Writers, producers & Film directors

Ashley Avis is an American director, screenwriter, and producer. She was born in Chicago, Illinois and is married to Edward Winters, who is her partner in their Los Angeles based production company, Winterstone Pictures.

After beginning her career as a journalist in New York City, and directing and producing several independent films in her twenties; in 2020 she wrote, directed, as well as edited Disney's Black Beauty starring Oscar Winner Kate Winslet and Twilight's Mackenize Foy. Inspired by Anna Sewell's timeless classic, the film was an official selection to 2021 Cameraimage and reviewed as a "gorgeous, sweeping epic" by Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Passionate about horses, and working with children through her nonprofit, she next embarked on a four-year documentary in Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West (2022). The film won "Best Director" and "Best Cinematography" at DOCLA, "Best Documentary" at the Boston Film Festival and "Best Documentary" at the St. Louis International Film Festival; in addition to raising unprecedented awareness for wild horses and public lands protection.

Ashley lives in California with her husband Edward, and is the founder of The Wild Beauty Foundation.

Luke Jaden is known for Boo! (2018), Wolf Who Cried Boy (2015) and Animals of the Land.

Brett Simon is a Javits Fellow, a PhD candidate in Film Studies, and an MFA graduate in Art Practice at UC Berkeley. He graduated from Princeton University in 1997 with a degree in Comparative Literature and Creative Writing. His films and videos have screened in festivals around the world including ResFest, Toronto, Telluride, and Sundance. He won first prize in the Black Maria Film Festival. Since 1998, he has been teaching film history, film theory and video production at UC Berkeley and has since moved to Los Angeles. His movie "The Sailor Girl" screened at the Sundance Film Festival 2005. He has also directed numerous music videos including the award winning "Somebody Told Me" for The Killers and is a successful commercial director. He is currently directing his first feature, "The Sophmore" starring Bruce Willis and Mischa Barton in New York City.

Chad Faust was born on 14 July 1980 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He is a writer and director, known for Ballistic, Girl (2020) and The 4400 (2004).

Gilles Paquet-Brenner was born on 14 September 1974 in Paris, France. He is a director and writer, known for Crooked House (2017), Sarah's Key (2010) and Dark Places (2015).

In 1997, Morgan's debut feature, Hurricane Streets, became the first narrative film to win three awards at the Sundance Film Festival (Audience Award, Best Director, and Best Cinematography). It was bought by MGM/UA and distributed the following year.

Born in Long Beach, California, Morgan received his BA in Film Studies in 1992 from UC Santa Barbara. Morgan spent the following year in Paris studying film theory at the Sorbonne. In 1993, he entered NYU's Graduate Film Program where he earned his M.F.A. During the summer of 1994, Morgan interned at a small production company where he was introduced to Todd Solondz, who was prepping to shoot Welcome to the Dollhouse. Morgan was an Assistant Director on Dollhouse, which went on to win the 1996 Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. It was also on this film that he became friends with actor Brendan Sexton III, the eventual star of Hurricane Streets.

Following the critical success of Hurricane Streets, Morgan wrote and directed Desert Blue. The film was distributed by the Samuel Goldwyn Company and re-teamed Morgan with Brendan Sexton III. The film also starred Christina Ricci, Casey Affleck, Ethan Suplee, Peter Sarsgaard, and was Kate Hudson's debut film.

In 2000, Morgan wrote and directed The Cherry Picker for Showtime starring Janeane Garofalo. Morgan directed several music videos, including two for the breakout indie band Rilo Kiley, and he directed the teen hit Dawson's Creek for the WB. In 2001, Morgan directed American Psycho 2 for Lions Gate Films. In 2003, he helmed the independent feature Piggy Banks, which starred Gabriel Mann, Kelli Garner and Tom Sizemore. Later that year, Morgan produced the groundbreaking MTV series Laguna Beach.

Morgan's latest feature from his own screenplay, Just Like The Son, will be premiering at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. The film stars Mark Webber, Brendan Sexton III and Rosie Perez.

Morgan currently lives in New York City where he is writing his next screenplay.

Roland Joffé was born on 17 November 1945 in London, England, UK. He is a producer and director, known for The Mission (1986), The Killing Fields (1984) and The Great Hunger.

Bryce wrote, produced, and directed the thriller Phobic (2020), anthology film Mission Stories (2021), and the horror film Blessed (2024). He has also written for Yo Gabba Gabba!, and is the author of the books Red Shirt Kids and Secret Santa. He lives in the Salt Lake City area with his wife, Stephanie.

