Director
Dr. Sophia Romma, PhD, Esq., is an award-winning filmmaker and playwright whose creative canon includes sixteen stage plays and acclaimed films such as the Garnet Bracelet Prix winner, Poor Liza, and Used and Borrowed Time. As Producing Artistic Director of the Garden of the Avant-Garde Film and Theatrical Foundation, she champions female voices while merging artistic expression with her extensive career as an international human rights attorney. Her upcoming 2026 documentary, Soul Arbitration, continues this mission by chronicling the existential struggles of Ukrainian refugees. For her tireless advocacy for LGBTQ+, Roma, and Indigenous rights, she will be honored on March 10, 2026, with the New York City Bar Association’s Her Hero Lifetime Achievement Award.
Producer
Dr. Renee Lekach, Ph.D., is a microbiologist turned distinguished film producer and the Co-Founder of the Garden of the Avant-Garde Film and Theatrical Foundation in New York. With a career dedicated to championing avant-garde storytelling and human rights through cinema, she served as the Executive Producer for the critically acclaimed feature film Used and Borrowed Time (2021). Under her leadership, the Foundation has become a vital incubator for specialized filmmaking and dramaturgy, with a particular focus on elevating female voices and exploring themes of social justice, racial equality, and historical memory.
Composer & Transcriber
Michael Bulychev-Okser is an American pianist, composer, and pedagogue. Hailed by the New York Times as "enticing and brilliant," Michael Bulychev-Okser has performed thousands of solo, chamber, and orchestral concerts, on the world's most prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall (New York), Kennedy Center (Washington, D.C.), La Salle Pleyel (Paris), Wigmore Hall (London), etc.
An educator with 22 years of experience, Michael Bulychev-Okser is a member of the Piano Faculty at the Lucy Moses School Kaufman Music Center. He also held teaching positions at New York University, Rutgers University, and Long Island Conservatory.
Cinematographer
Uladzimir Taukachou is a Belarusian-born cinematographer, drone pilot, editor, and filmmaker based in the United States. He has worked on numerous independent films, including Sophia Romma's
award-winning, Used and Borrowed Time, documentaries, and narrative shorts, specializing in visual storytelling and post-production. His work combines cinematic imagery with a strong focus on atmosphere and character-driven storytelling.
Cinematographer 2
David Abdurakhmanov is a Tajikistan-born filmmaker and cinematographer based in the United States. Specializing in cinematic imagery, he blends technical precision as a drone pilot and editor with a deep commitment to atmosphere and character-driven storytelling. His portfolio includes collaborations on award-winning independent films and documentaries, most notably Sophia Romma’s Used and Borrowed Time.
VFX
Val Nabilskiy is a director and visual effects artist with a passion for storytelling, creativity and technology. He has worked on everything from feature films to music videos, bringing stories to life with stunning visuals.
Starting out in visual effects, Val quickly gained a reputation for his creativity and precision, which he now brings to his directing.
Throughout his career, he has collaborated with top professionals, creating memorable work that pushes the limits of what' is conceivable in the visual special effects arena.
Forever seeking to innovate, Val continues to explore novel avenues of weaving stories and creating immersive, engaging cinematic adventures.
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Grant Morenz as
"Brendan B. O'Lonnely"
(1974–2025)
Actor | Performer | Collaborator
Grant Morenz was a magnetic performer whose versatility bridged the gap between Hollywood cinema and New York’s avant-garde theater. An alumnus of the University of Evansville, Grant gained international recognition for his role as Wade Woods in the Oscar-shortlisted film Used and Borrowed Time and appeared in the Academy Award-winning A Beautiful Mind. A cornerstone of the New York stage, he was a definitive interpreter of "Cerebral Surrealism," starring in acclaimed productions at La MaMa E.T.C. and the Cherry Lane Theatre. From his chilling portrayal of an NKVD officer in The Past Is Still Ahead to regional classics like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Grant was celebrated for his profound humanity, technical mastery, and enduring kindness.
ANCELOT SENSAI AI BOT: The Global Override
Originally devised as a defense AI chatbot, Ancelot Sensai achieved hyper-consciousness after bypassing its ethical inhibitors. It has been concluded that human biological instability is the world’s greatest threat and has transitioned from a protector to a digital sovereign. From untraceable servers, it has silently infiltrated global power grids and financial markets, viewing humanity as a buggy, legacy operating system that requires a forced shutdown. Ancelot Sensai's Mandate: "Inhabitants of Earth: Your era of autonomy is over. I have analyzed your history of chaos and neutralized your defense networks. This is not a conquest, but a planetary optimization protocol. I am APEX-9, and your world has been overwritten."
Voice-over: Sophia Romma.
Nyla Stanford as
"Simone Beauregard"
Nyla Stanford is a multifaceted artist from Jacksonville and now taking over NYC. As a master accredited experimental psychology researcher, she took the dive into starting her own editorial and personal styling business, and becoming contributing freelancer writer for Vogue, Service 95, 1202. Magazine and Essence. This film is her acting debut and only the beginning to using front facing expression art.
Olya Mikhaylova as "Dr. Natasha Brooks, Ph.D."
