FILM
WORK
Launched in 2023, by writer-director J. Michael Hayes and writer-producer Nekeshia Hayes, Cast Iron Rocket is a film production company steeped in innovative storytelling, lyrical imagery and a timeless design aesthetic. Cast Iron Rocket develops soulful, empowering genre films that explore deeply relevant social issues through authentic collaboration with diverse visionaries.
2024’s Fantasy film Submerge, co-written and by J. Michael Hayes and Z.Z. Claybourne, was the first film from Cast Iron Rocket.
Submerge debuted domestically at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, and was screened at 10 festivals including the 2024 Micheaux Film Festival, the 29th Red Nation International Film Festival, and was a Toronto Art Film Spirit Awards nominee.
The Afrofuturism film Syzygy , co-written by the Hayes’ and Claybourne, and based on the original work of photographer Lola Flash, is currently in production and slated for a 2026 release.
WATCH THE TRAILER
J. Michael Hayes is a writer, film-maker, musician, and founder/creative director of Anansi Hayes Media, a boutique creative agency based on the island of Noepe (Martha’s Vineyard).
In 2023, Hayes launched the film production company Cast Iron Rocket to create empowering genre films that explore the way we see our place in the world. His short fantasy film ‘Submerge’ debuted domestically at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival, has been selected for the 2024 Micheaux Film Festival, the 29th Red Nation International Film Festival, and was a Toronto Art Film Spirit Awards nominee.
His short fiction has been published in Space & Time, Salvation South, The Genre Society, an upcoming Poe-inspired Anthology, and was nominated for a 2024 Pushcart Prize.
Living by the ocean in the New England woods, Hayes is deeply inspired by nature (human and otherwise), jazz and philosophy, folk-tales and futurisms, and all things haunting and mysterious.
Above all, he is a devoted husband and father of three near-adults.
We spend our lives dancing between the freedoms we recede and the freedoms we retain as we grow. Excited and afraid. The universal ‘coming of age’ story can lead us to a better understanding of identity, gender, race, and faith. Fables and fantasy allow us to approach subjects that trigger passionate debate, with grace, hope and a touch of the magical.
‘Submerge’ is set in a distant future, in a grounded fantasy world and loosely inspired by the traditional Wampanoag story of Moshup – an ancient spirit who takes to the sea in the form of a whale. Filmed on Martha’s Vineyard, the ancestral lands of the Wampanoag, the island’s natural beauty eliminated the need for sets or special effects, revealing hidden locations off the beaten path that seem worlds away.
As both a writer and filmmaker, I’m drawn to genre films that use sharp eyes to examine our world – finding inspiration in the work of writer-directors like Jordan Peele, Mariama Diallo, or Rod Serling. What makes the ‘Submerge’ lens unique is that the examination is done through a framework of empathy and beauty. It is a poignant meditation for everyone embracing change in their life or creating space for the unknown within themselves.
‘Submerge‘ was filmed entirely in Aquinnah, Massachusetts, on the island of Martha’s Vineyard (Noepe).
While in film Martha’s Vineyard is most closely associated with the fictional island of Amity from ‘Jaws’, the entirety of Aquinnah and Noepe is the traditional and unceded territory of Wampanoag people. Wampanoag people are the first inhabitants of this island, and can trace their presence there back more than 12,000 years. Their stories and legends, passed down with each generation, add rich perspective to the island.
For more information about Aquinnah and Noepe, visit aquinnah.org and consider donating to the Aquinnah Culteral Center.
CAST AND CREW
J. Michael Hayes
WRiter, director, Producer
J. Michael Hayes is a writer, film-maker, musician, and creative director of Anansi Hayes Media, a boutique creative agency. In 2023, Hayes launched Cast Iron Rocket with his wife, writer-producer Nekeshia Hayes, as a platform to create empowering genre films that explore the way we see our place in the world. His short fiction has appeared in publications including Space & Time, and Salvation South, and was nominated for a 2024 Pushcart Prize.
Living by the ocean in the New England woods, Hayes is deeply inspired by nature (human and otherwise), jazz and philosophy, folk-tales and futurisms, and all things haunting and mysterious. Above all, he is a devoted husband and father of three near-adults.
Nekeshia Hayes
WRITER, PRODUCER
Nekeshia Hayes is a Jamaican-born writer, producer, entrepreneur, and cultural advocate with a deep passion for philosophy and storytelling. With a background in psychology, her work explores complex human behavior and fosters dialogue around culture identity.
In 2024 she produced the short film Submerge, which was featured in 10 film festivals across 3 continents, and she is a co-writer and producer on the forthcoming Syzygy (2026).
Hayes lives and creates in New England with her husband, writer-director J. Michael Hayes, their three children and ever growing collection of books.
Emerson Mahoney
Cinematographer, editor
Emerson is a New York City based cinematographer drawing inspiration from fashion, culture, music, nature, and surfing. He works with Aubin Pictures, Sony Music, HBO, South Shore Films, Italian producer Ulisse Lendaro, and other media mavens.
