Meet the Director



Halo Rossetti



Writer/ Director | They/Them



Halo Rossetti (they/them) is a Philadelphia-based writer, director, performer, and artist, worldbuilding positive futures in the husk of the capitalist experiment.


Rossetti is currently pursuing their MFA in Film and Media Arts at Temple University, specializing in directing.


Rossetti’s short film, SUNRIDER, premiered at Les Femmes Underground International Film Festival in Phoenix, AZ in September 2018. Rossetti’s short film, The French Chef with Julia Child: Abortifacient Herbs, was a finalist in Get Free Film Fest in Los Angeles 2019 and was the featured video for Vox Populi’s 4th Wall film and video program, September–October 2019.


Rossetti is currently a finalist in the Tribeca Film Institute/Sloan Foundation Student Science and Discovery Award 2020, and a juror for qFLIX Philadelphia 2020.



Meet the Cast



Jayden Rolling



"Zoe" | They/Them



Jayden Rolling (they/them) is a genderfluid actor with a long history of theatre, back into middle school. They have appeared in shows such as Seussical: The Musical as Jojo, Little Shop of Horrors as Chiffon, and Sister Act as Mother superior.


Though they are just beginning their career in film, they aim to extend their portfolio and continue to gain more experience in the field. They have been awarded "Best Supporting Actress" by the Southeast Theatre Company for their roles as Marvalyn in Almost, Maine, and Wendy in Peter/Wendy. In their free time, Jayden enjoys creating art pieces, writing plays, making videos of their friendships, cosplaying, and just relaxing watching Netflix.


Jayden is represented by Bridget O’Brien with MTM.



Mandy May Cheetham



"Mom" | She/Her



Mandy May Cheetham is a multidisciplinary artist involved in all aspects of storytelling. She is also the creator of Trophies and The Trophy Diaries. Two narrative dramedy series’ about the world of competitive All-Star Cheerleading.


She is a multiple award-winning actress in both comedy and drama. She received the prestigious Brian Linehan Actors Award and Prize from the Canadian National Screen Institute for her work on Companionship.


She has also been nominated internationally for her work as a lead actress in the short film Father which screened at over 30 festivals including the prestigious Court Metrage at the Cannes Film Festival.


Mandy hosts the podcast Going Gray in Tinseltown about her prematurely grey hair and is a Grey Hair influencer on Instagram.



Emi Curia



"Kayley" | She/Her



Emi Curia (she/her) is a 17 year old senior at R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She has been pursuing musical theatre and dance from a very young age. Her favorite roles include Lady Marian in The Adventures of Robin Hood, Ellie Blake in Freaky Friday, and Molly Aster in Peter and the Starcatcher. Aside from musical theatre, she has been studying film acting at Carolina’s Actors Group for 4 years, advanced tap and jazz at UNCSA, and voice with Thao Nguyen. Her favorite film roles include Campbell in Logged On, Diana in They Are Wolves, and Jodie in Daughters. She is also a proud Co-Founder/Social Media Coordinator of SPARK, a sub-company of Spring Theatre that produces shows by teens, for teens. When she’s not acting, she can be found studying, watching movies, and playing with her two dogs. Emi is represented by Cheri Van Loon at Marilyn’s Agency.



Lily Freeman



"Pony" | She/Her



"Lily Freeman (she/her) is an actor, singer, dancer, and LGBTQ+ advocate from Bucks County, PA. Her theatre credits include: Jojo (Seussical), Kate (Annie), and Flounder (The Little Mermaid).


Her TV and film credits include: Raising Daughters - Secret Deodorant Commercial, Mix and Match - Verizon Wireless Commercial, and Talking to the Moon - a student short film. She studies Voice with Joan Myerov and takes Jazz and Tap classes at both Music Mountain Theatre and the Coalesce Center for Dance.


When not performing, Lily proudly advocates for the LGBTQ+ community by participating in educational sessions for her school district and third parties. Being someone of the community herself, helping to educate the community at large is very important.


Some of her hobbies include drawing, writing, playing piano, and any other thing to bring out her creativity.



MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM



Kathryn Foley



Creative Producer | She/Her



Kathryn Foley (she/her) is a creative producer and screenwriter based on the East Coast. In her work, she strives to create more representation and inclusion within film and television.


This first started with her short anthology, Imperfect the Series, where each episode shows an individual character's experience with body image. This series combats the idea that narratives should focus on one shape or size, and challenges ideas of standardized beauty.


In addition to her work on PONY, Foley is serving as a Filmmaking Teaching Fellow with ArtistYear, where she will serve supporting arts curriculum in underserved schools in Philadelphia. Reflected in all her projects, Foley believes in media representation as a means for social change and strives to help others find their voice through cinematic and media arts.



Meaghan "Wilbs" Wilbur



Post-Producer | They/Them



Meaghan “Wilbs” Wilbur (they/them) is a producer and filmmaker whose work focuses on the intersection of art and advocacy. Their producing career includes award-winning feature films like Deb Shoval’s "AWOL" and Cat Papadimitriou’s "Nia On Vacation."


They are best known for their editing work on HBO’s "2 Dope Queens", and Bola Ogun’s award-winning short film “Are We, Good Parents?” Their editorial career spans a diverse range of projects and genres, from the subversive cult comedy "Wonder Showzen" to groundbreaking Netflix comedy "AJ and the Queen".


As part of their ongoing commitment to mentoring emerging talent in post-production, Wilbur has served as an executive committee member for the Blue Collar Post Collective. They are thrilled to be joining the Pony team.



Madeliene Bishop



Director of Photography | She/Her



Madeleine Bishop (she/her) is a Philadelphia-based professional cinematographer and recent graduate with an MFA in Film and Media Arts at Temple University.


Maddie was the director of photography on Lindsay Vitale’s short film High Tide, which was officially selected for Temple University’s Diamond Screen: Women’s Fest in 2019.


Bishop’s experimental documentary thesis film, Doctor’s Creek No. 1, is currently in post-production. Bishop and Rossetti recently collaborated on Feathers Wise’s music video, Your Love Is Giving Me Life, currently in post-production, for which Bishop was the director of photography.


They also recently collaborated, along with Eppchez Yes! on POLLINATION: FIG/WASP, an experimental video found on Rossetti’s vimeo page.



Hutch Hutchinson



Production Designer | They/Them



Hutch Hutchinson (they/them) is a production designer, art director, producer, builder, and prop master based in New York City. A dynamic queer raised in a Broadway theater family, they have forged their passion for intricate design with a penchant for efficient execution and have found a vibrant home in the center of the film world.


Throughout the year, they work in the art departments of films ranging from shorts to features, including Monsters and Men, The Goldfinch, Woman in the Window, and West Side Story. They serve as a co-producer for DapperQ, a driving force behind some of the largest queer fashion shows in the world at institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum and The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston.


Their heart lies in nourishing community ties through creative expression, creating intersectional sets and spaces in which folks can feel safe and seen while being emboldened and supported in making their visions become real.



Ariel Mahler



Assistant Director | They/Them



Ariel Mahler (she/they) is a nonbinary filmmaker, AD, and queer/trans rights advocate. Ariel’s most recent project, “Flock”, is an independent short thriller that stars two trans leads and features an almost entirely trans crew.


Last year, Mahler released “Bad Ally”, an irreverent web series they co-created with Daquisha Jones. Mahler worked as an Assistant Director on “Salacia,” written and directed by trans icon Tourmaline, as well as “Flourish” by Heather María Ács, and “Tell By Date,” by Sarah Ball.


In 2018, Ariel produced DEATH & BOWLING, a feature film created by more than 40 trans people. Ariel is constantly inspired by the many trans filmmakers and artists who are consistently making work and pushing boundaries, especially in such a volatile political culture.



Hansen Bursic



Associate Producer | He/Him



Hansen Bursic (he/him) is an award-winning filmmaker and LGBTQ+ rights activist currently based out of Oakland, CA. For the past four years, Bursic has been working as an independent filmmaker and media consultant in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Much of his film work has been dedicated to telling transparent, meaningful stories that center marginalized voices, specifically of LGBTQ and rural people. Bursic's short documentary on a trans girl and her family living in rural Pennsylvania, The Toothmans, screened internationally, including a screening at Frameline42 and an award from The Foundation for The Contemporary Family.


