As a first-generation college student Alexa is elated and eternally grateful for the privilege to continue pursuing higher education in a field prodigiously important to her personhood. Her love of media blossomed into a pedagogical passion that she wishes to apply to her analysis of a variety of modern media formats during her tenure as a UT student. Currently, she holds a B.A. in English with focus areas in Jewish Studies and Media Studies, and is on the way to becoming a UT double degree bearer as she is presently an M.A media studies candidate in the Moody Communications college.

Huong Vu is a Vietnamese writer and director whose work examines the quiet rhythms of everyday life, using food as a lens to explore familial conflict, cultural identity, and the emotional inheritances passed between generations. Her debut short film, Braised (Thịt Kho), premiered at the Oscar-qualifying Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival & Lecture Series and won Best International Film at the Prince George's Film Festival. The film has also screened at the DisOrient Asian American Film Festival, Independent Film Festival Boston, The Women's Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Society, among others. In addition to directing, Huong works as a cinematographer, collaborating on films that center women's stories. Her cinematography spans narrative, documentary, and music video projects.

Tanner Benson is a PhD student in the Radio, Television, Film program at UT Austin. Their work centers on film theory through aesthetic analysis. Their primary interests are in Latin American cinema, specifically New Latin American Cinema from the 1960s to contemporary forms, with attention to the dynamic relationships between fiction and non-fiction. Their chapter on the silent film Tepeyac is forthcoming in The Silent Film Companion: A Recovered and Expanded History (UBC Press, 2027).

Huixin Gong is currently a first-year Media Studies MA student. She received her BA in Cinema Studies with a minor in Fine Arts (Metalsmithing) from the University of Oregon in 2025. Her current research focuses on fan culture, particularly how film and television audiences create alternative forms of fan expression and negotiate identity through digital platforms. Moving forward, she hopes to expand her research to include fans across different media forms and further explore the power dynamics between media industries, censorship policies, and audience communities. In her free time, Huixin enjoys revisiting her favorite East Asian films from the 1990s, making jewelry, and playing video games. She is also a long-term volunteer contributor to a fan community website. Areas of interest: fan studies, participatory culture, censorship and piracy, queer media, and gender and sexuality.

Ava is a drama writer from Metro Detroit whose work explores subculture. She attended both the UCLA Professional Programs in Screenwriting and Writing for Television and a residency at the Hambidge Center for the Creative Arts and Sciences in Georgia. Her documentary short "The Wisdom of Oz" screened at the Arab American National Museum, and she's served as both a regional and national juror for the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards. A member of Theory Group Think Tank at Macomb Correctional Facility, Ava collaborated with incarcerated members on recent workshops “Let’s Hear What Ya Got: A Spoken Word and Storytelling Showcase” and “Art & Agency from the Inside Out: A Creative Workshop on Trauma, Healing, and Transformation.” Ava graduated from the University of Michigan, Dearborn with majors in Professional Writing & Rhetoric and Journalism & Screen Studies.

Joshua Silva is a Texas-based filmmaker looking to make his mark on the world. After earning a B.A. in English from The University of Texas at Austin, he realized his academic and creative journey was far from over and returned to pursue an M.F.A. in Film and Media Production. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Joshua never entertained the idea of being an artist. He was raised on the idea of white-collar jobs, being with family, enjoying a drink, and watching sports - something described by those nearest and dearest to him as “a normal life”. Despite those norms, Joshua decided at a young age to pursue purpose and fulfillment over practicality, leading him to Austin to pursue his education as a filmmaker. Due to the unexpected nature of COVID-19, he returned to Houston, where he has since balanced making a living with continuing to build his photography and videography portfolio. Joshua draws inspiration from Richard Linklater, Barry Jenkins, Alejandro Iñárritu, Josh & Benny Safdie, and Christopher Nolan. Through his work, he looks to tackle themes of familial relations, cultural identity (or lack thereof), the multiplicities of Texas, and the everyday human experience. In his free time, Joshua enjoys a good cup of coffee, capturing moments on 35mm film, and relaxing at his local cinema.

Emily Curry spent time in four states as an Air Force brat before ending up in Columbia, South Carolina just before her freshman year of high school. Her love of film and television led her to the University of South Carolina where, in 2023, she completed her BA in Film and Media Studies. After graduation, she spent a year in Florida, participating in the Disney College Program and fulfilling her childhood dream of working at Walt Disney World. Now, she starts a new dream and returns to her state of birth to pursue a MA in Media Studies at the University of Texas. In her spare time, Emily loves to read, write, and try her hand at any sort of craft or recipe she happens across online. Areas of interest: fandom studies, gender and sexuality, and media industries.

He holds an M.F.A. in Media Studies from Boston University’s Film and Television Department, where he worked as a teaching assistant for courses on film analysis, film theory, and American Independent film. His academic paper, titled “An Industry Standard: HBO’s Construction of Authorship in The Last of Us,” won the 2025 Film and Television Studies Award for Innovative Scholarship at The Redstone Film Festival. His master’s thesis titled “Germs of the Empire” explored how contemporary Portuguese films set in Lusophone Africa scrutinize Portugal’s colonial past and its current relationship with its former colonies. He spends his free time watching horror movies, reading up on frequently weird niches (this month: ventriloquism), and drinking black coffee. Areas of Interest: Postcolonial Cinema, Lusophone Cinema, Sound Studies, Horror Studies

Elizabeth earned her BA in Film, Television, and Media from the University of Michigan, graduating with Honors for her undergraduate thesis, "Authenticity is a Must: Re-examining the Queer Legacy of Danny Kaye." Her research interests are broad, spanning queer theory, Cold War-era American culture, classical Hollywood, television studies, psychoanalysis, and cult/exploitation cinema. Her current projects include revising her undergraduate thesis for publication, as well as a study of the "biker chick" exploitation cycle of the 1960s and 1970s. When she's not working on research, Elizabeth can be found at the movies (got to pump those Letterboxd numbers up!!!), running, hitting the gym, or hunting for new additions to her collection of vinyl film soundtracks at the record store.

Chris Lawrence is a Taiwanese-American filmmaker and educator from San Francisco, California. With a focus on narratives that tackle social, racial, and systemic issues embedded with deep emotional impacts, his award-winning films have been screened at festivals in the Bay Area and throughout California. Chris studied Film Production and Education at UC Santa Cruz, leading him to pursue work in film education post-grad. He has worked for organizations such as the Latino Film Institute's Youth Cinema Project and SFFILM, where he was lead instructor for a high school-level filmmaking intensive, programmed for the annual San Francisco International Film Festival, and coordinated filmmaker school visits in local Bay Area classrooms. Chris is honored and excited to further his education and filmmaking journey in his new home city of Austin, Texas!