2024 Panelist & Moderators

An entertainment industry professional with over 29 years of experience across marketing, production, sales and branding, Brett Dismuke currently serves as General Manager of AMC Networks brands ALLBLK and WE TV. Prior to being appointed to this role in December 2020, Dismuke served as Chief Content Officer of ALLBLK where he oversaw content acquisition and development of original programming.

During his tenure as Chief Content Officer, Dismuke’s focus on original programming spawned several breakout hit series for the streaming service including nighttime soap opera, A House Divided, and action-packed thriller, Double Cross. 

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Before returning to ALLBLK (formerly UMC) to helm the subscription video on demand platform, Dismuke maintained his own entertainment outfit, So Chi Entertainment; served as President/COO of The Swirl Group, President of Moguldom Entertainment, and as Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Urban Programming for RLJ Entertainment’s One Village studio.

Tom Neff has over thirty five years’ experience in the film industry with many national and international awards, including an Oscar nomination, Emmy, and Emmy nomination.

He is a member of both the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy.

With his partner John Forbess, Neff founded the Documentary Channel which eventually aired to over 45 million viewers nationally. Neff has created, written, directed, produced, or executive produced well over 100 documentaries including Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire; Red Grooms: Sunflower in a Hothouse; Our Country, Roots of Country and many others.

His films have shown at Metropolitan Museum of Art, Smithsonian, New York & 39's Whitney

Museum of American Art, Lincoln Center, Lincoln Jazz Center, Denver Art Museum, Tennessee State Museum, the Director’s Guild of America, The Academy, Ojai Center, and other venues and cities.

His last documentary was the award-winning Mr. Temple and the Tigerbelles, and is currrently finishing a doc on activist Clemmie Greenlee: Clemmie Unfiltered. An Associate Professor at MTSU (Middle TN State University) for over 12 years, he teaches cinema production and business.

Born in sunny Southern California under the cozy spotlight of tinsel town, Carla Christina

started her professional acting career at the age of three selling Barbie Dolls and Tootsie

Rolls; from eleven to sixteen she worked on the TV series, ‘The Walton’s.’ After receiving a degree in business, Carla Christina ventured back to Hollywood to train at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute where she discovered her powerful singing voice. Upon an invitation to visit Nashville’s Music Row, Carla Christina fell in love with Tennessee and decided to stay in 1992.

Since then, she has been a constant force in helping to grow the film community we see today in Tennessee.

Carla Christina is President of the Nashville Local of SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) the largest entertainment union globally, and was recently a part of the negotiations in Los Angeles for the 2023 TV & Theatrical contract cycle. 

Her most recent acting credits include a comedy feature with Robert De Niro & Sebastian Maniscalco (About My Father), Neal McDonough & Sean Astin (The Shift), and a Live Action Animated Musical series (Incognita’s Infamous Adventures) on Amazon Prime, is co-writing her first scripted limited dramatic episodic, and has developed a situation comedy for network/streaming TV [currently being pitched].  Carla Christina is also an Intimacy Coordinator for Film & Television productions.

Memphis & Shelby County Film Commissioner since 1987. Longest consecutively serving Film Commissioner in the world.

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Prior entertainment career includes local and international broadcasting credits as producer, writer, and on-camera personality. Syndicated TV consumer travel reporter: 40 U.S. markets and Good Morning, Australia. Member of first Memphis TV crew to travel overseas on a shoot (WHBQ-TV’s PM Magazine: 1982). Has reported from Israel, Chile, Fiji Islands, China, Mexico, and the Netherlands.

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M.A., TV/Film Concentration: University of Memphis. Is one of the first film commissioners in the world to achieve Association of Film Commissioners International Certification.

Credited with turning Memphis into a movie and television center; co-creator of first significant Tennessee state production incentive in 2006. Honored by The Commercial Appeal that year as one of “12 Persons Who Made a Difference.”

Credited with creating one of the first production wage refund training programs in the country in 2007.

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Credited with spearheading recruitment of all Memphis-based big budget productions BEFORE Tennessee even had a production incentive as a recruitment tool. Key in post-incentive recruiting of the television series CMT’s Sun Records, NBC-Universal’s tv series Bluff City Law and Young Rock. More recently, spearheaded recruitment of the Memphis portions of ABC’s Women of the Movement.

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During her tenure, hundreds of independent productions continue to be recruited and/or coordinated by The Memphis & Shelby County Film and TV Commission/Foundation Office –innumerable commercials, network tv episodes, corporate videos, webisodes, and other genres. Most recently STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. received coordination assistance from the Commission Office.

