Sisa Bueno

Originally from New York City, Sisa Bueno is a Director-Cinematographer dedicated to exploring powerful ripple effects within humanity. Her work as a filmmaker has received support from the Ford Foundation, ITVS-PBS Open Call, Sundance Documentary Fund, International Documentary Association (IDA), Firelight Media Lab Fellowship, and the Film Independent Documentary Lab Fellowship among others for her current work in progress, FOR VENIDA, FOR KALIEF. She studied both film production and interactive technologies at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University (NYU). She was a 2018-2021 Member of the NEW INC tech incubator program within the New Museum working with Augmented Reality (AR) to create new modes of storytelling with more tech integration. She is currently an adjunct instructor at her alma mater, Tisch-NYU, and a traveling instructor for the Film Independent Global Media Makers program.

Justin Emeka

Justin Emeka is a director, filmmaker, writer, and educator whose work bridges classical form with Black cultural expression. He began his artistic career in Seattle, directing his first play at the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center and co-founding Sankofa Theater: A Maafa Experience at the historic Moore Theatre. His storytelling on stage and film often reimagine classical traditions through a deeply personal and culturally resonant lens.

Emeka has directed at some of the nation’s leading theaters, including Yale Repertory Theatre, The Old Globe, Seattle Rep, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and Classical Theatre of Harlem. As Resident Director at Pittsburgh Public Theater, he helmed acclaimed productions such as Sweat, Trouble in Mind, and his original adaptation A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Harlem—a vibrant and soulful reworking of Shakespeare set to music and movement drawn from Black traditions.

In film, Emeka is quickly gaining recognition. His short BIOLOGICAL won Best Short at the Kansas City FilmFest International, and Six Winters Gone Still premiered at the Black Harvest Film Festival. Songs of Black Folk is his Tribeca debut. He was a 2022 Drama League Fellow in TV/Film Directing and served as shadow director on the Disney+ series A Small Light. He is a tenured professor at Oberlin College and serves on the Executive Board of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC).

Haley Watson

Director Haley Watson is known for films exploring human experience. Her storytelling prowess was exemplified when she pitched the original story for the Oscar-winner "The Queen of Basketball." Watson's journey to directing was through the camera department and includes recognition from AFI and ASC. In June 2024 she debuted the short documentary she directed, "Motorcycle Mary," at Tribeca Film Festival. The film was executive produced by Lewis Hamilton and double Academy Award winning Breakwater Studios. The film was acquired by ESPN's 30 for 30 series. She now Premiers "Songs of Black Folk" for her second consecutive world premiere at Tribeca.

Uttera Singh

Uttera Singh is an actor, filmmaker and adjunct professor at USC's School of Cinematic Arts, where she earned her MFA— Her becoming a professor is the best thing that's happened to her father. Her short film Fanny Pack screened at over 80 film festivals worldwide, winning over 25 awards before being acquired by PBS. A Ryan Murphy HALF Program fellow, Uttera is making her feature directorial debut with Pinch.