Meet the Cast
Ruby
Kira Zacharias
Kira Zacharias is a Minneapolis-based actor who has been training and performing in the Minnesota theatre scene for over a decade. She is currently pursuing her studies at the University of Minnesota. In addition to her extensive stage background, Kira has appeared in multiple independent short films, bringing a thoughtful and grounded approach to each role. Threshold marks her debut in a feature-length film.
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Michael
Leo Rosmiller
Leo Rossmiller is a Minnesota-based actor and model with a background in both classical theatre and contemporary performance. A graduate of the University of Minnesota/Guthrie BFA Actor Training Program, They have performed in productions including Macbeth, Troilus and Cressida, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
Leo has appeared in several independent short films as both an actor and collaborator. Threshold is Leo's feature debut.
Demi
Gael Palen
Gael Palen is an award winning Minnesota based filmmaker. Primarily an actor, Gael enjoys deep character work and analysis. They have also written and directed a handful of short films along with some songs, one of which was the recipient of a best original song award. Having worked in the industry for 7 years, Gael is passionate about roles with deeper meanings that can speak to a wide array of audiences. Gael has acted in short and feature films across genres including fantasy, action, horror, drama and experimental.
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Zeke
Jake Fischer
Jake Fischer is a Minneapolis-based Actor and craftsman making his film debut with Threshold. Best known online as @voicesofjake, he’s built a loyal audience through his comedic characters and handcrafted axe-making videos that blend old-school skill with modern storytelling.
A natural performer with a sharp wit and magnetic presence, Jake brings authenticity and humor to every project he touches. His transition from viral creator to actor marks an exciting new chapter in his creative journey, expanding his storytelling from short-form digital content to the cinematic screen.
Jonah
Vicjel Ingal
Based in Los Angeles, Vicjel embarked on an acting career unexpectedly. His initial foray into the industry involved a Voice program with Aesir Dragon II Entertainment, under the tutelage of Doug Dee Anthony. This training proved instrumental, leading to numerous opportunities and increased self-assurance. Vicjel's enthusiasm for performance expanded, excluding Heavy Metal Vocalist. Subsequently, he enrolled in acting classes. A dedicated enthusiast of the horror genre, Threshold is Vicjel’s debute feature.
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Meet the Crew
Ashley Dahl
Director | Writer | Producer
Ashley Dahl is an award-winning Minnesota filmmaker and the founder of Dahlhouse Entertainment, an independent production company dedicated to bold, emotionally charged storytelling. A multifaceted creative, she has made her mark as a writer, director, producer, and actor, building stories that explore trauma, power, and transformation through a psychological and feminist horror lens. Her debut feature film, Threshold, stands as a testament to her creative vision and leadership, a project she wrote, directed, and produced bringing together a talented team of emerging artists and filmmakers.​
Samantha Hinkemeyer
1st Assistant Director
Samantha is a filmmaker and photographer from the twin cities. She’s been an assistant director for almost two years now and has been on several award winning film shoots, some of which still winning/getting nominated. After joining the industry at a young age of 16, Samantha worked hard and showed up to every single thing she possibly could’ve and with that effort she was Assistant Director on set just before the age of 17. Being 18, she now lives doing photography and videography as her full time job while continuing to work on film sets and growing her IMDB profile.
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Sound Designer | Assistant Producer
Ari Miears
Ari is a filmmaker that enjoys exploring many areas within filmmaking. With Threshold, he took the forefront of the opportunity to develop his sound production and processing skills. As the project advanced, though, he looked for more areas he could improve in. Editing, Music Supervision, and Producing were soon undertaken.
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Jadyn Spann
2nd Assistant director | Script Supervisor
Jadyn Spann Is a Minneapolis-based artist and writer currently pursuing her BFA in Drawing and Painting with a major in Fine Arts and a minor in Teaching Artists. Her work is centered around portraiture, but she strives to experiment as much as possible, creating imaginative narratives and aiming to tell stories through multiple mediums, exploring identity through self-portraiture and surrealism. Although it is outside of her field of study, She is also a contemporary romance writer and fiction screenplay writer, working to produce multiple projects alongside her education. She finds that her passion for art in any field stems from her love for storytelling and the privilege to relay a narrative is one that she is extremely grateful for.
Emmett Johnson
Director of Photography
Emmett Johnson enjoys stories. If listened to carefully, a story will take your hand, lead you somewhere new, then bring you back to yourself. It asks, "Who are you?" but never lingers to hear an answer. A story can be made so much more beautiful and rich when you mix mediums, ideas, and minds. Emmett Johnson enjoys the world. There are little worlds. Small ones upon the dust that clings to your blanket as you dream. There are big worlds, the ones in the darkness between stars, of which all you can do is ponder. Your day carries on, and the world spends most of it's time unnoticed. Cinematography is a unique way to capture the natural world, and at the same time, bring to life the one that is uniquely your own. How enjoyable.
Maddie Koffski
Production designer | MUA
Maddie Koffski is a filmmaker and multidisciplinary artist whose work blends visual storytelling with immersive world-building. With a background in production design, SFX makeup, and wardrobe, she crafts textured, emotionally charged environments that deepen character and story. Maddie is also an emerging director of photography, bringing a sharp eye for light, composition, and atmosphere to her growing body of work. Her recent projects include serving as production designer on Threshold.
Lance Hoogendoorn
Boom Operator
Lance jumpstarted his artistic career when he submitted concept art for the German American Partnership Program's 50th anniversary mascot design contest. This confidence pushed him to pursue further artistic endeavors, eventually finding a love for filmmaking and storytelling. At MCAD, Lance has worked on a number of film projects for class, film club, and even professional sets for television.
Xandra Avedikian
Gaffer
Xandra is a 3rd year Film Major at MCAD. She loves every aspect of film, especially cinematography, post-production and working in a crew setting, such as gaffing, grip, camera, all of the above! She is thrilled to be a part of the Threshold team, has really enjoyed getting to meet and work with new people and friends, participate in their first feature, and gain new experience, especially in a leadership role. She plans to continue being a part of more projects, including documentary and narrative, and hopes to take on more experience and roles such as Director of Photography.
Jeff Goldsmith
Composer
Jeff Goldsmith is an award winning film composer, experimental musician, sound designer, and engineer. His music combines heavy electronics with acoustic instrumentation and treated samples for moving effect. His music has been described as "an evocative mix of alternative, dark ambient, and auditory narrative soundscape".
He has scored over thirty short films and four feature films in a period of three years. In addition to scoring films he has released a number of electronic albums under his own name. He has also collaborated with a number of alternative artists including Jim Ward and the band Sparta on the 2022 record "Sparta".
Mikayla Waskul
VFX Artist
Mikayla Waskul is a filmmaker and visual effects artist studying at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. With a gift for weaving subtle, haunting details into her work, she brings a distinct sense of atmosphere to every project she touches. On Threshold, her visual effects gave the house its eerie, living pulse, turning ordinary spaces into something quietly supernatural. With a sharp eye for texture, mood, and visual storytelling, Mikayla deepens the film’s sense of unease and helps shape its haunting world.
Bella Tran
Graphic Designer
Bella Tran is a Graphic Designer from Minneapolis, MN and a current undergraduate at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design. Her works create worlds in which typographic forms and bold elements converge to be become an integrated whole.
