Bio – Lab 2023 In-Person

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2023

Jules Dameron

Jules Dameron (he/him) is a deaf trans and gay film & theatre director, actor & writer, working with both deaf and hearing actors. Jules graduated from Gallaudet University with a B.A. in TV/Cinema and then obtained an MFA in Film Production/Directing at one of the leading film schools in the world, the University of Southern California. Shifting between both deaf and hearing cultures, Jules has a strong insight into how the deaf community has a different way of sharing information. Mediating between two cultures has helped Jules harness a direction style and vision that is unique and unparalleled.

Jules has worked on a truck-load of projects, from low budget to high budget, from music videos to webseries. Among the highlights are directing Møkkakaffe, a 7-episode series in Oslo, Norway for the NRK channel, and a series of ASL videos for Sesame Street, helping provide the same experience and amusement to young viewers through a deaf lens. Jules is also currently the writer and director of the soon-to-be-made feature film, Deaf President Now, a film illustrating the events of the Deaf President Now protests at Gallaudet University in 1988. Jules is also co-writing / co-directing a play called, What is Emily Drawing? highlighting the effects of language deprivation in deaf children.

When not in the director’s chair, Jules extends his acting talents to the stage, playing various roles in notable shows like Romeo and Juliet, Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Lés Miserables. Upcoming is his role of Harry for Company which will be shown on the Lincoln Center stage in New York City. Jules aspires to work more with hearing creatives to pave the way for more authentic representation in the media.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2023 Entertainment Lab taking place May 1 – June 9, 2023. This 6-week Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2023

Nicole Zimmerer

Nicole Zimmerer (she/her) is a multi-hyphenate artist and activist with a deep-seated hatred of stairs. She has received The Kennedy Center’s VSA Playwright Discovery Award and the Betty Z. Rose and Anne J. Exline Presidential Fellowship. She was a finalist for the Playwrights’ Center Core Apprenticeship program. She has had multiple productions in Houston, New York City, Chicago, Sacramento, Pittsburgh, and DC. She is the host of the podcast “Break a Leg! Disability in the Arts.” She holds a BFA in Playwriting and Dramaturgy from the University of Houston and an MFA in Dramatic Writing from Carnegie Mellon University.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2023 Entertainment Lab taking place May 1 – June 9, 2023. This 6-week Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2023

Catherine Argyrople

Catherine Argyrople (she/they) is an independent filmmaker from Boston, based in Los Angeles. Catherine is currently in post-production on her debut feature film, Growing Pains. Catherine is the writer/director/executive producer of Growing Pains, a real and raw coming-of-age story about identity, sexuality, and the aftermath of surviving cancer. The film was inspired by her real-life experience as a cancer survivor.

Catherine graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northeastern University’s College of Arts, Media, and Design. Before pursuing film, Catherine was a boutique photographer for almost a decade, working with clients all over the world– from Sydney, Australia to Cape Town, South Africa. She currently produces multimedia content at VMware, a Fortune 50 company.

Catherine loves traveling, music, surfing, and scuba diving.

Watch the trailer for Catherine’s debut feature film, Growing Pains: https://vimeo.com/804931146

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2023 Entertainment Lab taking place May 1 – June 9, 2023. This 6-week Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2023

Katey Darling

Katey Darling is a multi-hyphenate producer and performer who draws heavily from her theatre training, borrowing key ideologies from ensembles and company troupes. She believes that finding good people is like finding gold and is especially passionate about bringing artists together and equipping them to positively impact the world through the power of storytelling.

Currently, she is developing a slate of original projects including comedy, dramedy, impact series, horror, and suspense, all of which are meant to inspire, challenge, and/or compel the audience. Previous productions include the episodic psychological thriller, Interrogation, which she also wrote and starred in, and which was released on Amazon Prime.

As a freelancer, she has worked on productions with HBO, Paramount, Lionsgate, ABC (Shondaland), Amazon, and Netflix. Previous work also includes VP of Strategic Alliances with Film Festival Flix, and co-producing the launch of the North Hollywood CineFest, an annual international film festival in the heart of the world famous “NoHo Arts District.” Prior to this, she spent several years working in the corporate world in various Public Relations roles, specializing primarily in strategic alliance building and corporate video producing. During this time, she co-produced the Emmy Nominated PSA Casa Colina with Todd Covelli and was responsible for developing and producing over 1,000 corporate/nonprofit videos for a variety of different clients/purposes.

A member of SAG-AFTRA, she gravitates toward acting projects which align with her storytelling values, and she has released a number of original songs including “Somebody’s Angel.” Her current musical projects are focused primarily on production music.

Having grown up in Los Angeles, she completed her undergraduate education in San Diego, CA, graduating Cum Laude with 3 Bachelor of Arts degrees including Communications (Theatre), Musical Composition, and Vocal Performance. She is currently completing the Business and Management of Entertainment certificate at the University of California Los Angeles extension.

While her favorite activity is usually working on her next project, she also enjoys swing dancing, Wing Chun (kung fu), traveling, and spontaneously joining any “puppy party” that she can crash in the park.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2023 Entertainment Lab taking place May 1 – June 9, 2023. This 6-week Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2023

Lorena Gordon

Lorena Gordon is an award-winning writer/director hailing from Queens, New York. Lorena began her journey in film working as a production assistant on sets at the age of 18 with directors such as Martin Scorsese, Sam Mendes, and Ben Stiller. She then made her way to the director’s chair after feeling inspired and determined to tell her stories.

