and composer, Tyler helps bridge the creative and logistical sides of a project, supporting outreach, coordination, client communication, production planning, and creative development while bringing an editor’s ear and storyteller’s instincts to the process. With experience across independent film, branded content, audio production, and post workflows, Tyler approaches each project with a mix of technical precision, creative curiosity, and a deep respect for the people and craft behind every finished piece.

James Crawford

Editor

Decatur, GA

James Crawford is a multifaceted audio-visual artist from Atlanta, Georgia. He primarily works in post-production with a focus on storytelling. His background in music informs the rhythm, pacing, and sound design of his work, while his experience in photography strengthens the visual language.

Joshua Lipkin

Editor

Atlanta Editors Collective

I’m a video editor and post-production producer based in Atlanta, working across broadcast, corporate, and digital content. I specialize in creating clean, engaging edits that tell a clear story, hit deadlines, and elevate the brand. Over the years, I’ve worked on everything from network television and live events to branded content, webinars, sizzles, and social campaigns. My focus is always the same: strong storytelling, smooth pacing, and broadcast-ready delivery. I’m also the founder of the Atlanta Editors Collective, a growing community built to connect editors, producers, and post professionals across the Southeast. Through AEC, I help match great talent with great projects while building real relationships in the industry.

Joshua Little

VFX Supervisor / Director

Alectreon

Josh has worked on over 70 film and television productions at every budget level. His expertise is in streamlining processes, whether at a research lab at Vanderbilt, where he turned a three-week data analysis process into a five-minute process, or as a team lead at ActionVFX, where he quadrupled their video production output while keeping the same crew size and budgets. Josh's company, Alectreon, has contributed visual effects work to numerous feature films and web series, as well as visuals for live shows at The Sphere in Las Vegas. He has also developed curriculum and taught classes for the Trilith Institute and has consulted for the FSU College of Motion Picture Arts.

Jacob Lawson

Agent

Privilege Talent Agency

Adrian Maruri

Sound Designer

Odyssey Sound

Sound Designer with 14 years of experience (formerly Pixar). Extensive experience as a VO recordist, Re-recording Mixer, Sound Designer and Supervisor. Located in Fayetteville, GA. A teacher, a father, a friend, and an all-around nice guy. At times, the funniest guy in the room.

Corey Lawson

Talent agent

Privilege Talent Agency

Atlanta ga

Corey Lawson is a Talent agent for Privilege Talent agency. Privilege Talent is a talent agency located in Atlanta, Georgia. Corey's passion and focus has been to develop a stronger presence in the film, television and commercial industry. "It is truly a privilege to work in this industry and be a part of Privilege Talent".

Alexis Pelot

Writer / Post Producer

Further Ado

I’m a writer and post producer at Further Ado, a full-service post production company for film, television, commercials, and branded content. As a writer, I specialize in comedy, action, and kids' content and served as head writer on the children's series Wondermore. I currently live in metro Atlanta with my husband, Lonny, and our five kids.

Lonny Pelot

Owner, Editor, Colorist

Further Ado

Loganville

Lonny has over 25 years experience in post-production, editorial, color grade, visual effects, finishing and post-supervision. With a Film and Video degree from GSU, Lonny began his career as an edit assist at Riot! Atlanta (now Company 3). In 2004, he moved to Triple Horse Studios as lead editor and colorist. In 2018, Lonny and his wife Alexis started Further Ado offering full-service post production services for feature films, shorts, television series, documentaries and commercials.

Nicholas Pawlenko

Freelance Sound Designer

Grow Beyond Audio

Lovejoy, GA

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Mathew Steele

Sync Agent

SteeleSync

Marietta, GA

Owned SteeleSync since 2012 a music licensing company that works in film, tv, ads, video games, podcasts and micro-dramas. Own SyncSpotlight since ‘24 the largest sync event company with 548 attendees this year. I also own SyncRadar a digital sync networking and educational group on Skool with over 815+members in the first 6 1/2 months.

