Katie Taylor – Executive Director/Board Member/Founder
Katie Taylor serves as the Executive Director and is the founder of Film School Africa. She studied communications at Taylor University in Indiana and during her time at university, she spent a semester at the LA Film Study Center learning film production and doing an internship with 20th Century Fox in their feature-casting department.
After university, Taylor returned to Hollywood and began assisting executive producers in television. She became more interested in screenwriting during this time, and even sold a story for one of the series. As a result of this sale, she was included into the WGA (Writers Guild of America).
She soon found that her love for the casting process was taking over, and made the jump to work with Francine Maisler, one of the world’s premiere casting directors. With Francine, she assisted on several big budget features like Spider-man 3 and Michael Mann’s Miami Vice, as well as more artistic fare like Into the Wild and Babel. Eventually she started jumping around to work with different casting directors and numerous studios for producers and directors like Adam Sandler, Tim Burton, Alexander Payne, Ben Stiller, Marc Forster and Steven Spielberg.
Katie spent 6 years working as an Associate Casting Director for various productions, but some of her most rewarding work was helping her super talented friends – like when she cast the short film Short Term 12 for director Destin Cretton – which went on to win Best Short Film at Sundance in 2009. Or the film Day Labor, for director Lowell Frank, which tells the story of a Columbian day laborer in the US and his battle to provide for his family. Day Labor went on to become a student Oscar finalist.
Katie had a quickly growing career but soon came to the realization that not all of her talents were being utilized in the Hollywood system, and that making a difference in the lives of people and sharing the love and grace of Jesus was her greatest passion. So she called on her broad knowledge of filmmaking, and the tremendous power of storytelling, and moved to the township of Kayamandi, South Africa in 2008 to launch the pilot program that would later become Film School Africa.
Marie Midcalf — Associate FSA Director/Editor/Lecturer
Marie has a film degree from AFDA with an emphasis in editing. In addition to her studies in the area of film, Marie also graduated from the Waterfront Theatre School and has performed professionally on stages around the world. She runs her own company, PureLiquid Editing, and has worked on projects with RichRed Productions, The Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Global Initiative, Bloomberg TV, Sanlam, and Deloitte among others. Marie works full time for Film School Africa as a teacher and mentor.
Howard Taylor – CEO
Howard brings more than forty years of experience in the solicitation of funds for nonprofit organizations and ministries. His professional endeavors have included the writing of direct mail copy for mission agency executive directors and college and university presidents. His development responsibilities have included being directly involved in the solicitation of major gifts for annual, capital, endowment, and programmatic needs. He also brings a great deal of leadership experience including the development of boards of trustees and significant volunteer enterprises. Howard recently completed sixteen years at Malone University, having served as Vice President for Advancement and Senior Gifts Officer. He continues to be a Principal and Senior Consultant with the Rediger Taylor Group LLC, serving the greater non profit community.
Kevin and Cheryl Stemmet - College Campus House Parents
Kevin and Cheryl live on our college campus in Somerset West. They share meals with the FSA College students and provide on campus care along with driving students around. Kevin has a background in ministry and a bachelors in theology - and he meets with students on a regular basis to facilitate the supportive family culture of FSA College. Cheryl is passionate about early childhood development, young mothers and their 2 grandchildren.
Nathan Midcalf — FSA College Sound Recording Lecturer
Nate has a film degree from AFDA with an emphasis in sound. In addition to his studies in the area of film, Nathan has been recording and booming for local and international series and commercials. He has recently wrapped his 2nd season with Survivor South Africa.
FSA College is privileged to have numerous other guest lecturers and volunteers that share their areas of expertise on a regular basis.