ADAM LEON is a critically acclaimed director and writer.  He was born and raised in Manhattan and still proudly resides there.  His three feature films, "Gimme the Loot" (2012), "Tramps" (2016), and "Italian Studies" (2022) all depict the various parts of New York where he grew up thus making the iconic city a character in and of itself that resonates distinctively in each film. "Italian Studies," his most recent film, stars Vanessa Kirby, Fred Hechinger, Maya Hawke, and features the music of Oscar nominated composter Nicholas Britell. Leon graduated from University of Pennsylvania with a B.A. in African American Studies.  He began his career as a production assistant and coordinator for some of the industry's most prestigious film festivals.  Adam has now come full circle as a filmmaker whose cinematic contributions have received critical praise and recognition from many of the very same festivals where he got his start. He won the SXSW Grand Jury Award in 2012 for "Gimme the Loot" and in the same year was nominated for the Camera D'or award at The Cannes Film Festival where the movie premiered internationally. "Gimme the Loot" also received the Independent Spirit Award for "Someone to Watch" in 2013 and was nominated for Independent Spirit's "Best First Film" award.