WRITER & DIRECTOR

Zach Tolchinsky is a Los Angeles-based writer, director, and model maker celebrated for his bold storytelling and masterful craftsmanship. With a Master of Fine Arts in Animation from CalArts and a rich background in puppetry, playwriting, and acting from The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Zach has earned top honors in animation, including the prestigious My Rode Reel competition and the Paris Animation Awards.

As the founder of Wood Goblin Studios, Zach has collaborated with industry giants like Disney, Nintendo, and Vans, bringing imaginative worlds to life. With over a decade of experience on acclaimed projects such as the Oscar-nominated Anomalisa, Emmy-winning Robot Chicken, and Katy Perry’s “Cozy Little Christmas,” Zach’s studio has produced five award-winning shorts, including the international sensation The Forbidden Zone.

CINEMATOGRAPHER & PRODUCER

Born in The Netherlands and raised in Alaska, William Martinez completed his education at Princeton University, where he majored in film and video studies at the Lewis Center for the Arts. His professional journey began in the bustling world of TV advertising in New York City before transitioning to a role as an assistant producer at Marty Katz Productions in Malibu, California, where he developed production packages for major studio films.

Will’s filmography includes several acclaimed short films, such as “The Forbidden Zone,” which won Best Animated Film at numerous festivals. His work on “Campari On The Rocks” earned the title of Best Short Film at Paramount’s We Create Drama. Furthermore, he contributed his skills as an Assistant Director to the feature film “The Haunting of Lanquetot.”

PRODUCER

C.I. Nwodim is a Los Angeles based writer/producer. She is a graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts and also has an MBA from the University of Chicago. Some of her credits include short films, I Hate This Piece and The Waiter, both of which premiered at the Palm Springs International Short Fest, Dream of Me, which won Best Drama Short at Kevin Smith’s SModCastle Film Festival, and We Lack Definition, a feature currently in post-production. Her unique perspective has been recognized by fellowships from PenAmerica Emerging Voices, Annenberg, and the US Fulbright Program. She currently teaches screenwriting at the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

PRODUCER & ACTOR

Sven Gey is a German-born actor who completed his acting studies at Folkwang University in Essen, Germany. He performs in theaters across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and is also featured in cinema and television productions.

"Klaus Muller" is the third film Sven has produced and acted in with Zach and Will.

ACTOR

Born and raised in Tempe, AZ, Jamie Daniels received his BA in Theatre from Arizona State University. He also studied theatre at the University of Leeds in the UK. In 2006 he earned a Zoni nomination for his role as Frankie in the throwback musical Forever Plaid, and in 2007 he traveled with the nationally acclaimed theatre company Childsplay, starring in the US premiere of 'Danny, King of the Basement'. He has performed in a variety of sketch comedy with Over The Line Productions, and has appeared on hit the hit shows Criminal Minds, Conan and Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel. He is also a singer and musician, and can be seen performing in and around Los Angeles as Bob Dylan in the tribute band Jack of Hearts.

PRODUCER

Anthony Hsiaojung McMillan is a writer-director from an island in the Pacific Northwest. Anthony comes from a large, immigrant family and tells stories of lonely people, often queer or Asian-American like himself, trying to find their place in the world. He holds an MFA from USC's School of Cinematic Arts and his writing has placed in ScreenCraft, BlueCat, and Fresh Voices script competitions. His short, "Scorched Earth," is currently out to festivals and his produced work has premiered at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, LA Shorts International Film Festival, and the Independent Filmmakers Showcase Los Angeles.

COMPOSER

Tyler Collins is an American actor and composer from Anchorage, Alaska. He is possibly best known for his role as the Boy in Just Say Hi and as James in Where Do We Go from Here? in which he was nominated for the Best Actor accolade at the 2015 Sydney Indie Film Festival in Australia. He later went on to win the Best Score award at the same event for his composition work on the film.

ART DIRECTOR, COSTUME DESIGN & PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Chris Shrier is an art director and fabricator based in Los Angeles. As a multidisciplinary artist they have worked in every department from scenic painting to Producing. Their most recent contributions can be seen in Laika's stop motion feature "Wildwood".

SUPERVISING SOUND DESIGNER

Jessie started in the music industry until she discovered her real passion in post production. Jessie has worked at various independent companies and in different parts of post production. Currently Jessie is working as an Assistant Editor at Sony Pictures Entertainment and Warner Brothers Entertainment while dabbling in the independent side working with Ground Beef Comedy and many other companies on short and feature films.

1st AC & LOCATIONS

Stephen Root owns Flag Film Productions in Flagstaff, Arizona which specializes in making video content for tourism businesses in the Grand Canyon region.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Liam LoPinto is an Iranian-American filmmaker and animator from New York City. Between 2013 and 2021, he attended NYU Tisch’s UGFTV Program, CalArts Character Animation Program, and Waseda University’s School of International Liberal Studies in Tokyo.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Sasha Pasternak is a Los Angeles based writer/director with a Master of Fine Arts from the USC John Wells Division of Writing for Screen and Television. Her screenplay Vicious was a 2021 nominee on the Wscripted Inaugural Cannes Screenplay List, a 2019 Academy Nicholl Fellowship 'Top Fifty' finalist, and was selected as the winner of the 2020 ScreenCraft Finishing Fund Award. In May of 2020, Sasha was awarded the Stephanie Rothman Fellowship for her short film, Make Me The Tennessee. She is a graduate of the Hartt School of Music; University of Hartford, and a long time student of acting coach Larry Moss. Some of Sasha’s most notable credits include: Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (Produced by Lily Tomlin & Jane Wagner), The Bands Visit (MTC Creative Center), and Gilmore Girls (Directed by Amy Sherman-Palladino)