An Island of Cherished Things

SUSAN BRENNAN has written film scripts, a one-million hit plus award winning web-series, pitched film stories, co-produced a short film, of which have premiered at Austin, Venice and Tribeca Film Festivals, as well as a screening at MoMA.  Her poems can be found in her chapbooks and book, Blue Sirens (Dancing Girl Press), numinous (Finishing Line Press), and Drunken Oasis (Rattapallax Press). 

RAM DEVINENI is a filmmaker, publisher and founder of Rattapallax films and magazine based in New York City and New Delhi. He is the creator of of the “Priya’s Shakti” comic book series, and co-created “Jupiter Invincible.” He produced, edited and directed the feature documentary, The Karma Killings, which was shot in India and released on Netflix. Recently, he produced The Russian Woodpecker, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

SYD FINI started working in Arya comics and directed and wrote Back From The Other Side, Turquoise Guardian and Stars on Earth short animation films. He works as a storyboard artist at the Mill New York and Psyop. He recently finished his graphic novel Saah, about a boy who tries to save pigeons in a fictional middle eastern city torn by war. Syd designed the art for the augmented reality comic book, “Priya and the Lost Girls,” and “Priya’s Mask."

NEDA KAZEMIFAR was born and raised in Tehran, Iran where she received her BA in film Directing from Tehran Sooreh University. She is currently works as a designer and performer at Chinese theater works, which has performed all over the world. She was the colorist for “Priya’s Mask”, “Priya and the Lost Girls” and “Priya and the Twirling Wind.” She is the creator of “Daughter of Api.”

Coast 2 Coast is a Peruvian community-based nonprofit that weaves investigation with imagination, engaging young learners and rural educators in small-scale fishing villages to explore their built-natural surroundings through the power of enchantment - gathering, illustrating, and mobilizing intergenerational knowledge for social-ecological well-being and epic futures. From coast to coast, we facilitate playful workshops, programs, and festivals with rural schools and local educational projects in fishing communities that strengthen attachment to place in the context of a changing climate and industrializing planet. Coast 2 Coast is our engagement partner.

“Island of Cherished Things” is made possible in part with public funds from the National Endowment for the Art and New York State Council on the Arts with the support of New York State Governor and the New York State Legislature. Additional support for public events made possible from the New York Department of Cultural Affairs. Augmented reality through Artivive.