Oscar Rene Lozoya II – Director Oscar Rene Lozoya is a director based in Los Angeles, CA. Oscar started off in news and broadcast, transitioning to scripted narrative. His passion for narrative storytelling led him to a position with Wolf Films as a Film Editor. During his tenure, Oscar honed his skills, setting the stage for a 10+ year career in television. His dedication and passion landed him a coveted opportunity to direct an episode of Law & Order: SVU in 2022, marking a significant milestone in his career. Since then, Oscar has transitioned into full-time directing, demonstrating his commitment to delivering compelling narratives.

Jeff Locker – Producer Jeff Locker is an award-winning writer, actor, and host based in Los Angeles. A Yale East Asian Studies major fluent in Mandarin, he became a well-known entertainer in Taiwan and China, best known for his portrayal of George W. Bush in Golden Bell-winning political satire show MIMICS, Brindsley in BLACK COMEDY (National Theatre Taiwan), Paul in THE MUSICAL STORY OF TERESA TENG (Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall), and countless evil white dudes in various Mandarin TV series (which he’s totally ok with.) He was also the author of eight best-selling Mandarin books with largely embarrassing covers. Screenwriter credits include feature film THE NIGHT DRIVER and the award-winning short films SCARS, TO BE SAVED and the Oscar-qualifying THE FORGOTTEN PLACE. Produced stage works include THE FORGOTTEN PLACE (winner of the 43rd Samuel French OOB Short Play Festival, Short+Sweet Hollywood 2019 Best Script and People’s Choice Best Play winner, Short+Sweet Sydney 2021 Best Script, and finalist in the 2019 National Award for Short Playwriting; published by Samuel French in 2019), SWEET, SHE (Short+Sweet Hollywood 2019 Best Production, 2019 National Award for Short Playwriting finalist), SWEET, HE (LA Scenies 2019 Best Short Play, Short+Sweet Hollywood 2019 Gala Finalist), OLIVER, OF THREE (Short+Sweet Hollywood 2022 finalist, Superbloom House Award, and Best Actor), STRINGS (Meta Theatre, Los Angeles), THREADS (Cole Theatre, Los Angeles), and THE TIES THAT BIND (Village Theatre, Atlanta.) American acting credits include INTERIOR CHINATOWN (Hulu), MARVEL’S AGENT CARTER (ABC), JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC), feature film STASIS, David Henry Hwang’s CHINGLISH (Portland Center Stage/Syracuse Stage, East West Players), and self-penned short films THE FORGOTTEN PLACE, A GOOD MAN, TO BE SAVED, and SCARS. Jeff also won the NBC Universal Emerging Writer Mentorship, a year-long mentorship that began in January 2022. His pilot SPESH won the Atlanta Film Festival Screenplay Competition in 2022, and made The Black List’s GLAAD List that same year. Jeff is a proud and bravely sentimental alum of The Second City and iO West as well as dog dad to a blind little princess named Greta who doesn’t like him very much (but he keeps trying!)

Brian Flaccus – Producer Brian Flaccus is a writer, actor and filmmaker from the mountains of Northern Arizona. After graduating with a BA in linguistics, he moved to Los Angeles and took his love of language to the page by writing and producing several award-winning feature films including HOW WE MET and ALEX & JAIME. He is a co-founder of The Knights Young Productions, and in 2022 was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and qualified for the Academy Awards for Brian’s film THESE FINAL HOURS. TKY is currently in production with another feature film and a TV pilot. Brian’s acting credits include TV roles on NBC’s HARRY’S LAW, CBS’s THREE RIVERS, and Disney’s WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE, as well as appearing in the Farrelly Brothers’ MOVIE 43, and the Key and Peele film, KEANU.

“We are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness, especially after a pandemic that left so many isolated. While The Forgotten Place touches on one man’s search for a best friend, most of us can relate to his struggle. Finding friends at any age can be hard, but making friends as an adult – when it feels like most people already have a tight circle of friends, or have started families and just don’t seem to have the time – can be really overwhelming. And then when you decide you need more friends in your life, suddenly you find yourself asking: how does one actually meet potential friend candidates? And when you do find someone you enjoy, how do you proceed? It can almost feel like dating: are we compatible? Do I like them enough to want to hang out again? Should I be upfront about what I’m looking for? And what if I suddenly decide I’m not into them? Do we break up or just let it fizzle? A fascinating result of putting this story out into the world has been hearing just how many folks feel the exact same way – making real, lasting friendships in modern times can feel like a full time job. In The Forgotten Place, Eric actually treats it like a job search – and it works for him. Ultimately, the lesson is sometimes finding the right people does take work, and it’s work that’s worth it because what is life without meaningful connection?”

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