Erica Arvold, owner and CEO of arvold., has spent 30 years as a casting director, educator, speaker, producer, writer, and director. Erica has contributed to the making of over 140 films, 85 television shows, and countless multimedia & commercial projects. Recent credits include Thursday, Here Today, Charm City Kings, The Evening Hour, Freaky Friday the 13th, The Good Lord Bird, Harriet, House of Cards, Lincoln, Loving, Red Notice, Swagger, and Turn: Washington’s Spies. She has worked with ABC, AMC, Amazon, Apple TV+, Blumhouse, CBS, Disney, Dreamworks, Focus, Fox, Hallmark, HBO, History, Imagine, NatGeo, Netflix, Paramount, Scott Free, Showtime, Sony, SYFY, Universal, USA, and Warner Brothers as well as many independent filmmakers and creatives. She has been nominated for CSA’s Artios Award five times, inducted into First Lady of Virginia’s Opportunity Hall of Fame for contributing to the economic growth in the state, and is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, Casting Society of America, and Producers Guild of America. Her company arvold. has offices in Charlottesville, VA and Atlanta, GA..

Meredith Grace Dabney is a 16-year-old actor, writer, and storyteller on a mission to “tell stories that need to be told.” As an actor equally in love with stage and screen, Meredith is best known for energetic performances and depth of character portrayals. A young actor with a large body of work, she has participated in an array of independent films and new media projects, and recently returned from the west coast where she shot 2 pilots. Committed to always exploring ways to make her acting more truthful, she trains regularly at Catapult Acting Studios (GA), Young Actors Workshop (CA), and Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop (AMAW). Meredith originally wrote “Here Today” when she was 14. When seasoned industry professional Erica Arvold expressed interest in a collaboration to showcase her own directing debut, Meredith began the film adaptation at age 15. Inspired by events in her own life and an over-riding feeling that she (and all of us) “relate to parts of both Katie and Abby,” the film has particular personal meaning. Often providing a sympathetic ear for friends in need, Meredith hopes to use her filmmaking to continue to address topics that need to be brought to light and discussed openly, and in the case of “Here Today,” her goal is to make a difference by reminding us all that our words and actions do indeed matter. Meredith has a number of original projects currently in development including a few shorts, a feature, an anthology, and a series. In addition to acting and creating content, items in the works include establishing her own production company (Astrabeta Creations, which will make its debut with the release of “Here Today”) and launching a non-profit which supports her creative mission.

Isaac Deitz has directed, produced, and served as Director of Photography on hundreds of short films and is currently in post production on two narrative feature films and three feature length documentaries. Isaac runs Point Nine Films, with a commitment to ethical filmmaking where he boldly holds to his conviction that “People > Film.”  Isaac also helms the ATL Thunderdome and its weekly and wildly popular “Kick the Ladder” and “Leg Day” sessions.  Film has been one of the most fulfilling pursuits of his life and with an untiring commitment to mentorship and teaching, Isaac encourages others who are fortunate enough to cross his path to follow in his footsteps.

From running away from the undead, to making tools look sexy, to teaching adults how to be kids again; Viviana Chavez ("Vivi") has been working professionally in the Atlanta, GA film industry since 2010. Her work in front of and behind the camera has made her a well-rounded professional who understands the needs of a successful production. You can catch Vivi acting on The Walking Dead, The Resident, Homeland, Dynasty, Drop Dead Diva, Baby Driver and more. She has also produced video content for clients such as Husky Tools and Coca-Cola. Vivi has a passion for the Atlanta film community and believes in cultivating a self-sustaining industry through a foundation of collaboration and not competition.

Taylor Fedele is originally from Ohio and moved to Atlanta, GA 5 years ago to pursue her career. After having worked as a makeup artist for photography and special events for 6 years, she began doing makeup on film sets. She fell in love with the electric energy of the hustle and bustle from working on set. For the last two years of her career, Taylor has been a freelance film producer and has the pleasure of working with some talented local filmmakers. She thoroughly enjoys collaborating with artists and helping them bring their vision to life!

Backstage.com contributor and winner of their Readers’ Choice for Atlanta’s Favorite Acting Coach, Erik Lingvall brings a wealth of experience guiding and training talent, throughout the country. As the founder of Catapult Acting, a top training studio in Atlanta for actors concentrating on TV/film and commercial work, he has established himself as one of the most sought-after acting coaches in the country. Erik’s motto is “professional level training designed to create better people.” His growing list of working actor clients can be seen in projects like "The House with a Clock in Its Walls," “The Walking Dead,” "This is Us," “Batman V Superman,” “Atlanta,” “Stranger Things,” FOX’s The Gifted,” “Terminator Genisys,” “Short Term 12,” Disney’s Raven’s Home & Bunk’d,” “House of Cards,” “Nashville,” “Daddy’s Home 1&2,” Stephen King’s “In the Tall Grass,” and many more. Currently residing in Atlanta with his wife, Jennifer, and two girls, Erik is dedicated to guiding & connecting his clients to the right people & right path, consistently creating new programs to help raise the bar of Atlanta's ever-growing entertainment industry..

Tonya Haswell is a true artist. With a foundation in fine arts and graphics design, she loves creating visually attractive spaces. Whether on canvas, in print, or on screen it is important to Tonya to create balance, harmony and rhythm in two dimensional worlds. She loves establishing the world in which characters dwell - creating backstory through environment is a wonderful challenge..

With 15 years experience in feature films, commercials, and short-form projects, as well as experience as an editing professor with graduate work in screenwriting, Won Novalis has become an expert at honing in on the core of the narrative while balancing the interpersonal relationships and politics of the editing room. He has worked on award-winning projects for clients that include Razorfish, Microsoft Bing, GE, Delta, United Way, and more. Won is also the co-founder and lead editor at Abandon Films, a creative, production, and post-production house working with brands and agencies alike. With his effective customized workflows and openness to listen and adapt to the unique needs of each project, he never fails to deliver. abandonfilms.com