Hartford Native, Mikhail Buchanan has made a career as both a writer and producer for film and television. Falling in love with the craft of filming during his time in Los Angeles, he has gone on to be apart of dozens of projects both in front and behind the camera.

Lynnette Elizabeth Johnson is a daughter of the Most High God and an artist.  Born to Albert and Willette, sister to Lauren, mother to the amazing Elliott Enzi. Raised in Wilbraham, MA, shaped and molded at Morgan State University and reinvented on stage. Lynnette is a love-poet, actor, dancer, author, workshop facilitator, speaker, coach and taco connoisseur. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. She believes her life work is to love on Black folks ferociously and to help women realize, access and utilize their beauty and power. You can experience more of Lynnette’s voice in her four collections of poetry. 

Elliott is a passionate and expressive pre-teen- foodie. His favorite subjects are math and history. When he is not in school he enjoys listening to music, anime, gaming with friends, reviewing movies, spending time with his grandparents and making his mother laugh. E, as he is affectionately called, is an aspiring performer.  He has shared the stage with his mom and you may have seen his face on a board game. E looks forward to more opportunities to perform. 

Roodley Merilo is a 20-year-old poet from New London, CT, who began his poetry career in 2021. Since then, he has been featured on Fox 61 News, was The Word New Haven’s 2022 Youth Slam Champion, and won a spot on CT’s youth slam team, going on to compete in the 2023 Brave New Voices competition in San Francisco. Roodley is more than a poet, he’s a storyteller and film student who intends to share those stories he’s most passionate about.

DANCER

Sanaa Butler is an eighth-grade student from Connecticut who is making waves in dance and theatre. With experience in productions like Mary Poppins and numerous dance recitals, Sanaa's now starring in her first solo dance piece, What If You Fly, which she choreographed herself.

VIOLINIST

Calida Jones began studying the piano at the age of 3 while attending Nursery School, and switched to violin at the age of 6 when she entered Thomas G. Pullen Performing Arts School in Landover, Maryland. In 2012, Calida was hired by the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra to design and implement the El Sistema inspired program “Bravo Waterbury!”. She continued her work in Waterbury until August of 2018. She is currently working with PROJECT MUSIC out of Stamford, Connecticut and she continues to consult with organizations all over the country.

PAINTER

Jasmine Nikole is an award-winning artist whose vivid, emotionally-charged paintings are more than just works of art—they are powerful stories of identity healing, and empowerment. Through her bold use of color and intimate portraits of Black women, Jasmine creates art that speaks to the deepest parts of the soul. Each piece serves as a reflection of the resilience, beauty, and complexity of the Black experience, inviting viewers to connect with their own truths and heal from the societal limitations they’ve been forced to endure.

PRODUCER

Kimolee Eryn is a multidisciplinary artist turned producer. As a high school student, Kimolee’s art class self-portrait was displayed in the Wadsworth Atheneum by way of the Hartford Youth Art Renaissance program. Seventeen years later, she returns with a project that brings more young Black artists into the fold of occupying fine art spaces.

DIRECTOR | CINEMATOGRAPHER

Edwin Escobar is a self taught director and cinematographer based in Connecticut. He has been offering video production services to developing artists of all mediums and small businesses since 2009. Edwin has worked in over a dozen short films including 3 original award winning projects. Escobar’s passion for travel has been an asset in assisting and directing projects all over the country and the Caribbean.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Ike Abakah Is a Ghanaian-American cinematographer, photographer, and visual artist whose work both celebrates and explores Black Identity. Ike uses a variety of visual elements to bring stories to life, allowing them a home. His style, though wide In range, has vivid depth with an elegant finish with visuals speaking for times long gone, the present, and times to come. Abakah’s work has been featured by Google, The New York Times, Business Insider, Revolt TV, DJ Booth, Mary Magazine, and The Stages of New York Fashion Week.