Who We Are

Tonia Kempler is a multi-hyphenate Producer/Director/Screenwriter, who splits her time between Vermont and New York, though her roots run deep in a rural south still steeped in the occult traditions of the Gullah Geechee and the animism of the Cherokees. Surrounded and empowered by the lore and practices of these mystical cultures, Tonia leans toward macabre worlds with isolated, damaged, yet capable and empathic female leads. This personal connection drives her concentration on supernatural horror/thrillers, and dark comedies, including features, pilots, shorts, web series, podcasts, and graphic novels.

Her approach to storytelling and understanding audience engagement is fortified by a career in the Music Industry, including concert production and managing Grammy-Award-Winning producers, engineers, and songwriters. “No Scrubs” for TLC and “Survivor” for Destiny’s Child are among over 100 Billboard Chart Topping songs created by her previous clients.

Tonia is the Founder of Bellem Entertainment, a full-service entertainment company with a stable of award-winning Filmmakers and Screenwriters delivering content in all formats across all genres. Bellem Entertainment’s production company specializes in world-building and character development. Current projects include an Unscripted Docu-Reality TV Series and a Coming-of-Age Thriller in pre-production. Radar Pictures and Buffalo 8 has joined Bellem Entertainment with their Found Footage Horror Feature The Leatherface Lady.

Tonia’s accomplishments include over 200 awards, including a Top 10% Academy Nicholl’s script, Top 1% on Coverfly, inclusion in Gotham Week and SundanceLabs/ Collabs, a No. 1 best-selling comic, multi-award winning short films, placement in Stowe’s TV Writer’s Room/Producer Lab, Cinestory, Page Awards, Austin Film Festival, and the ScreenCraft Fellowship among others. 

Bellem Entertainment sponsors fellowships for both Stowe Story Labs Vermont Retreat and Cinestory’s Television Retreat. 

Tonia is a member of the Vine Global Impact, Film Fatale, Women In Film, The Female Screenwriter's Intiative, Gotham, and more.

In addition, Tonia spearheads the Diversity Scholarship for Roadmap Writers. She is an inspired Top Tier Roadmap Writer and a 51/50 international workshop member with the Academy of Film Writing.

She is an industry script reader for the Austin Film Festival, Stowe Story Labs, and Cinestory, among others. 

Tonia is currently organizing a film festival in Rutland, Vermont.

Bulent is a consultant for Renegade (Discovery Survival Unscripted Series) and has a first-look deal with The Discovery Network.

Bulent immigrated to the US in 1997 when he was 21. Shortly after, he joined the United States Army and served on two tours to Iraq.

Bulent became a Border Patrol Agent 2006 and a Customs Officer in 2008. He served 11 years under Customs & Border Protection as a federal agent.

In 2018, he joined the cast of Naked & Afraid and has 5 challenges and 24 episodes with the Discovery Channel.

In 2020, he wrote and shot his first award-winning action short and joined Tonia Kempler with Bellem Entertainment in 2020. 

Projects are genre agnostic, spanning everything from action to horror and Rom-Coms to thrillers. Their portfolio includes shorts, features, episodic series, unscripted reality shows, web series, graphic novels, and podcasts.

Bulent has shot and completed several award-winning short films and an unscripted reality pilot. His work is currently making the rounds in the festival circuit.

Bulent's scripts are influenced by his own life experiences: from being very poor in a third-world country, immigrating to a new country with a new culture and new language, his experience as a US soldier in another third-world country, and his journey through immigration, enforcing immigration law and fighting with human traffickers and drug cartels.

Many of his projects focus on real-life events and land in the action/drama genre.

