Biography

Acacia is a queer intimacy coordinator, writer, director, inventor, and entrepreneur. They have intimacy coordinated several films including Apophenia (2022), Perfectly Good Moment (2022), and Kissing Kerouac (2021) as well as lecturing at colleges and universities on intimacy in film including the Feirstien Graduate School of Cinema, Marymount Manhattan College, and Vassar College. They have directed multiple short films and plays including My Queer Questions (2017) and My Problem with Trichitillimania (2017).

Acacia was born in Independence Kansas in 1996 to Rex and Sheryl Willis. Their upbringing was anything but consistent, moving from state to state in the Midwest as their father sought employment, first as a biology teacher and then a computer programmer. Their mother chose to stay home and unschool Acacia and their younger brother, Cedar, to encourage self-motivated exploration and learning. From an early age, Acacia was passionate about the arts. They started dancing at age 3, learning Ballet, Tap, Contra, Waltz, Swing, Modern, and Jazz. Around that same age, Acacia began performing on stage, getting their first role as the Mustard Seed Fairy in the Neosho County Community College production of A Midsummer Nights Dream. They continued performing on stage through dance and theater as well as music competitions, recitals, and orchestras where they played violin, piano, viola, and sang. They weren't just interested in the performing arts though, learning to sew, draw, and paint from their grandmother and later taking lessons through 4-H and their local arts education center. They also enjoyed writing poetry, essays, plays, and short stories, publishing some in local newsletters. By the time Acacia reached the age of 15, they knew they wanted to attend a school of the arts to study film, theater, dance, and voice. Unable to afford boarding school, Acacia drove 2 hours every day to attend Arkansas Arts Academy where they auditioned for and performed in their theater company and show choir. While there, Acacia found a passion for directing when they assistant directed their high school production of 12 Angry Men and directed their first short play, Sure Thing.

Seeking a liberal arts education on the East Coast and an escape from the conservative atmosphere of the Midwest, Acacia attended Vassar College in 2015 where they received their BA in International Studies with an emphasis in Women and Queer Studies and Anti-Colonial History as well as a minor in Film. They also completed the SIT International Honors Program, Human Rights: Foundations, Challenges, and Advocacy where they studied issues including human trafficking, women's rights, refugee rights, indigenous rights, & LGBTQIA+ rights in a multicultural context through visits with NGOs, indigenous groups, and local advocacy groups in Nepal, Jordan, and Chile. During their time at Vassar, Acacia continued pursuing the performing arts through classes and extracurricular clubs. Acacia was a founding member of Vassar Burlesque, choreographing several Neo-burlesque performances a semester and teaching weekly classes as the Vice President. Acacia also taught Swing and Lindy Hop lessons all 4 years as a board member for the Vassar College Ballroom Club. Through their studies, Acacia found themselves drawn to topics of gender and sexuality, writing essays, and creating films and burlesque performances on these and other topics. Therefore, it was no surprise when they decided to pursue intimacy coordination for film and TV upon graduating from Vassar in 2019. Moving to New York City with their partner, Ana Bachrach, Acacia began working in miscellaneous film departments including production assistant, production designer, sound, and camera to gain on-set experience.

In August of 2020, Acacia intimacy coordinated their first film, Apophenia, staring Darren Barnet. Finding their footing in the industry, they soon established themselves through their dynamic and in-depth choreography, their understanding of story, script, and screen, and their ingenuity in designing intimacy barriers. By the spring of 2021, they found their niche working primarily with female and queer filmmakers and actors on extended scenes of sex and sensuality such as their collaboration with Molly Chiffer on Kissing Kerouac, a coming of age story about a woman's first time having sex; their choreography for the lesbian short film As The Winter Turns to Fall; or their work with Lauren Greenhall and Amanda Jane Stern on Perfectly Good Moment developing intimacy in a 2-person drama about an abusive relationship. Acacia is now traveling the country intimacy coordinating films, TV shows, and music videos as well as lecturing and interviewing on related topics and consulting on a variety of narrative projects.
- IMDb mini biography by: Acacia