Gisela Moore, Project Manager for the TN Entertainment Commission which is under ECD for the State of TN for the past 19 years has helped approximately 200+ projects per year with permits, research and crew. She has worked with Scripps Network, Discovery, ABC’s “Nashville” TV Series, Motor Trends, Ride with Norman Reedus, Warner Bros. International, Chrisley Knows Best, countless music videos, photo shoots and commercials. Passionate about sharing information on opportunities that can help Tennesseans get employed.

Bobby Yan is an eight-time Emmy Award winning director, writer, visual effects artist and editor. First getting his start in music videos, Bobby directed some of the world’s biggest music artists in numerous genres from Hip Hop, Pop, Rock to Gospel, working with major labels such as Sony, Warner Bros, and Universal Records. He has directed over one hundred music videos and commercials.

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A child of Chinese immigrants, Bobby was born and raised in New York City, before later moving to New Orleans, LA. The juxtaposition of these two different cultures and environments became a heavy influence in Bobby’s style and expression. From his love of music to videogames and pop culture, his work has a highly visual and fun aesthetic style that pops out on the screen, while his personal and more intimate work in his short films tackles topics and stories from a world view perspective, often exploring topics of ethnicity & heritage, gender & sexuality and self-identity.

A native of Pittsburgh, Leon Ford is a celebrated author, social entrepreneur, impact investor, international speaker, and changemaker dedicated to driving positive change in his community and beyond. As a respected activist and mental health ambassador, Ford passionately addresses disparities by focusing on holistic wellness. His inspiring approach emphasizes the importance of resilience, transforming personal challenges into purpose, and creating a lasting societal impact.

In 2012, Leon was tragically shot five times by a police officer during a traffic stop, leaving him physically paralyzed. Nevertheless, he has continued to positively impact his community, working with police officers on cultural competency and legislators on drafting policies to modify the use of force laws.

In 2022, Leon joined forces with former Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Chief Scott Schubert to co-found The Hear Foundation. This trailblazing nonprofit seeks to bridge the gap between residents, community leaders, and law enforcement in order to cultivate a safe and thriving community for all. In 2024, Leon became the organization’s director of external affairs, giving him the opportunity to focus full-time on fostering safety through police and community collaboration in Pittsburgh.

The most recent addition to Emmy Award winner Gregory Alan Williams’ broad list of acting credits is his current series regular role on the HBO comedy The Righteous Gemstones (Danny McBride, John Goodman). GregAlan also received rave reviews for his co-starring role as Robert “Mac” McCready on the groundbreaking OWN network series Greenleaf (Lynn Whitfield, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey).To date, Williams has appeared in more than 180 movies and television shows.

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February 2023 marks the completion of REUNION. Greg Alan’s fourth feature as Director/Producer And, of course, there is also Williams’ seven seasons as beach cop Garner Ellerbee on the most watched television show in the world, Baywatch—work which is also accompanied by strong supporting, recurring, and guest star roles in critically acclaimed projects such as The Sopranos, The West Wing, and Remember The Titans.

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Williams’ career also features stage work with Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson, as a founding member of the world-renowned Penumbra Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota  Author of two critically acclaimed books, dozens of essays, and two award-winning public television specials, GregAlan was heralded nationally as hero and Good Samaritan for his rescue of a brutally beaten motorist at the intersection of Florence and Normandy - epicenter of the 1992 Los Angeles Riots. 

Nichelle Protho is a development executive, producer and documentary director, who has shepherded television and film projects in the U.S., Africa and Europe. She is currently SVP of Development & Production at Dayna Lynne North’s Loud Sis Productions where she most recently co-executive produced the hit limited series THE BEST MAN: THE FINAL CHAPTERS for Peacock, based on the iconic Best Man film franchise by Malcolm D. Lee. Currently, Protho is in development with Gabrielle Union’s I’ll Have Another Productions on the Peacock series BLK COFFEE created by Morgan Cooper & Dayna Lynne North.

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Protho was formerly the SVP of Development & Production for Sander/Moses Productions where she worked on the award-winning CBS hit series GHOST WHISPERER starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, and the law series RECKLESS created by Dana Stevens. She was also COO of Sander/Moses’ digital marketing company SLAM where she managed the accounts of ABC Domestic Syndication, 20th Century Fox and Warner Brother Studios.

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Protho also produced the animated movie GOLDEN BLAZE, starring Blair Underwood, Sanna Lathan and Khleo Thomas, for Warner Brothers along with a slate of a dozen plus animated short series, including UNDERCOVER BROTHER, created & written by John Ridley. The latter was adapted into the Universal hit film of the same name – the first “web to film” adaptation in Hollywood history.

