Sarah Afkami
Sarah Afkami is a Persian-Texan Jewish comedy writer known for her cultural humor and compelling storytelling, with credits including series on Showtime, FX, TBS, and Comedy Central. She’s passionate about creating stories that authentically represent diverse Jewish communities, blending emotional depth with comedic insight. Sarah currently splits her time performing stand-up and developing original series in Los Angeles, Austin, and New York.
Isaac Feder, Samuel Limor and Danny Weiss
Isaac Feder is a film director and television showrunner who has produced and directed shows for Netflix, Sony, Disney+, Amazon, and Comedy Central. His debut feature Sex Ed won the Grand Jury Prize at the Portland Film Festival, and his ESPN 30 for 30 film AC Green: Iron Virgin was a TriBeCa selection. Born and raised in Chicago, he holds degrees from Northwestern and the AFI Conservatory, and now lives in Los Angeles.
Samuel is a Producer and Production Executive with credits at companies such as Awesomeness TV, Dreamworks Animation, E!, Investigation Discovery, Nickelodeon, and Netflix
Danny Weiss is a television Writer and Producer with a broadcast procedural background having written for HOUSE, M.D., BATTLE CREEK on CBS and most recently having served as a Co-Executive Producer on NBC’s CHICAGO MED. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Joni and his three children.
Camille Shooshani and Aaron Shooshani
Camille Shooshani is an Iranian-Jewish writer and filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Her debut documentary feature, “Léa & I” premiered on Netflix in 2019. She was awarded the USC Presidents’ Sustainability Award in 2024 for “The Concrete River,” a film documenting a 51-mile trek along the Los Angeles River. In 2020, she received her MFA in creative nonfiction writing from Columbia University. She received her BA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2017.
Aaron Shoooshani (he/him) is a writer and producer based in Los Angeles. Before writing, Aaron worked in political strategy for Economic Justice Initiatives like the Fight For $15, that aimed to raise the minimum wage. He has worked as a writer’s assistant to Showrunner Chris Romano (Blue Mountain State, Kill the Orange-Faced Bear) and produced and written a number of independent shorts. Raised in Los Angeles to Iranian Jewish immigrants, Aaron attended Columbia University where he received a B.A. in History and Economics.
Jacob Seidman
Jacob is an LA based writer, actor, and producer. Selected previous projects include:”Fall to Fame” streaming on Dekkoo (winner best dramatic actor Micheaux Film Festival) and “Searching for Josh Brolin” on SeekaTV.
Elise Allen
Elise Allen is an Emmy Award nominated TV writer and NY Times Bestselling author who specializes in kids’ and family entertainment across all genres. Notable credits include Dinosaur Train, Sid the Science Kid, and the Gabby Duran and the Unsittables book series. She hails from Philly (Go Birds!) and has never met a dog she didn’t stop to pet, whether or not it was appropriate to do so.
Shmuel Hoffman
Born and raised in East Berlin, Shmuel began his career as a violist, performing with European orchestras and touring with Yo-Yo Ma after winning the Jeunesses Musicales International competition, before transitioning to film while exploring Jewish observance. He founded a production company and has created award-winning commercial and Oscar© qualifying documentary films for institutions such as the United States Holocaust Museum, Museum of Tolerance, Harvard University, Lexus, and MTV. A frequent speaker at the United Nations on Jewish identity and interfaith dialogue, he also serves on the Israeli President’s Voice of the People global council.
Yacov Freedman
Yacov Freedman is the Senior Podcast Producer for Turner Classic Movies. He’s worked in TV and podcasts for twenty years and is a proud member of the Directors Guild of America. During COVID he watched more than 100 baseball movies, which just goes to show: never give up on your dreams.
Joshua Kessler
Joshua E. Kessler is a Los Angeles-based showrunner, producer, director, and writer specializing in unscripted, documentary, and docudrama content. A two-time Emmy nominee, he is known for compelling work in true crime, history, lifestyle, and human-interest storytelling. His credits include acclaimed series for Netflix, A&E, and Showtime, such as Unsolved Mysteries, Penn & Teller: Bullshit!, and House Hunters International. A member of both the Directors Guild and Producers Guild of America, Kessler actively seeks new creative opportunities with a strong emphasis on collaboration.
Leah Gottfried
Leah Gottfried is an award winning writer/director and actor who draws on her life in the Orthodox Jewish community to tell authentic stories about her world. Her short film THE SETUP won Best Short at the Washington Jewish Film Festival where critics called it “clever, whimsical and sneakily poignant”. Leah is best known for her web series SOON BY YOU (“a Kosher version of Friends”), which she writes, directs and stars in and which has garnered fans all over the world. She is the founder of Dignity Entertainment, a production company dedicated to creating meaningful visual content. Leah was named one of The Jewish Week’s “36 Under 36” celebrating young Jews influencing change worldwide. She studied film at Yeshiva University and NYU, and lives in Greenpoint with her rabbi husband.
Charlotte Lan Steiner
Charlotte Lan Steiner is a filmmaker born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area. Following her graduation from Middlebury College with a degree in Film and Chinese, she spent several years working, writing and studying in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing, before returning to the U.S. to attend a TV Writing Intensive program at Columbia University. She is currently back in D.C., where she recently produced and directed episodes of “GROWN the web series.” When not making films or writing, Charlotte enjoys rock climbing and trying to convince other folks to rock climb with her.