DARE: Dream, Act, Risk, Embrace
SARA ELIZABETH TIMMINS
Sara Elizabeth Timmins is a savvy businessperson and producer whose gift for relationship and community building sets her movies apart. In 2008, she established Life Out Loud Films to balance business and art to create quality, inspiring, impactful films and champion women. Her tenacity and drive first made an impression with the success of LAKE EFFECTS (Jane Seymour), on the Hallmark Channel and she co-produced/line-produced the feature COMING THROUGH THE RYE with Chris Cooper as legendary J.D Salinger, WISH YOU WELL, based on the novel by New York Times best-selling author David Baldacci (Ellen Burstyn, Josh Lucas and Mackenzie Foy). She is currently in development on several films and field produced McMillions for Mark Wahlberg’s company and HBO premiering at Sundance 2020. She also works as a consultant for both films and filmmakers and has produced national commercial campaigns for companies like Meyer Natural Foods & Laura’s Lean.
Before starting her own company, Sara Elizabeth spent 8 years as a freelance producer in LA after the production team of TATTERED ANGEL (Lynda Carter) witnessed her strong leadership skills and talent to think creatively and outside the box and offered her her first job behind the camera...as a Producer. Sara Elizabeth believes she has a responsibility through film to spark conversations, that inspire action, that ignite change and remains dedicated to encouraging the work of talented writers and championing female leaders behind the camera while providing strong female roles on camera.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Xavier University and relocated to Los Angeles to follow her passion before making Southwest Virginia and then Atlanta her home. She also worked as a motivational speaker professionally for 10 years.
Associations: Member of Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, SAG, both PGA & DGA eligible, National Association of Professional Women, and Alliance of Woman in media, Virginia Production Alliance
Honors: Qualified Independent Producer for NBCUniversal/IFTAInductee First Lady's Commonwealth of Opportunity Hall of Fame 2011 for impact in Economic Development through filmmaking in Virginia; Winner of Regional Advocate Award 2011: Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce; Nominee Roanoke Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce Small business Award 2011;
BRI KAISEN
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Bri Kaisen started her career as a Graphic Designer curating beautifully designed flyers, brochures, and handouts. After graduating from James Madison University, she became a Web Designer and Developer. Now, she’s a filmmaker, screenwriter, and website developer. She’s a jack of all trades when it comes to business branding and marketing. Every website has a story to tell and Kaisen loves helping a brand tell their story. Bri Kaisen has been a professional Web Designer & Developer for the past 5 years with a focus on user experience. She has designed and developed large e-commerce sites for Google, Uber, Cisco, PwC, and Verizon.
Bri is an award winning screenwriter and filmmaker and is currently pursuing her MFA in Screenwriting from Hollins University. When she’s not writing, she loves working on production sets in various capacities.
She received her BS in Digital Media and Cinema from James Madison University. Kaisen aspires to write for a comedic television show one day or direct her own writings.
SOFIA COLANGELO
Sofia Colangelo is a passionate filmmaker with a Master's Degree in Social Justice Documentary, Communication, and Video Production from Villanova University, where she also minored in Italian. Her deep love for storytelling in all its forms is evident in her work, where she enjoys working on every aspect of production, from scriptwriting and directing to editing and production management. Her main desire is to help create expressive visual art that resonates with diverse audiences, a dedication she brings to every project.
Sofia's passion project is researching the story of old Italian villages slowly dying, exploring how to preserve their rich histories through film. As a budding entrepreneur, she founded a freelance production company focusing on documentaries addressing critical social issues. Her work has been showcased at film festivals and conferences, receiving widespread praise. She is currently refining a movie script that can be described as a blend of "Jane Austen meets Luigi Pirandello meets John Grisham" type story, which has qualified as a finalist in the New York International Screenwriting Festival.
Sofia thrives on collaboration with like-minded individuals and enjoys building strong, creative teams. Overcoming learning disabilities through hard work and resilience, she achieved academic excellence and received several awards for both academics and creativity. Bilingual in English and Italian and proficient in French, Sofia grew up in the US, Canada, and Italy, which has contributed to her cultural awareness and love for working in diverse environments. With big dreams and a commitment to taking small, meaningful steps, Sofia continues to pursue her passion for impactful filmmaking while indulging in her love for black-and-white Italian Neorealism films.
MEL HERNANDEZ
Mel is a passionate marketing professional with a strong foundation in film and video. Her experience spans both nonprofit and studio settings. At Refresh Bolivia, she has leveraged her skills in editing, production, and social media to create impactful campaigns. Currently, as a studio representative for major film studios, she stays updated on industry trends and networks with industry professionals. She is eager to apply her creative and strategic abilities to drive impactful results.
KYRA HERON
Kyra Heron is a recent graduate of Savannah College of Arts and Design (SCAD) with a focus in production management. She produced the feature film Happy People, currently streaming on Amazon Prime, and SCAD’s first multi-camera late-night talk show, Too Late with Andrew Badami. Kyra had the honor of presenting the Virtuoso Director Award to Ava DuVernay at the 2023 Savannah Film Festival and has led teams on a variety of short films, ranging from 10 to 80 people. She also worked as the first assistant director for SCAD’s multi-camera sitcom Tours and Attractions, demonstrating her versatile leadership in the film industry.