THE VANGUARD

Yhá Mourhia Wright is a filmmaker, director, and producer whose work spans independent film, digital media, and emerging vertical formats. The founder of YháWright Productions, she has produced award-winning projects including Chocolate with Sprinkles, winner of the HBO Short Film Competition at the American Black Film Festival and a 2025 NAACP Image Award nominee, and Missing Rhythms, named Best Horror/Thriller at the 2025 Micheaux Film Festival. Her series LoveMyRoomie premiered on Amazon Prime Video.

In 2025, Wright was selected as a fellow for the Tyler Perry Studios Dream Collective, among the top 100 of more than 1,000 applicants, and her short film It Stays Here became a finalist for the Top Dawg Entertainment Short Film Fund.

Her leadership extends into education and creative development. She served as Director of Education and Engagement for the CBS Studios Leadership Pipeline Challenge and is returning for her fifth year in leadership at Black Girls Film Camp as Production Supervisor. Through her Producer’s Blueprint, she equips independent filmmakers with tools to navigate the industry, while her Inside Out Podcast extends her commitment to storytelling through conversations that explore the human experience.

Brandon Scales is an award-winning actor, writer, and producer whose credits include Patriots Day, Mile 22, Spenser Confidential, and Free Guy. His starring performance in Trumpet Gumbo earned multiple Best Actor awards on the international film-festival circuit.

Shatarra Denise Jackson is a Los Angeles-based producer, actor, and multidisciplinary storyteller whose work spans film, theatre, and original performance. Her producing credits include The Checklist, which she also starred in and executive produced, earning premieres at the American Black Film Festival (world premiere), BronzeLens Film Festival (Atlanta premiere), and New/Next Film Festival (DC/Maryland premiere).

She also served as Creative Producer on They Say Time Heals and Associate Producer on The Hype, which won Best TV Episodic at this year’s HollyShorts Comedy Festival and was named a Best Series finalist at ABFF. Jackson is also the creator, producer, and performer of The Opening Five, an original performance series. A Howard University graduate, her creative practice is informed by a deep interest in storytelling, cultural memory, and human behavior.

Ana Lopez is a director and producer who uses storytelling to create connection, representation, and meaningful change. Her work centers underrepresented voices and authentic human experiences both on and off screen.

Billy Finnegan IV graduated from the University of Oregon with a BS in 2002 and has been a California licensed Realtor since 2004. From 2009 to 2014, he directed music placement for new talent, working with Lionsgate films.

In 2016, he came back home to the Bay Area to help the family business. He has done four full features as a Production Designer and Art Director, most notably The System trilogy in 2024.

Dexx Broughton is a San Francisco-based director and cinematographer with more than a decade of experience across narrative films, documentaries, music videos, and commercial content. Through CineCTRL Media and TDMG Studios, he creates dynamic visuals that elevate diverse voices and Bay Area culture.

Laniqua C. Richardson is an award-winning editor and filmmaker whose work can be described as viscerally emotive and artistically bold.

She has cut together documentaries, short and long-form narrative films, music videos, and commercials. With 5+ years in the industry, she is accustomed to performing in deadline-driven fast-paced environments while pushing creative limits to assist in the delivery of projects that surpass all expectations.