Marjolaine Grappe
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Marjolaine Grappe is a French investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker based between San Francisco and Paris. After studying broadcast journalism both in France and in the United States, she started her career as a producer covering Barack Obama’s 2008 Presidential election on the campaign trail for the Washington Bureau of France Television. She went on to work as a foreign correspondent in Asia for six years for the leading networks in France, based subsequently in India and China where she started directing documentaries. She is the Director of 'Guantanamo Limbo’ (2013), an award-wining investigative documentary which tells the story of men stuck in legal limbo at Guantanamo. While living in China, she directed 'In the Mood for Life' (2016), ‘Men’s Sorrow' (2015) and 'To be born yet not to be' (2014), a documentary trilogy highlighting the plight of China’s forbidden children born violating the One-Child Policy. In 2018 she was awarded the Albert Londres Prize, the highest French journalistic distinction, for her film 'All the Dictator's Men' (2018), an investigation into the secrets behind the financing of North Korea’s nuclear weapons.
Patrick Alcedo
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Director, producer, and writer of 6 documentary films, Patrick Alcedo is Associate Professor in the Department of Dance at York University. His feature-length documentary film, A PIECE OF PARADISE, won 4 international film awards. These include the Centennial Best Canadian Film Award and the National Bank Best First Feature Film Award from the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival in 2017, a back-to-back win that was the first in the festival's 21-year history. His current film, DANCING MANILENYOS, is produced under the auspices of the Early Researcher Award, a highly competitive academic competition that he has won from the Government of Ontario's Ministry of Research and Innovation. This new film has just a Hollywood International Independent Documentary Award for Foreign Short Documentary.
Andrea Egan
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Born and raised in the mountains of Utah, but transplanted to the Pacific antipodes at a young age, Andrea Egan has worked for a decade covering the United Nations Development Programme’s global climate change portfolio and ecosystem and biodiversity portfolio. Her work has focused on climate change and human rights, looking particularly at rising sea-levels and the implications for the low lying islands in the Pacific.
With a photojournalist's eye, a United Nations employee's technical skills, and an activist's passion, she has highlighted climate action in 140 countries - enjoying the challenge of translating complex scientific concepts into urgent, engaging, relatable content. She enjoys celebrating local communities and indigenous peoples around the world working to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals through nature-based actions.
Dan Napoli
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Dan Napoli is a veteran documentary filmmaker living in Omaha, Nebraska.
He has directed & edited over a dozen documentaries, including Best Kids In Texas, and FIFTEEN.
His career in video production career spans nearly 20 years, beginning as a music supervisor on the 1999 action sports documentary, PUSH.
Dan has also served as a producer and co-creator on a number of projects, including The Artifact Film Series, and The Roster, a docu-series airing on Sky Sports in the UK.
50 Summers - A Minor League Baseball Documentary is his latest work for Hurrdat Films, an independent documentary film and entertainment company he helped launch with Producer Bill Hipsher in 2016.
Dan is dedicated to telling untold stories in meaningful and accessible ways that connects with audience in meaningful ways.
CAROLINE STRONG
Award-Winning Filmmaker
CAROLINE STRONG was born in Liverpool in 1963. She has over thirty years experience in media, having enjoyed a very successful career as an actress in Television, Film, Theatre and Radio. She is probably best known for series regulars such as Margaret in ITV's wartime drama series ISLAND AT WAR, Margaret-Anne in the BBC comedy series THIN ICE and Mel Doland in YTV's EMMERDALE, with numerous featured roles and guest leads in some of of TV's most popular series and serials. Her theatre work has included seasons at The Royal National Theatre (Olivier), The Library Theatre, Manchester and The Liverpool Playhouse. As a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company at Broadcasting House she has numerous lead credits to her name. Most notably she played Georgy in the six part serialisation of Margaret Forster's, GEORGY GIRL, for which she was nominated for a Radio Times Award.
