KULTUR

(They/She)

Identifying as a queer Nigerian femme Asari is an interdisciplinary artist with a focus on filmmaking and art curation from Los Angeles. She directs, produces, and manages projects that reflect the life of Black Queer folks all over the African diaspora.

With an education rooted in media studies, Asari was able to gain a deeper understanding of unique storytelling, from unique storytellers, as a studio intern for BAYCAT, a non-profit San Francisco based media company. She later transitioned into marketing as an Apprentice at Goodby, Silverstein, and Partners. Her experience collaborating and coordinating across departments has taught her the importance of short form storytelling outside of brand campaigns.

Asari is an A24 x Made in her Image Beyond the Screen Fellow and continues to direct and produce projects. Collaborating with the Promise Workshops at the Academy Museum, She Made Workshops curated by Everyday Dreamer, Critical Juncture through the Queer Women of Color Film Festival and the 10A X ZÉZÉ visual media program.

(She/Her)

Natalie hails from West Philadelphia (born and raised), the city of brotherly love. Being the daughter of a single mother and food scientist, she took advantage of a unique opportunity. By helping to raise her three younger brothers, Natalie got her first taste at creativity; making them perform skits in between chores as children.

She transitioned to the West Coast and after earning her associates degree in screenwriting from Los Angeles Valley College, scored an internship at Artists First Management; where she continued to curate and refine her entertainment industry skills and experience. While there she worked a double desk between the literary and talent teams; learning the ins and outs behind both the creative and financial decisions from development to post-production. She is moved by telling stories that inspire the imagination and help diverse and underrepresented voices be seen.

(She/Her) 

England-born, Yety is a costume designer and creative producer with West African roots. Starting her decade-long career in costumes in New York City after an introduction to luxury menswear at British GQ in London; she began her chapter in the U.S. at Cosmopolitan magazine. Her interests are curating organically complex visual stories with unexpected clashes of texture and pattern. 

While honoring diversity and women focused narratives, Yety’s uniquely layered designs are derived from her multicultural, British-Nigerian background. Her recent short, Rest Stop, continues its success on the festival circuit after premiering at TIFF, screening at SXSW and winning the Jury Award for U.S. Fiction at the Sundance Film Festival (2023). 

Most recently Yety wrapped principal photography on the gritty independent feature, Urban Ed, which highlights the fractured U.S. school system. Plus, her contemporary BET feature film is scheduled to premiere this fall. Her decade below the line nurtured her commitment to curate and create the stories that are often left unread; as well as dress the characters that lived within them. Yety is represented for costume design by United Talent Agency for T.V and film worldwide.

(She/Her)

Maya Gwynn is a Los Angeles-based director, writer, performer and founder of The 3 Lines Collective. A community focused initiative that focuses on teaching improvisation and creative writing, The 3 Lines helps children and teens better connect with themselves and the world around them. Graduating from California Baptist University with a degree in Public Relations, Maya went on to study improvisational comedy and comedic writing at Second City Hollywood. 

In 2021, Maya created her short documentary, Black Women Should Never Humble Themselves, which was created in the wake of the George Floyd murder and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests. At the time, she heard a multitude of voices speaking on behalf of Black people, but so few voices of Black people speaking for themselves. Since her directorial debut, she has directed commercials for brands such as Lucy Paris and Gen-Nu. Maya aspires to create meaningful art that speaks to others’ truths and to create spaces where marginalized artists can also be unapologetically themselves and create change in their communities through their own art.

(She/Her)  

Alia Bennett is an Atlanta based aspiring producer and director. Beginning her career in film as part of the VFX department, on productions such as Creed 3 and Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Raised between Atlanta and South Florida, her lived experiences and affinity for philosophy shaped the way she views art and storytelling.

She gravitates towards creating emotionally charged and character driven stories, centering on women of color. Inspired by her religious upbringing, she aspires to show the complex relationship between religion and the African diaspora.