Writer/Director Kristin Holodak has been drawn to image making ever since she was a child. She begged her dad to let her hold the family camera while on vacation, sneaking a picture after being explicitly told not to touch any of the buttons. Currently, she is a professor of digital media at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Prior to that, she spent fifteen years creating productions for clients such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, while at the same time, creating her own art in the form of short films. She has written and directed a dozen short films, and worked in various capacities on several others — winning jury prizes and audience awards at festivals around the country. She holds an MFA in film production.

Skilled at bringing characters and worlds to life, Award-winning writer-producer-director Melody looks forward to being a part of the team that brings DIFFRACTION to life. A veteran of indie filmmaking, Herr has developed projects with Sean Robins of Broken Road Productions and Janet Jeffries of Lawrence Bender Productions and most recently worked with Samuel Goldwyn Films in a creative development capacity.

Melody’s award-winning works include THE ROYALS, a half-hour dramedy produced in conjunction with Director Andy Lauer (Caroline in the City), The 101, a half-hour dramedy, and her short film, X’ed Out. Her works received critical acclaim internationally as well as in the USA. In addition to Diffraction, Melody has several other projects in various phases of development. A founding member of the Milwaukee Filmmaker Alliance, she spearheaded several filmmaking initiatives and continues to foster the development of young filmmakers as an adjunct professor of screenwriting at Marquette University. After years spent living and traveling abroad, Herr now splits her time between the Midwest and California.

Sourced from Milwaukee Wisconsin, Leo likes making food almost as much as he likes making images.  Learning from mentor Matty Libatique, Leo uses narrative perspective to motivate his choices with the camera.  Leo has shot throughout the United States, India, The middle East, and Africa.  He is at home outside, in a place he has never been before.

For more than twenty years, I've harnessed my passion for film, video, and animation to bring projects to life. Don is the Manager of Technical Services for the Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University.

Deb has been an active, professional costume designer, having designed for Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, G.B. Shaw Festival-Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Next Act Theatre, Northern Stage Company, Theatre Tesseract, The Ring of Steel Action Entertainment Group, Porthouse Theatre - Blossom Summer Festival, Casa Mañana Playhouse - Fort Worth, TX, and The Fort Worth Theatre.
 

She has directed professionally for In Tandem Theatre, Playwright’s Theatre of Milwaukee, Playwright’s Studio Theatre, and Casa Mañana Playhouse. She is also an Equity actress.

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At Marquette, Deb has designed costumes for over 60 Mainstage productions, and directed over 20 plays.

As a professional theatrical scenic designer, Stephen studies the use of computer technology and its application in theatre, as a design tool, as a medium to project and create scenic elements in productions. Stephen has designed scenery for Titan Theatre (NYC), Hope Summer Repertory Theatre, Milwaukee Chamber Theatre, Renaissance Theaterworks, Forward Theatre, Skylight Music Theatre, Theatre X, American Folklore Theatre, Carroll College, Sunset Playhouse, Earlham College, University of Kansas, Coastal Carolina University, and Idyllwild Arts Academy. 

Jamie Cheatham (Fight Choreographer) is a nationally recognized Fight Director and Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD).  His fight work includes such venues as the New York Shakespeare Festival, NYC Opera, the Alley Theatre (TX), Actor’s Theatre of Louisville (KY), Juilliard, and in 2019 he worked on the Broadway production of King Lear, starring Glenda Jackson. 

Amelia is a student at Marquette University.

Nate is a student at Marquette University, majoring in Digital Media & Art.

Amy is a local actress and model, active in the Milwaukee and Chicago areas. 

Raised in Snellville, Georgia, Keila J. Brown took an early interest in film and the performing arts, often appearing in school plays and writing her own short scripts.

In high school, she received a full-tuition scholarship from the Posse Foundation to study film production at Bard College, where she created her first production - a web series, entitled STUDENTS. The show would become her senior thesis, based on her own experiences leaving home to embark on the challenges of a liberal arts school. Upon graduating, she returned home to partake in the bustling film industry in GA.

Signing with an agent, Keila quickly began to establish herself in the market, booking small roles while continuing the study of her craft. When it comes to acting, she cites Denzel Washington, Phylicia Rashad, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whitaker as her main influences and the Wachowskis as her cinematic "soulmates."