Writer/Director
Lauren Lillie
Lauren recently completed her M.F.A. in directing at the American Film Institute, where she received the prestigious Mary Pickford Endowment for academic achievement and acknowledgement of talent. Prior to AFI, Lauren worked as the assistant to Jonathan Demme – and served as associate producer on Mr. Demme’s NEW HOME MOVIES FROM THE LOWER NINTH WARD (2007), which screened at Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival, the International Rome Film Festival, and on PBS. Additionally, Lauren co-produced the first feature from writer & director Annette Apitz, FIGHTING FISH (2010), which premiered at the Nashville Film Festival.
Previously, she also worked as the assistant to the co-presidents of HDNet Films and graduated cum laude from Columbia University with a B.A. in Film Studies. Lauren currently lives in Los Angeles, where she is developing her first feature film.
Producer
Narineh Hacopian
Narineh’s love of film started when her parents took her to see CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND at the Pickwick Drive-In in Burbank, CA. She recently graduated from the American Film Institute with an M.F.A. in producing. Narineh also has degrees in Linguistics from UCLA (B.A.) and USC (M.A.) Before becoming a producer, she worked as a business analyst, developer and consultant at an internet start-up and later at Bank of America. In addition to PAYING FOR IT, at AFI Narineh has produced three short films, several cinematography projects and is a recipient of the Irwin and Sheila Allen Endowed Scholarship. Narineh has interned at Phoenix Pictures and The Kennedy/Marshall Company and is currently assistant to the VP of Film Development and Production at Blind Wink Productions.
Cinematographer
Bérénice Eveno
Bérénice is a Los Angeles based cinematographer and recent graduate of the American Film Institute. Originally from Paris, she moved to the United States to continue to hone her skills in Photography, Design and Motion Graphics at FIDM’s Digital Media Program. She continues to draw inspiration from Literature and Philosophy, which she previously studied in Khâgne while preparing the prestigious Ecole Normale Supérieure. Bérénice has worked with a range of accomplished cinematographers and photographers such as Denis Maloney, ASC and Darius Khondji, ASC, AFC. She is currently working under the mentorship of Wally Pfister on the filming of THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. Her independent projects include a diverse cross section of visual mediums, photography, painting, music videos, narrative shorts and experimental films.
Production Designer
Shawn D. Bronson
Shawn D. Bronson currently resides in Los Angeles, CA and completed his MFA at the American Film Institute in production design. He holds a BA in Cinema and Digital Arts from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he concentrated in writing/directing. Prior to finishing his undergrad, he completed a combat tour in Operation Iraqi Freedom where he spent 2005-06 as an infantry sergeant in the US Army. In his free time, Shawn enjoys writing, cooking, camping/hiking, and spending time with his wiener dog and better half. He is currently working as an art department assistant on a major feature film at Paramount Studios.
Editor
Jarod Shannon
Jarod earned a BFA in Communication Arts from New York Institute of Technology in 2009. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and received the New York Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Scholarship Award. He has worked in a wide variety of television and film environments, serving as Associate Producer for MTV News and an Editor at COMPLEX MAGAZINE and camera operator for MSG. Jarod has also produced and edited in China, France, Ukraine, South Africa, Lebanon, and the UAE. While living in Dubai, he served as Senior Editor and Creative Producer for SHOWTIME on THE HYDRA EXECUTIVES, the first majorly celebrated English language reality television show in the Arab world. As an AFI Fellow he has edited nine short films. He was the only editing fellow selected by the faculty to compete for the coveted Television Caucus of America’s internship program. In February, 2010 he completed SUBWAY HARMONIES which was a official selection in the Palm Springs Shorts, and the Toronto International Film Festivals. He is currently associate producing and editing a feature length travel-verité documentary shot on the Red Camera.
Story Editor
Trilby Beresford
Trilby earned her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of Sydney. During her undergraduate studies, she wrote and produced several short films, including POSSESSION(S) which she sold to the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 2009. She was also active in amateur theater on campus. As a Screenwriting Fellow at the American Film Institute, Trilby has completed three short films, and penned feature material. Recently, she had a small collection of poetry published in the online literary journal New Aesthetic.