Meet the team
Matison leBlanc | writer/director
Matison LeBlanc is a Louisiana-born filmmaker whose work is rooted in the untold stories of her culture, community, and the female condition. Rooted in the textures of her upbringing, her films seek to illuminate the silences surrounding women’s lives and the inherited systems that shape them. Drawing from a multidisciplinary background in painting, theatre, dance, and writing, she brings a distinct visual lyricism and emotional precision to her work.
Matison is a first-generation, Summa Cum Laude graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she wrote and directed five short films. Her debut feature, Ada and the Doc, marks the beginning of her continued exploration of women navigating systems designed to contain them.
Her work has been supported by the Black List, Stowe Story Labs, Sundance Institute, Writers Guild Initiative, and has been featured in IndieWire and Deadline. Beyond her own projects, she has sharpened her leadership and communication skills on professional productions for Amazon MGM, AMC, A&E, and the NFL, and has expanded her global industry perspective through internships with the American Pavilion’s Cannes Student Program and with Lionsgate’s International Sales Team.
Dan Clifton | producer | pga
Dan Clifton has produced and raised financing for more than 30 independent feature films since 2012. His projects have ranged in budget from just over $500,000 to $25 million USD and have been shot across the United States, Europe, and South America.
Dan has extensive experience structuring and securing independent film financing through equity, tax credit financing, minimum guarantees, and foreign sales. He has also worked closely with sales agents to package projects, develop financing strategies, and guide films through to production and completion.
His producing experience encompasses the full lifecycle of independent filmmaking—from development and packaging through financing, production, post-production, and delivery. Dan’s approach to Ada and the Doc is based on his experience developing and shooting several projects in Louisiana over the past 10 years.
Patrick Mulhearn is a Louisiana-based entertainment industry strategist, producer, and consultant specializing in project financing, production, tax incentives, and industry development. He previously served as Assistant Director of Film and Television for Louisiana Economic Development and led operations at Celtic Studios and Celtic Media Centre from 2009–2017.
He is the founder of Film Louisiana and the Louisiana Academy of Production. His work has positioned him as a leading advocate for Louisiana's film industry, with deep relationships across state government, production, and entertainment.
A recipient of a Regional Emmy, Mulhearn was also named to the Greater Baton Business Report's Capital Region 500 list from 2023–2026 and inducted into the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction. For Ada and the Doc, Patrick brings unparalleled Louisiana industry expertise, particularly in navigating the state's production incentives, infrastructure, and economic ecosystem.
Patrick Mulhearn | executive Producer
Jacob Denton, Grace Pritchard, & Bailey Selvidge | creative producers
Jacob, Matison, Grace, and Bailey met while studying at the Savannah College of Art and Design and have spent the years since building Ada and the Doc together. What began as a proof-of-concept short has grown into a feature film through a deeply collaborative creative partnership.
Together, the team produced and executed the proof-of-concept, which screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals including the 2025 Festival de Cannes, and has remained involved throughout the feature's development, from story and screenplay refinement to packaging, strategy, and production planning.
Individually, the team brings complementary experience across independent film, commercial production, narrative development, and production management, with professional work spanning companies and platforms including Universal Pictures, Netflix, Apple TV+, Blumhouse, Paramount+, Red Bull, Discovery Channel, and Uber. Their work has screened at festivals including Sundance and HollyShorts, and the team has been recognized by entities such as the Sundance Institute and Indiewire.
United by a shared commitment to independent storytelling and bold, underrepresented perspectives, the team has grown alongside Ada and the Doc for years. This is not a project they are simply coming aboard to produce—they have helped build it from the ground up.