Cleveland native and best-selling  author,  producer, and screenwriter, James Moorer, is an unflinching  storyteller who writes dark character-driven horror and thrillers. His  novel, TWO FOR THE PAIN: An Eddie Gideon Mystery, is an Amazon  Best-Seller. He co- produced the award winning short, IN THE DEATHROOM  based on a Stephen King story and produced and directed an episode of  the series THE EMERGENT LENS, now being shopped. Recently, James was  hired to pen an indie horror film while working on his next novel.  He  is a member of the Organization of Black Screenwriters and just accepted  membership into the Independent Writers Caucus (IWC). James also serves  as Director of Outreach and Diversity Initiatives at Roadmap Writers,  helping writers gain representation. He is also the owner of Dark Anthem  Press, a division of One Moorer, an independent multimedia company. 

James lives in the San Fernando Valley with his wife, Venita and known for his passion

Jana Zinser writes stories about people fighting against all odds. 

Versed in both TV, features, and books, her background is in politics, public policy, and the media.

She was chosen to participate in the Stowe Story Labs in 2021.

She is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire School of Law and received her Masters in Journalism from the University of Iowa.

Some of her past work includes serving as Chief of Staff to the Senate Majority Leader in Iowa, Program Principal at the National Conference of State Legislators, Press Secretary to a Congressman in Washington, DC, and Communications for The Children’s Diabetes Foundation.

Her historical fiction book THE CHILDREN’S TRAIN: Escape on the Kindertransport won Silver in the Benjamin Franklin Awards and first place in the 2016 CIPA EVVY Awards. Her most recent book FLY LIKE A BIRD was awarded second place for multicultural fiction and third place for

women’s fiction in the 2020 CIPA EVVY Awards.

"Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly." Langston Hughes, an American poet, novelist, and social activist (1901-1967).

Website:   https://janazinser.com  

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/jjzinser
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/JanaZinser
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janazinser/
FLY LIKE A BIRD:  https://www.amazon.com/Fly-Like-Bird-Jana-Zinser/dp/1945448245
THE CHILDREN'S TRAIN:  https://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Train-Jana-Zinser/dp/1939371856 

Tony  Ferrendelli is a Colorado native who sporadically relocates to Southern  California because it doesn’t snow. There are more reasons but this is  the short version.
 

His earliest writing memory was...blah, blah, blah. 

His  background is comedy and there’s a strong humorous element that leans  toward sarcastic or observational present in his writing. His stories  are largely character-driven and include people uncomfortable with  themselves who must change to move forward.

With a strong comedic background, Tony is equally versed in developing and delivering a strong dramatic story.

Much  to the dismay of his 4th grade English teacher, and Mom, he can’t conjugate a sentence to save his life. Luckily for him, screenwriting  allows a little leeway in that area. 

Tony’s  screenplays (features, pilots and shorts) have won or placed in  multiple screenplay competitions including a Top 50 placement with  Academy Nicholl Fellowships and a Finalist as Austin Film Festival.

As  an award-winning writer and director in the Sci-fi, Thriller  and Horror  categories, Nicole Eilers brings a distinctive worldview  born of her  experience growing up in numerous European and US cities as  part of a  multi-cultural military family. Bringing humanity and  personal stories  to genre films with a visual sensibility born of her  work in photography  and music, she fuses hard science with singular  characters that show us  a world full of perils and rewards.

Gia recently escaped from the armpit of Arizona and has settled in   Koreatown, Los Angeles. Gia won the 2019 WAN Fellowship and reached  the  PAGE Awards quarterfinals. She is a former Military Intelligence   professional, holding 2 MI Military Occupational Specialties, which   inspired her to research, write, direct, and produce the documentary   Women of War, which was accepted into the 2012 San Diego FIlm Festival.   She is the creative director of the upcoming horror video game,  Colony,  and was a professional Tarot card reader. She serves on Roadmap  Writer's  Diversity Steering Committee and is currently learning  Korean. Gia  loves Asian action films and TV shows, and her goal is to  work within  that genre.

Eamonn  Cogan is a neurodivergent  Writer/Director from Chicago, Illinois, and  after seeing Jurassic Park  26 times in the theater at five years old, he  knew he had to make  movies.
 

He   graduated from Drake University's School of Journalism & Mass   Communication with a Radio and Television Producing degree. At Drake,  he  was a Linebacker on their Division 1-AA Football team. He applied  his  love for film to his senior thesis project, BEYOND THE BLUE LINE, a   short Documentary on which he was a Producer and Lead Videographer.
 

