Meet the New Gen Team
Moon Abbott | Festival Director
Moon Abbott (they/he) is a trans non-binary creative with a focus in writing, filmmaking, and education. They have a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema Art + Science with a Minor in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Columbia College Chicago.
Known for queer, character-driven, genre-bending stories, their creative work often examines the concepts of gender and sexuality from various, authentic, and historical perspectives. Their portfolio includes a plethora of award-winning short films, screenplays, stage plays, and published articles and analyses.
Some of their better known works include the short films “Rebound,” a romantic comedy about discovering one’s queer identity, and “When Life Gives You A Lawnmower,” a campy horror comedy with no dialogue set in suburban 1950s America.
Recently, Moon was named Best Filmmaker 2025 in the Chicago Reader.
Sophie Chevako | Head of Programming Board
My name is Sophie Chevako (she/they), and I am an artist, writer, director, cinematographer, and independent filmmaker based in Chicago. I make art for the people and places I love and for myself. In my life, filmmaking has always been a potent method of loving: loving people, the world, and the person I am becoming. It draws us artists closer to a feeling, something like being alive, and in that, we find our identity. As a queer woman of color, I want to connect with other women and my LGBTQIA+ community through art and use my voice to fight for justice and representation. I want my films to lend a listening ear to those who have not felt heard, to capture moments and people and emotions, beyond words. To those who listen back to my work, I am grateful to you.
Sarah Falsetti (she/her) is a Chicago based writer, actor, and lover of film and music. This is Sarah’s first year on the New Gen programming board, but she has served as the festival’s Event and Outreach Coordinator for three years now. Sarah is deeply proud of New Gen’s growth and endlessly inspired by the creative community that has taken root and bloomed over the past few years. Sarah loves going to shows at local music venues, writing short stories and Substack articles, connecting with other creative minds, and chilling by the lake on a hot summer day.
Sarah Falsetti | Event & Communication Coordinator, Programming Board Member
Alyssa Rae Thomas (she/they) is a filmmaker, editor, and choreographer. Born and raised in metro-Detroit, she holds a double BA in Film, TV, & Media and Art History from the University of Michigan. She has written, directed, and produced several short films as well as choreographed for both the screen and the stage. Her work often focuses around issues of body image, mental health, and gender nonconformity.
Alyssa Rae Thomas | Operations Coordinator, Programming Board Member
Raine Yung | Lead Shorts Programmer
I'm an interdisciplinary artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Across video, installation, image, and sculpture, I stumble into place. I ask you to wait around long enough for something to happen, or not happen. To meet what's in front of you, over and again.
I’ve volunteered with New Gen since 2024, beginning as a Board Member before becoming Lead Shorts Programmer. New Gen was the first festival to screen my work; I'm honored to give back to a community that has so graciously given to me.
Nadeen Alwan is a video editor, videographer, and documentary filmmaker based in Chicago. They're most interested in stories that focus around the intersection of class, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality, primarily within the Arab world in an effort to push the boundaries of the kinds of representation we see on screen. Most Recently, they have worked on the short films Rebound (2023) and When Life Gives You A Lawnmower (2025) as editor and colorist. They are currently an Engineer at Chicago Sports Network.
Nadeen Alwan | Digital Media Coordinator, Programming Board Member
Autumn English | Programming Board Member
Autumn English is a 2D animation filmmaker who graduated from DePaul University in Chicago. As a student, she had the opportunity to intern with Bento Box Entertainment’s A Studio Digital, and she was also selected for an intensive university storyboarding course co-taught by visiting directors from Nickelodeon Animation. Since graduating, Autumn has worked as a freelance artist and animator, collaborating with organizations and independent companies such as Reparations Media, Easy Does It Records, and the Chicago-based web series “A Lot Like Comedy.” Autumn is most recognized for her comedic yet charming character-driven stories, as well as her bold and graphic visual style. Her undergraduate capstone film, “Perfect Casting,” has received 9 awards and 2 honorable mentions in its festival run, including the award for “Best Animation” at the Chicago International Film Festival’s CineYouth Festival in 2025.
Charles Fox | Programming Board Member
Charles Fox is a content creator, event curator, author, and musician, from Massachusetts. Fox co founded the House Party Hotline in 2023 to help anyone in Chicago find cool underground events from concerts, art shows, house parties, and beyond without needing social media. He recently wrote a young adult novel, “The Castle Kid Chronicles”.
Lysander Soto | Programming Board Member
Lysander Soto is a Mexican/Puerto Rican filmmaker & photographer based in Chicago. Lysander’s work is unapologetically queer and captures the intimate world that surrounds him.
Shane Chung | Programming Board Member
SHANE CHUNG is a Korean-American filmmaker who enjoys challenging mainstream narratives around Asians and Trojan-Horsing thorny emotions and complex topics into genre films.
His latest short is the martial arts comedy 'CHECK PLEASE', which is one part a tribute to '90s Hong Kong action flicks and one part a bighearted reflection on the “in-betweenness” of holding an Asian-American identity. The short has been selected to screen at Fantastic Fest 2024, Fantasia Film Festival 2025, Palm Springs International Shortsfest 2025, the Chicago International Film Festival 2025, and won a 'Best Director' prize at the BFI Future Film Festival 2025.
He is currently developing 'CHECK PLEASE' into a feature and continues directing and giving guest lectures and speaking engagements in the meantime.
Eesha Patkar | Programming Board Member
Eesha Patkar is an award-winning filmmaker from Mumbai and Chicago, and a graduate of Columbia College Chicago’s MFA program in Cinema and Television Directing. In her decade-long career slowly evolving from journalist and arts writer to filmmaker and video producer, Eesha has consistently found purpose in storytelling. Drawing from her Indian roots, Eesha’s work is an exploration of female subjectivities, often within the complex social dynamics of South Asian culture. Her recent short film, Six Weeks (2024), was the recipient of the Albert P. Weisman grant award, two Best Film Jury Awards, and an official selection in multiple film festivals.
Nathan Gallagher | Programming Board Member
Nathan is a director and editor based in the Midwest. With over eight years of experience producing and directing narrative and commercial films, Nathan is dedicated to exploring the techniques and strategies that he can apply as a filmmaker to evoke a sensory and visceral response in the viewer. Nathan is dedicated to always learning and growing as a creative, and has used this adaptable approach to conceptualize out-of-the-box ideas when approaching narrative stories or working with commercial clients.
Co-Founded in 2022 by Moon Abbott & Alexander Tammaru