Synopsis
CUE: Sam– the kid who gets good grades but “talks too much” on her report card. At 10 years old, her biggest flex is being the best reader in class and knowing The Proud Family theme song word for word. But in the early 2000’s where icons like Beyonce & Britney Spears reigned supreme, Sam still struggles to find validation in her own self-image. So what better way to gain shallow mass approval from everyone you know, than by landing the lead role in the school play? Unfortunately for Sam, thanks to her running mouth, she gets cast as one of the manger animals, “Donkey”. Meanwhile, her lighter-skinned friend, Deja, lands the lead role of “Mary”, the Mother of God Himself.
A hierarchy is formed amongst the class. While everyone yearns for Deja’s attention, Sam wonders why someone just as chatty gets to be “Mary.” An Illustrated Children’s Bible of all-white portraits along with her friends’ two-cents helps answer that question for her: Deja is “light-skinned-ded-ed” so she looks most like Mary and therefore deserves the role. Mrs. Isaac’s public punishment from earlier causes Deja to outcast Sam who is now seen as “bad” in the eyes of her peers. This exile coupled with her role as “Donkey” convinces Sam that God looks down on her just like everyone else.
Sam’s Hail Mary follows the journey Sam takes as she grapples with the insecurity of not being “made in God’s Image.” Ultimately, Sam is willing to go to extremes to become her idea of who she thinks God & everyone else will love. But it doesn’t necessarly work in her favor…or does it?
When the images we worship rarely reflect us, support a film reclaiming self-love as the ultimate inner Divinity.
KEY PERSONNEL
Lathan Ava (she/her)
Lead Actor
Lathan Ava (she/her) has been acting since the age of 5 and featured in over 20 commercials and numerous feature films and television shows. Highlights in her career include joining the cast of AppleTV’s “The Morning Show” as Nicole Beharie’s daughter, Naima. She’s also worked alongside Quinta Brunson and Tyler James Williams in ABC’s hit show “Abbott Elementary”. You will soon see her starring in Elijah Davis’ anthology feature film “Three Colors” alongside Loretta Devine and Sibongile Mlambo. Other notable feature films she will be seen in this year include Joshua Coates’ feature film “Madonna Non Grata” opposite Tamara Taylor, Eric Roberts and Kris Lofton as well as “Mr. Nelson, Did You Kill People” directed by Shinya Tsukamoto working opposite Tatyana Ali and Rodney Hicks. In Spring 2027, she’ll appear in her first studio feature, Warner Brothers new action thriller “F.A.S.T.” produced by Taylor Sheridan working alongside Brandon Sklenar, Lakeith Stanfield and James Claflin.
Daryl Bright Clay (she/her)
Director, Writer, & Executive Producer
(She/Her/That Gurlll) is a multidisciplinary artist: a producer, writer, and performer. Yes, she actually does wear multiple hats (or hairstyles) depending on the vibes. Hailing from the DC Metropolitan Area has helped contribute to her love of cultural storytelling mixed with a dash of wit and a lot of heart.
Daryl’s life has been shaped by the stories of those who came before her. Even her name, Daryl, carries a story. It belonged to a young uncle who passed away just months before she was born. Daryl grew up hearing anecdotes of him—stories filled with love, laughter, and promise. It was these stories she returned to, ones that instilled love and pride in her name and, by extension, herself. Through the legend wrapped in her name, Daryl discovered at an early age the power a story can carry—and it’s that same power that she channels into every story she tells.
As a founding member of CNT Productions, she has helped write, produce, & star in CNT Production’s sketch comedy series NOT YOUR TYPE , their live interactive show, THE SEX SCENE, & their choreopoem series OPEN, which has been featured in AFROPUNK, DEADLINE, & Gloria Steinem’s Ms. Magazine. With CNT partner, Ariel Zucker, she co-wrote a pilot called, GYNO, which was accepted to Gotham’s 2022 TV Film Lab & Project Market. Her contributions have been recognized by HBO, the American Black Film Festival, AT&T’s Awards for New Forms of Storytelling, & Sundance’s Horizon Awards.
Daryl was the production associate on APPLE TV+’s The Supermodels. She was also the showrunner’s assistant to Pulitzer Prize winner, Branden Jacobs Jenkins, who adapted Octavia Butler’s Kindred for FX/HULU. Upcoming projects include the 2025 Sundance official selection, GOODNIGHT, starring Dagmara Dominczyk (HBO’s Succession), Bentonville Film Festival selection, GET LOST directed by Victoria Pedretti (Netflix’s You), and MOONLUCK WONTON, created by Siddiq Saunderson (HULU’S Wu-Tang: An American Saga).
Much of Daryl’s work is rooted in encouraging self-love, reckoning with self-hate, and the messy truths in between — sparking connection and reflection on what makes us both beautifully contradictory and deeply human. Currently based in Brooklyn, she is a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts and Carnegie Mellon’s School of Drama. She is also a member of New York Women in Television & Film (NYWIFT).
Ariel Zucker (she/they)
Line Producer
Ariel Zucker is an LA-based producer and director from Atlanta, powered by teamwork and well-timed snacks. A Gotham TV Expanding Communities Fellow alum, Ariel produces at Dropout TV, including the 2025 Webby People’s Voice Award-winning series Very Important People, along with Make Some Noise and Um, Actually. Ariel also served as Studio Director at Assembly House for the 107-day Harris/Walz campaign, calling up to 8 cameras for 6 shows a day and directing streams featuring Beyoncé, Maggie Rogers, Cardi B, Gracie Abrams, John Legend, and a lot of Bon Jovi.