As someone who was born and raised in one of the melting pots in the world, Queens, New York, Lorena is committed to telling character-driven stories that are authentic and personal. The stories Lorena feels most passionate about telling are about the human condition and give a platform for the Latinx, queer, and disability communities. Lorena feels it’s her responsibility to give a voice to communities whose stories often don’t get told. Lorena has directed, written, and produced the short films Times Like These and At Last. Both of her films have been picked up for distribution. At Last starred Zack Gottsagen and George Lopez, garnering her awards for Best Director and Best Short Film throughout its festival run. The short film was picked up and is now streaming on HBO Max. She was recently a Semi-Finalist for the New Voices Filmmaker Grant in partnership with Netflix, as well as a finalist in the MTV First Time Directors Initiative, and for the 2023 Seriesfest and Shondaland Women Directing Mentorship Award. Currently, Lorena is in development for her first feature film.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2023 Entertainment Lab taking place May 1 – June 9, 2023. This 6-week Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2023

Amelia Swedeen

Amelia Swedeen was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, where she was known as her high school’s resident videographer and disability advocate. When she moved across the country to attend USC School of Cinematic Arts, family and friends thought she would be making documentaries, but Amelia has always found more connection in telling stories through fictional characters. (As a TV fan, she once made a live appearance on Talking Dead – her first and last time in front of the camera.) Amelia has been on the support staff of six shows, the last being Power Book IV: Force, for which she co-wrote the second season finale and produced her episode on set in Chicago. She is now a staff writer on the third season. Amelia was also a participant in the 2022-23 NBC Launch TV Writers Program. In all her work, Amelia endeavors to platform disabled, neurodivergent, and queer identities. She is repped by Writ Large and Paradigm.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2023 Entertainment Lab taking place May 1 – June 9, 2023. This 6-week Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2023

Michael Busza

Michael Busza is an LA-based, queer, disabled, Jewish comedy writer who used to work for a lumber company. As a gay kid from Philly with an “invisible” chronic disability, Michael grew up having to explain the unseeable. Now, as a screenwriter in LA, he writes “invisible” characters in ways that reclaim their dignity through humor.

In college, Michael won the TV Academy’s student Emmy for writing the “Best College Series,” and was also a finalist in the TV Academy’s Emmy Directing Fellowship. He was then nominated for the Oxford University Rhodes Scholarship and spoke as graduation speaker for his class at Temple University.

After moving to LA, Michael spent a hot minute working in scripted development for Sony Pictures Television and several hot minutes writing and performing for the Second City Hollywood comedy theatre. During this time, he also became a Diversity Scholar at the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) comedy theatre; worked as a production assistant for CBS Studios (NCIS: New Orleans) and Paramount Pictures; and went on to produce the feature film From Zero to I Love You, which screened at festivals worldwide and is now available on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.

Throughout his life, Michael has appeared in medical journals (like a celebrity) and injected more than 200,000 needles (like a pincushion). He is also connected to enough medical devices to classify as part robot, and as a result, goes through life with a personal vendetta against TSA metal detectors.

Most recently, Michael has been featured as one of The Black List website’s Top 15 Half-hour Pilots, made the Coverfly Red List’s Top 15 with two different pilots (comedy and animation), advanced to the Semifinalist round of the 2023 Roadmap Writers’ Diversity Fellowship (Top 25), advanced to the Quarterfinalist round of the 2023 ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship, made it to the Semifinalist round of the 2022 Humanitas “New Voices” Fellowship (Top 25), and has been selected to participate in the 2023 RespectAbility Entertainment Lab.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2023 Entertainment Lab taking place May 1 – June 9, 2023. This 6-week Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2023

Jayla Hodge

Jayla Hodge (she/her) is an emerging multi-hyphenate creative with director, producer, writer, and actor roles under her belt. With a background in Journalism and Media Communication, Political Science, and Marketing, Jayla served in several community engagement roles, was a TED Speaker, and was a digital media & marketing manager. She is currently the Co-Founder of a digital media consulting company and a producer at ShowBlackss, a Black-owned video production company. With a wicked sense of humor and a social justice edge, she uses cinematic storytelling to highlight complex Gen Z perspectives.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2023 Entertainment Lab taking place May 1 – June 9, 2023. This 6-week Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.

RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab, Summer 2023

Annie Hayes

Annie Hayes is a proud native New Yorker who still hasn’t decided whether LA’s superior sunsets make up for its horrendous subway system. She was a staff writer on season 4 of The CW’s In the Dark after serving as the show’s script coordinator in seasons 2 and 3. Prior to that, she was the assistant to creators/showrunners/directors Jarrad Paul & Andy Mogel on the brilliant but tragically short-lived Netflix comedy Huge in France. She currently writes micro-fiction short stories on her weekly Substack. Despite all that, she really peaked in middle school, when she competed in chess tournaments, was starting second baseman on her all-boys baseball team, and played first violin in the school orchestra, all while managing daily treatments for cystic fibrosis and wearing a back brace for scoliosis 16 hours a day—a level of productivity she’ll never again come close to achieving. In the years since, she has also amassed an in-depth knowledge of all things Frasier, Seinfeld, and Billy Joel.

Learn More

After an extensive search and interview process, 20 individuals were invited to participate in the Los Angeles Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2023 Entertainment Lab taking place May 1 – June 9, 2023. This 6-week Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 50’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.