Leads - Film Festival at Hollywood Park - LA Premiere!

An acting professor has her life upended when her charming but volatile baby brother joins her acting class, setting off a battle of wills between them for the hearts and minds of her eager students that could bring them all to the brink of success or debilitating ruin.

Director Biography - Bryan Poyser

A two-time Independent Spirit Award nominee, writer/director Bryan Poyser has made 4 features that premiered at festivals like Sundance, SXSW and Tribeca as well as numerous short films and projects for Comedy Central, the USA Network, Ridley Scott Associates and HBO. Bryan's most recent feature LEADS premiered in the US Narrative Competition at the 2025 Tribeca Festival. His second feature LOVERS OF HATE premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, was released theatrically by IFC Films and was nominated for the John Cassavetes Award at the 2011 Independent Spirit Awards. His first feature DEAR PILLOW was also nominated for a Spirit Award in 2005 and his feature LOVE & AIR SEX premiered at the SXSW Film Festival in 2013 and was released by Tribeca Films. He wrote an episode of the Duplass Brothers’ HBO series ROOM 104 and his 2022 short film DON’T YOU GO NOWHERE screened in nearly 40 film festivals and won 18 awards. Bryan lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife and daughter and teaches filmmaking as an Associate Professor of Practice at Texas State University.

Credit

• Bryan Poyser - Director
• Taylor Wright - Producer
• Heather Kafka - Key Cast - "Mags Malloy"
• Justin Arnold - Key Cast - "Merritt Malloy"
• Macon Blair - Key Cast - "Taylor Betts"
• Sara Paxton - Key Cast - "Mercy Donovan"
• Yesenia Garcia Herrington - Key Cast - "Lorraine"
• Aaliyah Tardio - Key Cast - "Alisha"
• Wade Smith - Key Cast - "Jim"
• Bryan Poyser - Writer
• Heather Kafka - Writer
• Justin Arnold - Writer

• Bryan Poyser
• [email protected]

Host or Publisher Film Festival at Hollywood Park