BIOS

Syra McCarthy (sigh-ruh) is a 5’2 half Filipino, half New Zealander first generation American. She has been professionally active for 10+ years as a director and actor (Grey’s Anatomy, The Dropout) and has directed countless narrative shorts and commercials across verticals. Syra is also the co-creator or Soft Hold Collective, a Bay Area film directory highlighting female & non-binary talent behind the camera. 

Vee Godinez is a Bay Area born-and-raised Queer Latiné Assistant Director and Producer known for Sean Wang’s “Didi” (Sundance 2024) and “Fremont” (Sundance 2023) and more. She assistant-directs and produces music videos, narrative shorts and feature films across the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Kyle Casey Chu (aka Panda Dulce) is a filmmaker, author (HarperCollins 2025), and co-founder of Drag Story Hour. She is a current SFFILM Filmhouse resident, and alum of the Sundance Uprise Fellowship, Sundance Trans Possibilities Initiative, and Lambda Literary Retreat. In June 2022, right-wing extremists stormed her Drag Story Hour event at a Bay Area Library, strengthening her resolve to tell QTBIPOC stories.

Róisín Isner (roh-sheen)  is a political organizer, amputee, and drummer. Her work with Kyle Casey Chu has won best short script at the SF Independent Film Festival and Titan Awards, finalist in the Shore Scripts and ScreenCraft Short Script competitions, placement in the Sound & Scene Short Film Initiative, and production grants from the Sundance Institute, Talon Entertainment, SF Arts Commission, and CA Arts Council.