Mark Edwin Robinson was born in San Diego, California, USA. Mark Edwin is a director and writer, known for Breaking Dawn (2004), The Levenger Tapes (2013) and I Will Follow You Into the Dark (2012).

Chief Executive Officer of MonteCristo International Entertainment.

Michael is a multi-talented entertainment industry veteran - he has written, directed, produced and distributed a host of notable films. These include MANAGUA with Academy Award Winner Louis Gossett Jr, and BY THE SWORD with Academy Award winning actor F. Murray Abraham, and most recently APARTMENT 1303-3D with Mischa Barton and Rebecca De Mornay. Mr Taverna joined Horizon Entertainment in 2001 as its Sales and Acquisition Executive and contributed to growing Horizon from 3 to 60 completed pictures. Among these were the highly acclaimed horror genres THE RING, THE GRUDGE and DARK WATER. In addition, Michael Executive Produced SHADOWS OF THE DEAD, OUTLIER, INA AND THE BLUE TIGER and a number of other Films. In 2006 Mr. Taverna formed MonteCristo International as a sales, distribution and film production company, participating in all major film markets including Cannes, AFM, Berlin, MIP TV, Pusan and establishing a strong network of foreign buyers worldwide. Mr. Taverna continues to direct & produce feature film via MonteCristo Pictures.

Timothy Woodward Jr is an Emmy Award Winning Director, Producer and Showrunner. Timothy was born October 15, 1983 in Georgetown, SC. His love for film began early when he saw his first theatrical film. Woodward, who got his start in the entertainment industry on the other side of the camera, began directing music videos before making his directorial feature debut in 2013.

In 2015, Woodward directed his first period piece, "Traded" which released to great commercial success and critical acclaim. It became a prototype for successful indie westerns. Woodward quickly followed "Traded" with the bio-pics "Hickok" about the life of Wild Bill Hickok and "Gangster Land", a noir thriller about the Al Capone and his right hand enforcer Machine Gun Jack McGurn.

Often compared to western filmmaking legend Sergio Leone, Woodward continues to create beautiful pieces of art with his Director of Photography Pablo Diez.

Their first venture into the world of independent horror, "The Final Wish", premiered at ScreamFest in 2018.

In 2021 Woodward won The Emmy Award for his work in the Outstanding Limited Drama Series "Studios City" on Amazon Prime.

Matt Winn is known for The Trouble with Jessica (2023), We Are Happy (2015) and The Brunchers (2013).

Although his name is often linked to that of the "movie brat" generation (Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas, Brian De Palma, etc.) Paul Schrader's background couldn't have been more different than theirs. His strict Calvinist parents refused to allow him to see a film until he was 18. Although he more than made up for lost time when studying at Calvin College, Columbia University and UCLA's graduate film program, his influences were far removed from those of his contemporaries--Robert Bresson, Yasujirô Ozu and Carl Theodor Dreyer (about whom he wrote a book, "Transcendental Style in Film") rather than Saturday-morning serials. After a period as a film critic (and protégé of Pauline Kael), he began writing screenplays, hitting the jackpot when he and his brother, Leonard Schrader (a Japanese expert), were paid the then-record sum of $325,000, thus establishing his reputation as one of Hollywood's top screenwriters, which was consolidated when Martin Scorsese filmed Schrader's script Taxi Driver (1976), written in the early 1970s during a bout of drinking and depression. The success of the film allowed Schrader to start directing his own films, which have been notable for their willingness to take stylistic and thematic risks while still working squarely within the Hollywood system. The most original of his films (which he and many others regard as his best) was the Japanese co-production Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985).

Malcolm D. Lee was born on 11 January 1970 in the USA. He is a director and writer, known for The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022), Girls Trip (2017) and The Best Man (1999). He has been married to Camilla Banks since 2000. They have three children.

Robert Anthony Rodriguez was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, USA, to Rebecca (Villegas), a nurse, and Cecilio G. Rodríguez, a salesman. His family is of Mexican descent.