Indiana native Angela Northington is a seasoned entertainment executive with an extensive background in content strategy, content acquisitions, production, programming and multiplatform distribution.  Having served on the Board of Directors for Indianapolis Film Project/Kan-Kan Cinema for nearly two years, Angela recently transitioned into the role of Executive Director.

Angela has held previous posts in traditional distribution, linear TV and OTT environments on the cutting edge of diverse and niche content, with a specialty in building content libraries, and leveraging that content through various distribution windows—including theatrical, broadcast, streaming & digital rights licensing.  Prior to officially joining the IFP/Kan-Kan’s board and taking on the Executive Director role, Angela previous served in a dual role as Senior Vice President of Content Acquisitions & Programming for RLJ Entertainment, as well General Manager of the company’s subscription VOD platform UMC (Urban Movie Channel), and leading up to the company’s sale to AMC Networks. As GM, Angela oversaw operations, scheduling, marketing, app development & rollout strategy across devices and platform distribution partners. 

Donna Caldwell, currently serving as VP of Programming for WIFT, has been a working member of the entertainment industry for over thirty years, with extensive experience in public relations, artist development, music clearance,

supervision and licensing.

Donna spent 15 years at Paramount Television’s Music Division. At Paramount TV (now CBS Studios) she placed music in Paramount’s network, syndicated and cable television programs, including “Girlfriends,” “The Game,” “Medium,” “Frasier” and four “Star Trek” series.

As VP of Programming for Nashville WIFT, she provides educational opportunities

for our members via seminars, master classes and internships with local production entities. She spearheaded the WIFT Academy mentorship program and is supervising the launch of WIFT’s new female-centric streaming channel, FLAG TV.

Meleisha J. Edwards received her BA from Fisk University and her MS from Middle   Tennessee State University. She once was a medical student and left after a year to pursue her true passion. Although she is still in healthcare, she truly has a passion for film and television.

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Meleisha is an award-winning writer/producer, with multiple award credits for several films. In August 2022, she became the "covergirl" of the prominent Nashville Magazine, "NFocus", where she was able to discuss her journey in film. Also in 2022, Meleisha was a producer for an international short film, shot in Greece, "Francesca", which won best US Short from San Diego Arts Festival. Previously, Meleisha was a finalist with the Indie Memphis Pitch Rally with her new feature, Jenee. She also won the Finishing Fund Award from the Tennessee Entertainment Commission.

She has produced over 25 multimedia projects including webseries, music videos, documentaries, shorts, and features.

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Meleisha is currently the VP of Production with 353 Media Group, a corporate video and film production company, and continues to produce projects in Tennessee and around the country.  

Ron grew up in the Memphis projects surrounded by gun violence. In September 1985, just three days after Ron’s mom cheered him on from the stands during a college football game, she was shot by a single bullet meant for his cousin. Ron joined a gang and served time in prison. But remembering his mother’s faith in him eventually inspired him to change. Ron became a gang interventionist and co-founded an organization to mentor young men coming out of prison. Ron believes the way to make communities safer is by giving them the resources they lack and the proper training on how to use guns.

While rising up the ranks at the TN Highway Patrol, Mark served as State Trooper, a Lieutenant in the Governor’s Security Detail, led the Handgun Permit Unit, and received the Colonels Achievement Award. Mark has experienced gun violence and understands the importance of having a right to carry weapons. However, he believes those rights come with responsibilities, one of which is proper training and permitting.

Ricky Burchell has a more than 20-year career in the entertainment industry. He began his career as a performer but soon went on to host, and produce his own hip hop TV show, “Mixx Master’s Lounge” which was seen in 120 million homes worldwide. Over the years, he worked with Billboard charting artists Kurtis Blow, Lecrae, NewsBoys, Earnest Pugh, Struggle Jennings, Jelly Roll, and many more. Producing music and/or music videos. Ricky also partnered with Abingdon Press where he wrote and produced over 75 children’s songs, 20 music videos, and 7 short films and documentaries. Ricky has also written and directed a large number of commercials as well as writing, performing, and producing the theme song for ESPN2 show “King of the Strip”.

Brandi grew up in rural Tennessee where gun culture is prominent. While Brandi is a strong advocate for gun regulation, Brandi’s family hunts and her children shoot when visiting their grandparents. On the morning of the Covenant School shooting, Brandi received a call from a close friend hysterical not knowing if her daughter was ok. She was, but since that moment, Brandi has been helping her friend cope with the ongoing trauma. She advocates for more legislation to protect the safety of citizens.