BEYOND   THE BLUE LINE won 2 Silver Communicators, a Bronze Telly, and the  Upper  Midwest Regional Student Award of Excellence from the National  Academy  of Television Arts & Sciences.
 

After   Drake, he began writing and directing. His second short film, THE  RULES  OF LUCK, was invited to screen as part of the HollyShorts  Screening  Series at the TCL Chinese Theatre. You can watch THE RULES OF  LUCK here: https://vimeo.com/133103980
 

Eamonn's   screenplays have done well in competition, including but not limited  to  a Finalist and two Semi-finalists at the Austin Film Festival   Screenplay Competition and a Finalist in the Page Awards.

Tequoia   Urbina's love for storytelling drives every project that she takes on.   She is a creative professional with extensive experience spanning over   25 years. 

Her   journey in film began in the 6th grade, and matriculated through film   programs into college. Her love for film inspired her to create her   production company, Magnolia Tree Productions.  

Dedicated   to perpetual growth, Tequoia has invested years into learning every   facet of the production process, cultivating proficiency in diverse   disciplines such as screenwriting, development, directing, lighting and   sound design, and video editing.

Presently, she stands at the helm as writer, producer, and director of the complex Horror Noir film, "The Deacon," currently   in its development phase. Beyond this, she orchestrates a symphony of   creativity with a slate of projects in various stages of development,   including "Rooted," "Bi," "Dive into the Dark," "Billy," "La Garita," "Sandfly Trap," "The Sojourner," and "Freebooter Republic," building an eclectic legacy of storytelling and directing. 

Tequoia 's past directorial work encompasses an array of thought-provoking projects that have garnered recognition and acclaim.

"Gehenna," is  an intricate drama that spotlights the horrors of child sex   trafficking. The story follows a day in the life of a teenage girl   trapped in a web of fear. This short film won Best Female Director and   Best Narrative awards from Venice Shorts, Best Drama and Best Female   Director from the International Shorts Award, and Semi-Finalist at   Flicker Rhode Island Film Festival.

"The Hard Pass,"   a sci-fi short, is about a mother who will do anything to protect her   child from dangers seen and unseen. The story tackles the existential   theme of fear of the unknown and the universal theme of corruption.  This  film won Best Short Film at the Atlanta International Film  Festival and  three official selections. 

Tequoia   is an advocate for women and BIPOC creatives in the film community.  She  understands there is a lack of diversity in the film and TV  industry  and does her part to promote more women and BIPOC individuals  in front  of and behind the camera. She is a dedicated board member of  the  Pembroke Taparelli Arts and Film Festival who supports artivists   (activist artists) on an international stage. She is also a founding   member of The Black Entertainment Economic Council based in Atlanta,  GA.  This advocacy organization fights for the rights and respect of  Black  film industry professionals in the state. Other organizations  that she  volunteers her time with are Women of Color Unite, Women in  Film and  Television Atlanta, Film Fatale, and Alliance of Women  Directors. 

In   addition to her advocacy and volunteerism, Tequoia donates her time   teaching screenwriting to adults and youth. She occasionally holds   workshops with the Atlanta School of Photography for students wishing  to  learn proper formatting and fundamentals of scriptwriting. She also   works with elementary video production students through the non-profit   Kids Video Connection program. 

Tequoia   has several upcoming projects that she is excited to complete in the   upcoming year. Through her collaboration with Blue Bistro Creative her   work will be included in the Urban Expressionism collection and a   feature titled The Deacon. 

Tequoia isn't afraid of hard work and strives daily to leave a positive legacy for her children and community. 

KOVAS is a Sonic Story Teller. He is a multi-award-winning composer, songwriter, producer, & performer with a Clio Award in Advertising and an MTV VMA Award in his collection. 

 KOVAS has his finger on the pulse of culture and deep knowledge of music history and trends. He creates musical landscapes that resonate with directors, showrunners, music supervisors, and the general public at large.  

