Biography: Jamie Simiele is a queer writer, director, and producer based in Westchester County and Syracuse, NY. Currently a junior at the Purchase Conservatory of Film and Media, he collaborates with other emerging filmmakers as a producer and assistant director.​ Growing up in a small, conservative town in Upstate NY, Jamie’s filmmaking explores and amplifies the voices of the "American Mutt"— queer individuals who have navigated the challenges of low-income rural Americana and redefined the American dream.