THE SWS TEAM

A filmmaker who immigrated to the US from Vietnam at the age of 10, Thy is drawn to the politics of social and sexual identity. Thy sees film as not just entertainment but a reflection of society and humanity. Growing up, Thy rarely saw himself reflected on screen. Asian men were often portrayed as effeminate, physically unappealing, socially inept, or entirely invisible. Internalizing these portrayals left him, like many others, feeling ashamed of his body and ethnicity. Over time, that shame turned into frustration—then purpose. Film became his way to process, protest, and reclaim.

Thy holds a BA in Film Theory and History from the University of California, Irvine. He is now developing a voice as an independent writer-director, telling emotionally grounded stories that center LGBTQ+ Asian experiences. His feature screenplay SummerWinterSummer is a recipient of the SFFILM Rainin Grant, while Be Tu was a semifinalist for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab. He has also worked in advertising for shows like Big Brother, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson.

An is an award-winning producer and director based in California and Vietnam. She is known as a creative producer committed to making ethical and collaborative content for impactful change. She is especially interested in amplifying the voices of independent filmmakers of the Global South on an international scale.

Narrated by Daisy Ridley (Star Wars), An's latest documentary "For Tomorrow" follows grassroots innovators around the world striving to create a more sustainable future. The film has garnered numerous awards including SXSW Innovation in Media Award, Shorty Impact Audience Award and Environment & Sustainability (long form), Gold Telly for Long Form Documentary, Silver Telly for Directing, Best Documentary, Best Social Justice Film (NY Intl Film Awards), Best Doc Feature, Best Director, Best Environmental Film, Best Innovative Solutions Film (Cannes World Film Festival), Best Documentary, Best Director (Rameshwaram Intl Film Fest), Best Female Director (Montreal Independent Film Festival), Best Documentary (Environmental Film and Screenplay Festival).

Gio is a freelance screenwriter, producer and founder of LUMIERE LAB, established in 2016 in Venice Beach CA, as a film consulting firm and independent production company for creative minds, rebels and late night cereal eaters.​ 

Dedicated to fostering the development and production of original content, from feature films to shorts and commercials, Gio has served as Producer, EP and consultant on films that have screened in dozens of film festival including Oscar Qualifying Rotterdam International Film Festival, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, AmDocs, Doc Edge and San Diego International Film Festival... and sometimes took home the awards. Gio’s latest feature Dog of God premiered at Tribeca Film Fest (2025).

Born in Stillwater, a small town north of Minneapolis, Minnesota, Joseph earned his BFA at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Mentored by two 8x10 Photographers Katherine Turczan and David Goldes, Joseph applied his education of Large Format Photography and Bookmaking to the art of Cinematography. This approach has gained Joseph a unique reputation for remarkably raw and beautiful imagery. Joseph currently works at Amiri, a global luxury fashion brand, as a content creator.

Christian got his start in casting nearly 14 years ago assisting the EVP of Casting at ABC.  His love for cinema drew him to features, working in the indie and Hollywood studio spaces, learning from veteran casting directors, Jeanne McCarthy and Kimberly Hardin.  He's worked on over 30 productions, including ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI for Amazon Prime (Oscar nominated for Best Supporting Actor), and most recently, THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER, which won the Directing award at Sundance Film Festival and is streaming on Apple+. 

Christian just returned from the Philippines, casting a short film where he learned the business of crossover storytelling.  He is passionate about Asian diasporic stories, Queer perspective and discovering new and underrepresented talent.  He is a graduate from UCLA with a degree in Sociology, the study of humans and institutions.

An Indie Rock musician and multi-media artist from Paris, Charles has composed for Maison Margiela x Reebok. His work was featured in the Mannerheim Gallery and the Galerie du Jour Agnes B. Charles also directed the music video Vault of Heaven for the Pixies