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DRIVING CINEMATIC EXCELLENCE WITH DIVERSE EXPERTISE

Board of Directors

BOARD CHAIR

STU POLLARD

Stu has produced 10 films in his home state of Kentucky, including survival thriller RUST CREEK, powerful high school drama AND THEN I GO, and bowling comedy SPLIT. He has produced more movies outside the Bluegrass as well. These include the uproarious Jack Quaid & Maya Erskine wedding rom-com PLUS ONE, Syrian refugee documentary THIS IS HOME, and docu-drama FREELAND, starring Krisha Fairchild & Academy Award Nominee Lily Gladstone. Stu has also directed two features: romantic comedy NICE GUYS SLEEP ALONE and suspense drama KEEP YOUR DISTANCE, both set against a vibrant Kentucky backdrop.

Pollard’s production company - Lunacy - has numerous projects in development as well. Among those are: WE’RE HAUNTED, a horror comedy about dysfunctional roommates confronting an evil spirit; THE MAN WHO KNEW BELLE STARR, a riveting Western-infused revenge drama; THE TRESTLE, a supernatural thriller revolving around an infamous Kentucky legend; ALAS, BABYLON, a post-apocalyptic survival parable based on the classic novel; and WONDERDOG, a southern comedy based on the novel by Inman Majors.

Also an entrepreneur, Stu has spearheaded a number of other creative endeavors over the years, including the event planning app Reunacy, online educational platform LunacyU, nostalgic web series The 80’s Emporium, and philanthropic non-profit organization Trunacy. In the Spring of 2024, Stu partnered with comedian Jim Gaffigan to create and launch Fathertime Bourbon.

Stu holds a BS in Business from Georgetown and an MFA in Film from USC, is a member of the DGA and PGA, and serves on the boards of the Louisville Film Society, the Horse Farm Workers’ Educational Assistance Fund and GU’s Alumni Board of Regents. He splits his time between LA and Louisville and can frequently be found traveling with his financé Amy and their doxiepoo Nash.

SECRETARY / TREASURER

NANCY TAFEL

A Louisville native, Nancy Tafel is retired from arts management. She has been involved with Louisville Film Society for over 10 years. She enjoys volunteering and spending time with her grandchildren.

ALEXANDRA REINNOLDT

Alexandra discovered her passion for filmmaking while studying for her Bachelor and Master of Science in electrical engineering at the University of Southern California. She took elective courses in film studies and quickly fell in love with the filmmaking process. After working full-time in engineering, she returned to USC for her MFA in Film and TV Production.

While she no longer works as an engineer, Alexandra still thinks like one in terms of creative problem solving, and it has served her well in handling film projects restricted by time, money and other resources. While working as a Producer for Lunacy Productions, she assists in developing projects on their slate, including narrative / documentary features, ad campaigns, and educational content. She helped launch the online learning platform LunacyU with its first class “Indie Film Financing,” as well as Jim Gaffigan’s brand Fathertime Bourbon.

Along with producing, Alexandra also works as a production sound mixer and post-production sound editor. In 2019 and 2022, she was selected as a sound mixer for the Sundance Directors Labs, and in 2023 was selected for the inaugural NFL Films: Women In Sports Filmmaking Experienceship. Since 2022, Alexandra has served on the executive board for the Louisville Film Society and became Festival Director for the annual Flyover Film Festival.

Born and raised in Sacramento, California, Alexandra always participated in track and cross country. Eventually, she completed the Los Angeles Marathon and decided 26.2 miles was more than enough.

DEREK SEPE

Derek is a sound mixer, sound designer, and re-recording mixer. Though he hails from Washington state, Derek has lived in Boise, Los Angeles, and now Louisville. He graduated from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in Film & TV Production and has a BA in Mass Communication with a Minor in History and Political Science from Northwest Nazarene University. With over a decade of experience in sound for film, his work has screened at Sundance, Venice, SXSW, TIFF and most major VOD platforms.

At Lunacy, Derek focuses primarily on all things sound-related and serves as the in house audio engineer but, it doesn’t stop there; he is also a producer – currently involved in the development of ALAS, BABYLON, a post-apocalyptic survival parable based on Pat Frank’s classic Cold War-era novel.

Derek serves as Board Member for the Louisville Film Society and is the Kentucky Representative for IATSE Local 492. Furthermore, as a former NCAA Division II athlete he also fulfills his passion for track and field as an assistant coach at Trinity High School for Boys in Louisville.

RACHEL ANNETTE HELSON

A New York City based Director repped by Buchwald, Rachel Annette Helson tells stories about women who are rule breakers and risk takers.

In May 2024, she directed her fourth feature film: an adaptation of the Bestselling novel The Air He Breathes written by Brittainy C. Cherry - which received praise from critics and viewers alike for its thoughtful handling of the book-to-screen adaptation.

Her short film Good Daughter starring Samantha Sloyan (Midnight Mass, Fall of the House of Usher) was longlisted for the 2025 Academy Awards and won a Silver Telly Award in the Film & Shorts category. The film premiered at HollyShorts, earned accolades at over a dozen festivals in the US and released online as part of Omeleto’s 2025 FYC Playlist.

Additionally, Rachel holds the distinction of being the Youngest Producer in Broadway history to be Nominated for a Tony Award for her work on Neil LaBute’s reasons to be pretty - and as character-driven director, her work is heavily influenced by her acting background. (Select acting credits include: Full Circle, The Knick, Law & Order: SVU, Power and the Netflix film The Polka King.)

Her upcoming directorial projects include the feature adaptation of Good Daughter - written by Jesse Harris, Home - written by Ryan Carnes and Trimmers - written by Sam Kressner. She is a proud member of Film Fatales, the Alliance of Women Directors and SAG-AFTRA – as well as an alumna of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

MAX NEACE

Max Neace most recently produced the upcoming feature films RED CAMELLIA, starring Carly Chaikin, Douglas Smith, Sean Bridgers, and Chloe Guidry in Louisville, KY; THE RED MASK, starring Helena Howard, Inanna Sarkis, Kelli Garner, and Jake Abel in Los Angeles; and GOBLIN, starring David Druid, Davey Johnson, and Annie Parisse in Louisville.

In 2022 He wrote and directed the upcoming thriller, SHIFT, in Los Angeles. His released credits as producer include the feature films WHAT WE DO NEXT, written and directed by Steven Belber, starring Corey Stoll, Karen Pittman, and Michelle Veintimilla; STALKER, released on Hulu by Vertical Entertainment; and DON’T TELL A SOUL, released domestically by Saban Films and internationally by Universal Studios.

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