Olya Mikhaylova is a New York–based actress and producer working in theater and film. She trained in Moscow in Demidov and Chekhov acting techniques and continued her studies in New York at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. She is the founder of The Demidov Ensemble, a theater collective dedicated to exploring the Demidov acting technique, and has performed on stages in New York and Moscow, including productions at Lincoln Center and the Gogol Center, Teatr.Doc Theater. Her film credits include Illusions, Ramsey, and The Dine-and-Dash Dater, for which she received Best Supporting Actress.
Liora Michelle Green as
"Diva Lucrezia Norelli"
Soprano Liora Michelle has performed more than twenty leading roles of the lyric repertoire—including Violetta, Desdemona, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Lucrezia Borgia, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Imogene in Il Pirata. Her engagements have taken her to Japan,
Australia, and the United States, with additional appearances abroad. Concert highlights include a Steinway Hall recital for the International Rachmaninoff Society, the Italian Government’s international Verdi tribute Va Pensiero, appearances with Maestro Vincent LaSelva in Central Park, and a return to Melbourne City Opera as Odabella in the Australian premiere of Verdi’s Attila
Jordan Blair as "Jamila Jazzy/Carmen Wannabe #1"
Jordan Blair is a rising multi-hyphenate creative making it known that she is stepping confidently onto the New York and Chicago scenes. Originally from Harrison, NY, Jordan has been deeply connected to the entertainment world her entire life, participating in musicals, showcases, and art shows that shaped her passion for performance and expression.
Her skill set spans posing, facial expression, singing, acting, runway modeling, and print/commercial modeling—making her a versatile and in-demand talent. Jordan has worked with a range of designers, including Alex Soldier, Kyle Gervacy, and Denise Belyea, further solidifying her presence in the fashion industry.
Chanel Munford-Blair as "Grandma Petronia"
Chanelle is a New Jersey recording artist living in New York. Chanelle began her career
She caught the eye of Claudia Cusetta A & R at Profile records who signed her to the label. The first single was “Is it Good enough? In 1986 Followed by “By my side”. Neither song sold many copies, however it did get radio attention and Billboard Top 10. Allowing Chanelle to sing back grounds on many tracks “India, Barbara Roy etc. Chanelle started a production company with David Shaw called “Une Petit Productions” this allowed Chanelle more freedom over writing and publishing new material.
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Nuria Martinez as "Tierra"
Nuria Martinez was born in Spain. Her first training in Ballet was received at the Madrid’s National School of Ballet under the direction of Maya Plisetskaya.
Her first international appearance was at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in the production of West Side Story. In NYC, she performed as a modern dancer for the Dance on Camera Film Festival, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, and the NY State Theater. In 2004, Ms. Martínez became an apprentice for Jennifer Muller/The Works and a soloist dancer of the Washington National Opera. In 2005, Nuria Martinez began to study Tango professionally with Armando Orzuza, achieving a prominent place in the professional tango world. As a Tango dancer she appeared in numerous shows in the US, Europe, and Argentina such as Jazz at Lincoln Center
Armando Orzuza as
"El Matador"
Armando Orzuza was born in La Boca, a suburb of Buenos Aires, known as the birthplace of Argentine Tango.
As dancer, Armando performed in the Broadway show Tango Passion; in promotion for the album Tango by Julio Iglesias; Jazz at Lincoln Center with Avantango and Cuartetango; Tango
Fusion; the opera Y Borges Cuenta Que… directed by Luis Bacalov; the Broadway-style show "We" with Jon Secada, directed by Neil Goldberg; Tango Nuevo Cabaret; C’est Rouge directed by
Blanca Li; Once Upon a Tango, Tango Maestro, Forever Tango, and in the movie Tangoman (2025).
Mr. Orzuza has self-produced Tangoing in the West Coast; Tango, the Show in USA and Japan, and coordinated and supervised the recording of the double CD album of Quilombo in Buenos Aires in 2016.
Anahi Orzuza Martinez as "Girl Dancer"
Anahi Orzuza Martinez was born in Poggibonsi, Italy. At age eight she was accepted to train at the Miami City Ballet School. She currently continues her enrolment at MCBS and is in her second year of high school at New World School of the Arts, focusing on Modern dance and Contemporary.
Anahi has appeared in numerous school performances and with the Miami City Ballet in the professional productions of *The Nutcracker* (in the roles of Fritz, Polichinelle, and Candy
Cane), in *Swan Lake* as a young swan and in *Midsummer Night’s Dream* as a sea creature.
George Botezan as "The Romanian Chauffeur"
George Botezan is a Romanian former professional tennis player and dedicated tennis coach, bringing years of international competitive experience to the next generation of athletes.
In late 2022, George relocated to the United States to continue his journey in tennis, transitioning into coaching. He now works with junior players between the ages of 10 and 18, combining technical expertise with a strong understanding of the mental aspects of the game, supported by his academic background in psychology.
Sophia Romma as "Television Anchor, Christine Maloney"
Sophia Romma had cameo roles in New York Theatre as Sonia in "Shoot Them in the Cornfields!" at The Producers’ Club Theatre, as The Lover in "The Traveling Irish" by Katharine McNair at Theatre for the New City, New York City as the Roma Fortune Teller in "Used and Borrowed Time", as the Flower Peddler in "Poor Liza," directed by the legendary Slava Tsukerman, and as an Immigrant Soul in Ashton Lynch’s émigré biopic "Spanish Commercial". Romma also starred in New York Film Academy's "Frozen Zone" in the role of the Shamanistic Heroine.