THE TEAM
Writer | Actor | Director
Producer
Michanda is the co-founder and owner of 22eleven, LLC, a company focused on creating, developing, and producing projects including, but not limited to, film, television, internet, and print media. Michanda has produced two short films - The Minstrel and the Bard and The Dance - and both of her films have premiered at Colorado's Color of Conversation Film Festival. Michanda's role in supporting artistry revolves around her emphasis on elucidating humanity’s complexity, vulnerability, and majesty - while celebrating diversity and authentic storytelling. Michanda brings a unique perspective from her eclectic background as a transformation and presence coach, a former television news anchor, producer, and reporter, a priest, yogi, and community leader. She desires to leave a legacy of helping people integrate presence, truth, gratitude, and magnificence in all they create, give, and receive.
Producer
Composer
Monique Brooks Roberts is a violinist hailing from Louisville, KY, with over 29 years of experience under her belt. Monique enjoys a busy and fulfilling career, having performed and recorded for many notable artists including, but not limited to, Alicia Keys, Common, Jill Scott, Mos Def, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, J. Cole, Shawn Mendes, and many more. Monique has played at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, the John F. Kennedy Center, Radio City Music Hall, The Kimmel Center, Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, the world-famous Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, Russia, the Theater at Madison Square Garden, and plenty more. Monique's solo album entitled "Free" launched January 2020.
Composer
Aaron Brooks Roberts was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and is a record producer, keyboardist, and performer. Aaron was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Soon after, he worked for a production company creating with acclaimed artists like Anthony Hamilton, Angie Stone, Eric Roberson, singer/songwriter Courtney Harrell, LovHer, and many others. Aaron moved to New Jersey to pursue music and soon after, co-produced an album with jazz vocalist Rajdulari called 'Journey of a Woman,' which combined a mix of jazz, soul, and r&b. This album held to the top of the charts in the UK for many weeks.
Director of Photography
Robert Muratore has worked professionally as a cinematographer for over twenty years, directing and co-producing several projects along the way. He shot and co-produced the feature-length documentaries The People vs. George Lucas, The Life and Times of Paul The Psychic Octopus, Doc of the Dead and 78/52 for his company Exhibit A Pictures (the American Society of Cinematographers named 78/52 in a list of ten films of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival Standouts for its cinematography). Within the last two years, he has shot five other independent feature films. Robert co-produced and shot MEMORY-The Origins of Alien, which premiered in AT the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
Technical Sound Editor/Designer
Steve Borne has been a TV and Film Sound Designer and Mixer for over 30 years. Some of his projects include; SNL, Nurse Jackie, The 13th Warrior, The Brothers McMullen, The Sinner, Raising Victor Vargas, The Half of It, Master of None, Jane Fonda in 5 Acts, and Hello Tomorrow. Steve has numerous awarded works to his credit including Emmy’s, NYFF winners, Sundance winners, and more.
Consultant
Travis has worked in film and television as a writer, director, and editor for twenty 20 years. He wrote and directed Infinity Chamber, which you can currently see on Netflix. He also wrote, and executive produced the sci-fi thriller Pandorum with Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster.
donnie l. betts (lowercase is intentional)
Consultant
donnie is a radio, film and theatre practitioner. He has been making a personal statement about the marginalization of black Americans for decades with the intentional lower-casing of his name. donnie attended the Yale School of Drama, has performed on Broadway, and is the founder of No Credits Production, Inc., a film and video production company. His company produces the award-winning radio drama series Destination Freedom, Black Radio Days, and documentary films including Music is My Life, Politics My Mistress: The Story of Oscar Brown Jr. screened at over 25 film festivals worldwide, and has won eleven “Best Documentary” awards, Audience’s Choice Awards and aired on PBS plus stations nationwide. His film, Dearfield: The Road Less Traveled, a docudrama about the all-black town in northern Colorado was nominated for an Emmy.
Production Designer
Robert has designed for theater, museums, film, and theme parks including SeaWorld San Diego and Avatar the Exhibition at Experience Music Project. His stage designs have been seen onstage nationally at Asolo Repertory Theatre, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse, Cleveland Play House, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Denver Center Theatre Company, Alliance Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Old Globe Theatre, and American Conservatory Theatre (ACT) in San Francisco. Rob is a proud member of USA-829 and serves on the faculty at Washington University in St. Louis.