Brennen Dicker

Executive Director

Creative Media Industries Institute

Brennen Dicker, Executive Director of Georgia State University's Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII), brings 30 years of film and television experience, having previously held leadership roles at SIM International Atlanta and Crawford Media Services, working on productions like “Vampire Diaries," and "The Walking Dead." He began his career as executive producer of American Mongrel Productions in Chicago and holds an academic background in English, Theatre, and Economics from Cornell College. His industry recognition includes the 2001 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship, the 2018 inaugural WIFTA Gallantry Award, and a 2022 TAG Impact Award nomination. Brennen is deeply engaged in Georgia's creative economy, chairing the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition (GSEC) and serving on boards including TAG Media & Entertainment, Atlanta Esports Association, and the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, where he previously chaired the festival in 2018 and 2019. He has also held leadership positions with SCAD Atlanta, the Georgia Production Partnership, the Frazer Center, and the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, reflecting his broad, sustained commitment to Georgia's media and entertainment ecosystem.

Brian Rio

Consultant

IMMERSV

Brian Rio, a 25-year veteran of the Media and Technology industries, has produced and supported premium content and technology for beloved brands on a global scale. A multiple National Emmy, International New York Festival, and Promax winner, he has held roles from craftsperson to executive, focusing on uplifting the people and industries around him. With roots in music composition and sound design, he expanded his expertise to include production, post-production, content, technology strategy, and human-centric leadership. After a meaningful tenure at Turner Broadcasting, Time Warner, WarnerMedia, and Warner Bros. Discovery, he began working in an advisory capacity in 2024 to foster innovation in creativity and technology across multiple organizations, with an emphasis on profound priorities such as sustainability, accessibility, and inclusivity.

Robyn Kranz

Founding Partner/Executive Producer

Brownieland Pictures

Brownieland pictures is an award winning full service video production company that works solely with nonprofits.

Sara Ryals

Holistic Health Practitioner & Entertainment Wellness Consultant

Atlanta

Sara Ryals, CHHC is a Holistic Health Practitioner based in Atlanta, Georgia, with a unique background spanning both the entertainment industry and functional health. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Film Studies from the University of Georgia and completed post-production training through the Georgia Film Academy. Over the course of seven years in the film industry, Sara worked her way from background acting to production assistant, dailies engineer, in-house post producer, and head of social media, gaining firsthand experience with the long hours, high demands, and fast-paced nature of production. After overcoming her own health challenges, Sara became a Certified Holistic Health Coach and is currently pursuing her Master's degree in Nutritional Science at the University of Georgia. Today, she combines her experience in film and functional health to help individuals optimize their health through personalized, root-cause wellness strategies. Her mission is to bring holistic health to the entertainment industry by helping the people behind the camera build healthier, more sustainable careers, because no great production should come at the expense of the people who create it.

Jonathan Leiter

Actor

SCAD Graduate of Film & Television : Voiceactor : Actor : Content Creator I'm interested in exploring art and storytelling in a variety of mediums. I've done illustration, mural painting, animation, short films, etc. I'm working on my first videogame. And I've dabbled in a bit of Vtubing. I'm extremely passionate about the filmmaking process, the animation process, and film history. I haven't made a film in a long time, but I've been inspired by recent experiences to see what I can do with a simple situational setup.

Dan Berkowitz

VFX Compositor

Atlanta, GA

With over a decade of experience in the visual effects industry, specializing primarily as a compositor, I’ve contributed to a wide range of projects from television to blockbuster feature films. My time spent at multiple major VFX studios is demonstrative of my level of proficiency executing visual effects within a variety of projects, as well as the high standard of work I hold myself accountable to. Leveraging technical and creative prowess, smoothly guiding projects across the finish line comes with ease.

Michael Cardillo

Re-Recording Mixer, Supervising Sound Editor

Creative Waves, Inc.

Hoschton

Michael Cardillo is a a re-recording mixer and supervising sound editor with over twenty-five years in the audio post production community in Atlanta. He partners with filmmakers and other creatives to use sound as a storytelling tool, and is a dedicated advocate for establishing Georgia as a premier destination for post-production. Michael is a co-founder of Georgia Post Alliance.

Brianna Shelko

CEO

Level Up Music Productions

Atlanta, GA

Brianna Shelko is a trailblazer in the sync songwriting world, blending creativity and business to reshape white-label songwriting camps. As CEO of Level Up Music Productions, she’s delivered 500+ songs and 20,000+ hours of music for libraries, studios, and networks. Her recent Hollywood Independent Music Award win for “Praying for the Rain” affirms her emotional impact and industry reach. She leads a global team of songwriters and prioritizes easy-clear licensing, making sync accessible and scalable. Her work empowers creators, streamlines production, and pushes sync education forward.