Al Kapone aka Al Kapeezy is a Memphis rap pioneer, multi platinum songwriter, community service advocate, and the Music Consultant for the Memphis and Shelby County Film & TV Commission.

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Born and raised in a city rich in music history, Memphis native AL KAPONE found himself along with other peers following in their forefathers Stax, Hi Records, etc. footsteps developing a new southern hip hop sound that would later become the Memphis rap standard.

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While helping to pioneer the Memphis Rap sound Kapone would also write and produced three songs for the cult classic film "Hustle and Flow". The film’s Oscar winning music would earn AL KAPONE a Critic’s Choice Award for “It Ain’t Over” the Hustle and Flow theme song and “Whoop That Trick” would become one of the most memorable crunk songs of all time and would be the Memphis Grizzlies, 901fc soccer team and University of Memphis unofficial fan chant at Memphis home games. This led Kapone to write and produce music for other films such as "Cadillac Records" feat. multi platinum megastar Beyonce and the recently released animated film "Rumble" available for streaming on Paramount+. Kapone would also go on to co-write top 10 Billboard hits reaching gold and platinum sales making Kapone a multi-platinum songwriter. AL KAPONE also became one of the first hip hop artist to be president of NARAS, the Memphis Chapter of the Grammys In 2007 to 2009.

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AL never stopped developing his own music career as an artist/performer, still innovating with a new blend of blues and the Memphis rap sound.

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AL also takes great pride mentoring students at inner city schools and colleges. Check out more at: akmemphis.com

As an actress, she’s appeared on ABC’s Big Sky, General Hospital, and Speechless. In addition, you can catch her on Netflix’s The OA, and BET’s Sacrifice. 

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As a writer/director, Nene is currently in three films that are making its rounds on the film festival circuit. ‘Kurta Pants’ is her directorial debut,  debuted at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. The short which she wrote, directed, acted in, cast, produced, and more has picked up Best Short in Toronto and Los Angeles and Best Debut Director in Washington D.C. 

She also has articles published in The Washington Post, The Global Post, and Reader’s Digest. 

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Chhaya is never afraid of a challenge. Whether it’s creating social justice focused mixed medium artwork (currently on display at ‘Basecamp Dinette’ in Burbank),  being trilingual (English, French, Marathi-a language of West India) or writing and performing in the South Asian version of the Vagina Monologues, she welcomes the adventure.

Lover of Christ, Family, and Coffee...Yes in that order...

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Over the past 14 years, Joel has been blessed to work across multiple industries and aid in the growth of both people and businesses. This was accomplished by always keeping each business and people’s best interests top of mind.

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Currently, he has the privilege to serve as CEO of Financial Educators and a Certified Financial Planner at Edward Jones. His primary focus is on helping both businesses and people navigate 401k Options, Asset Strategies, Financial Analysis, Investing, and Wealth Strategies He is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management with a concentration in Entrepreneurship. Additionally, he holds a dual Masters of Science degree in Global Innovation Management (from NC State University) and Global Luxury Management (from SKEMA Business School - Paris, as well as securities licenses. He is married to an awesome woman and father of two great children. In his free time, I love to look at modern architecture, talk about tech, and share a great cup of coffee.

As a filmmaker and communications specialist in the public health field, Iman has had an intersectional career focused on promoting optimal health for all and has written/directed/edited many short and feature-length media projects as the Sr. Director of Media & Communications at the public health non-profit organization the Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies. Outside of film she has extensive experience in graphic design, photography, and marketing and is a dancer that incorporates the language of movement in her filmmaking.

Multi-award-winning artist, entrepreneur, and community advocate, Sunny St.James is a rising star whose unique sound and talent have earned her widespread recognition. She is a proud partner of the minority-owned spirit brand, Guidance Whiskey, which fuels her passion for creativity and community. Sunny currently serves on the Board of Directors for Creative Artists of Tennessee (CATs). Her work has been featured in several independent films and the hit TV series 5th Ward, starring Mya, Omar Gooding, Carl Anthony Payne, and Nephew Tommy. Additionally, her voice graces the airwaves weekday mornings at 9 AM on 92Q’s Kenny Smoov Morning Show jingle.

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In summer 2024, Sunny launched the “Creative Camp” pilot program under the CATs umbrella, specifically designed for exceptionally talented youth aged 14-18. This hands-on camp provided industry insights, mentorship, artist development, recording sessions, photoshoots, and polished portfolios to help young creatives launch their brands. As a true Artistpreneur, Sunny continues to inspire and uplift her community, bridging the gap between creativity and entrepreneurship.