Who We Are

Will Do Films is a production company based out of Des Moines, Iowa. This is the first full-feature film project by Will Do Films, though the cast and crew involved in Jury of Her Peers have a large book of experience within the industry.

Meet the CAst & Crew

The team was small but the experience and dedication mighty. Meet the talented group who made the film, Jury of Her Peers, become a reality.

Amy Nigg Headshot

  • Producer
    With a love for film and a solid foundation of over 25 years in project and account management, Amy brings a fresh perspective to the world of filmmaking. She prefers orchestrating behind the scenes, and has begun to make her mark as a producer and production manager, lending her skills to several successful 48-hour Film projects. In addition, she took on the role of Assistant Director for the proof-of-concept filming of Jury of Her Peers. With a wealth of experience in managing complex projects and people, and a deep-seated love for storytelling, Amy is poised to embark on an exciting journey in film, eager to collaborate with talented filmmakers and contribute her skills to an industry she regards with awe.

  • Cast — Dora Hale
    Stephanie is an actor, performer, and intimacy director/coordinator based in the Midwest. Her love of Star Wars and Pride and Prejudice gave her a passion for sci-fi and period films. This past summer she starred in a Star Wars fan film called Inquisition and she has completed production in the role of Dora Hale in Jury of Her Peers, a true-crime story from 1900. With a year full of fulfilled passions, she looks forward to directing one of her own feminist, superhero films next year. Recent acting film credits include: Peck (Clara) with Antoinette Lavelle, Diana in Love (Kelly Fisher) with Brent Roske Entertainment, Between the Lines (Nicole) with Bitter Hipster Films and Outro (Meg) with Wes Worthing. She has starred on stage in Singin’ in the Rain (Kathy), A Chorus Line (Val) and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (White Witch) at the Des Moines Playhouse. When not performing or directing, you can find her reading fantasy, nerding-out on Star Wars, getting down at dance class, and playing Dungeons and Dragons! 

  • Cast — Sheriff Joe Peters
    James has worked as a multiple award-winning actor, director, writer and educator across the U.S. for more than forty years, having earned his MFA in Acting from Indiana University. He can currently be seen in When Jack Came Back, a feature with Lindsay Wagner and Lance Henriksen, and Voodun, both directed by Thor Moreno (with whom he has worked on several other films). Among dozens of roles in the Chicago theatre, he appeared in St. Joan at Bailiwick Repertory, God’s Country at Shattered Globe, and new plays at the renowned Chicago Dramatists, where he is also a Resident Playwright Alumnus. Other regional credits include his work as a Company Member of the Iowa Stage Theatre Company in The Cake (for which he won a Cloris Award for Featured Actor), and Cloris-nominated performances in The Lion in Winter and A View from the Bridge. Screen appearances include Impulse and Spread by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods (writers of A Quiet Place and writer-directors of 65 and the recent Heretic) He also appeared in The Final Season, directed by David Mickey Evans (The Sandlot) which starred Powers Boothe. He has appeared in countless commercials and industrials over the years.

  • Cast — John Wright
    Klint is an actor and voice over artist from Albia, Iowa. Has appeared in the feature films John Brown the Advocate, The Garage, and the upcoming A Paralyzing Redemption. Klint started his voice career as a radio host and professional baseball broadcaster in MiLB. He grew up singing and acting in the church, which continued in high school and college. For the last 20 years, he has spent time on stage in many theater productions.

  • Production Assistant, Marketing & Promotions
    At her full-time gig, Rachel is a co-founder and owner at 818 – a tiny design empire, and uses her experience in corporate marketing, branding, and experiential design to create and elevate compelling brands for small businesses and organizations. Outside of owning 818, Rachel has had 15 years of video production and filmmaking experience in a variety of roles. That experience includes a seven-year tenure assisting with the creation of marketing, educational, and architectural videos at an in-house video department, as well as participating in over 20 competitions for the 48-Hour Film Project, Des Moines and Madison chapters.

  • Boom Operator, Script Supervisor, Production Assistant
    In Kala’s day-to-day full-time job, she is an Infrastructure Project Manager for a Global IT company. She uses her experience to oversee the planning, execution, and delivery of projects related to the organization’s IT infrastructure to ensure that their technology systems support their global operations.

    As for film-related experience, though Kala considers herself a newbie, she has taken on various roles while participating in three competitions with the 48-Hour Film Project (Des Moines and Madison chapters) in addition to her work on Jury of Her Peers.

John Hansen Headshot

  • Director of Photography, Camera Operator
    Write John’s bio.

  • Cast — Eliza Peters
    Cheyenne is an actress and model based out of the Midwest. She has appeared in several award-winning films and received Best Actress in a Feature Film at the 2022 Berlin Indie Film Festival for Little Johnny Jewel (Dotty) with Bella Luna Productions. She most recently appeared in Schism (Mara) with Fearless Cinema, which will be released by Gravitas Ventures in March, 2025. When not in front of the camera, she enjoys amateur photography, painting, karaoke, and watching Vincent Price movies.