Mark Ryals

Producer / Sound Designer

Atlanta Institute of Music and Media

Indie film producer and sound designer with a focus on true faith based stories.

BYRON CHILDS

Byron Childs Productions

Savannah

Byron Childs, a distinguished sound designer and filmmaker, is a proud alumnus of SCAD and Savannah State University. Based near Savannah, Georgia, he owns one of the city’s few spatial audio mixing suites, offering immersive experiences for his clents. His expertise spans sound design, videography, and audio installations. As Chief Recording Engineer for Inside Voices United, Byron captures high-quality audio in challenging environments, including state prisons. His portfolio includes Dragonville Studios' films and Clone Wars: Battle of the Heroes. An award-winning creative, Byron has earned accolades such as an "Award of Excellence in Drama" at the Metro Film & TV Awards and "Best Comedy" at the Savannah State University Film Festival. Recognized as a Goodwill Ambassador of Georgia, he has also addressed the Georgia State Capitol on the impact of nutrition on children. With Pro Tools certification and years of experience, Byron delivers exceptional results that clients trust.

Waminja Cleaveland

Stylist

Watkinsville, GA

Waminja is a University of Georgia graduate with a B.A. in Film and Theatre Studies, who is interested in exploring opportunities in the entertainment industry. She acted in A Midsummer Night's Dream in Italy, featured in three music videos, and has been a production assistant on Athens Historical Society short documentaries. Among Waminja's interests are acting, writing, and styling.

Nick Tamposi

Film Maker, Photographer

Dragonville Studios

Hernando, FL

Nicholas developed a passion for photography and film at an early age. As a teenager, his mother gifted him his first camera and camcorder, sparking his love for capturing surf, skate, and snowboard films. He later studied marketing and photography at Barry University in Miami, where he began shooting fashion models, a path that led him to establish several successful talent agencies. In 2012, Nicholas co-founded The Lions in New York and became its CEO, leading the agency to become one of the industry's top modeling agencies. In 2019, he expanded into filmmaking, producing his first feature film, the indie thriller Feral State. His second feature, Skinwalker Island was released in 2025 and his third film Broken Ranch is set for release in 2026. Throughout his career, Nicholas has collaborated with publications such as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, Numero, Elle and L'Officiel. Today, he continues his creative work at Dragonville Studios, his ranch and production studio in Central Florida, where he shoots daily and develops new projects.

Alex Lugo

Actor, Filmmaker, Founder

FilmPro

Atlanta, GA

Alex D. Lugo is an award-winning actor, filmmaker, software engineer, and the Co-founder and CEO of FilmPro, an AI-powered operating system for film productions. Born in Puerto Rico and raised between Los Angeles and Miami, Alex's work is shaped by his multicultural roots and artistic heritage as the son of Daniel Lugo, an iconic Latin American film and television actor. He is an alumnus of the Stella Adler Studio of Acting and the founder of Vitruvian Films. On the tech side, Alex built his engineering career at Goldman Sachs and Square, where he specialized in backend systems and AI integration. Today, through FilmPro, he is reimagining the future of filmmaking, building technology that empowers storytellers while protecting the human creativity at the heart of every great story.

Korey Washington

Production Designer/Producer

Production Strategies & Design Group, LLC

Atlanta, GA

IMDb Korey Washington

Gianni Mantovani

Actor

Atlanta, GA

Gianni Mantovani is an American actor of Panamanian & Italian descent, raised in Miami, Florida. His grounded presence and understated intensity are shaped by a unique real-world background: before pursuing acting professionally, he served nearly eight years in the U.S. Army's elite 75th Ranger Regiment, attended Columbia University, earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing through the University of Miami, and become a critical care nurse. Known for his calm demeanor, commanding presence, and emotionally restrained style, Gianni often plays layered characters under pressure - protectors, antiheroes, tactical professionals, and morally conflicted men.

