Akram spent his summers in Damascus as a child, cultivating a deep passion for storytelling—one that now defines his award-winning work across documentary and narrative cinema. A Sundance Building Bridges Fellow, Akram’s films explore themes of family, understanding, and the reluctant heroes who shape our world.

His work in public media has earned him a Webby Award (Brave Spaces), a Telly Award, and an Emmy Award (Compact History), while his independent documentaries have resonated with audiences from Jakarta to London. With an MFA in Screenwriting from DePaul University and hands-on experience in major motion pictures, he is a maverick storyteller pushing boundaries in cinema. Akram is the founder of True Intent Productions, with a mission to serve humanity through enlightening entertainment.

Sara (she/her) is a Korean adoptee based in Providence, RI. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Acting at Brown University. Sara is the producer of the feature-length documentary Thank You for Thinking of Me and is directing/producing a personal documentary feature film on her Korean adoption. She has produced and starred in films with Queens Bird Films and is a frequent collaborator with True Intent Productions, embracing their mission to serve humanity through enlightening entertainment. In 2024, Sara was selected as a participant in the Justice Film Festival/UnRival Network’s Film Lab.

In addition to her roles as Senior Producer for BBC News Arabic and the founder of Mediadante, Rosie produced the Emmy-nominated THE WORKERS CUP that premiered on the opening night of Sundance in 2017. She also produced the International Emmy-award winning film ESCAPE FROM ISIS/ESCAPING ISIS and is the author of the award-winning book HOW TO AVOID BEING KILLED IN A WAR ZONE, published by Bloomsbury in 2011.

b.1994) is a Vietnamese filmmaker residing in Chicago, IL. Linh's works include both fiction and documentary films, where she explores memories of childhood, female relationships and her own journey reckoning with her identity as an Asian immigrant. Linh's short films have screened at various film festivals, including Chicago International Film Festival, Athens International Film+Video Festival, Dublin International Film Festival and Indy Shorts. Her debut feature film Waiting for the Light to Change took the Narrative Grand Jury Prize at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival. Linh is currently developing her second feature I Can't Sleep Here Tonight with the Chicago Industry Exchange Lab.

Jacob is an American-born, Kuwait-raised filmmaker and video editor with a BA in TV and Radio from the Gulf University for Science and Technology. After moving to Chicago, he worked at True Intent Productions, gaining experience in documentary filmmaking under award-winning Syrian-American director Akram Shibly. Jacob has edited videos for Hollywood award shows and short-form biopics featuring notable figures like Jamal Khashoggi, Medhi Hassan, Halima Aden, Katie Couric, and Zoe Lofgren.

Abdul-Alim Mubarak-Rowe is a communications advisor, journalist, community activist and educator. He is the former Communications Director for the New Jersey Chapter of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), serving as spokesperson to news media and to the public. Currently he serves in an advisory capacity on the board’s chapter. He developed content for the organization’s newsletter, website and press releases. He was CAIR-NJ’s liaison to the New Jersey Congressional delegation, representing voices of the state’s diverse Muslim population. He conducted workshops on political empowerment and civic engagement. With 30 years of experience in television broadcasting, including at CNN, he has also worked as an editor, cameraman, and producer. In addition to his professional career, Mubarak-Rowe teaches religious history and comparative religion at churches and synagogues across New Jersey. He lives in Maplewood, NJ, with his wife and two daughters.

Elijah Hooks, also known by ElijahThinkalot, is an American audio engineer and music producer from Buffalo, New York. His career began as a teenager, working alongside his father’s company Unity Productions in marketing and concert promotions. The company teamed up with Russell Simmons’ Def Comedy Jam and became the official promoters for Western New York and Canada. During that period, Elijah worked with All-Star comedians such as Kevin Hart, Mike Epps, DL Hughley, and many more.

The comedy and music worlds are closely interwoven and shortly after, Elijah started booking Hip Hop and R&B acts such as Notorious B.I.G., Das EFX, Nas, and Common, just to name a few. In 2010, he co-founded ThinkAlot Recording Studios and began working with local artists and teaching music programs in several schools and community organizations. In 2014, his production helped land a recording contract for Quadir Lateef with the infamous Ruff Ryders label, with Quadir touring through 2016 with flagship artist DMX.

After much consideration, Thinkalot Recording Studios decided to close its doors and Elijah was welcomed into the GCR Audio family. Since then, he has worked with many prominent recording artists, most notably Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, A Boogie wit da Hoodie and Buffalo’s own Griselda Records: Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, and Benny the Butcher. Elijah Hooks is a staple in the local music community providing world class audio engineering and production to up and coming talent. 

Tay is a Black biracial actor and filmmaker. Their work centers intersectionality and conscious conversation, with an attention to cultivating spaces for cathartic joy and play! Brown/Trinity Rep MFA ‘25. For more, www.taybass.com or @TayBass.

Taylor is a writer, filmmaker, and healing arts practitioner based in Chicago. Taylor’s written and visual work has been featured in HuffPost, ForHarriet, and Rootwork Journal, and has been recognized by The Caucus Foundation and the Albert P. Weisman Award at Columbia College Chicago.

Anne served as producer on the Emmy-nominated THE WORKERS CUP that premiered on the opening night of Sundance in 2017. She worked as a producer on REPRESENT, a film made in collaboration with Kartemquin Films, and is the writer and creator of THE EXCHANGE, a six-episodeArabic language series for Netflix, which is currently in production.

An award winning director/producer duo, Queen Muhammad Ali and Hakeem Khaaliq’s stunning list of collaborators includes pop legend Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, T.I. and Kobe Bryant. After years producing for mainstream television, their independent cinema now emphasizes visual anthropology mixed with hip hop activism.

Keyon Monté is a theatrical designer, concept artist, and playwright from Kansas City, with a BA in Costume Design from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He has illustrated for rennowned costume designers, including Tony Award winner Paul Tazewell on Death Becomes Her and Queen Jean on CATS: The Jellicle Ball at The PAC NYC. His work also inclides advertising for A Strange Loop, Six, and Hadestown, and key art for The New Group and National Black Theatre.

He is currently collaborating with Princeton University and working on a visual accompaniment to the complete works of Pulitzer Price winner James Ijames. His playwriting, sparked by his one-act QUEEN developed in Italy, centers on Black and Brown perspectives. His three-act play N** HEAVEN, inspired by a 1943 photograph, will continue development in 2025. Through his work, Keyon explores culture and dialogue illuminating the human experience.

Mustafa Hussain (b.1994) is a South Asian Muslim American photojournalist and commercial photographer currently based in Chicago. His journalistic work focuses on injustices and trauma in marginalized communities, and has covered the aftermath of mass shootings, HIV outbreaks in Pakistan, and the lives of refugees in the U.S.

In his commercial work, Mustafa has a reputation for efficiently bringing creative ideas from inception to execution. He is currently open to working on more people-centric projects that emphasize storytelling and community.