Of all the people to be amazed by the images of John Carpenter's 1981 sci-fi parable, Escape from New York (1981), none were as captivated as the 12-year-old Rodriguez, who sat with his friends in a crowded cinema. Many people watch films and arrogantly proclaim "I can do that." This young man said something different: "I WILL do that. I'm gonna make movies." That day was the catalyst of his dream career. Born and raised in Texas, Robert was the middle child of a family that would include 10 children. While many a child would easily succumb to a Jan Brady sense of being lost in the shuffle, Robert always stood out as a very creative and very active young man. An artist by nature, he was very rarely seen sans pencil-in-hand doodling some abstract (yet astounding) dramatic feature on a piece of paper. His mother, not a fan of the "dreary" cinema of the 1970s, instills a sense of cinema in her children by taking them on weekly trips to San Antonio's famed Olmos Theatre movie house and treats them to a healthy dose of Hollywood's "Golden Age" wonders, from Sergio Leone to the silent classic of Charles Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

In a short amount of time, young Robert finds the family's old Super-8 film camera and makes his first films. The genres are unlimited: action, sci-fi, horror, drama, stop-motion animation. He uses props from around the house, settings from around town, and makes use of the largest cast and crew at his disposal: his family. At the end of the decade, his father, a salesman, brings home the latest home-made technological wonder: a VCR, and with it (as a gift from the manufacturer) a video camera. With this new equipment at his disposal, he makes movies his entire life. He screens the movies for friends, all of whom desperately want to star in the next one. He gains a reputation in the neighborhood as "the kid who makes movies". Rather than handing in term papers, he is allowed to hand in "term movies" because, as he himself explains, "[the teachers] knew I'd put more effort into a movie than I ever would into an essay." He starts his own comic strip, "Los Hooligans". His movies win every local film competition and festival. When low academic grades threaten to keep him out of UT Austin's renowned film department, he proves his worth the only way he knows how: he makes a movie. Three, in fact: trilogy of short movies called "Austin Stories" starring his siblings. It beats the entries of the school's top students and allows Robert to enter the program. After being accepted into the film department, Robert takes $400 of his own money to make his "biggest" film yet: a 16mm short comedy/fantasy called Bedhead (1991).

Pouring every idea and camera trick he knew into the short, it went on to win multiple awards. After meeting and marrying fellow Austin resident Elizabeth Avellan, Robert comes up with a crazy idea: he will sell his body to science in order to finance his first feature-length picture (a Mexican action adventure about a guitarist with no name looking for work but getting caught up in a shoot-'em-up adventure) that he will sell to the Spanish video market and use as an entry point to a lucrative Hollywood career. With his "guinea pig" money he raises a mere $7,000 and creates El Mariachi (1992). But rather than lingering in obscurity, the film finds its way to the Sundance film festival where it becomes an instant favorite, wins Robert a distribution deal with Columbia Pictures and turns him into an icon among would-be film-makers the world over. Not one to rest on his laurels, he immediately helms the straight-to-cable movie Roadracers (1994) and contributes a segment to the anthology comedy Four Rooms (1995) (his will be the most lauded segment).

His first "genuine" studio effort would soon have people referring to him as "John Woo from south-of-the-border". It is the "Mariachi" remake/sequel Desperado (1995). More lavish and action-packed than its own predecessor, the movie--while not a blockbuster hit--does decent business and launches the American film careers of Antonio Banderas as the guitarist-turned-gunslinger and Salma Hayek as his love interest (the two would star in several of his movies from then on). It also furthers the director's reputation of working on low budgets to create big results. In the year when movies like Batman Forever (1995) and GoldenEye (1995) were pushing budgets past the $100 million mark, Rodriguez brought in "Desperado" for just under $7 million. The film also featured a cameo by fellow indie film wunderkind, Quentin Tarantino. It would be the beginning of a long friendship between the two sprinkled with numerous collaborations. Most notable the Tarantino-penned vampire schlock-fest From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). The kitschy flick (about a pair of criminal brothers on the run from the Texas Rangers, only to find themselves in a vamp-infested Mexican bar) became an instant cult favorite and launched the lucrative film career of ER (1994) star George Clooney.

After a two-year break from directing (primarily to spend with his family, but also developing story ideas and declining Hollywood offers) he returned to "Dusk till Dawn" territory with the teen sci-fi/horror movie The Faculty (1998), written by Scream (1996) writer, Kevin Williamson. Although it's developed a small following of its own, it would prove to be Robert's least-successful film. Critics and fans alike took issue with the pedestrian script, the off-kilter casting and the flick's blatant over-commercialization (due to a marketing deal with clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger). After another three-year break, Rodriguez returned to make his most successful (and most unexpected) movie yet, based on his own segment from Four Rooms (1995). After a string of bloody, adult-oriented action fare, no one anticipated him to write and direct the colorful and creative Spy Kids (2001), a movie about a pair of prepubescent Latino sibs who discover that their lame parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are actually two of the world's greatest secret agents. The film was hit among both audiences and critics alike.

