Master Classes
33 and Me Filmmakers Festival
September 22 – 30, 2024
Lehigh Valley, PA
33 Countries 33 Filmmakers 33 Year-Olds
Biographies of Masterclass Leaders
Masterclass #1: Acting for Directors
Taught by Lynnie Godfrey
Ms. Godfrey studied with Broadway royalty, Lloyd Richards (director of A Raisin in the Sun), at Hunter College which led to her Broadway debut in the musical revue EUBIE! about a year and a half after graduation from NYC’s Hunter College. For Directing, Ms. Godfrey received the TYRONE GUTHRIE AWARD for Excellence in Directing. She is the recipient of a Drama Desk Nomination and has received the Dramalogue and NAACP Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress and the AUDELCO AWARD for Outstanding Performance for her work in SHUFFLE ALONG. She has received the NAACP AWARD for Best Producer and for her recording of THE SNOW QUEEN (the title role) she received the AUDIO EARPHONE AND BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AWARDS.
Directing credits include: Off Broadway: UNENTITLED by Charles White at the Hudson Guild Theatre, Thornton Wilder’s INFANCY, Lorraine Hansberry’s TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED and BLACK, Athol Fugard’s BOSEMAN and LENA, Charles Fuller’s ALL FAIR and Ossie Davis’ PURLIE among many more. As readings of new works are an important step in the maturation of a production, Ms. Godfrey also directs readings. They include; Charles White’s LEGACY; and Celeste Bedford Walker’s RED BLOOD OF WAR and GREENWOOD: AN AMERICAN DREAM DESTROYED.
Television and film credits include: the female lead in Norman Lear’s 704 HAUSER (the sequel to All in the Family), recurring and guest spots in: 227, AMEN, LA LAW, Oprah Winfrey’s THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE and the Disney film V.I. WARSHAWSKI. In 2017 Ms. Godfrey was honored to be awarded the INAUGURAL ARTIST of the DISTINGUISHED SCRIMSHAW VISITING ARTIST FUND. She was also delighted to be asked to participate in Albany, NY’s WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP Panel.
Ms. Godfrey is the Founder, Artistic and Producing Director of THE ESSENCE OF ACTING, an invitation-only member organization dedicated to providing the actor membership with creative opportunities that challenge their training and experience.
Ms. Godfrey is proud to work with the talented Bathsheba Monk again; having directed a reading of her nontraditional musical LOIS’ WEDDING in March of 2016 at Art Quest.
Ms. Godfrey currently sits on the Board and is the President of the LEAGUE of PROFESSIONAL THEATRE WOMEN, the former of President on the Board of FRIENDS OF MUSIC (FOM) and is currently an active member of both FOM and the Performing Arts Board at Art Quest. She is President and CEO of GODLEE ENTERTAINMENT, INC., her production company which seeks new works to develop and produce.
Ms. Godfrey proudly belongs to Actors’ Equity, SAG-AFTRA, NAG (Negro Actors Guild), The Broadway Drama Guild and the SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society), The League of Professional Theatre Women and Honor Roll.
On Zoom and Live Streaming, Ms. Godfrey has directed the works of Celeste B. Walker “SAY THEIR NAMES. The Tanisha Anderson Story”, “GREENWOOD: AN AMERICAN DESTROYED”, and “THE RED BLOOD OF WAR”, Charles White’s historic: “THE DEPRIEST TEA INCIDENT” and Scenes from Melda Beatty’s “FRONT PORCH”… All New Works…
In difference to space and time Ms. Godfrey would only mention the joy that many other theatre, television, cabaret and film performances, writing her book* and creating and recording her CDs** has given her.
*LYNNIE GODFREY; SHARING LESSONS LEARNED IN THE SPOTLIGHT. **LYNNIE GODFREY DOES IT HER WAY and** SPENDING THE HOLIDAYS WITH LYNNIE GODFREY. She broadcast her weekly radio/podcast LYNNIE GODFREY STRAIGHT NO CHASER on blogtalkradio.com/sfth2
Masterclass #2: Perfecting the Pitch
Taught by Allan Nicholls
Allan first arrived in NYC in 1969 from Montreal Canada where he was the lead singer in the band JB and The Playboys. He had been urged to come to NYC to audition for the Broadway company of “Hair.” In the Spring of that year Allan performed the role of Claude and then later in 1970 he took over the role of Berger. He took on the 1970’s Broadway musical scene head on performing as King Herod in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” The Pusher and The Cop in “Inner City Mother Goose,” 33 in “Dude,” Adam in “Up From Paradise,” and closed out his career as Maxwell Hammer in “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”
He relocated to Los Angeles in 1975 at the invitation of Robert Altman to play the role of Bill in his mega cast film “Nashville.” His participation in that film led to a relationship and a collaboration with Altman that lasted well into the 2000’s. Nicholls is a BAFTA and WGA award nominated veteran of the movie industry having produced, directed, acted, and written music for the past forty years. Although noted for his collaborations with Robert Altman he has worked alongside directors Tim Robbins and John Madden on several of their films.