Caroline has always been passionate about conservation and in the last few years had the opportunity to co-found the small independant film company MOUSEHOLE FILMS with her partner and Co-Producer Ade Bean, to explore a range of issues close to their hearts. They work side by side with their sons Danny Bean and Gabriel Bean. who are talented cameramen and editors sharing a love of Natural History. Currently the team have three documentary films in production covering Natural History, History and Social History. 'The Village on the Loch' marks Caroline's debut as a feature director.
Judson Vaughan
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Judson is a multi-award winning indie film screenwriter/director/producer across drama, comedy, thriller, and horror. He's written both shorts and features, most recently finished a tv pilot episode for a sci-fi drama and is currently producing a short drama about mental health and how a random act of kindness can have a positive, immeasurable impact on a sufferer, of often such a taboo illness.
His first feature film, the documentary 'Mexican Wave' is now complete. It takes a unique look at some troubled parts of Mexico from an international perspective, Mexicans and Non-Mexicans living in London and campaigning for justice, peace and an end - an answer to the forced disappearances of the 43 students in Iguala, Guerrero and the systemic political and economic issues surrounding this situation as a whole.
2018 AWARD-WINNING documentary
FILMMAKERS in the spotlight
Arwa Sawan
Award-Winning Filmmaker
As a seasoned media professional across regional and international events, provide thought leadership to deliver quality TV newscasts that inform, entertain and increase audience while adhering to journalistic standards.
Mitch Graszat
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Mitch Graszat is a current film student in Ontario, Canada. He is 19 years old, and is trying his best to make movies that he and the audience will both love. He has had past success in local film festivals around the Toronto region, and is moving into the documentary category with his newest film, "memories for sale.".
Don Argott
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Don Argott formed 9.14 Pictures with producer and director Sheena M. Joyce in 2002. Their films include Rock School, Two Days in April, The Art of the Steal, Last Days Here, The Atomic States of America, As the Palaces Burn, Slow Learners and Batman & Bill. Their upcoming John DeLorean film for Sundance Selects is a documentary/narrative hybrid starring Alec Baldwin in the title role. Argott and Sheena live in Philadelphia with their amazing daughter Maeve.
The Church of Almighty God Film Center
Award-Winning Filmmakers
The Church of Almighty God Film Center is a non-profit organization made up of Christians from The Church of Almighty God. We strive to bear witness to the Lord of creation’s love and salvation for mankind through various video formats and to disseminate correct values in order to allow more people to explore the value and meaning of life, to recognize the almightiness and the rule of the Lord of creation, and to find a harbor for their souls, gaining God’s blessings for mankind.
Since The Church of Almighty God Film Center released its first film, Mission of Love, in January 2016, under God’s guidance we have independently produced a wide variety of video works including various kinds of films, choral selections, stage plays, musicals, documentaries, and variety shows in just over two short years. Subtitled or dubbed versions in over 15 languages have already been produced for the majority of these works. Of these, films such as the gospel testimony “Where Is My Home”, the musical drama“Xiaozhen’s Story”and musical film "The One Who Holds Sovereignty Over Everything" have won one award after another at some international film festivals, gaining more and more attention and praise.
Jeff Zimbalist &
Michael Zimbalist
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Jeff & Michael are Emmy and Peabody Award winning writer/directors whose films have broadcast on HBO, Netflix, PBS, CBS, Fox, and been theatrically distributed worldwide. THE TWO ESCOBARS premiered at Cannes and Tribeca, won 4 Gold Medals at the NY Film/TV Awards, was nominated for an Emmy and WGA award. FAVELA RISING was shortlisted for the Academy Award and among its 36 awards are the IDA’s Grand Prize and Best New Director at Tribeca. Their other notable films are PELÉ, produced by Imagine Entertainment, YOUNGSTOWN BOYS, which won an Emmy with ESPN Films, and BOLLYWOOD; THE GREATEST LOVE STORY, which premiered at Cannes with Wild Bunch.