After quitting the Writers' Guild of America and being introduced to digital filmmaking by George Lucas, Robert immediately applied the creative, flexible (and cost-effective) technology to every one of his movies from then on, starting with an immediate sequel to his family friendly hit: Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002) which was THEN immediately followed by the trilogy-capper Spy Kids 3: Game Over (2003). The latter would prove to be the most financially-lucrative of the series and employ the long-banished movie gimmick of 3-D with eye-popping results. Later the same year Rodriguez career came full circle when he completed the final entry of the story that made brought him to prominence: "El Mariachi". The last chapter, Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003), would be his most direct homage to the Sergio Leone westerns he grew up on. With a cast boasting Antonio Banderas (returning as the gunslinging guitarist), Johnny Depp (as a corrupt CIA agent attempting to manipulate him), Salma Hayek, Mickey Rourke, Willem Dafoe and Eva Mendes, the film delivered even more of the Mexican shoot-'em-up spectacle than both of the previous films combined.

Now given his choice of movies to do next, Robert sought out famed comic book writer/artist Frank Miller, a man who had been very vocal of never letting his works be adapted for the screen. Even so, he was wholeheartedly convinced and elated when Rodriguez presented him with a plan to turn Miller's signature work into the film Sin City (2005). A collection of noir-ish tales set in a fictional, crime-ridden slum, the movie boasted the largest cast Rodriguez had worked with to that date. Saying he didn't want to mere "adapt" Miller's comics but "translate" them, Rodriguez' insistence that Miller co-direct the movie lead to Robert's resignation from the Director's Guild of America (and his subsequent dismissal from the film John Carter (2012) as a result). Many critics cited that Sin City was created as a pure film noir piece to adapt Miller's comics onto the screen. Co-directing with Frank Miller and bringing in Quentin Tarantino to guest-direct a scene allowed Rodriguez to again shock Hollywood with his talent.

In late 2007, Rodriguez again teamed up with his friend Tarantino to create the double feature Grindhouse (2007). Rodriguez's offering, Planet Terror (2007), was a film made to be "hardcore, extreme, sex-fueled, action-packed." Rodriguez flirts with his passion to make a showy film exploiting all of his experience to make an extremely entertaining thrill ride. The film is encompassed around Cherry (Rose McGowan), a reluctant go-go dancer who is found wanting when she meets her ex-lover El Wray (played by Freddy Rodríguez) who turns up at a local BBQ grill. They then, after a turn of events, find themselves fending off brain-eating zombies whilst trying to flee to Mexico (here we go off to Mexico again). Apart from directing, Rodriguez also involves himself in camera work, editing and composing music for his movies' sound tracks (he composed Planet Terror's main theme). He also shoots a lot of his own action scenes to get a direct idea from his eye as the director into the film. In El Mariachi (1992), Rodriguez spent hours in front of a pay-to-use, computer editing his film. This allowed him to capture the ideal footage exactly as he wanted it. Away from the filming aspect of Hollywood, Rodriguez is an expert chef who cooks gourmet meals for the cast and crew. Rodriguez is also known for his ability to turn a low-budgeted film with a small crew into an example of film mastery. El mariachi was "the movie made on seven grand" and still managed to rank as one of Rodriguez' best films (receiving a rating of 92% on the Rotten Tomatoes film review site).

Because Rodriguez is involved so deeply in his films, he is able to capture what he wants first time, which saves both time and money. Rodriguez's films share some similar threads and ideas, whilst also having differences. In El Mariachi (1992), he uses a hand-held camera. He made this decision for several reasons. First, he couldn't afford a tripod and secondly, he wanted to make the audience more aware of the action. In the action sequences he is given more mobility with a hand-held camera and also allows for distortion of the unprofessional action sequences (because the cost of all special effects in the film totaled $600). However, in Sin City (2005) and Planet Terror (2007), the budget was much greater, and Rodriguez could afford to spend more on special affects (especially since both films were filmed predominately with green screen) and, thus, there was no need to cover for error.

Playing by his own rules or not at all, Robert Rodriguez has redefined what a filmmaker can or cannot do. Shunning Hollywood's ridiculously high budgets, multi-picture deals and the two most powerful unions for the sake of maintaining creative freedom are decisions that would (and have) cost many directors their careers. Rodriguez has turned these into his strengths, creating some of the most imaginative works the big-screen has ever seen.

