About Our Instructors

Alanna Bennett

Alanna Bennett is a screenwriter, author, and culture writer living in Los Angeles. Born in Hollywood and raised in Portland, Alanna studied Cinema Studies at Oberlin College and seeks to tell stories that move conversations forward while providing a balm to the daily stresses of human existence. She has written feature films for major studios and has written for television in the writers rooms of XO, KITTY (ensemble YA dramedy), ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO (sci-fi drama), and THE SECOND BEST HOSPITAL IN THE GALAXY (animated comedy), as well as on her own development. She has a two-book deal with Knopf, and her debut novel, THE EDUCATION OF KIA GREER, comes out in May 2025. As an entertainment reporter, culture writer, and essayist, Alanna’s work has appeared on BuzzFeed and BuzzFeed News (where she worked for years), as well as the New York Times, Teen Vogue, The Cut, Vulture, Refinery29, Eater, TV Guide, and many more.

CLASSES ALANNA’S TAUGHT FOR THE SPRING SCHOOL:

  • NANCY & NORA & ME & YOU: A ROM-COM SCREENWRITING SEMINAR (2022, 2023, 2024)

  • RICHARD CURTIS & ME & YOU: A ROM-COM SCREENWRITING SEMINAR

  • THE ART OF SHONDALAND

  • THEORY & CRAFT SEMINAR: CREATING ROMANTIC TELEVISION (2023, 2024)

  • TWO-SESSION FILM SEMINAR: PRACTICAL MAGIC (2023)

  • ONE-DAY SEMINAR: GET STARTED AS A SCREENWRITER (2023)

  • HOW TO WRITE A GREAT PILOT: SEMINAR & WORKSHOP (2022, 2023, 2024)

  • ROMANTIC COMEDY SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP I: SCENE STUDY & CREATING AN OUTLINE (2023)

  • WRITE YOUR MOVIE WORKSHOP: SCENE STUDY & CREATING AN OUTLINE (2024)

  • WRITE YOUR MOVIE WORKSHOP II: FINISHING YOUR SCRIPT (2024)

Hope Rehak

Hope Rehak earned her undergraduate degree in Creative Writing from Oberlin College, which she attended as a Posse Foundation Scholar. While writing poetry and performing stand-up comedy, she obtained her MFA in screenwriting from Northwestern University. In 2016, she won the film department’s sitcom award for a comedy pilot script, and in 2017, had a one-act play performed in an Off-off Broadway workshop in Manhattan. Hope has taught in person and online since 2018, including as an adjunct instructor at Northwestern, and currently splits her time between Los Angeles and her hometown of Chicago. You can still find her on social media platforms @hoperehak and on Substack at hoperehak.substack.com

CLASSES HOPE HAS TAUGHT FOR THE SPRING SCHOOL:

  • ROMANTIC COMEDY SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP I: SCENE STUDY & CREATING AN OUTLINE (2023)

  • ROMANTIC COMEDY WORKSHOP II: FINISHING YOUR SCRIPT (2023)

  • WRITE YOUR MOVIE WORKSHOP: SCENE STUDY & CREATING AN OUTLINE (2024)

  • WRITE YOUR MOVIE WORKSHOP II: FINISHING YOUR SCRIPT (2024)

Justin Casselle

Justin Casselle is a writer and director whose work as a former broadcast producer in advertising for brands such as McDonald’s, Jeep, and Nintendo has surely been on your TV (it’s totally fine if you clicked “skip ad” - he gets it). Justin aims to tell stories that are big-hearted, sharp with social commentary, and interrogative of social norms, all through the lens of comedy.

Justin has directed many high-profile commercials, music videos, and short films which, ranging from dark comedy to slice-of-life dramas, have been official selections at various film festivals such as the Austin Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, and Urbanworld Film Festival to name a few. He has directed one of the first ever comedy commercials for PETA along with the generational name-changing commercials for Aunt Jemima, now Pearl Milling Company, among many other brands. He’s also written for shows and special events for Ebony, VH1, Peacock, and Netflix.

World-building, directing actors, and creating communally are all things Justin looks forward to behind the camera, especially when those working beside him feel equity and representation in front of it. A fan of a healthy craft service budget, Justin prefers his sets to be inclusive of all genders, cultures, and snacks.

CLASSES JUSTIN’S TAUGHT FOR THE SPRING SCHOOL:

  • HOW TO MAKE A GREAT SHORT FILM

  • ONE DAY SEMINAR: THE INS AND OUTS OF COMMERCIAL DIRECTING