The Collective Offers:

Kate E. Hinshaw is a cinematographer specializing in analog processes. Coming from an experimental background, she is particularly interested in using the cinematic gaze to render visible the interiority of the feminine. Her screenings include SXSW, Rooftop Films, New Orleans Film Festival, Nitehawk, and Cucalorus Film Festival. She was the recipient of the 2020 Vanishing Angle Post-Production Grant, and the 2021 Southern Documentary Fund Filmmaker award for excellence in southern storytelling. She currently resides in Wilmington, NC where she is Assistant Professor of Cinematography at UNCW and runs the film publication Analog Cookbook.

Wilmington Film Community:

I love that there are so many radical film organizations and production companies here that seek to empower the indie filmmaker. My hope is that big productions passing through Wilmywood will hire locals and North Carolina natives in above the line roles. There’s no shortage of brilliant directors, DPs, producers, and department heads here. We’re excited to spotlight our film community through Blackmagic Collective programs and events.

Connect with Kate:

Steven DeBose is a writer, producer, and consultant with a focus on scripted content, screenwriting competitions and story development. He is known for writing on Sex With Paula (2018), producing and hosting the Token: Blacks In Cinema podcast (2020) and Directing the Script Competition at the Austin Film Festival. He is currently in pre-production on Wake Up and Create, a documentary series on creatives in Austin, NYC, and LA.

Connect with Steven:

Cate Carson is an LA-based writer/director with award-winning feature screenplays and short films, including the national wildcard-winning Lionsgate short Masque, which also earned her a directing award at the Crystal & Lucy’s. As a director selectee for the Alliance of Women Directors Short Film Program grant, Of Mine premiered at Disney Studios. And her latest adventure suspense short, The Plumber, won the grand jury award at the Blackmagic Collective Film Festival in Nov to kick off a 2021 festival run.

Prior to a return to film in 2012, she served ten years as a decorated military police officer and instructor and transitioned to Intelligence during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom while adventuring through Europe. Later, as a victims’ advocate and civilian detective, this “spectrum of humanity” experience lent to a unique perspective on human connection. It also shaped her focus in narrative adventure and suspense stories about unconventional characters in extraordinary circumstances, with bold accompanying visuals. She is in development of her debut feature.

The inclusive ethos and leadership in action at the Blackmagic Collective led her to becoming an ambassador for the community, and team lead on the inaugural Future Directors of Studio Features initiative.

Connect with Cate:

Kayla Marie Coates is a Hispanic-Croatian-American actor, filmmaker, content creator and activist who primarily seeks out roles of rebellious teenagers who appear confident and charismatic, yet under the surface are dealing with deep internal strife, trauma and/or mental illness. As a polyamorous, pansexual individual, they are passionate about creating work that depicts stories centering around underrepresented communities so that topics, often not told at all, will be discussed and destigmatized.

They secured Production Coordinating jobs with Blackmagic Collective, Heart On Fire Productions and became a Creative Producer for The Nerd Couple Show at the beginning of 2021. They went on to help create and became the Initiative Director for Blackmagic Collective‘s newest Career Advancement Diversity Initiative, Emerging Actors. They recently worked their first year as a Producer for one of the higher profile Conference Ballrooms at the SXSW 2022 Festival in likes of Greg Daniels, Steve Blackman, Roman Coppola, Kip Kroeger, Sara Bareilles, Jason Sudeikis, Bella Thorne, Chelsea Clinton, Ashanti & many more.

They have starred in numerous indie projects and soon-to-be-released films. They recently worked their first year as a Scare Actor at Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights 2021 and won the award for Scare Actor of the Year.

Kayla launched a Youtube channel called Positively Kayla Marie in February where they discuss and normalize taboo topics whilst embracing individuality, being positive and uplifting others. They also use that platform to organize monthly beach and environment clean-ups in and around SoCal.

She firmly believes that Blackmagic Collective is a monumental resource in inspiring and assisting fellow independent filmmakers, which is one of the reasons why she decided to take on this role.

Connect with Kayla:

Peabody-award winning writer/producer Wendy Calhoun’s unique career spans one-hour dramas, unscripted series, VR, and gaming. Currently, she serves as Consulting Producer on FBC’s Prodigal Son. Her scripted drama credits include Co-Executive Producing and writing the historic first season of Fox’s Empire, as well as debut seasons of ABC’s Station 19, Nashville, Revenge, and FX’s Justified.

Calhoun has developed and sold eight series pitches since 2015 with buyers including HBO Max, Touchstone TV, WBTV, NBC, The CW, Netflix, FX, Twentieth, and ABC Signature Studios. She has produced and directed over forty hours of unscripted prime-time content. Calhoun wrote and directed the virtual reality short, Left Behind, which screened at the 2016 Austin Film Festival and won “Best in VR” at Digital Hollywood. She was also the Narrative Consultant for Electronic Arts’ Battlefield Hardline video game.

Born and raised in Dallas, Calhoun is an honored film and television alumni of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. She enjoys gardening, playing Texas Hold ‘Em with her family, and writing with her sweet dog, Olaf, by her side.

Jesse Carmichael is best known as a multi-instrumentalist, background vocalist, and co-founding member of the GRAMMY Award-winning band, Maroon 5.

Born in Boulder, Colorado, Carmichael moved to Los Angeles at age 2 and began playing music at age 7. In 9th grade he started a band with Adam Levine, Mickey Madden, and Ryan Dusick called Kara’s Flowers. While attending college, the original members of Kara’s Flowers teamed up with guitarist, James Valentine, and formed the group Maroon 5.

Since then, Maroon 5 has gone on to have massive critical and commercial success. They were awarded their first of three Grammy Awards (as “Best New Artist”) in 2005 and they continue to be a top global touring act and have sold more than 26 million albums worldwide.

Jesse lives with his family in Los Angeles. Outside of his roles in Maroon 5, he assists as a board member for ACE: The Alliance for Climate Education, helping to bring Climate Change awareness to high school students throughout the United States and he continues to study in the fields of Music and Film Making.