NYU Production Lab – Producing the Next Generation of Creatives

IN DEVELOPMENT

Supported by Cine Qua Non Lab, Tribeca Film Institute Sloan Production Grant, NYU Alfred P. Sloan Development Grant, Sundance Screenwriting & Creative Producing Labs

SYNOPSIS: “Neon Tilapia” is a dramedy about the chaos that ensues after a fisherman in rural Kenya releases glowing, genetically modified fish into Lake Victoria.

WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY: Tony Koros

Tony Koros is a Kenyan screenwriter, director and producer, currently based in New York where he completed his MFA in Filmmaking at the Tisch School of the Arts (NYU) in 2018. His latest short film, “Tithes & Offerings” premiered in competition at Clermont- Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2019. His previous films short have screened at over thirty international film festivals including Palm Springs International Shortfest where he won the Alexis Prize in 2017, Clermont-Ferrand 2018, FESPACO 2017, and won the Sembene prize at the Zanzibar International Film Festival. He is a recipient of the Harvey Fellowship from the Mustard Seed Foundation and the 2019 Hollywood Foreign Press Association grant.

PRODUCED BY: Elizabeth Charles

Elizabeth Charles has over a decade of experience in media and entertainment across radio, commercials, branded content, music videos, short films and television in the Caribbean and United States. Elizabeth works to champion content that exemplifies inclusive and diverse storytelling from multicultural voices. She is a graduate of NYU Stern School of Business and the Tisch School of the Arts, an Independent Producer and formerly an Associate in the Office of the CEO of multicultural broadcast network, Univision. As a producer, Elizabeth’s short films have received awards from several film festivals including the Best Emerging Filmmaker Awards at the Palm Springs International Film Festival in both 2017 and 2018, and been featured as Official Selections in more than 30 festivals including Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, ITV Fest and FESPACO. She has produced two Vimeo Staff Picks and one her more recent shorts has amassed >1m views.