DIRECTOR

Lauryn Darden graduated in 2022 from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a focus in dramatic writing. Her feature screenplay The Later Years, a coming-of-age film that follows an elderly Black woman after she leaves her husband of 40 years, has won the National Black Film Festival for Best Original Script, Best Undergraduate Screenplay at the Fusion Film Festival, and was a Quarter Finalist for Final Draft's Big Break Competition. Every story Darden writes and directs is created with an intention to provide a safe entertainment haven for Black people to feel seen, heard, and comforted through honest, gracious, and nuanced storytelling.

Throughout most of her work, she has depicted family dynamics at their most strained, wilted, and distressed in order to paint a picture of resilience, devotion, and hope. With Cousins, as we embark on this road trip, we simultaneously sit with the uncertainty of a young girl reuniting with an estranged parent and the tender comfort between two sibling-cousins who would do anything to support each other. Cousins is able to paint a true portrait of family, as Razo's script allows for the exploration of specific family tensions from a point of view Darden believes to be woefully missing in film. It is not often that we see incarcerated stories represented on screen, however when we do, it is usually solely from the incarcerated's perspective. In Cousins, we broaden this perspective by highlighting those, like Malia, who are impacted by incarceration outside of those bars - the life prisoners must leave behind and the people in it.

WRITER/ ACTOR

Marisa Razo is a Virginia native and graduate of New York University’s Tish School of the Arts. With a degree in Acting and concentrations in film production and social cultural analysis. These intersections of study mold her curiosity’s as an artist, and individual. With a lens crafted for the emotional life of Black and Brown children, giving voice to everyday moments within these communities, and approaching film with stylistic and aesthetic choices made to highlight the beauty of her communities. Cousins came from a need to voice what she and so many other children of incarcerated people grapple with in their youth, while also highlighting the humanity of those currently incarcerated. 

It came as an exploration of freedom many Black and Brown children are not able to explore a “what if I could get up and go?”. The freedom to find yourself among those you love most, the freedom to not have have all the answers, and the freedom to fall a part on the way, is what she hopes to convey to the children watching. To those on the adult side of this story, she hopes to show that where there is love, there is no closed door. 

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Shaina Farrow is an LA-based producer and talent manager with a passion for amplifying diverse narratives and fostering collaboration among creative talents. She took on her first client, Jay Pharoah, over 17 years ago and together they began creating and uploading the YouTube videos that would later launch Jay Pharoah's career. Since then, the pair have worked as producing partners on multiple projects, including Prime's SPECIAL SKILLS, Paramount's OUT OF OFFICE, Nickelodeon's UNFILTERED, and LionsGate's TWO MINUTES OF FAME with Katt Williams and Keke Palmer.

Shaina's commitment to quality and authenticity has made her a respected figure in the industry, and she continues to inspire emerging filmmakers through her mentorship and support. Shaina also serves as Vice President of the Pharoah Phamily Phoundation, an arts-based non-profit that provides scholarships to Chesapeake, VA high sc;fiool seniors pursuing careers in the arts.

PRODUCER

Roya Alidjani is an alum of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts who dedicates her time to producing, directing, and writing short films, music videos, and commercials. Her work in producing has premiered on platforms like HBO Max and PBS. Most recently, a short she produced, "BURROW", made its world premiere as a 2023 Official Selection for Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

Other shorts she's produced, "APOLLO" and "BIRDSONG", have qualified for the Academy Awards shorts competition. Most recently, she directed her own film, "MY YELLOW, YOUR RED", which is currently in the festival circuit. With a sincere Type-A personality, Roya pushes others to be the best version of themselves, ensuring they always meet their fullest potential.

PRODUCER

Tiana Cantu graduated with her BFA from NYU’s Tish School the Arts with a focus in producing. Following graduation come of Tiana’s professional credits include Associate Producer work on “Turning Point: Battleground Georgia” which premiered on MSNBC in 2023 as well as on the feature length documentary, “Megan Thee Stallion: In Her Words” which is on Amazon Prime Video. 

Since co-founding Ladytrap Productions in 2020, Tiana has written, produced and directed multiple short films and music videos that  have been screened for audiences around the country. Tiana was awarded the “Outstanding Female Filmmaker” award for her short film “UNIGIRL” which was an official selection at the Katra Latinx Film Festival. Her work in producing has brought shorts to Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, Cannes Short Film Corner, LA Women in Film Festival and more.