Team
Imole Ladipo - Director & Executive Producer
Imole Ladipo is a Nigerian-American filmmaker known for crafting bold, emotionally resonant stories centered on human connection and identity. Her work has gained recognition at major festivals, including the Oscar-qualifying Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, and has earned accolades such as the Gold Remi Award at WorldFest Houston, a Telly Award, and finalist honors at the Stage32 x HollyShorts Competition. With a background in Mathematics and Chemical Engineering, she brings precision and visual depth to her storytelling. Her latest short, The Woman on the Other Side, a moving story of unity and humanity, has been shot and is currently in post-production.
Nene Nwoko - Producer & Executive Producer
Nene Nwoko is a Nigerian-born, U.S.-based producer and actor known for her discipline, craftsmanship, and commitment to impactful storytelling. Inspired early by classic films like The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady, she developed a lifelong passion for emotionally resonant, character-driven stories.
With a background in Management Information Systems and experience as a Web Producer in e-commerce, Nene brings strong organizational and problem-solving skills to her work in film and television. She began on the award-winning series Vindication as a Production Assistant and quickly rose to Associate Producer, later serving as Co-Producer on an upcoming special episode.
Her credits also include Executive Producer on the short film 8:38, and she is currently developing multiple feature films focused on compelling, commercially viable storytelling. As an actor, she has appeared in Bob Hearts Abishola, S.W.A.T., The Chosen, and Mo, giving her a well-rounded perspective that informs her work behind the camera.
Through projects like The Woman on the Other Side, Nene continues to create stories that spark imagination and connect deeply with audiences.
Anita Bhatia - Executive Producer
Anita Bhatia, MHA, currently serves as the Executive Director of the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation. After a 20+ year career in the nonprofit and healthcare sector, Anita shifted her focus a bit closer to home and joined the Family Foundation in 2016. Building upon the groundwork laid by her parents, Anita was determined to lead the foundation's work through strategic planning, creative collaborations, and innovative partnerships that would help bring visionary change and impact to our society. Under Anita's leadership, the Ramesh and Kalpana Bhatia Family Foundation has continued to evolve by advancing the organization's grant making capacity and philanthropic initiatives to exponentially grow the family's long legacy of giving.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Anita held senior leadership positions in healthcare -developing and implementing marketing campaigns and business development strategies for major hospitals and healthcare systems, including: Providence St. John's Health Center, Montefiore Medical Center, St. Vincent's Medical Center, Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Anita is also the Founder and President of Incite Media, LLC, a marketing consulting and graphic design firm known for creating compelling advertising campaigns, marketing materials, and more for various clients and industries. Anita has worked with clients such as GHJ (Green Hasson Janks), YMCA of Metropolitan of Los Angeles, The American Red Cross, Los Angeles, and small business owners locally and internationally to help derive strategic, creative solutions and to elevate messaging and branding.
Anita received a Master's Degree in Health Administration from the University of Southern California and graduated with a BA from the University of Texas, Austin. She is a member of UT Southwestern Medical Center President's Advisory Board and Marketing Committee member. She is the Chair of the TSC Alliance's annual fundraiser, "Comedy for A Cure. " Anita has also been a speaker at international conferences, including Indiaspora and We Give Summit, and her op-ed pieces have been featured in Inside Philanthropy and The Jewish Journal.Anita lives in Los Angeles with her 16-year-old daughter, Anya, who inspires her daily. At eight weeks old, Anya was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, and has faced many medical and neurological challenges. Anya is on the Autism Spectrum, and after realizing the resources for her daughter and other neurodiverse teens and adults were lacking, Anita stepped in to become a vocal advocate for the autism and neurodiversity community and continues to support many organizations in this area of work.
Paula Goldberg - Writer
Paula Goldberg is a storyteller and educator and someone who is fiercely optimistic that at 52 percent of the population, women can be a political and artistic force. She has worked in corporate America, academia and artistically as a content writer, actor, screenwriter, producer and director.
Credits include the feature screenplay for The Perfect Family starring Kathleen Turner and Emily Deschanel, Kinder Doll, a stop-motion animated short film (2025) and JJ, an award winning short film about the foster system (2025) , Writer and Director of Daily short pick of the week, Perfidy with Julie Benz and Sasha Roiz (2020), the short screenplay of Kleen starring Melora Walters (premiered at the LA International Short Film Festival, July 2019,) writing and directing 2 micro shorts with XV Anthology, directing the 3rd season of the Roland Joffe produced MTV series, Undressed, creating the original web series, Inappropriate Workplace and most impressively, raising a teenage son.
