Our Team
Lolia Etomi
CEO - Director, Producer, Writer, Actor
Lolia Etomi is a multi-talented creative force excelling as an award-winning Writer, Director, Actor, Producer, and Lawyer with global expertise in Data Protection and Privacy. She produced the Academy Award shortlisted film, Bienvenidos A Los Angeles. Her projects have garnered numerous awards, including Best Female Producer at the Toronto International Women’s Film Festival and Best Short Film at Diversity in Cannes. Her recent work, including the queer short film, "Life’s A Ball," and her role as Executive Producer on the award-winning short film, "KELA," have been well-received at prestigious film festivals globally. Additionally, her viral acting role on BET’s "Real Husbands of Hollywood" and her investment in underfunded, underrepresented female voices in Uganda further reflect her passion for storytelling, representing marginalized voices, and making a positive impact on the world.
As a multi-hyphenate creative artist encompassing writing, directing, acting, producing, and mixed media art, she challenges the notion that specialization in a single domain is necessary. She is also a highly skilled lawyer and global expert in Data Protection and Privacy, excelling in this field as the Head of Data Privacy at innovative fashion tech startup, SpreeAI.
Her educational and career journey spans the UK, Nigeria, USA, and Kenya, providing her with a diverse, global perspective that informs everything she does.
Lolia holds five degrees, including Undergraduate and Masters degrees in Theology & Religious Studies from Cambridge University, Law degrees from the UK & Nigeria (BPP Law School London, The Nigerian Law School), and a Masters in Acting from the Guildford School of Acting (UK), along with training from the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts (LAMDA, UK).
Her mission is to empower individuals to embrace their multifaceted selves without feeling the need to shrink or play small, while fostering an appreciation for the aspects of our humanity that differ. Her unique background makes her especially personable and able to relate and work well with others from all walks of life, an attribute that makes her an asset to any team she is part of. She possesses the rare combination of being able to ideate creatively and execute on a practical level, and she plans to deploy these skills in an impactful, tangibly positive way to achieve every goal she sets her mind to.
As a creative, her art is a testament to her journey, to authenticity, unity, and the celebration of differences, serving as a cathartic mourning and celebration of the shared human experiences, both good and bad, that shape us. This matters greatly to her because, ultimately, she wants to look back at her life and recognize the same values. There are hardships, but there is also radical joy as a form of protest. Where there are triggers, there can also be glimmers of hope.
Director’s Reel:
Producer’s Reel:
Acting Reel: https://vimeo.com/216281122
Tasila Banda
Tasila is a writer and producer currently completing an MBA at Harvard Business School and an MPP at Harvard Kennedy School. Tasila read law at the University of Cambridge and worked as a corporate lawyer at an international law firm, where she advised on mergers, acquisitions and corporate governance of global companies. Tasila is passionate about creating the stories she and her sisters wished for growing up.
Producer
Justin V. Ricci
Creative Executive
Justin Ricci is a Canada-born, Native-American writer, and director based out of Toronto, Ontario and Los Angeles. He has worked as an assistant for numerous studio projects with his most recent work as the Executive Assistant for Writer/Producer of Disney’s Raven’s Home.
Recently showcasing his directorial, cinematography and producing in his most recent award winning short film "Life's a Ball.” broadcasting in film festivals in Spain this September and Toronto in October.
With over 5+ years of experience in production in various roles, including, working as a show runner's assistant, writer, director, editor, producer, director of photography, production assistant and Now, as a creative executive at Lollipop Productions, Justin continues to push the boundaries of storytelling and cinematic innovation.