He has produced and remixed for some of the biggest names in music including, Justin Timberlake, Usher, De La Soul, Chris Brown & MIA. 

As a recording artist, KOVAS has had his own material featured in some big films and TV shows including, Glee, America Dad, and Oscar-nominated film “Captain Phillips” starring Tom Hanks and “22 Jump Street”. As well as top-selling video games EA Sports “Madden NFL” & “Saintʼs Row IV” 

As a composer, he has created the music for several television ad campaigns including 3 for Covergirl, which starred Queen Latifah, Drew Barrymore, and the holiday campaign with Pink, Janella Monae & Sofia Vergara. He also scored the opening music to Taylor Swiftʼs MTV VMA award-winning music video “I Knew You Were Trouble” 

3X   Grammy award-winning producer, turned filmmaker and Influencer Agent,   representing talent with more than 90+ million followers.

The Opez group provides production and creative services in film,  television, interactive medium, websites, and corporate video. Passion  leads to creative design, design leads to performance, performance leads to success.

"Our creative crew & technical  staff will assist in transforming your vision into reality. Together  we‘ll bring your project to a successful completion." 

2x Oscar Nominated Director

With hits around the world, XOXO is so much more than a traditional  Record Label. Vertically integrated within a plethora of streams, XOXO  is infamous for paving the way to create innovative ways for our  Artists, clients, and company to monetize far beyond the music.  Everything starts with a hit song, however once our songs climb up the  charts, we are always poised for multiple synergistic partnerships and  endorsements that reach far beyond the entertainment world. It is this  forward-thinking mentality that keeps XOXO one of the most respected  companies in the world.

Born out of necessity, our President, Adam H. Hurstfield, launched  XOXO to reinvent the wheel of an ever-changing industry. With the help  of Believe Music, XOXO was created as a “think outside of the box”  cutting edge hit factory.

With mega-hits around the world, Adam H. Hurstfield’s credits  include; Ray J, Ne-Yo, Elise Estrada, George Clinton, Loverboy, Def  Leppard, DJ Khaled, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, T-Pain, & Rick Ross. As  well, Adam H. has written and/or Produced for many international  superstars including Girls Generation, Super Junior, BoA, Ly Hyori,  TVXQ, Mihiro, Ayda Jebat, James Reid, & Sarah Geronimo, for which  they landed as the #1 record of the year in SE Asia and has gone on to  win 17+ Awards around the world including Asia’s Grammy equivalent for  “Album Of The Year”.

With feet on the ground in several countries around the world, Adam  H. Hurstfield was one of the first international Producers to land in  Korea and predict the enormity of Kpop’s potential, which now leads the  world in music trends and success. Originally teaming up with SM  Entertainment for music, and CJ Entertainment on the film side, Adam H.  Hurstfield’s vision has always had a knack for pioneering emerging  markets. It is this instinctual belief system that has found XOXO  teaming up with many of the largest Record Labels and Entertainment  conglomerates in the world, including eOne which was recently purchased  by Hasbro for US$4 Billion Dollars, as well as the powerhouse Viva  Records in The Philippines, which has become a multi-billion dollar  private company with tentacles across music, management, film,  television, radio, and now food & beverage.

XOXO’s mantra is all about collaboration, innovation, and  globalization, and with a keen eye on continuous new initiatives, XOXO  thrives on challenge. From inception to success, XOXO has grown from a  boutique Universal Music distributed Record Label, to Film, Television  and beyond, all the while staying true to our core values of kindness,  family, and a deep love for the music.

Steve is an experienced writer director and  producer who has worked on film projects in New York, Los Angeles,  Brazil, as well as various European countries. His self financed film,  Manhattan Minutiae, which he also wrote, directed, produced, and edited,  showed at various festivals as well as Cannes and AFM Film markets. He  currently is in pre-production on the Feature Film, Landlocked, which he  wrote and will direct and is schedule for a Spring 2012 start date.

