CREW BIOGRAPHIES

WRITER AND DIRECTOR NIA DACOSTA

Nia DaCosta is a writer and director based in New York City. She has written and directed projects for stage, film and new media platforms. DaCosta, and her feature project, LITTLE WOODS, has been supported by the Sundance Institute, the New York Film Festival Artist Academy, the San Francisco Film Society and the Time Warner Foundation. LITTLE WOODS, which stars Tessa Thompson and Lily James, is her first feature film.

 

PRODUCER RACHAEL FUNG

Rachael Fung is an Australian and US based producer whose work includes Academy Award- winning THE GREAT GATSBY, Netflix series THE GET DOWN and KIMCHI which premiered at SXSW 2018. Commercially, she has worked with clients including Chanel, Prada, Tiffany & Co, Jason Wu, Cadillac and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Pepsi Co. Rachael has also been a long time collaborator of Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin’s, serving as their project manager and producer for several years. Rachael took part in a residency at San Francisco Film as part of a grant she received for the feature LITTLE WOODS and is currently producing David Raboy’s debut feature, THE GIANT.

 

PRODUCER GABRIELLE NADIG

Gabrielle Nadig is an award-winning producer at Beachside Films. (THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST, MORRIS FROM AMERICA). Gabrielle’s first feature film KING JACK premiered at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival where it took home the Narrative Audience Award and was called, “A stylish, sensitive coming-of-ager,” by Variety. KING JACK went on to win a Spirit Award in 2016 and is available on Netflix. Gabrielle’s short film LUCIA BEFORE AND AFTER won the Short Film Jury Award for US Fiction at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Another short film produced by Gabrielle, TORU, premiered in competition at 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by A24. Gabrielle’s latest film, LITTLE WOODS, starring Tessa Thompson and Lily James will be premiering in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival. She is also currently in post production on the feature-length comedy, WE ARE UNSATISFIED, starring Billy Crystal and Ben Schwartz. Gabrielle is a 2013 Sundance Creative Producing Fellow, and a 2016 “Women at Sundance” Fellow. Gabrielle joined the Beachside Films team in 2018 where she produces alongside Michael Clark and Alex Turtletaub.

 

CINEMATOGRAPHER MATT MITCHELL

Matt Mitchell is an award winning Director of Photography based out of Brooklyn NY. As cinematographer, Matt has lensed projects all over the globe, and has collaborated with some of the most exciting and talented filmmakers working in the film industry today.

His documentary REFUGEE, had it’s world premiere at the 43rd Annual Telluride Film Festival, and was accepted as an Official Selection at the 2016 Camerimage Film Festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland. It has also garnered Best Documentary wins at the 2017 Nashville, Amsterdam, Santa Barbara, and Fargo International Film Festivals. Matt also shot the film TORU which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and was produced and distributed by A24. Most recently, Matt finished principal photography on Nia DaCosta’s directorial debut, LITTLE WOODS, starring Tessa Thompson and Lily James. He is currently in pre production of his next feature film VILLAINS, and is shooting a feature length documentary in Delhi India about child slavery.

 

COMPOSER BRIAN MCOMBER

Brian McOmber is a composer, producer and percussionist whose background as a research scientist strongly influenced his experimental approach towards film scoring. He toured and recorded extensively with the band Dirty Projectors (2006-2012), and has collaborated with a variety of other recording artists including Alarm Will Sound, Björk, David Byrne, Deer Tick, Doudou N’Diaye Rose, Mira Calix, The Roots, Solange, and St. Vincent.

 

Since shifting his focus to film scoring in 2013, McOmber has written for narrative and documentary films that have premiered at Berlin, Cannes, Rotterdam, Sundance, SXSW, Tribeca and Venice. In 2016, Filmmaker Magazine named McOmber as one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film”. In 2017, his score for Trey Edward Shults’ KRISHA (A24) received numerous accolades, including an American Independent Film Award for “best score”. Recent film scores include the noir thriller THE STRANGE ONES (Vertical), horror/thriller IT COMES AT NIGHT (A24), the stranger than fiction documentary NUTS! (Amazon), and the science fiction short, TORU (A24).

 

COMPOSER MALCOLM PARSON

A native of New Orleans, cellist Malcolm Parson has been hailed as “the most creative cellist of his generation”. According to Grammy Award winner, Eugene Friesen, “He is that rare player with feet planted firmly in classical music and the music of our time while possessing perfect intonation, fluent technique and stylistic versatility.”

 

A longtime member of the grammy winning “Carolina Chocolate Drops,” Malcolm has also shared the stage with musicians and bands such as James Lauderdale, Marcus Mumford, Bela Fleck, Del McCoury, Old Crow Medicine Show, Ron Carter, Paquito D’Rivera, Patrice Rushen, Toshi Reagon, and Cyrus Chestnut, as well as collaborating with choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, Julia Gleich, and dance company Brooklyn Ballet.

