A proud WGA member, Allison has extensive experience developing for ABC, CBS, WB, UPN, Nick at Night, Disney Channel, Lifetime, Fox, Warner Brothers, Disney, and CBS Studios. She has served as Writer/Producer on more than ten different staffs, including Home Improvement, Boy Meets World, Two Guys and a Girl, and Awkward. She was the Creator/EP/Showrunner of Reba. The project originated as a spec script and ran for 6 seasons, and continues to thrive in syndication and on streaming platforms. In 2025 she joined the staff at the University of Southern California as an Adjunct Professor in the MFA program where she supervised the writing of Thesis film scripts.

While still active in television development, Allison and her husband created their own production company with an emphasis on producing independent features. One of their projects, currently in pre-production, was written by a writing team she met as a Juror of the Rogers Short Film Festival in 2022.

Carla Nemec is a Springdale native who spent over 35 years working in the motion picture industry. After an early career in Arkansas radio and television, she moved to Los Angeles to become an Art Department Coordinator, working with all the major studios on blockbuster films like Jumanji, Deepwater Horizon, Ad Astra, the first three Pirates of the Caribbean films, Twister, Fantastic 4, Patriot Games, Constantine, Panic Room, Rum Diary, Black Hawk Down, Three Kings, Fast & Furious 5, The Amazing Spiderman, The Abyss, Terminator II, Westworld-S1, True Detective-S3 and many more.

Since semi-retiring and returning to Arkansas, Carla has become active in the local film community working on several NWA films. She’s recently production designed The Forest Through the Trees and Inthralled. She remains passionate about encouraging the next generation of young artists with her involvement in the Ozark Media Arts Festival and Generational Journeys Mentor/Apprentice Program.
Carla has three amazing daughters and five brilliant grandchildren, which she considers to be her most fulfilling achievement and where she finds her greatest support.

Bucy McDonald is an accomplished producer and director with a career spanning more than two decades, dedicated to crafting compelling stories that bridge science, history, and human experience. Her work has brought complex ideas to life for world-class institutions and broadcasters, including the Natural History Museum in London, BBC Television, and leading charities in the UK such as Barnardo’s.

From Emmy-nominated documentaries for the BBC to immersive exhibition films for the Natural History Museum, Bucy’s storytelling combines rigorous research with creative vision. In 2022, she produced films for two major museum exhibitions, including Our Broken Planet, which was shortlisted for the Museum Heritage Awards.

Formerly Head of Department for Science and Natural History at the National Film and Television School, Bucy now lectures in Film and Television at Bath Spa University, mentoring the next generation of filmmakers. Currently, she is working on a cross-continent documentary about the magic of fireflies and the state of the species found in North-West Arkansas.

Her passion lies in making specialist factual content accessible and engaging, whether through documentaries filmed in remote locations or multi-screen installations in iconic galleries. With a track record of delivering ambitious projects under challenging conditions, Bucy brings a wealth of expertise and a deep commitment to storytelling that informs and inspires.

Paige Gresty is a writer, director, producer, and organizer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Washington, DC, she tells stories about women navigating class, sexuality, and trauma—blending the personal and political through her work in film and organizing.

She holds an MFA in Film Directing from UCLA and has contributed to a wide range of impactful projects, including The Synanon Fix (HBO, 2024), Chyna (Vice, 2021), The Oscars (2024, 2025), Hip Hop Treasures (A&E/Vice, 2023), Behind the Music (MTV/Paramount, 2022, 2023), and And She Could Be Next (PBS, 2020). Her work spans docuseries and features, grounded in socially engaged storytelling.

Beyond film, Paige is active in the labor and tenant movements, organizing with the Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee (EWOC) and the LA Tenants Union. She co-founded the Mozaic Tenants Association in DTLA. She has also contributed to prestigious film organizations such as Sundance and the BBC.

Her early work in poetry and video art drew praise from The Guardian for its complexity and haunting intimacy. Paige has been recognized as an Academy Nicholls semi-finalist (2017), a Film Pipeline finalist (2022), and is an alum of the Maryland, Cinequest, Atlanta, SIFF, and Nashville film festivals.

Katherine is a professionally trained film and stage actor and resident of Rogers. Notable film credits include roles in True Detective, Trail of Vengeance, Sweet Inspirations, Saved by Grace, Door in the Woods, Ridgerunners, Valley Inn, The Book Club and many other film shorts and student films. 

In 2025 she co-wrote and directed her first short film My Italian Waiter. NWA Stage credits include roles in “The Humans” and “Transatlantic” at Theatre Squared, Plaza Suite (ACO) Waverly Gallery and A Kid Like Jake (APT). Numerous California stage roles include Merteuil -Dangerous Liaisons, Edna-Prisoner of Second Avenue, Electra-Gypsy, Countess-The Women,Ms Hannigan-Annie, Kathy-Parallel Lives.

She has extensive training including The Groundlings-LA, Estelle Tepper/Terry Burns-Tepper Gallegos, Sarah Altman & Mike McCaffery-LA, Robert Wald Actors Studio-San Diego and Steven Marsolf forT2. Katherine is a performing member of Phunbags Comedy Improv, the Screenwriters Development Group and the Arkansas Playwrights Workshop. Represented by Actors Casting Agency.

Celeste Shelton is a trailblazer in the entertainment and film industries whose visionary leadership continues to uplift and inspire. She began her career as an Entertainment Editor in 2013, and by 2018 expanded into film production and talent management, where her passion for storytelling truly took flight.

As a producer and talent manager, Celeste has represented clients who have collaborated with industry icons including Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, and Tyler Perry, while partnering with leading production companies to bring powerful stories to life. She is also the Co-Founder of Collectivus Studio, where her distinctive creative vision and commitment to excellence drive impactful, community-centered work.

Celeste is deeply dedicated to mentorship and advocacy. As an Executive Board Member of Women in Film Arkansas, she actively champions diversity, inclusion, and opportunities for emerging filmmakers.

Her groundbreaking role as the first Black female City Producer for the Little Rock 48 Hour Film Project further reflects her commitment to elevating local talent and creating access within the industry. Frequently featured on panels, television, and radio, Celeste shares her insight and experience to inspire the next generation of creatives. More than a producer, she is a changemaker and community builder whose influence continues to shape the Arkansas film landscape and beyond.