Coming soon to a film-festival near you.Meet The Team.
The Small Talk team brings together complementary creative & production leadership, combining collaboratively developed storytelling with disciplined execution to deliver a film positioned for both artistic impact & commercial viability.
Collectively, the team’s work spans major streaming platforms, broadcast networks, and award-recognized productions.
Patrick Lackey
Patrick Lackey is a writer-director-producer whose recent credits include marquee docuseries for Netflix and Amazon, like Full Swing and FACEOFF: Inside the NHL. A Tufts University Film & Media graduate and former NCAA hockey player, Lackey brings a grounded, cinematic approach to intimate, pressure-cooker environments… experience that directly informs the emotional specificity & tonal control at the heart of Small Talk. He is a member of the Producers Guild of America (PGA) & the Writers Guild of America (WGA).
On Small Talk, Lackey serves as the film’s director, shaping its performance-driven creative vision while guiding the project toward festival discovery and premium distribution positioning.
Director, Writer, Producer
Tucker Rhodes
Tucker Rhodes is senior producer with deep experience managing six-figure commercial shoots across MA, CA, TN, and NY. Expert in bids, union payroll, insurance, and delivery — with a track record of shepherding $100K–$500K campaigns from prep through post. His disciplined, agency-grade process cleanly maps onto indie features, and his lived LGBTQ+ perspective informs the film’s creative and cultural lens.
Tucker oversees the film’s physical production, translating creative ambition into a disciplined, efficient shoot through budget control, scheduling, and on-set execution.
Producer
Patrick Westwater
Patrick Westwater is a screenwriter and creative producer focused on packaging, investor strategy, and casting alignment. With career experience within strategy execution in banking, he translates creative into clear, finance-ready materials. His work has been recognized by the Academy Nicholl, PAGE Awards, and Austin Film Festival. Currently developing the feature thriller Bloodlines with director Josh Caldwell (Mending the Line).
Westwater guides the project’s development from concept through production, aligning creative priorities with logistical execution to ensure cohesion across every stage of filmmaking.
Writer, Producer
Alexa Pereira, CSA
Alexa Pereira is a casting director on Netflix's buzzy romantic comedy series Nobody Wants This starring Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, and she brings the perfect blend of prestige TV experience and comedic indie film sensibility to Small Talk. Her rising status and extensive network from years on major productions positions us to attract both high-level emerging talent and established actors seeking meaningful roles within our budget constraints.
Alexa leads talent outreach and casting strategy, managing negotiations and securing performances that elevate the film’s market visibility and audience reach.
Casting Director