Currently, Bursic is finishing his thesis film Halloween 1987, a narrative film about a gender-questioning teen in the 1980s who struggles with their identity following a gender-bending Halloween costume. The film is based on a memoir by Jenny Jae Cory, a transwoman living in rural Appalachia who Bursic has been doing a documentary on for the past three years.



Alfreda "Fre" Howard



Lead Hair & Makeup | She/Her



Fre (she/her) is a Michigan native who moved to the Philadelphia area in 2005. She has a diverse career background as a sign language interpreter, domestic violence counselor, and substance abuse program intake coordinator.


While in these roles, she was constantly asked to do makeup and hair, as well as teach classes, so she decided to begin freelancing. She was immediately hired to do makeup and hair for headshots, along with many special events such as proms and weddings.


In 2009, she decided to take a leap of faith, and began the journey of entrepreneurship that became "Faces by Fre." Fre and her team are currently working on several projects for film and television, as well as The Curtis Institute of Music's 2019-2020 Opera season, and Mrs. Murray's Menagerie at Ars Nova in New York City.


Fre is committed to professional development for herself and her team, who continue to attend professional trainings, classes and workshops throughout the year.



Tiffany Collins



Hair & Makeup Team Member | She/Her



Tiffany (she/her) started her makeup career in New York for fashion week, she has gone on to work for feature films, theater, opera, and corporate productions.


Talented in all areas of makeup artistry, she specializes in working with all skin tones and types.



Stacey McBride



Wardrobe Key | She/Her



Stacey (she/her) is a Senior Wig, Wardrobe stylist, and makeup artist for Faces By Fre, LLC. She is a well-rounded artist with over 25 years of experience in hair, makeup, wig styling, stitchery, and wardrobe. Stacey is also a member of several unions in the Philadelphia Tri-State area.


Michael Connor



Hair & Makeup Team Member | She/Her



Michael (he/him) is a professional Makeup Artist and Licensed Cosmetologist. Michael has worked for M.A.C and Estee Lauder and has over 20 years of experience in the Industry. Michael is the Lead Trainer and Sr. Makeup Artist for Faces By Fre, LLC.


Daniel Brennan



Gaffer | He/Him



Daniel (he/him) is a cinematographer based on the East Coast with work anchored in music videos and commercials. He is also a founding member of Philadelphia based creative agency/production company Powered By Wind.



Ja'rel Ivory



Key Grip | He/Him



Ja'rel Ivory is a jack of all trades, but specializes in Camera,Lighting, and Writing. Whose goal is to tell stories in the most beautiful and precise way possible, especially through the shape of light. In the near future he plans on venturing out west to build connections and push his career further up the pole.


Calvin Woodruff



1st Assistant Camera | He/Him



Calvin (he/him) is a camera assistant and editor based in Philadelphia. He’s worked on several notable projects about trans and queer stories, including Queer Eye (Netflix), Death & Bowling (dir. Lyle Kash), and No Ordinary Man (The Billy Tipton Story, dir. Chase Joynt.)

He recently collaborated with Ariel Mahler and Easton Carter Angle on Flock, a short thriller that featured an almost entirely trans crew. He also spent the last year traveling around the country for Trans Wave Films documentary, Trans In Trumpland, which features the stories of four transgender Americans as they survive and thrive in red states.

A love for storytelling, his passion lies in developing heartfelt and visually compelling films. When he’s not busy editing projects or pulling focus, Calvin can be found writing scripts and watching old Sherlock Holmes movies.



Jordan Qin



2nd Assistant Camera | She/Her



Jordan Qin (she/her) is an award-winning filmmaker originally from St. Louis, Missouri but currently located in Philadelphia. Her work has been shown in a variety of festivals including Temple University's DiamondQ Festival, First-Time Filmmaker Sessions, and the Liftoff Sessions. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Arts at Temple University and is expected to graduate in May 2021. She is so, so excited to be a part of "Pony"!