 

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

OLLIE TESSA THOMPSON

Tessa Thompson is an acclaimed actress best known for her starring roles “Dear White People,” “Creed,” and “Thor Raganak.” In February 2018, Thompson starred opposite Natalie Portman in the sci-fi thriller, Annihilation for director Alex Garland and producer Scott Rudin. Oscar Isaac, Gina Rodriguez, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Sonoya Mizuno also star. The film was released on February 23rd and tells the story of a team of scientists who sign up for a dangerous expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don’t apply.

Prior to Annihilation, Thompson starred as fan favorite, ‘Valkyrie,’ in the third installment of the Thor franchise opposite Chris Hemsworth. Thor: Ragnarok was directed by Taika Waititi and also stars Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, and Mark Ruffalo. The film was released in November 2017.

Thompson will next be seen on indie title Little Woods, with Lily James. The film is a modern Western that tells the story of two sisters, Ollie (Thompson) and Deb (James), who are driven      to work outside the law to better their lives. The film will premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival on April 21st.

This Summer, Thompson will be seen in director Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You. The film was picked up by Megan Ellison’s Annapurna Pictures out of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The film tells the story of a black telemarketer who becomes successful when he discovers a way to make his voice sound like it is overdubbed by a white actor in a macabre, magical-realist Oakland. Armie Hammer, Lakeith Stanfield and Steven Yuen also star. The film will have a limited release on July 6, 2018 and a wide release on July 27, 2018.

Later this year, Thompson will begin production for Sony’s Men in Black reboot. Walter F. Parkes and Laurie MacDonald will produce, while Steven Spielberg is returning as executive producer. The film will feature new characters rather than Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith’s characters, Agents K and J, and will build on the contemporary sci-fi world in which they operated.

In 2015, Thompson appeared in the Warner Bros. Pictures and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Creed, from award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler (Black Panther). The film explored a new chapter in the “Rocky” story and stars Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone in his iconic role. Thompson starred as ‘Bianca,’ a local singer-songwriter who becomes involved with Adonis (Jordan). The film was released on November 25, 2015, and garnered critical acclaim and award accolades for the cast. The National Board of Review selected Creed as one of the “Top Films” of 2015. Thompson has been confirmed to return for the film’s sequel, which has a release date of November 21, 2018.

Thompson also stars in the Emmy nominated, hit HBO Drama Series Westworld which premiered on October 2, 2016. Described as a dark odyssey about the dawn of artificial consciousness and the future of sin, Westworld, from Jonathan Nolan and J.J. Abrams, is inspired by the 1973 feature from writer-director Michael Crichton. Thompson plays ‘Charlotte Hale,’ a mysterious and savvy provocateur with a unique perspective on Westworld. She joins Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden, Thandie Newton, and Jeffrey Wright. The series earned 22 Emmy nominations for its first season. The second season will premiere on April 22nd.

In the Spring of 2016, Thompson made her Off-Broadway debut in the Second Stage Theater production Lydia R. Diamond’s Smart People, appearing alongside a cast that also included Joshua Jackson, Mahershala Ali and Anne Son, for director Kenny Leon. Smart People ran from January 26th through March 6th.

Thompson portrayed the civil rights activist ‘Diane Nash’ in the Brad Pitt/Oprah Winfrey-produced film Selma. After its initial premiere at the American Film Institute Festival on November 11, 2014, the film had a wider theatrical release on January 9, 2015, and a commemorative re-release on March 20, 2015, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the historical march. It garnered nominations for “Best Picture” and awards for “Best Original Song” at both the Golden Globe and Academy Awards, and additional “Best Director” and “Best Actor” nominations at the Golden Globes.

Thompson also starred in the critically acclaimed 2014 film Dear White People. The Justin Simien independent satirical drama, which followed the lives of various black students at an American university, hit theaters on October 17, 2014, after its debut at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Thompson’s performance as ‘Samantha White’ landed her a Gotham Award for “Breakthrough Actor,” as well as a nomination for “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” for the 46th Annual NAACP Image Awards.

Thompson started her career at the young age of 18 with her professional debut playing ‘Juliet’ in Romeo and Juliet: Antebellum New Orleans 1836, for which she received a NAACP Image Award nomination. She then went on to her first feature film appearance as ‘Scarlet’ in the 2006 remake of the horror film When a Stranger Calls. Between 2008 and 2009, she also appeared in the films Make it Happen, The Human Contract, Periphery, Red & Blue Marbles, and Mississippi Damned– for which she was awarded a Grand Jury prize for “Best Actress.” Thompson’s other film credits include ‘Nyla/Purple’ in Tyler Perry’s film For Colored Girls, War on Everyone and Furlough.