  • Cast — George Mendelsson
    Aaron spent many years as guitarist for the rock band Spoken, before teaching English in Costa Rica, eventually making his way to a more permanent residence in Des Moines.  Aaron has worked on 48 Hour Film Festival teams since 2016, both as cast and crew, including a leading role in 2023's Mixtape which won the Des Moines 48 Hour Horror competition.  Off-screen, you might find him playing live music locally, as he maintains a passion for musical creativity and multi-instrumentalism.  Aaron is deeply intrigued by filmmaking and acting as creative forms and looks forward to any opportunity to develop his artistic skillset.

  • Cast — Doc Brant
    Nathaniel studied theatre and film at Iowa State University and Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, CA. He has starred in local stage productions of The Nerd and Arsenic and Old Lace. Based in Ames, Iowa, Nathaniel is an enthusiast of live music, books, movies, and cats.

  • Production Assistant, Boom Operator

  • Makeup, Wardrobe Assistant
    Ash grew up on an Iowa farm and loved helping bring this rural Iowa story to life. Her favorite part was all the animals that came to set. She studied at PCI Academy and lives in Des Moines with her fiancé.

William Rock

  • Director, Screenwriter
    William is a multi-hyphenate creative from Des Moines, specializing in acting and writing. He has a lengthy resume in local theatre, has participated in the Des Moines 48 Hour Film Festival, and has had multiple screenplays recognized in multiple competitions.

  • Composer and Orchestrator, Original Score
    Aleksandra is a Ukrainian-American composer and music producer based in Oskaloosa, Iowa. She holds a Bachelor's of Music from Iowa State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Music for Motion Pictures and Contemporary Media from the Film Scoring Academy of Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria. Her thesis focused on writing music for dramatic non-musical theatre, an approach she recently applied when composing a 70-minute orchestral-blues-dubstep soundtrack for the George Daily Auditorium’s production of The Hobbit.

    Along with her creative work, Aleksandra is the Editorial and Music Production Manager at C.L. Barnhouse Company, an Adjunct Professor of Music at William Penn University, and a violin instructor.

    Her music draws from a wide range of influences, blending classical orchestral traditions, Ukrainian folk music, film scores, Americana, and electronic styles. She’s inspired by composers like John Powell, Thomas Newman, Vivaldi, and Dvořák, as well as artists like Skrillex, Kesha, and Neil Cicierega. Aleksandra has loved collaborating with director/screenwriter William Rock and director of photography John Hansen to bring the film’s soundtrack to life, and she’s excited to share the finished project with audiences.

  • Cast — Margaret Wright
    Brianne is a music educator for Des Moines Public Schools and a children’s choir director for Plymouth Congregational Church. She has appeared in many shows for the Des Moines Playhouse, Ames Community Theatre, and StageWest. Her favorite role is that of “Lin” in The Great American Trailer Park Musical (StageWest). She enjoys playing piano for Comedy XPeriment and adventuring with her amazing kids, Eleanor and Asa.

  • Cast — Lewis Hale
    Alex still considers himself new here in the Des Moines film community though he's no stranger to the theatre scene. Before moving to Des Moines and becoming one of Iowa Stage Theatre Company's Artistic Producers, he has been on and behind stage in Boise, LA, Chicago, and Minneapolis. You've maybe seen him in one of the bars on Ingersoll, or running around in a food truck for Lachele's. He's looking forward to being a part of this project and hopes for many more chances to be in front of the camera.

  • First Assistant Camera

    Laurel is a freelance filmmaker in central Iowa. Her passion for film and camera operation started in high school, when she got her first GoPro and quickly found enjoyment creating action-packed videos from local adventures. 

    Prior to her work in film, Laurel studied Urban Planning at Iowa State University and worked as an active transportation planner for a consulting firm in Pennsylvania. All the while, creating videos was still what she found herself doing in the evening. Following two years in Pennsylvania, Laurel moved to Utah to take a course on the basics of camera operation. The passion continued to grow and a few months later, she began filming the operations of an industrial-scale river cleanup nonprofit, Living Lands and Waters, while living part-time on a barge on the Mississippi River.

    Fueled by a love for adrenaline sports and adventures, the great outdoors, and authentic connections, Laurel is always seeking the next opportunity to bring her camera to a different environment. When she’s not behind the camera (or editing behind a computer), Laurel can be found mountain biking, kayaking, or inline skating. 

    Eager to share her skills and knowledge in film and media, she’s always looking forward to collaborating on dynamic and impactful films.

  • Boom Operator, Production Assistant
    Matt is a licensed massage therapist, corrective exercise specialist, and lecturer with over a decade of experience in empowering clients through clinically focused bodywork and movement education. Having little experience around filmmaking beyond a few 48-hour Film Projects, he brings his “down-to-hang” attitude to the set and capturing sound. His involvement reflects an appreciation for diving into new challenges with humor, resourcefulness, and a community-first approach.