Often performing multiple roles for a film, his experiences include associate producer and assistant director on Oscar nominated “Dead Man Walking” (1995), assistant director on the Oscar nominated “The Player” (1992), executive producer and assistant director for the Palme d’Or nominated “Cradle Will Rock” (1999), and associate producer on the Golden Globe nominated “Bob Roberts” (1992). His television experience includes producing on “Saturday Night Live” (1989-91) and “Tanner on Tanner” (2004).
In film, as a writer, he co-wrote screenplays “A Perfect Couple” (1979), the BAFTA nominated “A Wedding” (1978); both directed by Robert Altman; and wrote and directed the film “Dead Ringer” (1981) starring Meat Loaf.
Allan has always managed to incorporate music into each of his endeavors.
Masterclass #3: The “Magic” of Sound
Taught by Stuart Stanley
Stuart was a post-production sound editor at Warner Brothers for 42 years. His credits include “Apollo 13,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” “The Good Shepherd,” “Reds,” “Blue Bloods” and many more films and TV shows. He now enjoys retirement in Easton, PA.
Masterclass #4: Screenwriting Workshop
Taught by Richard Wesley
Richard Wesley was born in Newark, New Jersey and graduated from Howard University. He studied Playwriting under the tutelage of Owen Dodson and Ted Shine. A member of the New Lafayette Theater from 1970 through 1973, he served as Managing Editor of its Black Theater magazine.
He was awarded a Drama Desk Award for his 1971 stage play, THE BLACK TERROR. His 1978 play, THE MIGHTY GENTS, appeared on Broadway, after premiering off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theater Club under its original title, “The Last Street Play.”
His 1989 play, THE TALENTED TENTH, also at the Manhattan Theater Club, brought him his fourth AUDELCO Award for outstanding play. In 2013, he wrote the libretto for an opera, PAPA DOC, for the Trilogy Opera Company, with music composed by Dorothy Rudd Moore, and adapted from an essay by Edwidge Danticat. Other librettos for Trilogy Opera include: FIVE, with music composed by Anthony Davis; KENYATTA, with music composed by Trent Johnson; W.E.B. and BOOKER T, Julius Williams, composer and SCOTT, GARNER, GRAY, SAYS: JIMMY BALDWIN, Dwayne Fulton, composer.
In June 2019, a new version of FIVE, now known as, THE CENTRAL PARK FIVE, premiered at the Long Beach Opera, in San Pedro, California.
Mr. Wesley’s play, AUTUMN, received its premiere at the Crossroads Theater in New Brunswick, New Jersey in April of 2015. The play received its New York premiere at the Billie Holiday Theater in 2016, a production that subsequently won six Audelco Awards, including Dramatic Production of the Year.
Mr. Wesley has shared two NAACP Image “Best Picture” Awards for the motion pictures, UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT and LET’S DO IT AGAIN, both of which starred Sidney Poitier and Bill Cosby. Among his other motion pictures: NATIVE SON (1984) and FAST FORWARD (1985).
Mr. Wesley has authored scripts for television movies: THE HOUSE OF DIES DREAR (PBS, 1984), MURDER WITHOUT MOTIVE (NBC, 1992), MANDELA and DE KLERK (Showtime, 1997), and co-wrote the scripts for BOJANGLES (Showtime, 2002) and DEACONS FOR DEFENSE (Showtime, 2003), a recipient of “Best Teleplay” award from the Foundation for the Advancement of African Americans in Film (FAAAF) . He has also written episodes for the series FALLEN ANGELS (Showtime, 1996), ONE HUNDRED CENTER STREET (A&E Cable Networks, 2000 and 2001) and MIRACLE’S BOYS (2005).
In 2019, “IT’S ALWAYS LOUD IN THE BALCONY: From Harlem to Hollywood and Back,” Mr. Wesley’s personal history of the Black Theater Movement across the last fifty years, was published by Applause Books.
In 2020, The Central Park Five, Anthony Davis’ opera, for which Mr. Wesley wrote the libretto, was the recipient of The Pulitzer Prize in music.