Thompson’s television credits include ‘Jackie Cook’ on the second season of the hit drama Veronica Mars. ‘Sara Freeman’ on BBC’s first original scripted program Copper and guest roles as ‘Rebecca Taylor’ on the fourth season of the CW’s sci-fi drama Heroes; ‘Billie Ducette’ in CBS’s police series Cold Case; ‘Camille’ on ABC’s medical series Grey’s Anatomy; and ‘Nikki Barnes’ on the CW’s teen drama Hidden Palms. She has also appeared as a guest star in shows such as Life, Private Practice, Detroit 187, Rizzoli & Isles, Off the Map, and 666 Park Avenue.

Thompson currently splits her time between Los Angeles and New York.

 

DEB LILY JAMES

Lily James is one of the most in demand young British actresses working today. Since graduating from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in 2010, Lily has caught the industry’s imagination with performances across stage and screen with a succession of iconic roles such as ‘Cinderella’, ‘Natasha Rostova’ and ‘Juliet’. She is comfortable across all mediums, moving between film, theatre and television.

Lily will next star in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mike Newell’s adaptation of New York Times bestseller of the same name. The story is set in the aftermath of World War II and sees Lily in the role of journalist, ‘Juliet Ashton’, who forms a life-changing bond with the eccentric society when she decides to write about the book club.Guernsey will be released by Studio Canal (UK) on 20th April 2018.

She’ll then be seen in highly anticipated Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! alongside Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, Jeremy Irvine, Dominic Cooper, and Pierce Brosnan. Playing a ‘young Donna’, the sequel to the 2008 musical comedy Mamma Mia! is slated to be released on 20th July 2018 in the US and 27th July in the UK.

Lily also shot Indie flick Little Woods in Austin last year. The film is the directorial debut from Nia DaCosta, who also wrote the script. Lily and Tessa Thompson play sisters who are driven to work outside the law to better their lives. The film will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this month.

Lily is about to start filming Danny Boyle’s next project, tentatively titled All You Need Is Love and written by Richard Curtis. More details for this project are forthcoming.

Lily was most recently seen in the award-winning Winston Churchill drama Darkest Hour, which saw Gary Oldman taking on the role of ‘Churchill’. The drama was directed by Joe Wright (Atonement), written by Anthony McCarten (The Theory of Everything) and produced by Working Title. Lily played the Prime Minister’s personal secretary ‘Elizabeth Nel’ opposite Oldman, Ben Mendelsohn and Kristin Scott Thomas. The film was released late last year. Last June also saw Lily star in Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver, where she played the role of ‘Deborah’, girlfriend of music loving getaway driver ‘Baby,’ played by Ansel Elgort. The heist movie with a twist also stared Jamie Foxx and Jon Hamm.

2016 was a fantastic year for Lily with a variety of roles marking her versatility. Lily took on the much heralded role of ‘Natasha Rostova’ in War & Peace (BBC) for which she received glowing reviews, with The Hollywood Reporter remarking of her performance; “James takes Natasha believably from nervous teen to radiant young adult”. Lily was then seen in Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, the quirky re-imagining of Austen’s classic. Lily played ‘Elizabeth Bennett’ opposite a stellar cast of young British actors including Douglas Booth, Matt Smith and Sam Riley. In theatre Lily took on the role of ‘Juliet’ opposite Richard Madden as ‘Romero’, in Kenneth Branagh’s acclaimed staging of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy Romeo & Juliet.

Lily’s breakout film role was in Disney’s award-winning worldwide hit Cinderella, directed by Kenneth Branagh. Lily was praised for her magical turn as the Disney icon. The cast included Cate Blanchette as the evil ‘Stepmother’ and Richard Madden as the ‘Prince’.

In 2012, Lily joined the cast of Golden Globe and BAFTA winning period drama Downtown Abbey, in which she played the mischievous ‘Lady Rose’ for 3 series. Other notable films include Wrath of the Titans – starring Sam Worthington, Rosamund Pike, Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes; Burnt, starring alongside Sienna Miller and Bradley Cooper and the Noel Clarke’ penned sports drama Fast Girls.

On graduating from drama school, Lily cut her teeth on stage. Most notably in the leading role of ‘Taylor’ in the Olivier nominated production of Vernon God Little, directed by Rufus Norris at the Young Vic Theatre. Her performance as ‘Desdemona’ in Daniel Evans’ stage production of Othello, which also starred Dominic West, was much celebrated with one reviewer stating “We may have a new star actress on our hands… She left drama school only last year, yet she practically sweeps all before her.”

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Steven Tarquinio was a 6-foot-5 middle blocker who served as a dual wield weapon for the team with his tomahawk spiking of the ball and his towering presence in denying opposing teams’ shots. He accumulated a career high 254 total kills and collected 96 blocks (solo and assisted combined) last season. Ben Crusinberry not only collected his second highest season total in kills with 296, but he also broke his career best with digs, amassing 163 digs last season. But one of their most important players, who was a key figure in molding the team’s fluidity in play with his passing, is former setter Nicolas Sanchez, a tremendous passer accumulating a season high of 1144 assists, but was also skilled defensively, tallying a season high 241 digs last year.

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