His  background in Finance and venture capital in New York coupled with his  diverse production work experience gives him balanced insight into both  the creative and monetary aspects of the film making process. In  addition, Steve has attended film festivals and their associated sales  market functions all over the world which has given him invaluable  exposure to the challenges of distribution in the ever evolving world of  new media opportunities. Steve holds an Undergrad degree in Business  from Syracuse and a Masters in Real Estate Investment Analysis from NYU  as well as post graduate work in Film at the New School in screenwriting  & Production. His first job out of college was for CBS Television  in the Sports Division where he worked in Finance during the day and in  production nights and weekends, both in studio and on location at game  sites. Steve is also a lapsed stand-up comic and accomplished sketch  writer.

Steve’s production company, Blue Carioca Entertainment,  which is based in New York but has a presence in Rio De Janiero and Los  Angeles, has produced, financed, and distributed projects both  domestically and internationally while providing financial consulting  services to other producers and distributors.

His driving goal is to write and direct a film on every continent.

Specialties: Film and Video Production, Film Finance, Writing Screenplays, Directing Actors

Al Finocchio comes to screenwriting from freelance technical writing for science publishers and biotech & pharmaceutical companies. He recently turned his creative pastime of screenwriting into a dedicated pursuit, and in the last couple of years has written and co-written several scripts that have been recognized on the contest and festival circuits.

Al usually writes in the crime and action genres, often with a dark comedy flavor. His stories are typically populated with colorful misfits not always aware of the absurdities of their universe. Both Al and his characters reside at the beach in the fictional state of Southern California.

Kristen  McNaule is a screenwriter and  filmmaker from Ottawa, Canada. Her  interest in International Development  has taken her to Sierra Leone to  produce a documentary about youth  entrepreneurship in post-conflict  reconstruction and peacebuilding. She  believes in cinema as a way to  shed light on mental illness, civil  rights, and other important social  issues. In 2018, her feature script  “Alphabet City” was a semi-finalist  in Austin Film Festival’s  prestigious script competition. Her short  films have been official  selection at several international film  festivals, including “From  Sarajevo” which was also acquired for  broadcast by CBC. 

Julianne Wargren is CEO of Madde House Productions and Director of Top Tier Programs for Roadmap Writers. She holds a Master of Letters (MFA Summa Cum Laude equivalent) from Sydney University and was President of the Writer’s Society and Managing Editor of the USyd Writer’s Journal PHOENIX.

She currently has several projects in development, including a Christmas feature with Nancy Cartwright (The Simpsons), Callan McAuliffe (The Walking Dead), and Kath Soucie (Rugrats) attached. In addition, she has optioned a live-action family feature, a mobile game, and a drama TV series and has co-written and produced an award-winning web series. She recently collaborated with Bohemia Originals to adapt a comic book into a feature film.

Julianne loves to write stories that challenge people to question the limits of their perspectives. Her desire is for her audience to come away changed – even if only for a moment.

When not writing, Julianne enjoys life in sunny Sydney with her husband, bunnies, and a never-ending procession of wild birds who drop by each day to visit. Julianne is represented by Brandon Drea at Paper Plane Entertainment.

SHANNON FORTH DAVIES is senior partner and trial  lawyer in Oklahoma. She published her first novel a decade ago and has  since turned her creative skills to screenwriting. Shannon’s  achievements include writing a pilot for Jesse Murphy (formerly the  creative executive at Marlon Wayans’ production company and founder of  Jesse James Films). She also created the award winning web series  ForniCakes (see www.fornicakes.com).

Shannon is an alumnus of the Stowe Story Labs and her screenplays have been  finalists in several notable screenwriting competitions including Final  Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest.Most recently her gritty TV pilot  Ashes and Bone was a finalist in the Script2Comic screenwriting contest.

Shannon draws from her real-life experiences to write dark thrillers,  psychological  horror and dramas in both the TV and Feature space. She  also enjoys dabbling in comedy, to lighten the mood.

Shannon is not litigating or writing; she loves taking runs through the streets of Oklahoma City with her giant poodle #HappyHank.