Carlos De Los Santos

Dir

Navy Veteran, with a dream of succeeding in the. film industry as a director

Dabney Moss Norton

Actor

Dabney Moss Norton is an Atlanta-based actress originally from Albany, Georgia. Her passion for performing began in the dance studio, where she trained for nearly 17 years before competing on a collegiate hip-hop team. She earned a B.B.A. in Marketing from Georgia College & State University, which comes in handy because now she’s savvy when it comes to dissecting a contract! Dabney has 5 years of experience in marketing and social content strategy. On her personal TikTok (@dabneymoss), she has generated more than 27 million views. She discovered her love for acting after appearing in a short film directed by Mark Ryals (who also happens to be attending this event—how fun is that?!). That experience inspired her to move to Atlanta and pursue acting professionally. Since then, Dabney has continued to hone her craft through classes, workshops, and private coaching while embracing every opportunity to learn, collaborate, and grow. Her recent credits include a Dairy Queen commercial, the independent feature Remote (available on Amazon), and most recently, the lead role in a SCAD student film. Dabney is currently represented in Texas, but is excited to expand her representation in her home market of Atlanta. She loves connecting with fellow creatives, collaborating on meaningful projects, and is always eager for the next opportunity to bring compelling stories to life.

Lisa Ferrell

Professor of Practice

CMII / GSU

Producer – Lisa Ferrell - Lisa Ferrell has worked in series and tele-film development for such companies as CBS, Lifetime Television/Hearst Entertainment, NBC and TBS. Lisa has served as Executive Producer for several of Atlanta’s foremost post production, motion capture and VFX facilities, including the Toronto-based SPIN VFX, and has helped create creative for some of the foremost advertising agencies and brands in the world. After starting Lisa Ferrell Productions in 2016, Lisa worked on numerous projects that for such clients as J Walter Thompson Inside New York, Hartsfield Jackson Airport, CARE USA, Toys R Us, music videos, a number of short indie films and concept pitch projects. Currently, Lisa works as a Producer / PM in emerging technology, i.e., Motion Capture, Volumetric Capture, AR / VR for Georgia State University’s Creative Media Industries Institute.

Ashley Davis

Producer

Freelance

Atlanta

ASHLEY DAVIS / FREELANCE PRODUCER Ashley’s story begins with motion. As a dancer turned animation and video producer, she was raised in the world of pre, production, post, and showtime. Having graduated from Emory University with bachelor's degrees in both business and film, Ashley can boast more than 15 years’ experience managing projects of all sizes and developing unique project-based pipelines. She has collaborated with some of the greatest brands and industry voices, including Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crayola, Nickelodeon, NBA, Logitech, Sesame Workshop, NBC Universal, and Elf on the Shelf, to name a few. She also gives back to the creative community as co-leader/co-founder of Women in Animation ATL and serves on the board of Rise City Dance, a youth pre-professional dance non-profit.

Daniel Dennerline

Author

Morbid Publications

Independent author of the Nightmarescape series. Experience with script writing and editing. Freelance content writer for aggregate website Stacker.com.

Francisco Breton

Writer/Actor

Kojak Films

Francisco Breton is an Atlanta-based writer & actor whose work blends dark and absurdist comedy with warmth, emotional realism, and sharp social observation. He and Kenneth Trujillo are the co-creators and co-writers of the dark-comedy anthology Other Things and co-writers of the feature screenplays Me, My Mom, and Mom and Key Party. Their short film The Marley’s was an official selection of the Athens Film Festival, Rome International Film Festival, and FilmFest Knoxville and received an honorable mention from HollyShorts. Breton also writes short fiction, essays, and graphic narratives, creating character-driven worlds concerned with ambition, intimacy, belonging, and the strange systems people build to survive. As an actor, he brings humor, warmth, and charm to his work and is represented in Atlanta by Aligned Stars Agency.

Kenneth Trujillo

Director

Kojak Films

Elizabeth Kealoha

Co-Founder & COO

Altera

Atlanta, GA

Elizabeth Kealoha is a media and entertainment executive with more than 25 years in the industry, including senior leadership roles at Turner Broadcasting, Bounce, and Katz Networks. As Co-Founder and COO of Altera, she oversees the agency and education arms - partnering with brands and organizations to produce generative media and train their teams through hands-on workshops. A founding board member of the Creative Economy Collective and a UCLA Anderson Executive MBA, Elizabeth focuses on proving that AI-integrated creative work can be sustainable, scalable, and equitable.