Editor
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Legal Counsel
Jaia Thomas is a graduate of Colgate University and The George Washington University Law School. She also holds a Certificate in Television, Film and New Media Production from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Ms. Thomas is an instructor at UCLA, where she teaches a course titled Copyright Law in the Entertainment Industry. Before her appointment at UCLA, she was an instructor at American University in Washington DC, where she taught graduate students in the School of Communication the intricacies of forming and operating a media production company. She has also guest lectured at Carnegie Mellon University and Vassar College. She is a member of the New York Bar Association and American Bar Association. In terms of what attracted her to the entertainment industry, she's always been passionate about the way African-Americans are portrayed in the media and wanted to be a part of reshaping some of those portrayals and narratives.
Associate Producer
With more than fifteen years of experience in entertainment publicity, brand development and event planning and management, Kelley A. Jackson is an exceptionally versatile and highly capable industry professional. Currently serving as Senior Festival Manager for Run&Shoot Filmworks’ Academy Award®-Accredited Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, Jackson, hired in 2016, initially worked as Media Coordinator where she handled planning and implementing festival media campaigns and devised media strategies. She coordinated press coverage for festival events, slate of programming, special events and festival talent. From 2016 to 2019, Jackson functioned as Special Projects Manager for year-round activations and the Color of Conversation Film Festival. In 2016, Jackson was hired as a Production Assistant for the feature film, Wetlands. In this capacity, Jackson assisted the Production Designer and Art Director and handled product placement and all clearances for the film. In 2015, Jackson joined Colorblind Productions where she was Unit Production Manager for a national commercial shoot for the University of Phoenix which aired during the live broadcast of the 46th NAACP Image Awards on TV One. Jackson has also served as Line Producer for a public service announcement for TV One and Hollandwest Productions, which was commissioned by the National Urban League. Jackson has worked with, and volunteered for, highly visible companies and organizations, including, Delta Air Lines, MTV, CBRE, BET Networks, ABC, The Procter & Gamble Company, The American Black Film Festival, Accenture, American Family Insurance, The Hamptons International Film Festival, Essence Communications, IMG Fashion, Harlem Village Academy, Constellation Brands, Marc Jacobs, Red Bull, Stanton Carpet Corporation, RadicalMedia, TV One, National Urban League, Urbanworld Film Festival, AFI Silver and Cultural Center, HBO, Netflix and Facebook.
Tia Phillip
Production Assistant
Tia Phillip is a screenwriter, actress, and a practicing archivist and collection manager. She has served in varying roles on varying sets, including but not limited to, Washington Week with Gwen Ifill (2016), Queer Qafe (2018), and BLACK FLAG (2020). She has a passion for equity, uplifting the stories of BIPOC creatives, and supporting the work of those traditionally excluded from the entertainment industry. After graduating from Colorado College in 2018 with a degree in English and Film, and an emphasis in Race, Ethnicity, and Migration Studies, Tia has dedicated her time to honing the craft of storytelling and volunteering with the Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in media consumption along the front range. She has presented on the epistemic responsibility of filmmakers and has workshopped over 10 scripts with the goal of exploring power and privilege within the stories we tell and the stories we watch.
Production Assistant
Meg Chamberlain debuted on Broadway in Black Comedy at The Roundabout Theatre. She worked with McCorkle Casting in New York, assisting with auditions for Broadway, television, and feature films. She began her teaching career at Lorain Catholic, where she found her passion in bringing people to the theatrical arts. For ten years, Meg was the Director of Theatre Education for Beck Center for the Arts. Her favorites include Into the Woods Jr., The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged), and Stagedoor. She has also written several children’s plays. All of which were produced at Beck Center for the Arts. Fairy Tales Tonight actually toured the community libraries and assisted living facilities. She has been on camera in The War that Made America, TNT’s Leverage, and Gus Van Sant’s Restless. She was Associate Producer of D.I.Y., a short film. Currently, she is the Line Producer for another feature film. She is proud to be a member of AEA and SAG/AFTRA, but she is most proud of her family.
