Cast & Crew
Gayle Embrey
Executive Producer, Scriptwriter
Gayle's film career began as Executive Producer of Playground Project in 2007. Her first feature-length doc, Beyond The Walls, screened at 14 film fests world-wide and is now available free on Vimeo. She has made several short doc films, but this is her first animated film. Gayle was Vice President of the Embrey Family Foundation focused on human rights, gender and racial equity, her emphasis on ending human trafficking. She is passionate about the environment and lives in the heart of the Colorado Rockies. Gayle has been a yoga and meditation practitioner for over 35 years.
Hannah Holland
Director, Executive Producer, Scriptwriter
This is Director Hannah Holland's first film. Although new to the short animation genre, she is veteran of TV Production having worked on numerous shows for Nickelodeon in the '90's. Gaining experience directing commercials and promos at the time, she is most notably credited as Associate Producer for millennial darlings All That and Global GUTS.
Ellis Holland
Nachiketa's Voice Actor, Sound Recording, Sound Mixing & Mastering
This is Ellis's first foray into acting since his high school theater days. Primarily a sound engineer and musician, Ellis graduated from Columbia College Chicago in 2021 with a B.A. in audio design and production. Recently, he has honed his craft working as a freelance mixing engineer and at various recording studios. Additionally, he has also dipped his toes into the audio post-production world, having worked behind the scenes on much of Nachiketa's audio work. When he's not behind the soundboard, you can find him center stage, rocking out with his bands Very Sorry and Fears of Abandonment.
Instagram: @ellishollandahh
Email: ellisiholland@gmail.com
Jon Janaka
Lord Yamaraja's Voice Actor
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Paul Christopher Yañez
Vajashrava's Voice Actor, Music Production, Sound Recording, Sound Effects
Rhythm guitar, Lead Singer and Songwriter for the band “Macüsa” out of Dallas, TX. On independent label Harmony 4 Humanity Music Distribution - "H4HMD" Professions include: Music Production, Editor for Short Film, Camera Operator, Radio DJ for Am/Fm Radio.
Jackson Bridgers
Editor
Jackson Bridgers is a video editor, videographer, and director based in Los Angeles. After graduating from Carnegie Mellon University for fine arts, he started working as a freelance editor and specialized in directing music videos.
Susan G. Drinker
Editor
In her heart of hearts, Susan is a videographer...a story teller who drifted into editing 16 years ago relating the stories of naughty dogs reformed to domestic angels. A well told video story is only as good
as its editor, and there is something about the process which has intrigued her ever since. Nachiketa was her first animated film, and the experience left her hungry for this new and exciting possibility. Working with Gayle and Hannah was filled with collaboration, humor, patience and challenge, all aimed toward the common purpose of excellence and achievement. The result speaks for itself.
Fausto Garcia Jr.
Art Director, Visual Design, Character Design & Model Sheets, Storyboard Artist, Rough Animation, Clean-up & Color Artist
Fausto is an Artist, Animator and Art Director in Los Angeles. He has worked on various productions and was the Art Director for this film. He has big ideas and a vision he enjoys to share through his work. During his spare time he enjoys playing video games, drawing new concepts, and spending time with friends and family.
Instagram: @silver378
Veronica K
Visual Design, Character Design & Model Sheets, Storyboard Artist, Rough Animation, Clean-up & Color Artist
Veronica is a 2D Animator and Designer in the LA area who has worked on various productions on Set and in Animation. She has worked with Disney, TNT, Bravo and TED, among various professional clients. In her work, she focuses on how details propel a story forward and incorporates that into designs and subtleties in animation. In her free time, she enjoys making costumes, cosplaying, conventions, video games, Pokémon shiny hunting, reading comics and baking treats.
Instagram/TikTok: @veveisme
X: @ChickenTenderz
Paul Hur
Visual Design, Storyboard Artist, Background Artist, Clean-up & Color Artist
I have worked on various animation projects, including this film with Power Surge Productions. Originally from South Korea, I moved abroad during muddle school to pursue my dream of making art my career. After completing my Bachelor's degree at ArtCenter, I have been working as a freelance storyboard artist, specializing in action sequences and creative compositions. My work is heavily inspired by comics, Disney and Ghibli animations. Outside of storyboarding, I love practicing illustration, concept art, and 3D modeling. Storytelling is my passion, an d I'm excited to see where my artistic journey takes me.
Instagram: @cheetoschicken
Cindy P
Visual Design, Character Design & Model Sheets, Storyboard Artist
Cindy Phung is a Storyboard, Character, and Visual Development Artist based in the LA area. She currently works in Dreamworks TV Animation in Production and in multiple personal projects. She has a huge passion for animation and is always looking for a story to tell through her art. During her free time, she enjoys watching TV shows and films, playing video games, and spending time with her cats.
Instagram/Twitter: @cindyphung17
Maria Paz Munoz
Background Artist, Compositing & Effects, Color Correction & Rendering
Maria Munoz is a Seattle-based illustrator, background painter, and compositor originally from Chile. She is currently developing a paper art kit for kids, combining her artistic skills with a passion for inspiring creativity in children.
Instagram: @peps_arte
Dasia Chatman
Rough Animation, Clean-up & Color Artist, Compositing & Effects
Hello, My name is Dasia Chatman. I'm a freelance animator with a love for cartoons, cleanup compositing, and cats! I specialize in 2D animation but also do a bit of 3D as well.