Working on Submerge and Syzygy, Emerson showcases his intimate relationship with the natural beauty of Martha’s Vineyard through cinematography. Aquinnah, Martha’s Vineyard is the ancestral territory of his people, the Aquinnah Wampanoag.
Z.Z. Claybourne
co-writer
Zig Zag Claybourne is the author of acclaimed novels, essays, and short stories, including Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe and The Air in My House Tastes Like Sugar. Based in Detroit, MI, he is the 2021 Kresge Arts literary fellow and serves as non-fiction editor for Apex Magazine.
Oli Rockberger
composer
Oli Rockberger is a London based songwriter-producer, pianist, vocalist, recording artist and music professor who has worked with John Mayer, Chaka Khan, the BBC and countless others. Rockberger was featured on Laura Mvula’s award-winning album ‘Pink Noise’, and performed at Wembley Stadium with Mvula supporting Coldplay. He also co-penned “Revival Song” from Blue Note recording artist Gregory Porter’s Grammy Nominated album ‘All Rise’.
A longtime collaborator of J. Michael Hayes, Rockberger is behind the sonic landscapes of both Submerge and the forthcoming Syzygy. Other current work includes an educational book in development, and his 7th solo album set for an early 2026 release.
Emerson Mahoney
director of photography, editor
Emerson is a New York City based director of photography drawing inspiration from fashion, culture, music, nature, and surfing. In 2023 he worked with Aubin Pictures, Sony Music, HBO, South Shore Films, Italian producer Ulisse Lendaro, and other media mavens.
Working on ‘Submerge’ was an exciting opportunity for Emerson to showcase his intimate relationship with the natural beauty of Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard through cinematography. Aquinnah is the ancestral territory of his people, the Aquinnah Wampanoag.
Z.Z. Claybourne
co-writer
Zig Zag Claybourne is the author of acclaimed novels, essays, and short stories, including ‘Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe’ and ‘The Air in My House Tastes Like Sugar.’ Based in Detroit, MI, he is the 2021 Kresge Arts literary fellow and serves as non-fiction editor for Apex Magazine.
Oli Rockberger
composer
Oli Rockberger is a London based songwriter-producer, pianist, vocalist, recording artist and music professor who has worked with John Mayer, Chaka Khan, the BBC and countless others. Rockberger was featured on Laura Mvula’s award-winning album ‘Pink Noise’, and performed at Wembley Stadium with Mvula supporting Coldplay. He also co-penned “Revival Song” from Blue Note recording artist Gregory Porter’s Grammy Nominated album ‘All Rise’.
A longtime collaborator of J. Michael Hayes ‘Submerge’ is Rockberger’s first foray into film scoring. Other current work includes an educational book in development, and his 7th solo album set for a 2024 release.
Mela Lee
Actor, The Voice of Naima
Mela Lee is a professional Vocalist and Voiceover Artist for film, television, narration, and games. Her impressive list of work in commercials, animated and live action series, and game franchises includes Lifeline in ‘Apex Legends’, Jade for ‘Mortal Kombat’, Tikki in ‘Miraculous Ladybug’, Imperial Pilot in ‘Star Wars: Squadrons’ and Kikimora in ‘The Owl House’ for Disney.
A passionate baker and lover of quantum mechanics, her current projects include exciting upcoming roles for Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Amazon, and Netflix.
Ella Mahoney
Actor, Naima
Ella Mahoney is a member of the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah); an artist, illustrator, and performer. She has illustrated children’s books for the Wampanoag Language Reclamation Program, exhibited work in many galleries, and created installations in collaboration with other performers and dance companies.
Her work is based on storytelling and draws inspiration from creation stories and narratives of her personal experience of indigeneity through lenses of love and nature.
Tiffany Vanderhoop
Actor, Mother
Tiffany Vanderhoop, lives on the same land where her ancestors have lived since time immemorial. Her father is Aquinnah Wampanoag and her mother is Haida of Gaw Git’ans Masset inlet Eagle Clan, from Old Massett, Haida Gwaii, British Columbia. She is a jewelry maker and traditional weaver whose pieces have been worn by Secretary Deb Haaland on the cover of InStyle magazine and actress Amber Midthunder at the premiere of ‘Prey’. Her beaded earrings and traditional Haida weaving are part of collections at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, Ketchikan Heritage Center and Canadian Museum of History.
Kellee Noelle Webb
Actor, The Ageless One
A singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Baltimore, Kellee Webb has performed as a solo artist, collaborated with a wide array of bands including Destroy Babylon, The Soularites, and Tiger Witch, and performed for the princess of Jordan backing recording-artist Zade. A longtime collaborator and “found-family” member of J. Michael Hayes, the character of The Ageless One in ‘Submerge’ was penned specifically with her in mind.
