PRESS FOR DARUMA
the Filmmakers
AlexAnder Yellen - Director
Alexander Yellen is an experienced director and cinematographer, having lensed and/or directed 65 feature films, 60 episodes of television and countless short form projects. He’s most notably known for his work on the hit SyFy series Z Nation, a show for which he not only established the look, but also remained on for the duration of its five season run. His reputation for captivating images, maximizing production value, strong leadership, and on-set efficiency keeps him highly in demand from production companies around the globe. He has won two Telly awards for cinematography and another for directing as well as a number of festival awards and nominations. Alexander was born in Washington DC and earned a degree in film studies from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He lives in Los Angeles. IMDB
Kelli McNeil-YELLEN - Writer
Kelli McNeil-Yellen is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Drama and The Groundlings’ lauded writing program. Her first feature script, The Baltimore School of Charm, won first place at the UCLA Extension Feature Film Screenwriting Contest and was a top 15% finisher in the Academy’s Nicholl Awards. Her one-hour dramedy MOMMY PORN was named to the Bitch List.
McNeil-Yellen is also a published children’s book author: her first book Sleepy Toes was released in the spring of 2017 from Scholastic and has sold more than 60,000 copies worldwide and has been printed in multiple languages. She is repped by Dannie Festa of World Builder Entertainment.
MARKET STATS
Nielsen-Owned Gracenote to Track Disability Representation on TV
The Nielsen-owned company pointed out that increase in disability representation could “mean increased revenue for inclusive content providers and platforms,” with brands spending $738 million on advertisements in disability-inclusive broadcast and cable programs in Q3 of this year, while total ad spend on broadcast and cable in the same period was $9.9 billion.
New Study Shows Networks Leave $10 Billion on the Table by Not Casting Disabled Actors
A new study from The Ruderman Family Foundation shows that U.S. consumers have a potential buying power of $10 billion a month towards stories that showcase characters with disabilities authentically – specifically by casting disabled actors. Additionally, half of viewers are more likely to sign up for content distributors committed to more accurate representation of disabled characters.
Policy Panel on the Purchasing Power of People with Disabilities (AIR 2021 study)
People with disabilities have nearly half a trillion dollars in disposable income—the after-tax dollars for basic necessities such as housing, food, and clothing. In the marketplace, people with disabilities—as well as their families, friends, and advocates—wield considerable spending power.
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