Hi, I’m Monet Montague Michael, a director, writer, and producer from Brooklyn, NY.

I worked professionally as a producer within commercial, narrative, and event production spaces. I have contributed to music videos, reality television, commercials, feature films, documentaries, and live commerce shopping demonstrating a commitment to bringing creative and commercial visions to fruition.

As a writer, you can catch me dabbling in all things related to the Black diaspora, family, sexuality, and the exploration of various other untraditional relationships.

Paige Wills is a doctoral student in the Radio-Television-Film Department at The University of Texas at Austin. Paige earned an MA in Film and Media Studies from Columbia University and a BS in Radio-Television-Film with a minor in French from UT Austin. Paige’s research focuses on women’s representation and fashion in cinema and digital platforms with an emphasis on textiles, vintage, and labor.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas, Dilyan attended the University of North Texas for his undergrad, earning a BA in Media Studies. He focused mainly on Screenwriting and Cultural Studies until one semester when he took Queer Cinema and was captivated by studying queer media. Moving forward, he hopes to study the intersections of Queer and Mexican American culture while also understanding their importance in documenting/influencing recent sociopolitical changes.

In his free time, Dilyan enjoys watching movies (of course), bothering his cat, and cooking food from all over the world. His goal is to one day travel the world to see international cinema and cuisine.

Area of Focus: Queer media, Latin American studies, Mexican American media

Annasimone Mikhail is originally from Cleveland, Ohio and holds a B.A. in Psychology and Criminology from The Ohio State University. During her time here as a Media Studies MA student, she hopes to delve into the complexities of minority and gender representation within popular forms of media (especially reality television) and the accompanying effects on self-perception and interpersonal communication. Being a first-generation American herself, she also seeks to explore this subgroup’s unique relationship with media as a social learning tool in navigating questions of citizenship and identity. She welcomes any opportunity to discuss her latest read or film viewing and enjoys playlist curation and going to concerts.

Born and raised in Texas, Olivia is proud to continue her education at the University of Texas in the Media Studies Program. She graduated with her B.S. Radio-Television-Film and B.A. Mathematics degrees from UT in 2015, and she works full-time at the University as the Program Coordinator for the Women in Natural Sciences Program.

Her interests in Media Studies include German cinema, fandom studies, film history, and the intersection of communication and STEM. Olivia has always been passionate about the importance of communication in STEM fields, and she actively encourages her students to explore their interests outside of science as well as apply their technical and critical-thinking skills outside of the lab.

In her free time, Olivia is either playing video games, talking to her cats, painting her nails, or watching Top Gun (1986). You might even catch her as a guest lecturer at Alamo Drafthouse as well.

Jae Hyung Kim is a South Korean filmmaker whose work explores the suffering of individuals within the pressures of large, complex societies. He blends social themes with genre elements.

His short film 'Shoulder' won two awards at the 2023 Fantasia International Film Festival and was screened at both Korean and international festivals. The following year, his film 'Leap of Passion' was also invited to Fantasia in 2024, marking his second consecutive selection.

Beyond short films, Jae Hyung has worked as a production assistant on a feature film in South Korea and directed music videos, embracing various formats to expand his creative voice.

His work aspires to give voice to those often overlooked, using the arts as a medium to spark empathy and deeper understanding across social boundaries.

Antonio Battle is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist whose curiosity has pulled him toward photography, music, interior design, writing, and film. He is drawn to imagined worlds that invite us to feel life a little differently, and to the quiet strangeness hidden in ordinary things. He is currently pursuing an MFA in Film Production and trying, with varying success, to keep his plants alive.

Noah Nofz is a writer from a small Midwestern town. He writes both comedic and dramatic scripts about self-discovery and found family. These stories often center queer and neurodivergent identities and take place in underrepresented rural landscapes.

Noah’s spec script for Meredith Scardino’s sitcom Girls5eva, "Weyauwega," was a semi-finalist in the 2026 Austin Film Festival Script Competition. In the same competition, the pilot of his mystery series Ghost Show, about a burned-out bartender who finds new purpose—and a murder to solve—when he’s haunted by the ghost of his childhood friend, advanced to the second round.

The pilot of Loblolly Lake, a coming-of-age dramedy about a genderqueer teenager navigating friendship, self-discovery, and eccentric co-workers at his summer job on an East Texas resort, was a quarterfinalist in the 2026 Final Draft Big Break Screenwriting Contest.

Noah lives in Austin with his spouse and their cats.

Sara Webster is an MA candidate in Media Studies. Before coming to RTF, she worked in the film and television industry for many years, and has since taught writing and film at the University of Colorado Denver and the University of Denver. She holds a BA in Media Arts from the University of Arizona and an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University. Her interests include television studies, history, and media industries.