Happily Ever After

Born in Taiwan, Emily Ting is an award-winning writer, director, and producer. She most recently directed the YA romance Girl Haunts Boy, starring Peyton List and Michael Cimino, which premiered on Netflix in fall 2024. Before that, she directed Netflix’ Tall Girl 2, released worldwide over Valentine’s Day weekend in 2022. She also wrote and directed the independent features Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong (theatrically released in 2016) and Go Back to China (premiered at SXSW in 2019). As a screenwriter, Emily co-wrote several holiday films for Hallmark, including Christmas with the Singhs (2024), Sealed with a List (2023), and Christmas at the Golden Dragon (2022). She is currently developing Merry Friendsmas, slated for release on the network in 2025. Previously, Emily was most known for her producing work, having served as producer or executive producer on the indie features The Kitchen, A Year and Change, Pit Stop, Land Ho!, Man from Reno, and I Will Make You Mine. Emily resides in Los Angeles with her twins, Austin and Celeste, and is represented by Verve Agency.

Lynn Chen‘s filmmaking debut, “I Will Make You Mine,” showcased her talent as a writer, producer, director, and lead actor. Premiering at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival, the movie has streamed on Paramount Plus/Peacock, while earning a spot on Rotten Tomatoes’ “Best Asian American Movies of All Time” list with a perfect rating. Known for her breakout performance in “Saving Face,” she has had recent recurring roles on “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Shameless.” Other performance highlights include winning “Best Actress” at the 2016 NBC Shorts Festival and a talent holding deal with the network. Beyond acting, she founded platforms like “Gen X Taste” and “The Yellow Pages,” recognized as a Substack Featured Publication. Chen’s commitment to inclusivity extends to her previous roles on the Film Fatales Advisory Circle and the Board of Miry’s List. As a 2024/2025 Rideback Rise Circle member, she continues to champion diverse voices.

Nnegest Likké is is a trail-blazing writer-director-producer whose multi-award- winning body of work includes Searchlight’s cult classic comedy, “Phat Girlz”, starring Academy Award winner Mo’Nique and the critically acclaimed films, “Ben & Ara” and “Everything But A Man”. The latter won Audience Award for “Best Film” at the Pan African Film Festival and debuted as a #1 movie on Netflix and the #1 movie in the USA on AMC’s ALLBLK streamer where it broke viewership records. The Netflix Original rom-com, “A Sunday Affair”, which Nnegest was lead writer on broke records as the most watched Nigerian film on Netflix in the first half of 2023. In addition to “A Sunday Affair”, she has contributed as a writer, director, producer and/or consultant on multiple international projects and has partnerships with the top Africa-based production companies. Nnegest’s career as a filmmaker spans 20+ years and she has achieved groundbreaking success as a pioneer of the cross-cultural genre. Via her production company N’Vision Pictures, Nnegest is in development on multiple pioneering projects, both narrative and docs, and is seeking new collaborations with like-minded creators. Before entering the entertainment industry, the proud Bay Area native was a high school teacher in LA and a mentor for at-risk youth. Among her proudest academic achievements is being a graduate of Clark Atlanta University, a top HBCU where she earned a B.A. in Film & TV. Nnegest is a member of the DGA, WGA, Film Fatales and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated.

Sara Zandieh is an award-winning film and television director based in LA. She premiered her latest film, “DOIN’ IT,” starring Lilly Singh, at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival. Her comedy-drama for Amazon International, “THE OTHER ZOEY,” featuring Andie MacDowell, Heather Graham, Josephine Langford and Drew Starkey topped Amazon Prime charts for over ten months. Zandieh’s first feature, “A SIMPLE WEDDING,” starred Rita Wilson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Tara Grammy received rave reviews following its premiere at Film Independent’s LA Film Festival, leading to a theatrical release. In television, she was named as one of Universal’s Female Forward directors in 2019 and has directed several episodes of NBC’s “GOOD GIRLS” and most recently “GROSSE POINTE GARDEN SOCIETY.” Her early work includes the short film “THE POOL PARTY,” which won awards at both the Tribeca Film Festival and Cinequest. Another short, “REZA HASSANI GOES TO THE MALL,” won the Focus Features Best Film Award at the Columbia University Film Festival and premiered at Telluride. Sara is a recipient of the Fulbright Grant for Filmmaking, the La Fémis Director’s Workshop, and a MacDowell Colony fellowship. She holds an MFA from Columbia University’s School of the Arts.

With nearly 100 credits and over 15 years of industry experience under her belt, Christine Luby‘s directorial journey commenced during the pandemic with her debut feature for Netflix This Little Love of Mine, filmed on the idyllic coastline of Australia. Rising to the 2nd most watched film globally on its opening weekend, it has since amassed over 9 million viewing hours on the platform. Luby’s work caught the industry’s attention, leading to her to direct Disney+ film The Curious Case of Dolphin Bay which Luby was nominated for an Australian Directors Guild Award. In the realm of television, she directed multiple episodes for the acclaimed Netflix Original series Dive Club, a project that garnered a Logie Award nomination (Australian Emmy) and has over 11 million viewing hours on Netflix. Luby also directed the Australian/Canadian treaty co-production You, Me and the Penguins, a Tubi Original. ​More recently, Luby’s romantic comedy for Peacock, Royal Rendezvous was shot on location in Ireland and Luby is currently working on Holly Jolly Christmas for MarVista Entertainment, set in Connecticut. Luby’s international perspective, honed through years of living abroad, infuses her work with a rich cultural tapestry that resonates deeply with audiences worldwide. Trained as a modern dancer at Hampshire College and Laban Centre London, Christine brings a unique sense of rhythm and movement to her directorial approach, infusing her projects with an artistic and visceral quality.