Among other commendations Mr. Wesley has received are: 1993 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Organization of Black Screenwriters, The 2013 August Wilson Playwriting Award from the National Black Theater Festival, The 2015 Castillo Award for Outstanding Writing in Political Theater, The 2017 Pioneer Award from the National Black Theater of New York, The 2018 Distinguished Playwriting Award.
Formerly the chair of the Goldberg Department of Dramatic Writing in the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Richard still teaches screenwriting at NYU as an Associate Professor.
Masterclass #5: Production Design
Taught by Duprelon “tizzz” Tizdale
Tizzz is a filmmaker who loves to reminisce about when he was 33. He has worked in the entertainment industry his entire life, getting his first gig at 12-years-old running spotlight for Elvis Presley. With 25+ years in the Hollywood film biz as an IATSE Union Professional, he has worked in just about every department, including art, locations, and camera. He has been in the trenchs for Sony, Netflix, Disney, Warner Brothers, and a bunch of small studios. Credits include: “Avengers,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “Hostiles,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “Manhattan,” “Sunshine Cleaning,” “True Grit,” “The Host,” “Thor,” and “House of Cards.” He was the program director and co-founder of the Taos Shortz Film Festival, a well regarded global film fest that ran for 15 years. He resides in the mountains near Taos, New Mexico and loves to fly drones and watch the hummingbirds.
Masterclass #6: Social Media Marketing
Taught by Sisa Quispe
Sisa Quispe is a Quechua Aymara award-winning director, writer, producer, speaker, and host in New York City. As an Indigenous woman, her work largely seeks to inspire the preservation of native ways while sharing a decolonizing message. “Kusi Smiles” featuring Renata Flores is a short film about grief and finding a path of healing in the Andes, set to premiere in 2024 as part of the Latino Film Institute Inclusion Fellowship sponsored by Netflix.
Quispe also wrote, produced, and directed “Urpi: Her Last Wish,” a film exploring the complexity of the Indigenous identity, which won The Gotham’s 5th Annual Student Short Film Showcase. Quispe is currently part of the 4th World Media, providing Indigenous creators a progressive immersion into film.
Her popular TEDx talk, “Re-thinking Who We Are Through A Decolonizing Lens,” shares her decolonization journey. Quispe hopes to bring more representation of Indigenous women’s perspectives and to continue cultivating a path for Indigenous youth to develop their voices.
Biographies of Panelists
Panel #1: Catalyst Story Institute
Led by Sara Hamilton and special guests
Sara Hamilton is an award-winning producer and consultant with more than 30 years of experience in film and media, marketing and branding, strategy and business development. Sara has produced narrative and documentary features and series, corporate and commercial video productions, and international marketing communications campaigns. She is a certified Film Commissioner with the AFCI and a dedicated advocate for the production industry in Minnesota, serving on the Board of Directors of the Gray Duck Film Center and volunteering with Minnesota Film & TV, the Minnesota Film Alliance, and Catalyst Story Institute.
Panel #2: Filmmaking as Revolution
Led by Stephanie Gardner with 33 and Me Filmmakers Atzin Ortiz González (Mexico), Ana Jakimska (North Macedonia), Patience Nitumwesiga (Uganda), Stacy Ann Sutherland (Jamaica), Rae Wiltshire (Guyana)
Stepanie Gardner, creator and host of the international “33 and Me” Film Project, leads a diverse panel to discuss the various ways filmmaking is used around the world, past and present. In addition as pure entertainment, it has been used to create a voice for the voiceless, to battle repression, to spark new ideas, to attempt to change the status quo, and more. Hear from some of our “33 and Me” filmmakers about how they view the role of cinema in the world and in their home countries.
Panel #3: Essential Female Directors
Led by Susan Chau of Girls Cinema Club
Girls Cinema Club, founded by filmmaker Susan Chau, is a Zine about cinema featuring female filmmakers. With rotating guest authors, interviews, visual art, and music playlists; GCC shares classic films, world cinema, and Hollywood new releases.
Susan Chau: a New York-based director, production designer, and art director working in film and branded content. She received her MFA in film production at NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Her film Josephine, developed while at NYU, has traveled the festival circuit and was supported by Panavision, which awarded the project The New Filmmaker Grant. Most recently, Chau worked with Vox Media and Apartment Therapy. She also art directs for editorial print and digital. Her latest concept Contempt / Le Mempris, based on Jean Luc Godard’s stunning film on love and cinema was published in The Impression magazine’s annual film issue. She is the founder and director of the zine, Girls Cinema Club.
Panel #4: Global Cinema Bonanza
Led by Lauren Tocci of How Could You?! Podcast
