Michelle Patrick

Over the past decade Michelle Patrick has worked within theater, dance, photography, creative writing and cultural administration. Her current work at the Nevada Arts Council focuses on statewide community arts development initiatives and grant support. Her arts administrative background also includes the city of Las Vegas, Denver Center for the Performing Arts and the Sundance Film Festival. She has served as a grant panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, as a board member for the Nevada Women’s Film Festival and holds a BA from Bradford College. She recently performed in “The Lifespan of a Fact” at the Majestic Repertory Theater.

Jeff Lester

Jeff Lester, a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, has been directing since 1996, winning multiple awards for his work. He was first recruited by Robert Redford’s Sundance Channel to direct and produce segments of Sundance Dailies, a half-hour program highlighting the Sundance Film Festival. The show aired on both the Sundance Channel and Showtime. Continuing his relationship with the Sundance Channel, Lester created, wrote, produced and directed The Shorts Show, a series pilot focusing on the craft of short filmmaking, hosted by Emmy Winner and Academy Award nominee Laura Dern.

Lester entered the world of filmmaking with his debut short film, The Last Real Cowboys, starring Academy Award and Golden Globes winner Billy Bob Thornton and legendary actor Mickey Jones. Jeff directed, produced and co-authored the story line with screenwriter Rudy Gaines. The film premiered at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and went on to become an audience favorite at over 20 international film festivals, including South By Southwest, Aspen Shorts Fest, New York’s Shorts International Film Festival (winner of “Best Comedy”), Telluride Mountain Film Festival (“Best Short Film”), London Film Festival and Stockholm Film Festival. The film was chosen as part of the Ifilm/AMC Theaters premiere theatrical showcase for short films and was eligible for Academy Award nomination. The short was licensed for on-demand distribution by Atom Films and IndieFlix. A featurelength screenplay, loosely based on the 12-minute short, was story lined by Lester, Gaines, and Thornton and penned by Gaines and Lester. Thornton, a long-time friend of Lester, is attached to star with Lester directing. The film Broken, starring Heather Graham and Jeremy Sisto, was created from an original story of Lester’s and written by collaborator, Drew Pillsbury. Lester and Pillsbury both served as co-producers on the project. The film premiered at AFI Fest Film Festival and went on to have a limited theatrical release by First Look International, and procured a strong on-demand audience. The short film Mr. President, directed by Lester, was shot and edited in 48 hours for the Elevate Film Festival. The film took home top honors of Best Short Narrative Film (Jury Award), Best Short Narrative Film (Audience Award), and Best Director Award for Lester. The short film Speed of Life was Lester’s first foray into documentary filmmaking. It is the story of competitive snowboarder Amy Purdy and her triumphant journey. The film premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival and was an official selection at Aspen Shorts Fest, Maui Film Festival, Gaia Film Festival, Port Clinton International Film Festival and Heart of Gold International Film Festival. Speed of Life was licensed by IndieFlix for on-demand distribution. 

Lester has directed numerous commercials, music videos, branded content, and live multicamera events, winning many awards for his work. Clients include: Sheraton, Planet Hollywood, Chase, Connecticut Lottery, The Wynn Las Vegas, MGM Grand, The Smith Center, Cox Communications, Howard Hughes Corporation, University Medical Center, Three Square Food Bank, University of Illinois, The Palazzo Resort Hotel & Casino, World Wildlife Fund, and The Alliance for Climate Protection.

Susan Anton

Susan Anton has been recognized as a multi talented international star for more than 35 years in television, film, theater, and concert venues. She was nominated for a Golden Globe in her first film outing, Golden Girl, and was soon thereafter signed by NBC to star in her own variety show, Presenting Susan Anton. ABC later signed her to a development deal where she starred in the hourly drama, Cliffhangers. She has appeared in hundreds of film and television projects over the years.