Her most recent feature screenplay, Unimaginable, was selected to The Women’s List 2024 and was a semi-finalist in the Cynosure Screenwriting Awards and the Dallas International Screenwriting Competition. Paula is excited to be currently collaborating with producer Nene Nwoko and director Imole Ladipo on several projects for 2026, the short drama, The Woman on the Other Side, her original feature screenplays, A Reason for the Season and Hearts and Other Stolen Things.
Yety Akinola - Co-Producer & Costume Designer
England-born, Yety is a costume designer and producer with West African roots. Starting her decade-long career in New York City after an introduction to luxury menswear at British GQ and Mr Porter in London; she began her career in the U.S. at Cosmopolitan magazine.
Yety’s short Rest Stop is available to stream on NOWNESS after premiering at TIFF, screening at SXSW and winning the Jury Award for U.S. Fiction at the Sundance Film Festival 2023. While her feature One Night Stay premiered on BET+ and Amazon, in January 2024. She continues to collaborate with Euphoria designer Heidi Bivens, as an assistant costume designer on international feature films, including Benny Safdie’s A24 The Smashing Machine.
Her first short as producer and designer, The Incredible Sensational Fiancée of Sèjí Àjàyí, exploring the Pan-African whimsical world of Alkebulan, is currently screening internationally and is in feature film development. While her most recent project as producer and designer titled Birdie, premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. Yety is a Producers Guild of America Creates Lab 2025 Finalist.
Stirling Bancroft - Cinematographer
Stirling Bancroft csc is an award-winning Cinematographer who works internationally on both independent and studio pictures.
A graduate of the film program at the University of British Columbia, Bancroft just finished photographing the Second unit of Final Destination 6. He enjoys working on gritty independent projects like She Who Must Burn (2015) with Larry Kent, one of the “original English-Canadian auteurs,”¹ and Cadence (2016) for which director, Alex Lasheras, won an audience award at the Vancouver International Film festival.
Public Schooled (2017), directed by Kyle Rideout, lead a charge of films lensed by Bancroft that screened at TIFF; FREAKS in 2018 with duo Adam Stein and Zach Lipovsky, and Monkey Beach in 2019, directed by Loretta Todd and adapted from the critically studied novel by Eden Robinson.
Commercially Sniper: Assassin’s End (2020) helmed by graphic novel artist and writer Kaare Andrews and distributed by Sony went on to top the US iTunes download list and placed well on the global top ten list of most streamed films for Netflix.
Stirling holds passports for Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland (EU), and an O-1 Visa for work in the United States.
¹TIFF Canadian Film Encylopedia
Bobby Ray Thompson III - Executive Producer
Bobby Ray Thompson III is a SAG-eligible actor and producer based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, represented by Reel Talent Studios in Tulsa. Known for his grounded presence and natural screen authenticity, Thompson brings a collaborative spirit and a deep respect for storytelling.
His recent work spans both independent and studio productions, including Close Enough to Burn (2025), an official selection of the deadCenter Film Festival, as well as Doc Holliday 3 (2024) and Dotty & Soul (2022), both available on Amazon Prime. He has also worked as a stand-in for Sylvester Stallone’s driver, Tyson, in Paramount+’s Tulsa King (2022) and the feature film Reagan (2024), continuing to build a diverse slate across film and television.
In addition to his on-screen work, Thompson is actively working to expand his knowledge of the industry and continues to aid in showcasing a well-rounded perspective of the filmmaking process from development through distribution. Whether on set or behind the scenes, he is known for his professionalism, strong work ethic, and commitment to elevating the work through collaboration.
With a growing body of credits, Thompson continues to display a passion for meaningful, character-driven stories.
Rotimi Paul - Contributing Producer
Rotimi Paul is an actor, producer, and writer known for his work across film, television, and independent projects. He has appeared in notable productions including The First Purge, Law & Order, and Survival of the Thickest, showcasing a range that spans intense dramatic roles to grounded, character-driven performances.
A graduate of Syracuse University, Rotimi further honed his craft at the prestigious William Esper Studio in New York, completing its two-year conservatory program. His training is reflected in his strong on-screen presence and commitment to emotionally authentic storytelling.
In addition to his acting work, Rotimi has built a body of work as a producer, contributing to both independent films and short-form projects. He is also a contributing producer on the short film Peggy, continuing his commitment to compelling, character-driven narratives.