the founderS

joelle westwood

A young woman with shoulder-length wavy brown hair and blue eyes wearing a black turtleneck with textured fabric, against a dark background.

Joelle Westwood is an award-winning producer, writer, and performer. After working alongside VP Marie Zeniter of Utopia Distribution at the Cannes Film Festival 2023, she co-founded Western Star Entertainment. She is also co-founder of Reaching Glory Productions (Radio Man premiering Off-Off Broadway Spring 2026; Group Fitness; Homesick) and CEO of new tech company, BVision. A graduate of Fordham University (B.S. Psychology), Westwood trained in film production and performance at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.

Beyond her artistic career, Westwood serves on Governor Kathy Hochul’s campaign team and is a dedicated environmental activist, committed to bridging meaningful art with tangible politics.

Mia lastrella

Close-up portrait of a young woman with long, wavy dark hair, light brown eyes, and hoop earrings, wearing a maroon top against a dark gray background.

Mia Lastrella is a producer, screenwriter, and director based in New York City. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Screen Studies (minor in Arts and Entertainment Management) from Pace University. Mia most recently directed the Just One Thing (Feat. Alysia Reiner) and award-winning singing group, Frequency A Cappella’s, debut music video Neu State of Mind. She also works as a film instructor in youth programming at schools across the five boroughs. As co-founder of Western Star Entertainment Group, she creates stories for sustainability, female empowerment, and socially relevant markets.