Named to the Independent Film Channel’s list of emerging "Icons", Tracie Laymon is an independent screenwriter and director hailing from Austin, Texas. Her previous projects have won numerous jury awards at South by Southwest, Memphis International Film Festival, Las Vegas International Film Festival, and many others. In 2009, she received a nomination for the Milan International Film Festival Award (considered to be the Italian "Oscar" of independent film), followed by winning the Award for Short Film of the Year from the Women's Image Network. In 2011, Tracie wrote and directed a featured segment of the anthology film “Girls!Girls!Girls!”, completed a script adaption for acclaimed Polish director Jacek Bromski, and directed the sitcom Goodnight Burbank, featuring Dominic Monaghan (Lost, Lord of the Rings) and Laura Silverman (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sarah Silverman Program). Goodnight Burbank premiered on Hulu where it was personally acquired by Mark Cuban and aired on his TV Channel, HDNET, in the fall of 2011. Tracie's latest short film A Hidden Agender starring Elaine Hendrix (The Parent Trap, Superstar) premiered at the Dallas International Film Festival and won the Jury Prize for Best Dark Comedy at the Houston Independent Film Festival in 2012. Tracie then wrote One Small Step for Neil, which will serve as her directorial feature debut, and won Best Screenplay at the 2013 LA Comedy Festival. She is represented by The Gersh Agency in Beverly Hills and is a close friend of the Int’l Screenwriters’ Association.