WRITER AND DIRECTOR  / KHARY JONES received his MFA in Film Directing from Columbia University. He currently works as a freelance director and film editor.       

PRODUCER / CONSTANCE F. KOWTNA comes to the production after working on the Warner Bros.’ feature

I AM LEGEND as the Creature Coordinator. She is currently developing her own production company based

out of New York City.

CINEMATOGRAPHER / AARON KOVALCHIK is a filmmaker who received his BA in Art Semiotics from

Brown University, and studied film and photography at the Rhode Island School of Design.  He currently

works in Brooklyn, NY as a director of photography and is co-founder of the web- and print-design company,

Simple Machinery.  His  include bisexual sailors, metaphysical policemen, Kurt Raab, and esoteric erotica.

He has worked on a profusion of productions as a camera assistant and gaffer, edited a feature

documentary, co-edited a feature film, and is currently working on a novel (an excerpt of which was

published in the journal Birkensnake). You can view his work at: kovalchik.com.

ORIGINAL SCORE and SOUND DESIGN  / JOACHIM HORSLEY has scored TV shows and promos airing

on NBC, ABC, HBO, TruTV, A&E, The Biography Channel, The History Channel and The Travel Channel.

Although his television work helped build up his professionalism and refine his art, his true talent and passion

lies in creating original scores of music for indie films. In late 2004, he launched his studio LittleHorse Music

& Audio in New York, where he specializes in music and audio services for independent films. In addition to

the shorts at Sundance, his work has also screened in indie films at Cannes, Telluride, Palm Springs, Tribeca,

Santa Barbara, Ft. Lauderdale, and many others.  Four of his films were finalists for the Student Academy

Awards 2008, including UNATTACHED, which won the Silver Student Academy Award (documentary

category).

CO-PRODUCER / MOIRA GRIFFIN has produced short films including the award winning NIGHT MAGIC by

Bernardo Ruiz and has worked in production management for a variety of companies including VH1 and

Mega Entertainment.  In addition, she is a founding director of Rooftop Films and has curated film programs

for multiple organizations from Ocularis in New York to the Global Peace Film Festival in Bali.

Independently, though her company Melana Entertainment she is executive producing “Master Harold and

the Boys”, an adaptation of the award winning Broadway play starring Ving Rhames. Moira is currently

developing Leigh Dana Jackson’s “The Infinite Life of Stuart Hornsley” winner of  the 2008 Tribeca All Access

Best Emerging Narrative Award.  In addition, she is currently filming the documentary “The Love Project”

directed by Misa Dayson which addresses the political, cultural and social issues confronting black women in

America who are disproportional affected by HIV/AIDS.

CAST

DREW / JAS ANDERSON is an up and coming actor based in New York City.  His latest film

endeavor is a supporting role as “K-Rock” in the new Antione Fuqua film BROOKLYN’S FINEST

opposite Don Cheadle and Wesley Snipes. Both BROOKLYN’S FINEST and HUG, a short film in

which Jas stars as “Drew,” a musician suffering from bipolar disorder are Official Selections of the

2009 Sundance Film Festival. Jas has appeared on the Fox television series JONNY ZERO, an NBC

series CONVICTION and most recently landed a recurring role on GUIDING LIGHT.  Jas has had

major roles in films such as ROCK THE PAINT opposite John Doman (HBO's THE WIRE and MYSTIC

RIVER), which premiered earlier this year at both the Tribeca Film Festival and the Pan African Film

Festival, Nick in Time with Isaiah Whitlock, Jr. (THE WIRE) and THEY’RE JUST MY FRIENDS

opposite actor Malik Yoba and Michael Easton.  

Jas has had a very successful commercial career as he has booked multiple national campaings.  Jas

has been a part of the arts since he was a young child, studying at Weist Barron, Harlem School of

the Arts, Professional Performing Arts High School in New York, and Rutgers University where he

was enrolled at the Mason Gross School of Arts, majoring in theater, and studying with William Esper.

Jas has performed at several well-known New York area theatrical venues, including the New Federal

Theater where he worked with the legendary Woodie King, and received an Audelco Award

nomination for Best Male in a Musical for the show DISS DISS, DISS DAT.  He has also appeared in

productions at the Atlantic Theater, Theater for the New City, and at PS 122 during the Fringe

Festival NYC, just to name a few.    For more information on Jas Anderson, please go to IMDb,

www.jasanderson.com, or www.myspace.com/allthatjasonline.

HOLLIS / PHYLLIS JOHNSON is a graduate of the Yale School of Drama where she was a recipient

of the Fox Family Foundation Grant and The Oliver Thorndike Prize.

Phyllis has contributed to the production of many short films, commercials, and music videos.  Her

Turn Soul Films production THE INEVITABLE UNDOING OF JAY BROOKS is her first executive

producer credit. As an actor she recently finished shooting a pilot for THE WEDDING ALBUM (Fox

Television Studios) and finished a winter-long stint on Broadway as an understudy in Richard

Greenberg's A NAKED GIRL ON THE APPIAN WAY, directed by Doug Hughes.

Phyllis has also performed Off-Broadway in YOKASTAS AT LaMAMA, and HECUBA starring Kristin

Linklater (Cultural Arts Center/45 Below). Some of her other New York City credits include: NYSF,

EST, NY Stage & Film. Regional credits include the Yale Rep., Yale Summer Cabaret, Long Wharf,

and Williamstown. Phyllis has appeared in several television series and films including: LAW &

ORDER, LAW & ORDER: CRIMINAL INTENT, AS THE WORLD TURNS, JELLYSMOKE (1st Prize -

2005 LA Film Festival, Independent Spirit Award Nominee) and LA MAGIQUE NOIRE (2005 Film

Festival Circuit).

ASA / USMAN SHARIF is one of the entertainment industry’s rising talents. And with upcoming

performances in three high-profile feature film dramas, stardom is just around the corner. Spike Lee’s

World War II epic MIRACLE AT ST. ANNA, YOU’RE NOBODY TIL SOMEBODY KILLS YOU (produced

by Spike Lee) and the highly-anticipated Fox Searchlight Pictures project NOTORIOUS directed by

George Tillman Jr., chronicling the life of well-known rap artist Notorious B.I.G..

Usman was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, in a close family along with two sisters and three

brothers. Although his parents divorced when he was eight, Usman remained close with his father

whom he credits his strong faith and entrepreneurial spirit. Which lead Usman to eventually majoring

in business administration at Essex County College graduating in 1994.

Over the next several years, Usman launched several successful businesses, but always had the

inclination and desire to entertain.

In 2002, he began to get an anxious feeling when he would go to movie theatres – feeling like he

belonged on screen instead of in the audience. He decided to begin his journey in pursuing

entertaining professionally in 2003, and partnered with a friend to produce a documentary about

women and their everyday stuggles, that did very well on the festival circuit, which eventually brought

him to Los Angeles. He joined an acting class given by the well-respected teacher Tracey Moore

Marable, and was introduced to her husband, director Maurice Marable, who cast him in his first

break – a commercial for HBO’s REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER.

In addition to Usman’s film credits he is also the face, voice and likeness to the New Jersey Organ

Donor campaign, directed by No Hands Productions, Educating minorities on the significance of

saving lives of those in need of healthy organs in all counties of New Jersey. Usman also pranked

over thirty five young dance students on the Nick @ Nite hit show HI JINKS, portraying the

disgruntled dance instructor lacking rhythm and patience.

He and his wife (who first met in seventh grade) currently reside in Newark, New Jersey.