Bill Cornelius
Award-winning filmmaker, artist, and actor Bill Cornelius has been creating art since he was old enough to hold a crayon. Coming from a family of various musicians, artists, and performers, Cornelius has inherited a deep-rooted passion for the arts. While spending his childhood in Kentucky, Cornelius was inspired by the cartoons and films of the 1980s, most notably from director Steven Spielberg and renowned American animator Don Bluth. Armed with a VHS camera at age eight, Cornelius decided to try his hand at filmmaking. Since then, he has been involved in the creation of nearly 100 different independent productions taking on a number of different roles such as director, producer, writer, cinematographer, actor, and editor. His work, including the Emmy-nominated "Nashville Rises", has appeared on PBS, FOX, CMT, and GAC, as well as in a variety of festivals around the world. As an actor he has appeared in a variety of independent films as well as stage productions, covering a wide range from comedy, to drama, to voice acting. His unique and continually evolving drawing style has also earned him a number of awards and recognition over the years. In 2005, Cornelius graduated from the Watkins College of Art & Design in Nashville, Tennessee with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film. Shortly after graduating, he founded the independent production company Lavorsia Pictures Entertainment named after his acclaimed short film "Lavorsia". Over the years Cornelius has become a strong advocate against school bullying and has commenced production on the candid documentary "Hear Me Now" in order to raise awareness and give hope to students dealing with bullying. In the meantime, Cornelius continues to be involved in various productions be it as a director, writer, cinematographer, actor, or all of the above. He hopes to use the storytelling power of film and art to entertain and inspire audiences across the globe.
