After Ramon Pesante was removed from his parent’s custody at twelve years old, he was engulfed by New York City’s foster care system. On the brink of adolescence, he was thrown into a whirlwind of court dates, counselors, and supervised visits, all while yearning to be a normal kid.

As Ramon fought to cope with his trauma, he found escape and refuge by going to the movies alone. He daydreamed about telling his own stories, using humor to address uncomfortable topics and the reality of his upbringing.

Now as an adult, Ramon has built a career creating stories similar to the ones that saved his life within the television marketing industry, currently serving as a creative director for the Sherri show on Fox. But, never forgetting his lifelong dream of becoming a full-time film director, Ramon has implemented the skills he’s developed in television into creating four short films and a catalog of short comedic sketches, commercials, and promos.

Ramon’s biggest inspiration is his fellow Latinx artists, who struggle to realize their dreams in an industry that doesn’t fully understand how to represent them. So he’s passionate about telling stories that speak to and for them. Always keeping in mind his mother’s experience as an Afro-Latino actress. Never light enough, never dark enough, never “quite the right type.”

Jenni Ruiza is a Puerto Rican writer/actress from The Bronx, who thrives on telling stories that explore the concept of being comfortable with being uncomfortable. The world around her is diverse in color, thought, and purpose and she’ll be damned if her characters don’t reflect that. The kind of content that resonates deeply with Jenni explores mental health, grief, and self-inflicted toxicity by way of intergenerational trauma—all grounded in humor.

Jenni is no stranger to comedic commentary, producing segments on ABC/Fusion’s “Come Here and Say That” with Alicia Menendez and appearances on Buzzfeed, Funny or Die, and TBS’s “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”. Jenni's writing credits included Fitz Games’ ¡Dios Mio!, co-writing the main, sucia, and holiday decks and solo-writing their “Puertorriqueña” deck, a fantastical journey of resurrecting the spirit of Vanessa Gomez’s dead abuela via ash-ridden blunt with Maydé Alpi, called “Smoking Abuela” and “Lovexes”, a story about a woman who needs to decide between her job and her sanity at a chaotic NYC love tech startup.

You can find Jenni in the upcoming films, “Playing Sam” and “Honey” and on HBO’s “Fantasmas” with Julio Torres.

Marc Reign is an award winning Actor/Filmmaker from Spanish Harlem. With over 13 years experience of doing it all, both in front of the camera as well as behind, he is a force in the Art of Storytelling. Recent credits include Blue Bloods, Law & Order Organized Crime & SVU.

Burton Lewis Jr is a video editor and producer based in New York City. In 2007, Burton discovered his passion for digital content while working with a childhood friend on short films and other media in what originally was just meant for fun. 

In 2008 he began to pursue a career in film and television, working his way up from production assistant on movie sets and tv shows, to editing and producing for the leading media and entertainment company, Paramount under the BET umbrella. 

Over the years Burton has edited a number of different mediums, from short films to music videos, reality tv shows and network promos to name a few. He continues to explore his passions and expand his skill set by helping others bring their projects to life.

When I picked up a camera on the first day of TV class in my junior year in high school, I had no idea cinematography would become my passion. I wasn’t even calling it cinematography back then; I just called it "shooting videos".

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Once I realized how much people enjoyed seeing themselves and others through my lens, it pushed me to elevate my skills to cinematic levels; to always be equipped to tell the stories that matter most. Years later, "shooting videos" still affords me amazing professional opportunities. During this journey, my love for the art of cinematography grew.

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My cinematic style—crisp, buoyant, floating, natural, and still edgy—is driven by the core principle of my creative philosophy: the viewer must feel the images. Complete immersion into the visual world I am creating is always my goal.

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I see cinematography as the vehicle that moves the viewers from point A to point B. Sometimes I cruise the scenic route, other times I maneuver through busy midtown streets. Ultimately, it’s about taking you on the best trip you’ve ever experienced.

Let’s take a ride.

Andrew Garcia is a director and cinematographer from Miami, Florida. His work centers around coming of age stories that explore issues of racial inequality, politics and family.

His latest work, “La Piel De Ayer”, was acquired and released by HBO in May 2019.
It received Best Director and Best Actor at the Miami Film Festival in 2019.

His upcoming project “Tumba Del Mar” is now in development.