Chris Sivertson is known for I Know Who Killed Me (2007), Brawler (2011) and Escape Plan 2: Hades (2018).

Patrick Lussier is known for Drive Angry (2011), My Bloody Valentine (2009) and Terminator Genisys (2015).

Kyle Newman is an award-wining filmmaker and New York Times Bestselling, Hugo Award-nominated author.

His directorial work encompasses multiple feature films including, Fanboys, the Star Wars-fueled comedy starring Kristen Bell and Seth Rogen, the action-comedy Barely Lethal starring Oscar Nominees Hailee Steinfeld and Samuel L. Jackson for A24 Films, and his most recent, 1UP, starring Ruby Rose for Lionsgate and Buzzfeed Studios set in the world of eSports.

He has directed the music industry's top artists including Taylor Swift ("Style", "Clean" and 1989 World Tour content featuring Selena Gomez, Haim and more), Lana Del Rey ("Summertime Sadness") and Cyn ("House with a View") guest starring Katy Perry with his video work garnering billions of views.

Newman produced the critically acclaimed documentary Raiders: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made, about three teenagers who set out to recreate Steven Spielberg's classic Raiders of the Lost Ark shot-for-shot (distributed by Drafthouse Films/Neon) and executive produced the 2021 thriller Happily. He also crafted the story for the hit Netflix Original animated feature Gnome Alone for Shrek-producer John H. Williams.

He is a New York Times bestselling author known for his work on the Hugo Award and Locus Award-nominated Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana, a history of the world's greatest roleplaying game as well as Heroes' Feast: The Official Dungeons & Dragons Cookbook, which debuted on all major bestseller lists including The Wall Street Journal, USA Todayand Publisher's Weekly. He is at work on his soon to be announced third and fourth books for publisher Penguin Random House.

Newman, an honors graduate of NYU's Tisch School of Film/TV and the recipient of the esteemed 'Martin Scorsese Award for Excellence in Directing', has written and/or directed for clients including The Microsoft Corp., Interscope Records, Starz Entertainment, Wizards of the Coast (Hasbro), The Coca-Cola Company, Starwars,20th Century Fox, Entertainment Weekly, Buzzfeed, Big Machine Records, Lionsgate, Endemol Shine, Millennium Films, Pacific Life Insurance, Lucasfilm, Ltd., Games For Windows, A24 Films, Awesomeness TV, Hooters of America, Titan Publishing, Unsub Records, The Saturday Group and Universal Republic Music.

A proud member of the Director's Guild of America, he resides in Los Angeles with his three sons James Knight, Leo Thames and Etienne Noel.

Steven C. Miller is a versatile filmmaker best known for his high-octane approach to action and horror films. He first made a name for himself with the indie horror film Automaton Transfusion in 2007, which was shot on a modest budget in just nine days. The film became a cult hit. He would go on to direct films like The Aggression Scale and Under the Bed, demonstrating his ability to deliver suspenseful films on tight budgets. In 2012, he took on the task of remaking the cult classic Silent Night, Deadly Night. His portrayal of the killer Santa has since become iconic and is a holiday must watch for horror fans to this day.

Over the next few years, Miller proved to be prolific and continued to grow in his work as a genre specialist. He has collaborated with Hollywood heavyweights like Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Nicolas Cage, Dave Bautista, Malcolm Mcdowell and John Cusack. Miller's ability to draw intense performances from his actors also shone through in his work with Aaron Eckhart in the gripping thriller Line of Duty, which was praised for its relentless pace and visceral action sequences.

His latest film, Werewolves, stars Frank Grillo and is set for a theatrical release on December 6. The film features creature designs by Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr., known for their iconic work on the Alien and Predator franchises. The film continues Miller's signature blend of action and horror, cementing his reputation as a director who can seamlessly merge genre elements while keeping audiences engaged.

Shane Dax Taylor was born on 7 August 1975 in Henderson, Kentucky, USA. Shane Dax is a producer and director, known for Murder Company (2024), The Christmas Classic (2023) and The Best Man (2023). Shane Dax has been married to Robyn Corum since 28 May 2005.

Matthew Coppola is known for Fresh Cut Grass (2002), Sports: at&T Original Documentaries (2010) and Love on Ice (2017).

