Tamarat Makonnen
Writer/Producer/Director

“Dreams & Shadows” sprouted from the mind of Tamarat Makonnen, and marks his feature film debut. A graduate of Virginia Union University, with a degree in English Language Arts, the native New Yorker paid his dues working on countless commercial and feature film projects. Meanwhile, he sharpened his skills writing and directing documentaries and short films. He eventually transitioned into directing music videos, where he’s worked with a diverse array of musical talent. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Tamarat is developing several feature film projects, most notably “Nightlife Kings”, which was inspired by a true story.

"Dreams and Shadows" is actor James Russo's 99th film in a career that spans over three decades. A Manhattan-born character player who attended New York University, Russo received his first big break in the film "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982). Known for portraying gritty and intense characters, one only needs to be reminded of his sadistically sexual role in "Extremities" on stage (in which he won a 1983 Theatre World) and in the film (in which he terrorized Farrah Fawcett), to recall how chillingly effective he can be. Other roles in films include Kevin Costner's "The Postman" (1997) and "Open Range" (2003), plus "Beverly Hills Cop" (1984) and "We're No Angels" (1989). He's also appeared in several films with Johnny Depp including "Donnie Brasco" (1996), Roman Polanski's "The Ninth Gate" (1999) and the soon to be released "Public Enemies" directed by Michael Mann.

Shawn-Caulin Young
"Billy"

Shawn-Caulin Young made his film debut after graduating Magna Cum Laude from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford, where he earned a BFA in Actor Training. Upon moving to NYC in 2004, Young quickly began establishing himself as an up-and-coming character actor in such provocative films as The Picture of Dorian Gray, directed by Duncan Roy, and on television with NBC’s short-lived The Book of Daniel, starring Aiden Quinn and Ellen Burstyn. He received rave reviews for his stage work including his role as troubled misfit in the NYFRINGE Festival favorite, Dear America; a play in which he was reviewed as being a talent whose “superb acting helps to convey his character’s complex, mixed emotions.”- High5tix.org. Shawn-Caulin Young is considered by his peers to be one of the most prolific up-and-coming film stars of today.

Natalie Garcia Fryman
"Sarah"

Natalie, a native Los Angelino, returned to her home town in pursuit of an acting career after graduating from Vassar College in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in Drama. Since then, she's appeared in numerous short films and plays, been a series regular on an educational TV series, and worked as a featured extra on "Criminal Minds." She currently studies at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, where she's been since February of 2004, and she's represented both commercially and theatrically by Malaky International, also located in Beverly Hills.

Londale M. Theus
"Eddie"

Londale M. Theus has performed in community theater, film and television. He was the lead in the play “Sacrificing Simone” an original screenplay by writer/director Alretha Thomas and has a supporting role in “Super Heroes” an original comedy written and directed by Chris Berube currently in production. Recently, he had a supporting role in the independent short film “Junior” and has appeared on TV shows such as General Hospital, Shark, How I Meet Your Mother, HEROES and Boston Legal.

Julie Clark
"Lorrie"

Julie Clark is an actor, dancer, and motivational speaker. A graduate from Florida State University, Julie moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2005. She has appeared in an array of theatre and film projects, including independent feature films, television programs, sketch comedy shows and commercials. She recently completed a green screen project for Disney.

Born and raised in Tokyo, Yoshi Ando began studying martial arts as a youth in Japan, and continues to train under the intensive tutorship of shinkendo master Obata Toshishiro. He has appeared as the lead in several independent films, and was recently cast in Clint Eastwood's Oscar nominated film, "Letters from Iwo Jima." Yoshi has quickly established himself as a promising bicultural actor, able to perform in both Japanese and English language films with equal skill.

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