aboutThe Team
Together, Winter Williams and Matthew A. Brown form a dynamic creative team whose partnership began in 2013 when Brown cast Williams as the lead in his debut feature film Julia. Since then, the pair have collaborated on three feature films and co-founded Subversive Films, a production company dedicated to bold, boundary-pushing storytelling. With two new features set for release next year, they bring decades of combined experience in front of and behind the camera. As artists and educators, their shared vision is to uncover raw talent, empower authentic voices, and shape the next generation of storytellers through their work at In The Pines Studio.
Matthew A. Brown and Winter Williams on the set of JULIA in 2013
TEAM BIO'S
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Winter Williams (locally known as Ashley) is an award-winning American film and theater actress, best known for her breakout roles in cult horror The Human Centipede, revenge thriller Julia, and crime drama Albanian Gangster.
Raised in Charlottesville, Virginia, Williams grew up immersed in a vibrant arts scene and discovered her passion for acting at age 12. She went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, earning an advanced associate degree, receiving the prestigious Charles Jehlinger Award, and joining the Academy’s Repertory Company with the Spencer Tracy Scholarship. Following her time with the AADA Rep, Ashley performed lead roles in innovative off-Broadway productions at venues including The Ellen Stewart Theater, Cherry Lane Theater, and 59E59 Street.
A pivotal collaboration with Italian director Dario D’Ambrosi deepened her fascination with the human psyche and complex character work, propelling her toward film and an intimate, nuanced approach to acting. As a film actress, Ashley is renowned for her mastery of eye acting — the subtle art of conveying deep internal emotion through stillness and gaze. Critics praised her performance in Julia for its haunting intimacy and emotional precision, highlighting how her eyes communicate volumes without a word.
In addition to acting, Williams co-founded Mind The Art Entertainment, a theater company dedicated to producing original work in New York City. She also served as an actor/educator with the Nite Star Program, using theater in NYC public schools to help students navigate real-life challenges and foster healthy choices.
Currently, Williams is co-creating a one-woman show with playwright Denmo Ibrahim, while continuing her film collaborations with her husband, filmmaker Matthew A. Brown. Ashley co-leads the Drama/Acting classes ages 5-18
Matthew A. Brown’s feature film directorial debut, Julia, was released in the US in AMC cinemas in October 2015 after winning multiple awards at the world’s leading genre film festivals and selling to over forty international territories. His sophomore feature, Albanian Gangster, was released in theaters via AMC Independent in October 2020, and he is currently in post on his third feature, Illyrian Blood, a sequel to Albanian Gangster. His next project, Killdeer, a dramatic thriller set on North Dakota’s Bakken oilfields, shoots this coming February, 2026.
Prior to directing, he wrote and sold a number of feature film scripts, one of which, Leaving the Cape, was a 2008 semifinalist at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting. He has written and directed multiple shorts, including Crush, which qualified for the 2012 Academy Awards. Prior to directing, he worked as an actor, playing leads in successful American independent features, including God's Army (2000) and Brigham City (2021).
He has an MFA in Screenwriting & Directing from the Binger Filmlab in Amsterdam and an MFA in Creative Writing from Carlow University, where he completed his first novel soon to be ready for publication. Matthew heads our film department and leads the Teen Drama and Storytelling classes.
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