Scott began his career as a director of music videos creating acclaimed work for Will.I.am, Jordin Sparks, and Jason Derulo, winning an MVPA Award for Directorial Debut of the Year, two GMA Awards, and an MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year. National campaigns followed with commercials for Buick, Colgate, and Sara Lee. Scott made his feature film debut with Step Up Revolution which grossed over 142 million worldwide. He went on to direct Midnight Sun for Open Road/Universal and I Still See You for Lionsgate.

In television, Scott directed MTV's Finding Carter pilot and served as series producing director. His episodic work includes MTV's Scream and Eye Candy as well as Hulu's The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers.

Actor, writer. New York City native Jason Fuchs has been acting since the age of 7 when he appeared at Lincoln Center in the play "Abe Lincoln in Illinois" with Sam Waterston. In 1996, Jason made his feature film debut as Marvin in "Flipper" opposite Elijah Wood and Paul Hogan. Back on stage, Jason originated the role of Jonathan the "turkey boy" in Madison Square Garden's musical production of "A Christmas Carol", a role he reprised for the first three seasons of the show's run. In 1999, he was nominated for a Young Artist Award for his performance in the feature film comedy "Jane Austen's Mafia!". Jason was next seen in a leading role opposite Ben Kingsley in the family film "Spooky House".

Jason has also been seen in a number of guest-starring roles on TV, including episodes of "Cosby", "The Sopranos", "The Beat", "Law & Order: Criminal Intent", and "Ed". He received his second Young Artist Award nomination for his guest starring role on an episode of "Law & Order: SVU" in 2003.

On stage, Jason originated the role of JoJo in the initial New York reading and subsequent Toronto workshop of "Seussical the Musical". In 2004, Jason performed in the Atlantic Theater Company's production of the Howard Korder play "Sea of Tranquility". In 2005, Jason starred on-stage in the off-Broadway rock musical "Gorilla Man" from OBIE-award winning playwright Kyle Jarrow. Jason and the cast of "Gorilla Man" were invited to and performed at the 2005 OBIE Awards in New York City.

Most recently, Jason wrote, produced and starred in the 2006 short film "Pitch". The film made its premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.

Ross Clarke is a producer and director, known for The Birdcatcher (2019), Skid Row (2007) and The Uninvited (2024).

Award-winning filmmaker Valerie Weiss is drawn to stories that explore complicated human relationships in feel-good ways. She has infused this tonal complexity into her feature films and dozens of television episodes, both in the streaming and broadcast space, while spanning the genres of action, thriller, drama, science-fiction and comedy.

Valerie just directed a block of the new NCIS:Tony and Ziva spinoff (Paramount+) in Budapest. Prior television work includes multiple episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Paramount+), the finale of the limited series Echoes (Netflix) for showrunners Brian Yorkey and Quinton Peeples and five episodes of Netflix's global YA mega-hit Outer Banks (Netflix). She directed multiple episodes for several of television's biggest producers including Shonda Rhimes, Dick Wolf, Greg Berlanti and Marc Cherry. As a producer and pilot director she has several projects in development, including You Don't Know Me, a YA series set up at Escape Artists and MGM.

On the feature side, she will direct Talking Tom, a hybrid movie (CG character in a live action world) based on the wildly popular "Talking Tom" app (18 billion downloads) being produced by Flywheel Media (Angry Birds 3) and Marla Studios. Valerie began her career in independent features, having directed her award-winning dramatic debut, A Light Beneath Their Feet, starring Taryn Manning, and The Archer, which premiered at SXSW. Her first studio film was Mixtape (Netflix). Starring Julie Bowen and Nick Thune, it's a nostalgic coming-of-age musical odyssey that scored a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, ranked as one of the Best Family Films of 2021 (Washington Post) and labeled one of the17 Best Happy Films (Entertainment Weekly).

In Valerie's seemingly incongruous previous existence, she studied X-ray Crystallography at Harvard Medical School, earning a Ph.D. in Biophysics and a Masters in Medical Science. Although well on her way to unlocking the molecular mysteries of the universe, she was irrepressibly drawn to the larger scale mysteries of human nature and pivoted to pursue her lifelong passions in the entertainment industry.

Valerie is the Co-Chair of the DGA's Women's Steering Committee and was appointed to the DGA's Sustainable Future and Special Projects Committees by President Glatter. In 2018, Valerie's short film True Maze, a female-centric sequel to the Maze Runner was selected out of 50 entries from AFI alumni to be produced by Fox Bridge Program. She is an alum of the AFI DWW Program. She is repped by CAA.