PUBLIC SCHOOL PICTURES PODCAST

Meet Miranda: Miranda Kahn is an executive producer and the Founder of MIRMADE Productions. She began her career working for Marty Bowen and on-set network television programs such as Judd Apatow’s Girls, Forever, and Bradley Cooper's Limitless. Miranda quickly made her way up to management positions in the indie film landscape, first as an Assistant Director and eventually as a Production Manager, earning a spot in the DGA and taking projects to the Emmys, Sundance, Cannes, Tribeca, SXSW & many more. She has produced content for Oscar-winners Eli Bush and Molly Conners, Grammy-winners Lady Gaga, H.E.R, Nas, Arcade Fire, and for A24, HBO, Citibank, Nike, Apple, Planned Parenthood, and Vice. Miranda produced the Public School Pictures film, We Strangers. #MIRANDA KAHN #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Emily: Emily Ruhl is a model, actress, producer, writer, and director. She was named as one of Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 in Hollywood and Entertainment for 2024. Emily has been featured in Teen Vogue, Nylon, Oyster Magazine, and Elle, amongst many others. She has been the face of many cosmetic companies including Smashbox, KKW Beauty, and MAC. Emily first starred opposite Nicholas Hoult in Drake Doremus' feature film Newness, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She also made a cameo appearance in Troian Bellisario’s short film, Life on Mars.  Emily made her producing, directorial, and writing debut with BLUE MOON. The film premiered in 2021 at NewFest in New York City. The short has been to over 100 festivals around the world and won numerous awards in categories such as Best Romantic Short (1x), Best Woman Filmmaker (1x), Best Cinematography (1x), and Best Director (4x). She also co-wrote and produced the theme song for BLUE MOON titled HER. She is currently developing her first TV series, 13TH STEPPING which is being produced by her production company, Public School Pictures.  Public School Pictures was founded in 2021. The company executive produced Georden West’s feature film Playland, which debuted at the Rotterdam Film Festival (2022) and in North America at the Tribeca Film Festival (2023). Public School Pictures has an ongoing collaboration with Jim Cummings (2018 SXSW Grand Jury Prize winner). The company is executive producing Cummings’ next film, The Last Brunch. Public School Picture’s slate additionally includes In The Garden of Tulips, directed by Julia Elihu (2022 SXSW Grand Jury Award Winner), and We Strangers, written and directed by Anu Valia (2017 Sundance Film Festival Award Winner). Emily hosts the Public School Pictures Podcast, where she chats with the cast or crew behind Public School Pictures’ projects. Her company recently launched a 14-piece merchandise collection and introduced the non-profit Back To School program, which will herald the next generation of filmmakers by providing students with opportunities and exposure to the industry. #EMILYRUHL #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Jaclyn: Jaclyn Mallon has over 7 years of Public Relations experience in the Entertainment Industry. She is a Talent Publicist at the global PR Firm R&CPMK. Jaclyn looks after actors, directors, producers, writers, and showrunners. She represents Emily Ruhl, the Founder of Public School Pictures. #JACLYNMALLON #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Ludovica: Ludovica is a US based cinematographer with a background in photography studies. Her credits include Test Pattern (2019), The Fourth Wall (2020), Sanctuary (2022), and The Harbinger (2022). Test Pattern received global appraise from high-profile magazines including IndieWire, The Hollywood Reporter, and The New York Times. Ludovica’s work has screened at Tribeca, SXSW, Slamdance, Diversity in Cannes and been streamed on HBO and Hulu. She also contributed to one of Public School Picture’s unreleased projects. #LUDOVICAISIDORI #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Aidan: Aidan Dick is a queer dramatist focused on interdisciplinary practices that centers language and the somatic experience. They wrote and directed their feature debut When Men Were Men, which played at the Austin Film Festival, Frameline International Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize at the Montclair Film Festival. They performed in the Public School Pictures’ Playland.  #AIDANDICK #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Stephanie: Stephanie Norris is an Executive Producer with over a decade of post-production expertise. Notably starting at Pure, a VFX offshoot of the editorial company Chemistry, she earned an Emmy nod for the captivating opening title sequence for "New Amsterdam". In 2009, Stephanie found her home at The Post Crew, spearheading the finishing department. She has left an indelible mark on award-winning campaigns for the brands GE, CVS, Comcast, CBS, Epix/NHL, Campbells, Pantene, Dove, Ikea, Lays, Wendys, Gillette, Nascar, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Nickelodeon, and White Castle amongst many others. She has overseen post for Public School Pictures' BLUE MOON and In The Garden of Tulips. #STEPHANIENORRIS #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODAST

Meet Dustin: Dustin is a writer, director, editor and actor based out of Los Angeles. He is a Vimeo Staff Pick filmmaker. His projects have played major festivals including Sundance Film Festival and SXSW. Dustin is currently developing a feature film with Netflix. He is very excited to be working with Public School Pictures on The Last Brunch, Is Now a Good Time? and Pretty Sad. #DUSTINHAHN #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Gemmarosa: Gemmarosa Ryan is a writer, director, and photographer based in New York City. She just finished her debut short The Things We Bring, and has several new projects in the works. Through her writing and visual style, Gemmarosa interrogates themes of temporality, authenticity, and absurdity. As an intern for Public School Pictures, Gemmarosa directed a commercial and designed an online campaign for the company’s merchandise line.#GEMMAROSARYAN #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST Meet Matthew: Matthew Moseley is a film and business student at Northwestern University. He produced the feature length film Mixed Signals with Applause for a Cause. He is also the co-president of Northwestern's oldest student-run production company, Studio 22. Matthew had the privilege of working as a production assistant for Public School Pictures, and has enjoyed his time as an intern ever since. #MATTHEWMOSELEY #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Taylor: Taylor Misiak is a Los Angeles based actor most known for playing Ally Wernick in DAVE on FXX. She also starred in Pillow Talking, alongside Dave Burd (Lil Dicky) and John C. Reilly. Her other television credits include Paramount Plus Original Players, Netflix's American Vandal, and NBC's I Feel Bad. Taylor stars in Public School Pictures’ The Last Brunch. #TAYLORMISIAK #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Russell: Russell is a visual artist and producer. His moving image work has been featured in the New York Times, Rolling Stones, Billboard, and USA Today and has screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Berlinale, The National Gallery of Art, and the MoMA. He produced Thou Wast Mild & Lovely (named the 4th “Best Film of the Century So Far” in the New Yorker), Jules of Light and Dark (2018 NewFest and OutFest Grand Jury Prize Winner), and Public School Pictures’ Playland (screened at Rotterdam and the Tribeca Film Festival).  #RUSSELLSHEAFFER #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Kelly: Kelly Mittendorf is a Brooklyn based marketing specialist and model. Since her acclaimed debut in 2012, Mittendorf has collaborated with Prada, Glossier, Balenciaga, Cuup, Ami Colé, Food52 and more. She is excited to add “actor” to her resume as Hella in the Public School Pictures film, Playland . #KELLYMITTENDORF #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Georden: Georden West is a multimedia artist and was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 2022 “25 New Faces of Independent Film.” They center their work around the experiences of fringe communities and challenge traditional notions of preservation. Georden offers a fresh perspective on the interplay, interdependence, and entanglement of queer histories. They were a 2021-22 Fine Arts Work Center Visual Arts Fellow and an alum of the 2022 Zurich Film Festival Academy. Georden won gold at the 46th Student Academy Awards and was a 2021 Academy Gold Women’s Fellowship finalist. Their first feature Playland, which was executive produced by Public School Pictures, world premiered in the Tiger Competition at the 2023 International Film Festival Rotterdam and had its North American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film is a recipient of the 2021 LEF Moving Image Fund and 2022 Frameline Completion Fund. Playland also participated in 2022 Gotham Week (formerly IFP).  #GEORDENWEST #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Sascha: Sascha was raised in London, England, and has previously studied acting at Lee Strasberg, Stella Adler, and The Barrow Group. She has acted in several short films, campaign commercials for Volkswagen, and the recent Disney+ film Black Beauty. Sascha plays Matilda Horowitz in Public School Pictures’ 13TH STEPPING. #SASCHABELLENASTASI #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Julia: Julia Elihu is an Iranian-American writer, director and producer. Her independent short film, Yasamin, was a grand jury prize nominee at the AFI Film Festival. She also produced the short documentary, Team Meryland, which was acquired by The New Yorker and PBS’s POV Shorts Program. Julia associate-produced the short documentary Long Line of Ladies which premiered at Sundance and won the Short Film Grand Jury Award at SXSW. She recently directed the Public School Pictures film, In the Garden of Tulips. The film premiered at the Aspen Shortsfest. #JULIAELIHU #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Emily: Emily Ruhl is a model, actress, and filmmaker. Her career spans prestigious publications like Teen Vogue, Nylon, and Elle, where she's been featured. As a model, she's represented major cosmetic brands like Smashbox, KKW Beauty, and MAC. Emily started alongside Nicholas Hoult in Newness which premiered at Sundance and in Troian Bellisario's Life on Mars.Her foray into producing, directing, and writing came with her debut film BLUE MOON, premiering at NewFest and gathering over 100 festival appearances worldwide, winning accolades for its direction and cinematography. She's also co-wrote and produced the film's theme song, HER.Establishing her production company, Public School Pictures, Emily has ventured into executive producing films like Playland and is collaborating with notable directors like Jim Cummings for original projects. Her company's slate boasts works from award-winning directors like Julia Elihu and Anu Valia.Emily extends her influence through the Public School Pictures Podcast, featuring discussions with talents from her projects. Her company not only launched a merchandise line but also initiated the non-profit Back To School program, nurturing aspiring filmmakers by providing opportunities and industry exposure to students. #EMILYRUHL #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Jim: Jim Cummings is a writer, director, producer, and actor based in Los Angeles. He made Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film in 2012. His short film Thunder Road won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016. The feature length adaptation of Thunder Road won the Grand Jury Prize at SXSW in 2018. Jim has also written and directed the Original Topic series Still Life and the Fullscreen Original series The Minutes Collection, episodes of which have screened at Sundance and SXSW. He has two more beloved feature films under his belt with The Wolf of Snow Hollow and The Beta Test in which he again wrote, directed and starred in. He started a yearly Short to Feature Mentorship Lab where he develops and consults the next generation of independent filmmakers. Jim’s work is funny and heart-breaking and continuously explores how you can become a filmmaker on your own terms. Public School Pictures executive produced his next film, The Last Brunch.  #JIMCUMMINGS #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Brad: Brad is a Los Angeles based personal trainer with over 20 years of experience. He previously worked with Gunnar Peterson at his Beverly Hills location. Currently at his own gym, Brad has trained the likes of Slash, Sylvester Stallone, Kate Beckinsale, Charlize Theron, Sophia Carson, Bebe Rexha, Darren Star, Chandler Parsons, Mariah Carey, Rita Ora, and Rebel Wilson. He got Emily Ruhl in movie star shape for Public School Pictures’ 13TH STEPPING. #BRADSISKIND #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Dusty: Dusty is a Wisconsin native and former firefighter. He moved to New York City to pursue his acting passions and used his skill in front of the camera to model for many brands including Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, and Frame. He is currently the face of the Stetson Spirit fragrance commercial and campaign. Dusty has been shot by photographers such as Bruce Weber, Mario Testino, and Mariano Vivanco. He recently made his acting debut as Jasper Collins in Public School Pictures’ 13TH STEPPING. #DUSTYLACHOWICZ #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Lena: Lena is an acting coach with over 20 years of learning under Nancy Banks and Larry Moss, and advanced studying in London and New York based on the techniques of Adler, Meisner, Hagen and Strasberg, built upon a BA in Drama from Vassar College. Based in Los Angeles, she is currently teaching at the Nancy Banks Studio. Her clients range from up-and-coming tv and film stars, to acclaimed West End and Broadway actors. She is also an actress herself, and has appeared in many television shows such as DIRTY JOHN: THE BETTY BRODERICK STORY, WESTWORLD and PRIME SUSPECT.  Most notably, Lena starred in the New York theatrical premier of BEAST ON THE MOON directed by Larry Moss.  Georgas’ performance was hailed by The New Yorker magazine as “luminous” and she was named by Variety as one of the “10 Actors to Watch.” She was the on-set acting coach for Public School Pictures’ BLUE MOON and 13TH STEPPING. #LENAGEORGAS #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST

Meet Ana: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Ana Patino first fell in love with film during her time at Loyola Marymount University. She strives to produce both beautiful and culturally relevant content that connects people of all walks of life. Ana was previously an analyst at Warner Brothers Studios and recently co-produced Public School Pictures' Pretty Sad. She is thrilled to be at Public School Pictures, where her enthusiasm for storytelling is further nurtured in the development department. #ANAPATINO #PUBLICSCHOOLPICTURESPODCAST