ROBYN ROOTS
Director/Writer/Producer
Robyn Roots (Jones) has become a household name in quite a few areas around the states regarding the nursing profession and the film industry. Mrs. Roots is a nurse by day and film director during evenings and weekends. Robyn is a native of Tampa and a graduate of King High School, but she made her career as a Registered Nurse in Richmond, Virginia. Mrs. Robyn has been a nurse for over 30 years and continues to pursue her education as a LicensedPractical Nurse, Registered Nurse, Bachelors of Science, Masters in Nursing, and a Certified Dialysis Nurse. Robyn has been a present voice in the renal community in training over 5,000 patients, families, dialysis nurses, physicians, church congregations about renal disease and serving on expert panels during her journey as a Kidney health coach. She always serves as an advocate for the patient. Mrs. Robyn Roots is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and visionary of Klosa’ Productions. She has been in the film profession for the past six years and is an executive producer and co-producer on several film projects, including The Turnaround Movie; Aloha; Truthless; Jump Start; The Hunting of Pottersfield; Poz Roz; The Season; and Courage to Stand. Mrs. Roots moved expeditiously into the film director’s role when she decided to share about her own life in the short film she wrote and directed called Did Showing Up Save My Life? In celebration of Nurse’s Appreciation Week, Robyn Roots has been producing/directing a major film project, 2020 Year of the Nurse, for the past year about the life of nurses and practitioners recently launched on May 6, 2021. The project focused on medical professionals of color sharing their experiences during Covid-19 and the impact of racism in the field. Mrs.Robyn Roots has been interviewed on several platforms thus far concerning this film. The message is very clear regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mrs. Roots believes in using media to have courageous, straightforward conversations that are necessary to have in today’s society. The Bible states in Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much is expected.” Mrs. Roots is a Certified Dialysis Nurse and Nursing Professional Development Practitioner at Richmond VA Medical Center; CEO of Canaroots Consultants, LLC; Executive Producer; Writer; Filmmaker; and CEO of Klosa’ Productions. Mrs. Roots states, “I want to be able to collaborate on film projects with Ava Duvernay, Tyler Perry, Will Packer, Regina King, and Oprah Winfrey.” In the meantime, Roots is making a path for herself because she believes as long as she is giving back to her community, the right people at the right time will cross her path. CERTIFICATIONS AND HONORS Florida Sentinel Publication in Tampa. Tampa Native, Dialysis Nurse Honored by National Kidney Foundation On WRIC 8 News Richmond, VA, Nephrology Month Kidney Health On NBC 12 News Richmond, VA Patient Advocate of the Year award Facebook Live Kidney thon as Kidney Expert Appeared on the Word Network with Pastor Jamal H. Bryant “Nurse Turned Movie Producer” Spotlighted in American Nephrology Nursing Associations (ANNA) Patient Advocate of the Year, National Kidney Foundation, Richmond, Virginia, 2018 McGuire Monthly at VA Hospital, Richmond, VA-March is National Kidney Month 2017 Florida Sentinel Publication in Tampa, Florida- Tampa, Florida Native turned Executive Producer, 2017 Nursing Ps & Qs at VA Hospital, Richmond, VA- Tampa, Florida Native turned Executive Producer, 2017 Florida Sentinel Publication in Tampa, Florida- “The Turnaround” Gets 2 Awards at Miami Film Festival, 2017 Appeared on WTVR CBS Virginia This Morning Show, 2017 Certified Dialysis Nurse (CDN), 2015 Nurse Excellence in Practice” Zeta Chapter, Inc. CHI ETA PHI SORORITY, INC. 2015 Certified Mentor for Veterans Health Administration, 2011 Worldwide Leader in Healthcare Award Top Nephrology Nurse and Nurse Educator – International Nurses Association, 2013 American Nephrology Member Association Member Spotlight from Current President, 2013 Florida Sentinel Publication in Tampa, Florida – “Personal Experience led to Nursing Career” 2013 Nursing Ps & Qs at VA Hospital, Richmond, VA-Robyn is Heading to Capitol Hill !!!, 2013. International Honor Society of Nursing, Walden University, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2012 National Nursing Education Initiative Scholarship Award, Hunter Holmes McGuire VA, Richmond, Virginia, 2011 Golden Key International Honor Society, Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia, 2006 Mayme B. Wilson Lacey Award, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Nursing, Richmond, Virginia, 2006 Healthcare Policy Travel Grant Recipient, American Nephrology Nursing Association, 2003 Cum laude, John Tyler Community College, Richmond, Virginia, 2001
William Roebuck
Writer/Producer
William E. Roebuck Jr. is from Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland before spontaneously moving to Orlando after a family vacation to Florida. William received his Bachelors degree in Resource Management and Consumer Studies in 2001 from The University of Kentucky. While at the University William was a walk-on member of the football team. It was William’s junior year where he finally discovered that the movies he had loved, all his life, were actually written first. He had always loved to write, but did not want to be a journalist or write novels. This epiphany inspired William to read every book available on screenwriting. William penned his first screenplay but couldn’t find anyone that was willing to read an unsolicited script from a writer without an agent. However, William would not be deterred. He used his vast connections and business acumen to produce his own screenplay. The campus was the backdrop for his first feature film “Housing and Maintenance” a comedy about the underground world of maintenance men that keep the University running. “Housing and Maintenance” went on to screen at a Filmmakers Alliance event in Park City, Utah and at the SplitScreen Film Festival. Family medical issues forced William to take a long hiatus from film and he used his degree in Resource Management to become a Logistics professional. He had been bitten by the film bug and many times wished he would have learned about filmmaking before he went to school for business. William continued to write screenplays as his career in the logistics world blossomed. He started out supervising a team of 40 distribution workers and was quickly promoted to the inventory team. Within one year William was able to help save the company over 40 million dollars. As a result he was promoted to a Shift Manager position where he was responsible for a team of ninety with a seven million dollar budget. William was able to reduce labor costs fifteen percent and save the company an additional 2.5 million dollars annually. His department was the most efficient in a distribution network of seven facilities. William was promoted to operations manager and was responsible for the entire distribution center and its twenty-million dollar budget. This high volume distribution center serviced 120 Winn Dixie Grocery stores and shipped up to a million cases per week. The 24/7 nature of the business did not leave William any time for filmmaking, but he told himself that logistics was just like filmmaking except it didn’t have the creative component. Nearly a decade later William reemerged, in the film world, as an associate producer for the short film "Saltwater Cowboys" (2013). While juggling the responsibilities of running a million square foot distribution center William began Executive producing projects. He was an Executive Producer for the feature films "The Breaking Point" (2014) and the award-winning film “The Turnaround" (2017). Roebuck directed and produced comedian Lester Bibbs comedy special "Laughter is the best Medicine" (2017). He also producer, wrote and directed “It Can Be Deadly” (2019) a year before the Covid 19 Global Pandemic. It is ironic because “It Can Be Deadly” was about about an epidemic that breaks out in Orlando as city officials fight to distribute limited resources and prevent widespread panic. A year later, It was only natural that Roebuck jumped at the chance to write, produce, and lead the edit for the award- winning feature documentary “2020 Year of the Nurse” (2021). In Orlando, William is active in the independent film community and he is in the process of setting up a summer program that will teach underprivileged youth how to create short films/documentaries and web series. Roebuck wants to empower young people to tell their stories, control their identities, and effect change in their neighborhoods. He also works with Second Harvest, of Orlando, to get food to those in need and volunteers to read to children at local elementary schools.