THE TEAM

 

Staff

Sav Rodgers

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sav Rodgers (he/him) is a filmmaker and screenwriter from Kansas City. His work often centers on telling highly specific, surprising stories involving queer characters. In addition to his work as a director/writer, Sav is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Transgender Film Center, a nonprofit aiming to help trans creators bring finished stories to audiences around the world.

Gabi Grossman

PROGRAM MANAGER

Gabi Grossman (she/her) is a film programmer, writer, and curator. She is currently the Senior Programming Coordinator at Outfest, the largest queer film organization in the world. Before that, she worked as a Programmer and Coordinator of the New York Jewish Film Festival, sat on the screening committee for New York’s Rooftop Films, and served as a Program Consultant for the Jewish Museum’s exhibit “Television and Beyond.” She received her MFA in Screenwriting from Columbia University and her BA in English Literature from the University of Chicago.

Board of Directors

  • Ang Cruz

    BOARD SECRETARY

    Ang Cruz (they/she) is an award-winning multimedia journalist and filmmaker. They’re a Hollywood Foreign Press, NBC Universal, and LA Film Critics scholarship recipient and have worked with non-profits such as Outfest and Young Invincibles. Ang currently works as a Communications and Graphic Design Lead for Cal State Fullerton's Diversity and Initiatives Resource Centers. In their spare time, they are a freelance writer, editor, and designer for various outlets and independent magazines. They aspire to continuously work on projects that have to do with storytelling, art, activism, and healing.

  • Jason Tostevin

    BOARD TREASURER

    Jason Tostevin (he/him) is a brand and communications executive who's led creative teams at major specialty retailers, agencies and nonprofits. He is also a writer and film director whose short genre work has been screened and awarded at festivals around the world and featured on Short of the Week, ALTER and in the New York Times. Jason is the co-founder and programmer of bellwether Nightmares Film Festival, which has been named one of the world's best genre fests five times and is ranked by filmmakers number two overall among FilmFreeway's 9000 festivals. Jason lives in New Albany, Ohio with his wife Christy, his kids, Avery and Lily, and their pitbull mix, Milo.

  • Savannah Ward

    BOARD VICE PRESIDENT

    Savannah Ward (they/them) is a Black trans/non-binary writer and Angeleno who grew up fantasizing about making their own mark in Hollywood. And now they're doing just that. They are currently an Executive Story Editor on CRUEL SUMMER, the thriller drama series produced by Jessica Biel for Freeform and previously writer’s assistant on COUNCIL OF DADS for NBC where they helped develop the entire series with Creators/Showrunners Tony Phelan and Joan Rater. In their spare time, Savannah writes and produces Horror shorts/features because "what is more horrorific than being a Black, queer, trans person in America". Savannah is committed to expanding the Trans community footprint in Hollywood and being on the Board of TFC is a part of that step.

  • Sav Rodgers

    BOARD PRESIDENT

    Sav Rodgers (he/him) is a filmmaker and screenwriter from Kansas City. His work often centers on telling highly specific, surprising stories involving queer characters. In addition to his work as a director/writer, Sav is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Transgender Film Center, a nonprofit aiming to help trans creators bring finished films to audiences around the world.