Author: Ian Skorodin

Kris Crenwelge (Choctaw), most recently a staff writer on the CBS action-adventure spy comedy True Lies, was a fellow in the 2023 Native American Showrunner Program, the 2022 Disney Writing Program, and previously wrote on Spirit Rangers (Netflix), nominated for seven Children’s and Family Emmys. An instructor for the 2024 Native Media Apprenticeship Program, Kris… Read more »

Matthew Rochester is a Native American writer and member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Born and raised in the backyard of the Smoky Mountains, he comes from very humble beginnings, growing up in a trailer and dealing with drug abuse, domestic violence, and fanatic religion. Rising through, Matthew now holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative… Read more »

Growing up surrounded by nature and a large tribal influence in Fairbanks, Alaska; David has always had a deep connection to his indigenous roots. Quickly entering the entertainment world after his schooling, David hit the ground running by writing and producing his own content. Having a few features, web shorts, and even a series under… Read more »

Stefan Perez is a Coast Miwok, Latino filmmaker based in Sonoma County, California. His small videography business keeps him busy while his filmmaking collective, Flat Quack Films, keeps him busier. The original plan of becoming an actor ended when Stefan discovered the power of filmmaking during an acting class assignment in high school. The class… Read more »

Maddox Pennington (they/he) is a nonbinary writer, professor, and stand-up comic originally from the Cherokee Nation; they received an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Columbia University, and their debut bibliomemoir, A Girl Walks Into a Book: What the Brontes Taught Me About Life, Love, and Women’s Work was published by Hachette Books in 2017. Currently… Read more »

Michelle Hernandez is a Wiyot and Latina filmmaker. She grew up on the Table Bluff Reservation, where she found her love for filmmaking. She has a Masters in Film and Electronic Media at American University in Washington, D.C. and a B.A. at Humboldt State in both Film and Native American Studies. Her work often focuses… Read more »

Meera Divecha Forespring is a creative based in Olympia, Washington. They are mixed of  Indigenous American (Cowlitz), Indian (Gujarati), and Irish descent, and identify as two-spirit. Meera grew up on a well-balanced diet of Bollywood movies and television shows like Wonder Woman (1975), and Ultra Man (1966). This upbringing sparked their love of practical effects… Read more »

James William Evans grew up in a mess of rat-infested motels, haunted mobile homes, and cramped apartments scattered around Oklahoma. This and stories from his grandmother, who was one of the first women to serve on the Cherokee tribal council, created an affinity for writing characters who consider themselves outsiders. His short film “Life Lines”… Read more »

Ahyoka Saas is a Two-Spirit Cherokee and German writer and composer raised in an end-times cult. They’ve directed and showrun five hour-long sketch revues at The Second City Chicago, won Roadmap’s Diversity Initiative Competition and Native American Media Alliance’s Animation Fellowship in 2022, and performed hundreds of narrative improv shows across the Midwest US. This… Read more »

Rylan Tuohy is a writer and director and proud tribal citizen of the Wyandotte Nation who grew up in rural Greenville, Kentucky. Using YouTube as both a showcase for his earliest short films and a place to learn how to hip hop dance, he realized he had a knack for the former and considered applying… Read more »