A Carnegie Mellon alum (John Wells Directing Program + Heinz School of Business), their work has been recognized by Outfest, AT&T Film Awards, Screencraft, NBC Out, Huffington Post, Variety, and more. Their web series Day-Bi-Day won Best Web Series at SF Queer Film Festival, and their short This Is Not a Love Letter took home Best Experimental Film at Women’s Voices Now. They were also a 2022 PGA Innovation Award Finalist.
Eva Fabray (she/her)
Marketing Producer / Assistant Director
Eva Fabray is a writer, director, and producer currently living in Santa Monica, CA. She attended Iowa State University where she was Editor in Chief of an on-campus magazine and created a self-produced pilot, BROKE, that she wrote, directed, and starred in. BROKE centered around a young college student and her friends, navigating adult life with minimal funds.
Eva is most known for her work on ESSENTIALS (2022) starring Allison Torem and Austin Pendleton, ROAD HEAD (2023) and THE LAST INFANTRY (2025). Eva has also appeared in recurring background roles for THE CHI (Showtime) and EMPIRE (Fox).
She now works as an Assistant Director and Producer in Los Angeles. She is drawn to scripts with realistic dialogues, absurd comedies, and POC stories with positive outcomes. Eva also does work as a comedy writer and is currently working on multiple projects. She has produced a handful of short films and comedy specials in the past year. She is currently in the development process for her own short film Please, Call Me Back, which will be her directorial film debut.
Nadia Delisfort (she/her)
Field Producer
Nadia is a New York-based administrative creative and storyteller at heart, driven by a passion for bringing narratives to life, both on screen and onstage. She works in development at Maxine Productions, a production company under Sony Pictures Nonfiction.
Nadia’s diverse experience includes working on press for the Broadway productions of Yellow Face, Death Becomes Her, and Spamalot, as well as production managing the cast of Tony-winning Freestyle Love Supreme. Her meticulous planning and creative vision also extend to producing commercials and branded content for campaigns with brands like Lush, Van Leeuwen, and Raising Cane’s.
With her heart set on championing underrepresented voices, Nadia is so excited to be a Producer on Sam’s Hail Mary, a story she believes is so important for Black and brown girls everywhere who are questioning their worth in this complicated world. When she’s not working, a perfect day for Nadia ends with crossing a book off her list (hopefully one closer to 50 for the year) and falling asleep peacefully to her pug’s snoring.
Iris Beaumier (she/her)
Creative Producer
Iris is an actor/producer born and raised in New York City with Ghanaian and French roots. Her first Producer credit, GOODNIGHT, had its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2025, and the following March she produced SWEETWATER, TEXAS shot on 16mm out west in the Lone Star state. It premiered at Hof International Film Festival in Germany, then flew back home for The Big Texas Little Film Tour, a traveling showcase Iris co-produced featuring local films from across the state (get ready for year 2 of the tour, Fall 2026 y’all). Broadway acting credits include “The Little Prince” (Narrator Alt.). Off-Broadway she played Josephine Baker in “The Dark Star from Harlem” at LaMama Playhouse and won the AUDELCO/VIV Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical. Other stage credits include “Cabaret” (Sally Bowles, Asolo Rep), “Ragtime” (Sarah, Theatreworks Silicon Valley), and “The Colored Museum” (Lala, Studio Theatre). TV & Film: Blindspot (NBC), Alternatino (Comedy Central), Modern Love (Prime), and the documentary MARIANNE NOIRES, currently on exhibition at the National Museum for Immigration and History in Paris. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s Music Theatre and Environmental Studies programs.
OUR TALENTED CREW
Renee Nabinger (she/her)
Cinematographer
Renee is a narrative, music video, and commercial cinematographer based in Brooklyn, NY. Drawing from her rich background in oil painting, cultivated during her formative years at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Renee brings a unique artistic perspective to her cinematography. After honing her craft in visual arts, Renee transitioned her passion for storytelling into the realm of film, graduating with a degree in Film from Boston University. This fusion of artistic disciplines informs her cinematic approach, imbuing her work with depth, texture, and a distinctive narrative sensibility. Renee has worked with brands such as Samsung, Levi’s and Net-a-Porter, and with notable talent including Amanda Seyfried, Greta Lee, and Emily Blunt. When she is not on set, she is likely in search of the best dill pickles in the city or watching videos of pugs.
Ari Fulton (she/her)
Costume Designer
Ari is a New York–based costume designer for stage and film, known for her richly detailed and expressive design work. She has built a diverse career designing costumes both regionally and internationally.
Fulton earned her BFA in Costume Design from The Theatre School at DePaul University and went on to receive her MFA in Design for Stage and Film from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. In 2018, she earned her first feature film credit for Nigerian Prince, shot on location in Lagos, Nigeria, and executive produced by Spike Lee. The film was the inaugural recipient of the Tribeca and AT&T New Voices Award.
Her recent theatre credits include Disney’s Frozen, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Rent!, and Off-Broadway directed by Robert O’Hara. Her film work includes Cupids, directed by Zoey Martinson—part of Tribeca’s 846: Reclaiming Time for Stories of Black Love and Joy film series —and Ricky, winner of the Sundance Best Directing Award (2025).
Fulton is the proud recipient of the Black Theatre Coalition’s Costume Design Fellowship (2023) and the Lilly Creative Spirit Award (2017) for excellence in costume design. In 2021, she received the Broadway World Miami Award for Design of the Decade for her work on A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.
A dedicated educator, Fulton has taught at the University of Connecticut, where she served as Interim Head of Costume Design (2020–2021). She currently serves on the faculty at Brooklyn College and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