TikTok/Twitter/Instagram: @_dasiablue
Email: Dasia.chat@gmail.com
Christopher W. Fairfax
Rough Animation, Compositing & Effects, Color Correction & Rendering
Christopher W. Fairfax is a storyteller who lives in the beautiful state of Washington. He is always looking for new ways to tell unique stories with pictures, whether they are moving or not. He has worked in the animation industry since 2019, and primarily uses Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, Animate, and Toon Boom Harmony to create the animated films he wants to see in the world. When he's not animating, he's making comics, music, or film photography.
Website: http://chriswifi.com
Email: chriswifi@gmail.com
Instagram/Twitter: @cwfoxfaer
Nathan Kwan
Color Design, Background Artist
Nathan is a Hong Kong American illustrator, designer, and writer from suburban Texas. Unfortunately, he does not have a southern drawl. That would have been cool. The mildly offensive caricatures and comic strips he made as a tot introduced him to the world of illustration and animation where he found a collective calling of narrative storytelling. When he is not at his drawing table, he can be found cooking, at an indie cinema, or reading in a bookstore- You will probably hear him sneezing from seasonal allergies. Please do say hello. And perhaps offer a tissue. Nathan received his Bachelors with Honors from Art Center College of Design and is pursuing his Masters at the Cambridge School of Art.
Demarco crews
Storyboard Artist, Rough Animation
Hello I'm DeMarco! I'm a storyboard artist and 2D animator based in the Los Angeles area. When I'm not working, or bringing my ideas to life, I'm out looking for new good foods to eat with my friends.
Instagram: @battlekaz_
Alden Brownstone
Background Artist, Compositing & Effects
I like to say that art is my first language. My BFA in Illustration was just a launching point to explore a plethora of visual mediums such as animation, 3D modeling, VFX, and good ole painting on canvas. I aim to move and inspire with my work, hopefully feeding the flame of imagination within all of us.
Website: aldenbrownstone.com
Instagram: @aldenbrownstone.art
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aldenbrownstone
Vivian Ji
Background Artist, Clean-up & Color Artist
Vivian is a 2D background designer and painter based in Los Angeles. She has previously worked for Bento Box Entertainment and Studio Smokescreen. She enjoys using line and color to tell stories through environments and spaces. When she's not working, she's crocheting, painting, and playing with her two cats, Hippo and Cheeto.
Instagram/Twitter: @vvdraws
Audrey Benedictus
Rough Animation, Clean-up & Color Artist
Audrey Benedictus is a prop designer, character designer, illustrator, and animator based in Los Angeles, California. She has been drawing from the moment she had the motor-skills to hold a pencil, and prior to Nachiketa, worked on projects such as FXX's Little Demon, as well as the official music video for Doje's Friend Zone. In her free time, Audrey never stops being creative. She love building LEGO sets and crafting cosplays for herself and her dog, Baloo.
Portfolio: https://www.audreybenedictus.art/
Email: audrey.benedictus@gmail.com
Instagram: @a.rt.benedictus
X/Twitter: @art_benedictus
Walter Pasion
Rough Animation, Clean-up & Color Artist
Walter Pasion is a 2D animator and storyboard artist based in the Los Angeles area. Whenever he is not drawing, he is collecting CDs, collecting Gundam model kits (to my backlog), and listening to aggressive elevator soul music.
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/wallerpasson
Karen K Phillips
Rough Animation, Clean-up & Color Artist
Karen K Phillips is a freelance storyboard artist and animator based in Oregon living with her partner, their dog and two cats. When she's not obsessively drawing, she's either going on hiking adventures or getting cozy indoors with platforming games. Her drive for animation revolves around storytelling, and she's inspired by getting people to empathize with characters, especially the stranger ones!
Website: www.karenkphillips.com
Email: karenkphillipsart@gmail.com
Ari Trejo
Rough Animation, Clean-up & Color Artist
Hi! I am a 2D animator currently residing in the Seattle area. I am highly inspired by anime, JRPGs, TTRPGs, and gothic horror. Animation is my favorite medium to tell stories and has been since early childhood. As a hobby, I love developing worlds from those inspirations and creating in-depth stories with three-dimensional characters.
My specialties lie in character animation, specifically acting and physicality, though I am also fond of effects animation and doing character art. Since Nachiketa, I have been doing animations for video games. If you find yourself interested in my work, please reach out!
Website: arirtrejo.art
Email: arirtrejo@gmail.com
Eryn Suchara
Compositing & Effects, Color Correction & Rendering
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Liz Tillery
Compositing & Effects
Liz Tillery is a 2D animator and illustrator who is based just north of Atlanta. She studied animation and earned her B.A. at Kennesaw State University. Her experience with digital art has led her across many disciplines including illustration, animation, compositing, and character design, and she is always on the lookout to expand and hone her skills. In her free time, Liz enjoys creating stories and characters and taking care of her cats. She is grateful to have had the chance to work with a fantastic team on this beautiful project.
Instagram: @liztarts
Email: liztilleryart@gmail.com
Website: liztarts.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethtillery/
Max Behrens
Sound Recording
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Gaelen Bellamy
Music Composition, Music Production
Gaelan Bellamy is a musician and composer based in Austin, TX. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at Austin and built an extensive music career as the guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for the bands Distant Lights and Kaleider. In 2022, Gaelan shifted his focus to film scoring, applying his versatility and passion for storytelling to new artistic pursuits. His work has taken shape through various projects including this film, where his distinctive sound continues to evolve.
Email: gaelanbellamy@gmail.com
Eliana Durand
Production Assistant
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Special Thanks
Swami Rama
Pandit Rajmani Tigunait
himalayaninstitute.com
Peter Gilbert
René Quenell & Mike Nalick
Circa 71 Productions
