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.
DANNIE SYNDER
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Dannie Snyder is a filmmaker, theatre practitioner, spoken word artist, percussionist, and activist. She has produced, written, directed, shot, acted, drummed, traveled around the world, and lived abroad. She has taught visual & performing arts classes for all ages as well as professional development classes for all types of artists. She has a Master's in American Studies from the University of Munich, which focused on the role of the arts in social/political movements, as well as two Bachelor's: a B.A. in Film Studies and a B.A. in Theatre Studies, with a Minor in Music, from George Mason University. From 2008-15, she was the founder of LIV creations LLC, an indie film & theatre production company that completed nine productions. During her time in Europe, 2017-19, she had the privilege to perform two one-woman shows at conferences in Venice, Italy and Lisbon, Portugal. She recently published her book ARTIVISM OF RETURNING CITIZENS: Artist Activists of the Nation’s Capital Impacting the Prison Abolition Movement. In addition to Prison Abolition, she is also advocating for access to medicine, sustainable funding for the arts, and, most importantly, improving our systems of education. You can learn more about her projects at DannieSnyder.com. She is always learning, experimenting, trying, failing, growing, and sharing the theories and methodologies behind her work, ranging from Theatre of the Oppressed to Intersectional Feminism. For example, she is the co-host of an informative podcast on artivism called Re – Flect / Calibrate. As an interdisciplinary artivist, her aim is to foster dialogues and foster communities, to humbly serve as an artist matchmaker, fostering devised experimental collaborations between artists of every background, and uplifting the voices of BIPOC and LGBTQ2+ artists, decentering whiteness and straight/cisgender stories.
EMMA FAULKNER
Emma Faulkner is an esteemed filmmaker, writer, director, and student. She is currently a senior Marketing and Digital Innovation of Film and Television student at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH. She found her long-lasting love for entertainment when she began writing playwrights for her cousins to perform at family holidays at nine years old. After graduation, Emma hopes to work towards a producer position and develop and strengthen new and current skill sets. In April of 2021, Emma wrote, directed, and produced the short film Inner Monologue which was entered in AGBO's 48-hour No Sleep 'Till Film Fest. Since then, she has worked with the Western & Southern Open where she specialized in Marketing, Design, and Production. In her spare time, Emma loves to produce passion projects including short films, writing, and editing fan content for bases such as Harry Potter on her social media platforms. You can learn more about Emma's work at spideraproductions.com. Emma prides herself on her ambition to learn, improve, and explore within the film production realm. In addition to her passion for film, Emma also aspires to remain active in communities. Emma previously served as a member of the Junior Board at the Joseph Maley Foundation during her time in high school and currently serves in Xavier University's bi-annual Community Action Day.