Her Broadway credits include co-starring with the original Broadway cast of Tommy Tune’s Tony Award-winning musical The Will Rogers Follies; she also worked with director Mike Nichols in David Rabe’s Pulitzer Prize winning play Hurlyburly. She co-starred as Velma Von Tussle in the Las Vegas production of the Broadway musical, Hairspray, opposite Harvey Fierstein, which was directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien and choreographed by Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell. She reprised the role for three spectacular evenings at the Hollywood Bowl with an all-star cast, which was directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. She co-starred in the national tour of the Broadway musical All Shook Up, directed by Christopher Ashley and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo.

Susan starred for seven years in the The Great Radio City Music Hall Spectacular with the legendary Rockettes, directed by the late Joe Layton. She also toured in the Neil Simon/Marvin Hamlish production of They’re Playing Our Song and then went on to co-star with Elizabeth Ashley in the national tour of A Couple of White Chicks Sitting Around Talking. She has shared the stage with legendary entertainers Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davies Jr., Tom Jones, and many more. She toured with country super star Kenny Rogers and had a top 10 country hit with the song “Killing Time”. Internationally, she had recording success and received a Gold record for her hit, “Foxy”.

Susan and her husband, director, Jeff Lester have called Las Vegas home for more than 20 years. In 1997 they opened their production company, Big Picture Studios. Under their banner, Susan executive produced the award winning The Last Real Cowboys, starring Oscar winner, Billy Bob Thornton, and also executive produced the documentary Speed of Life with Amy Purdy, the inspirational Sochi bronze medalist who was also runner up in Dancing With The Stars. Susan is currently a minority partner and celebrity brand ambassador in a new California based beverage company, Spa Girl Cocktails.

Victoria Vinuesa

Victoria Vinuesa is a screenwriter and author. Her YA movie See You On Venus was released last summer in cinemas around the world. Netflix owns the worldwide rights. The novel of the same title has sold its foreign rights to 16 different countries so far.

Her new film Under The Stars, directed by Michelle Danner and starring Andy Garcia, Toni Colettle, Alex Petyffer and Eva De Dominici, ended filming in May 2024.

Having lived in places as diverse as France, Greece, Spain, Portugal and several US states; having traveled half the world; together with her professional training as a psychologist, not only allows Victoria to write about different cultures but also to transmit the complexity of the characters and their conflicts in a unique way.

Victoria has recently optioned three more scripts, two of which will be filmed by the end of the year.

Keva McGee

A Chicago native, Keva A. McGee is a proud graduate of Rust College, where she earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in Mass Communications.   Post Rust College, she continued her formal education at Columbia College Chicago, where she earned a second Bachelor’s Degree in Post Production Editing. Mrs. McGee retired from Chicago Public Schools in 2020 and is currently a  Multi-media Communications Magnet Program/CTE Video ProductionTeacher at Canyon Springs High School Leadership & Law Preparatory Academy in Clark County School District.

Throughout her 25 year teaching career, Keva has exposed her students to industry standards offering in collaboration with Columbia College, John Mossman/SOUTHSIDE FILMMAKING YOUTH INITIATIVE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM (SouthSide FYI ) Summer mentorship program. Garnering numerous awards and most importantly, new skills, confidence, and dreams of the future for the participants in the program.

Additionally, Keva is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. A 2009 Exemplary Teacher of the Year recipient from the Chicago Public Schools Department of College and Career Preparation/ Career and Technical Education. Passionate about the lives of her students and the welfare of her school, Keva’s motto is true to who she is: “Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!”

Anne Kellogg

Anne Kellogg is a Las Vegas-native who has spent a lifetime celebrating all things Nevada. Her passion for arts patronage started for her as a child and has grown into a life-long pursuit. She helped create First Friday Las Vegas, served as the marketing director for the Las Vegas Art Museum under Libby Lumpkin and founded Las Vegas Paper Doll Public Relations. Anne spent the first part of her career as a journalist with stints at the Las Vegas Weekly, Nevada Magazine and the Daily Sparks Tribune among other. Her work has been published in Sunset Magazine, TimeOut Las Vegas guides and Best Places Las Vegas. For the past 18 years, she has served on the board of Nevada Women’s Philanthropy, a pooled-fund large gift making organization. She and her husband, Matthew Disher split their time between her beloved Las Vegas and eastern Nevada’s mystic high desert.