Film & Television Director

A multi-talented and award-winning filmmaker, Emmy and NAACP-nominated television director and digital media artist, Ayoka Chenzira has exhibited her indie films around the world at prestigious institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. She is one of the first African American women to write, produce and direct a 35mm feature film, Alma’s Rainbow.

In 2018, her animated film Hair Piece was inducted into the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress. Bowie State University's first stop-motion animation studio now bears the name "Studio Ayoka Chenzira." Ayoka’s television career took off when Ava DuVernay tapped her to direct episodes of Queen Sugar. Since then, Ayoka has worked non-stop as a television director. She is known for her visual style, inventiveness, and technical skills while being a creative partner and collaborator.

For more information about Ayoka Chenzira, please visit her website at: https://www.ayokachenzira.com

Film & Television Producer

Mrs. Bailey-Ford founded Autumn Bailey Entertainment, whose mission is to produce high-quality feature films and television shows. She has worked on over three dozen independent film projects as a producer and has assisted numerous filmmakers secure film distribution for their projects.

Autumn is a member of the Producer Guild of America, Women in Film Atlanta & Los Angels, Black Women in Film, SouthEast Emmys Member and one of the charter founding members of Real Divas Atlanta organization. Currently, Mrs. Bailey is producing several film and television projects. Of those films, she has received multiple accolades and won numerous awards.

Most recently, Mrs. Bailey has started a co-production company with Cameron Burnett (Son of acclaimed Hollywood Producer Mark Burnett) called Prominent Productions.

For more information about Autumn Bailey-Ford, please visit her website at: http://www.abentertainment05.com.

Co-Founder & Creative Director

Along with creating award-winning shorts and building up a resume as an editor, writer and director during the past 15 years, Harold Hayes has added directing some of the top-rated VR/360 content within various major studio IPs to his list. His talents have been enlisted to create content, help brand and expand the story world of studio projects such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Conjuring Universe, and Mortal Engines by Peter Jackson.

Recently, Harold directed the 2019 Universal Pictures content campaign for Queen and Slim, directed by Melina Matsoukas and written by Lena Waithe. He’s currently a co-producer on Ryan Coogler’s upcoming Warner Bros. bio-pic about legendary Black Panther Fred Hampton and he’s the on-set content producer for tent-pole film The Batman that is currently in production.

For more information about Harold Hayes, please visit his website at: https://sunnyboyentertainment.com.

Visual Artist

Ayana Ross (b. 1977) is a Georgia native, currently living and working in McDonough and Atlanta, Georgia respectively. Ross received a MA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design (2021), a MA in Liberal Art from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro (2014) and a BS in Design and Merchandising from Georgia Southern University (2000). As a full time artist, Ross has received recognition as the 2021 Bennett Prize winner and is a current Mint Atlanta Leap Year fellow.

Ross’ work has exhibited in a number of group shows including the Bennett Prize, Rising Voices traveling exhibition, and featured in publications, including American Art Collector magazine. Her work is in notiable collections, including the Bennett Collection, the Kent Kelley Collection and the SCAD permanent collection. In 2023 Ross will have her first solo museum exhibition at the Muskegon Museum of Art in Muskegon, MI, which will travel the US from 2023-2025.

Music

Malesha Jessie Taylor is an Atlanta-based vocal artist, songwriter and collaborator. She is also the Founder of museSalon Collaborative, the recent Curator in Residence with Art on the Atlanta BeltLine. Their recent PolyRhythmiQ Juneteenth Festival featured the premiere of her original song with Salah Ananse, Okorie Johnson and the Atlanta Music Project Youth Choir entitled, “Claiming a Black Future,” which we hope to release and perform this fall with NBAF!

Malesha composed and recorded, “Becoming,” a vocal soundtrack to accompany the artwork of Charly Palmer alongside cellist, Okorie Johnson and producer, Salah Ananse as seen in “Departure” at Hammond House Museum. Malesha also composed the song “Rite to Freedom,” the vocal soundtrack resounding inside Charmaine Minniefield’s Praise House Project in residence at Emory University. Malesha’s AfroHouse Single “Free,” which is in the dance music compilation AfroHouse Essentials Vol. 15 with LW Recordings.

Film

Natrice Miller is photographer/filmmaker whose personal work focuses on documenting the Black experience in America. Clients and publications include The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The United Negro College Fund. She graduated from Florida A&M University with a B.S. in Journalism and Graphic Communication in 2005. In addition to exhibiting photography in Atlanta and The U.S., her short films have shown at The NBAF Resurgence Black Film Festival, Crassh Film Festival in Cambridge, England and Atlanta Contemporary. She currently resides in Atlanta with her husband and son.

Music

Visual Arts

Film