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Katie's Mom​
FILMMAKERS
TYRRELL SHAFFNER
DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER/PRODUCER
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Tyrrell moved around a lot as a child, living in four states and England before she was 13 years old. Always the tallest girl in school--with frizzy hair and freckles--she cracked jokes to survive her vagabond adolescence. As a filmmaker, she explores being an outsider from a female POV.
Tyrrell moved to LA to attend USC Film School. Her comedic undergraduate thesis film ”Different” played at festivals around the globe and won the Rhode Island International Film Festival Grand Prize for Student Film.
Tyrrell then worked as a staff director/producer for Oscar-winning Producer Rob Fried and his digital channel, Feeln (later acquired by Hallmark.) She served in the same role for Director Jon Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”) and his premium Google Channel, DS2DIO. A member of the PGA New Media Council, Tyrrell has since crafted hundreds of pieces of short form content for companies like Crypt TV, Alpine Labs, Lionsgate and Tongal.
In 2020, Tyrrell received her MFA in Screenwriting from UCLA, where she was awarded the George Burns and Gracie Allen Fellowship in Comedy.
“Katie’s Mom" is her first feature film. For more information: tyrrell323.com
MERYL BRANCH-MCTIERNAN
CO-WRITER/PRODUCER
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Meryl Branch-McTiernan is a screenwriter, fiction writer, essayist and blogger for Huffington Post. Her teleplays have been quarter-finalists in the Austin, Final Draft and Sundance screenplay competitions. Her fiction has been featured in “The Brooklyn Rail” and on the podcast, “Nobody Reads Short Stories.” Her comedic monologues were published in the book, "Men's Comedic Monologues that are Actually Funny." As a professional ghostwriter, she has ghosted numerous books on a range of topics from dating to building a business.
She teaches Creative Writing and Screenwriting at Stony Brook University. She has been awarded the Joseph Kelly and the Sally Martell Prizes. She received her BS from Syracuse University in Television, Radio and Film and her MFA in Creative Writing and Literature from Stony Brook University.
MILAN CHAKRABORTY
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER​
Milan Chakraborty, Head of Film at Marginal MediaWorks, oversees all of the company’s efforts in independent, studio and streaming film. He is a 17-year veteran of the film industry. Milan worked at Warner Bros and New Line Cinema in production finance and accounting on projects such as "Batman Begins," "Superman Returns" and "V for Vendetta." Milan began independently producing in 2008 and has produced and executive produced 20 features including "My Friend Dahmer," "Assassination Nation," "Plus One" and "The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain".
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For more info: www.marginal.media
AAKASH RAJ
CINE​MATOGRAPHER
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With more than twelve years of experience as a Cinematographer, Aakash Raj has a proven track record of producing captivating visuals that elevate the storytelling in feature-length films, short films, and advertisements. Aakash's exceptional talent was recognized with several prestigious awards including the Dadasaheb Phalke Best Cinematography for the feature “Three and a Half,” the Pride Film Festival, US 2019 for “Stalls,” and the Oniros Film Awards 2021 for “My Human Experience.”
COREY MOSS
PRODUCER
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Corey Moss is the writer, director and producer of 2020's “White Elephant,” which debuted as the first original movie for Comcast's Xumo. Moss is a veteran producer with more than 50 projects to his credit, including the films “Rosé All Day,” “4/20,” “Confessional,” and “The Boonies and We Need Help.” Moss has held development executive and producing roles at MTV, Yahoo, AMC, Artists First, Hearst and Complex Networks.
HEATHER MINGO
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
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Heather Mingo is an independent filmmaker based in LA by way of Chicago. Embodying the essence of indie filmmaking, she’s held nearly every position in front of and behind the camera--often on the same project. Her high level of organization and radically transparent communication make her a natural fit for one of her favorite roles, 1st Assistant Director. Over the last several years, she has 1st AD’d dozens of commercials, industrials, short films, features, and series with various production companies. Her recent projects include the award-winning series We’re Doing Good and Everyone Is Doing Great (no relation). She has a reputation for keeping her cool under the most trying of circumstances and fostering a safe environment, allowing her creative cohorts to do their best work.
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KARA SULLIVAN
CASTING DIRECTOR​
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Kara Sullivan Casting was established in 2003 as an independent office based in Los Angeles. With a diverse range of clients and an award-winning pedigree, KSC is your casting source for features, short films, commercials, new media projects, and voice over work.
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For more info: www.karasullivancasting.com
DANIEL MARTENS
EDITOR​
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Daniel Martens is an editor who was born in São Paulo, Brazil and raised in Los Angeles. His previous work includes Suits, The 100, and most recently New Amsterdam.
ALEX SHENKMAN
COMPOSER
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Alex Shenkman is a BMI Award-wining film composer and music producer who currently scores FOX's newest cooking competition show, Next Level Chef, as well as Season 5 of NBC's hit drama New Amsterdam, alongside Craig Wedren. In addition to scoring, Alex is also an accomplished songwriter and producer, with work featured in shows, main title themes, promotional campaigns, and trailers for networks including ABC, NBC, FOX, Netflix, HBO Max, Apple TV+, MTV, Disney, UFC, Freeform, and more.
For more info: www.alexshenkman.com