About

Dylan Gaines is the founder of New World Fool Productions and a writer, director, and producer based in New York City, crafting films that blur the lines between black comedy and horror. Originally from Boston, he received his degree in Cinema and Media Arts from Vanderbilt University in 2021.

His films expose the hypocrisies and uncomfortable truths of modern society, dissecting technological alienation, performative identity, and the systems of power that shape our lives — delivering pointed social critiques through visceral genre storytelling that refuses to look away.

Dylan's films have screened at festivals across the United States and internationally, garnering recognition for their distinctive voice and uncompromising vision. When not working on his next film project, Dylan can be found writing code as a software engineer or passionately cheering on his beloved Boston Celtics.

Craig Helfer's love for cinema began at age seven when he first saw Jurassic Park in a sold-out theater. That transformative experience sparked a lifelong passion that would shape his career as a writer, director, and cinematographer based in New Jersey.

As the creative force behind Iron Horse Cinema, Craig wrote, directed, and produced 20+ short films that accumulated 300,000+ subscribers and 46 million channel views on YouTube. His work spans corporate storytelling and independent filmmaking, with expertise in cinematography, lighting, and post-production.

With over a decade of experience, Craig has worked with high-profile clients including Hilton, Nissan, Goldman Sachs, and Adidas, creating content with over 120 million views across digital platforms.

George Wang is a New York City-based producer with a lifelong passion for storytelling and a proven track record of bringing creative visions to life. He wrote, directed, and produced his first feature film in high school, premiering it to an audience of over 200 people and earning coverage in local press.

In college, he founded his school's first filmmaking club, growing it from a small circle of friends to over 70 active members producing 40+ short films, earning recognition at national film festivals, and raising more than $20K in funding.

Beyond the camera, George brings a sharp business mind to his work, drawing on his background in finance and his experience as a nonprofit treasurer overseeing operational and financial decision-making.

Varun Giridhar is a writer, director, and producer based in New York City who makes films grounded in universal emotions — often with a sharp twist of dark humor or an inventive genre inflection. Born in India and brought up in America, Varun seeks to bring a global perspective to his creative work that prioritizes the audience's experience of watching a film.

In college, Varun wrote and directed several short films and a feature film. After graduation, he has written and directed eight short films and written four feature specs. Varun also writes prose, having written several short stories and a novel.

As a filmmaker, Varun seeks to achieve something different with each project — having directed narrative short films shot on iPhones, digital cameras, on 16mm, and on 35mm. He believes each project is an opportunity to test one's limits both technically and emotionally.