In 2018, the brothers released three feature documentaries: NOSSA CHAPE, the critically acclaimed story about the rebuilding of the Chapecoense soccer club after a tragic airplane crash killed most of the team, which premiered at SXSW; MOMENTUM GENERATION, about the world’s most legendary surf crew, winner of a Tribeca Film Festival Audience Award along with 13 other festival wins, executive produced by Robert Redford and released by HBO and Universal; and award-winning GIVE US THIS DAY, which follows three police officers and three residents in East St. Louis, the city with the highest homicide rate in the country, executive produced by Vince Vaughn. They are also currently rolling out REMASTERED, Netflix’ marquee investigative music documentary series, which the brothers created.
Lisa Hagopian
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Lisa Hagopian spent many hours as a child watching movies on TV after school. What an education in film history - from 1930s gangster flicks, to Gentlemen’s Agreement to musicals and every other genre imaginable. Her mother often took Lisa to the Fisher Theater in Detroit to see the latest Broadway play. Her junior high school would screen films like The Red Bal-loon and Night and Fog every year and it was during this time that she joined the school’s film club. This all led Lisa to a life-long love of film, theater and photography. She really caught the photography bug when she took photojournalism classes at Michigan State University. Video production and film appreciation classes came later. After polishing her skills, Lisa & Eric Harabadian produced a public access TV series called "The Arts Uncovered" . Lisa and Eric completed their first full length documentary "Nothin' but Music" in 2016.
Lisa Burd
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Lisa’s worked in the television industry as a Camera Director/Field Producer for the past 17 years geared towards factual observational and reality TV shows such as ‘Life Flight’ (emergency TV show), film research projects for Nga Pae o Te Maramatanga for the University of Auckland through to Qantas Award-winning ‘Best Informative Show’ Pepi for Maori Television. She has created three independent documentaries. "Changing Gear" (2005), "Monterey" (2016) and now "Let's Talk About Sex" (2018).
J.J. Harting
Award-Winning Filmmaker
J.J. Harting was born in Santiago - Chile in 1964 and lived during his childhood in the US and in Europe. He has produced over a thousand hours of documentaries, feature films, comedies and dramas, in several languages, shot around the world, all distributed by major studios as well as independently.
Sophie Robinson
Award-Winning Filmmaker
British film maker Sophie Robinson has an exceptionally strong reputation for bringing her stories to life through powerful and emotive characters that are at the core of her films. Some of her most recognised films are for Horizon, the BBC’s flagship science series, as well as the highly acclaimed ’Nicola Roberts and The Truth about Tanning’, ‘Your Life In Their Hands’, ‘Edge of Life’, 'What's Killing Our Bees' and ‘The Ultimate Climb’. She now heads the documentary division of Sunshine, where she produced the feature music documentary; Mumford and Sons; ‘We Wrote This Yesterday’ and is directing and producing the feature film ‘I Get Knocked Down.
In 2016 she directed her first Netflix Original feature documentary called ‘My Beautiful Broken Brain’ (executive produced by David Lynch) which won awards at IDFA and the Ahvaz Film Festival, Iran and was nominated for an Emmy. Her most recent 2018 release, Me My Mouth and I for BBC was co-produced with Jess Thom who features in the film and has been highly acclaimed as "the best exploration of disability" on film and a documentary that "challenges the rubrics of documentary film making".
Isaih Shaw
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Isaih Shaw is a Michigan-based director/producer whose film, television and video career spans nearly 18 years. An accomplished multi-faceted professional, Shaw recently launched Pacific West Motion Pictures, an independent film production company.
Shaw was deeply immersed in the industry even as he was earning a certificate in Cinema and Television Production from Los Angeles City College (1999 to 2002) and later an Associates of Arts degree in Motion Pictures and Television from TV and Film Production, Academy of Art University, School of Motion Pictures and Television (2009 to 2015).
From 2000 to 2006, Shaw was Producer Assistant Director, directing studio personnel, equipment and schedules. During this time, he served as Associate Producer for the live talk show, “Video Platform Los Angeles, CA” on MediaOne TV. He excelled at producing segments, researching guests and topics, and coordinating graphics.
By 2006, Shaw was ready to branch out as a Freelance Producer. He built on his growing body of experience by producing and directing Yoga TV Show, which involved managing the lighting and stage design as well as booking guests.
Shaw’s breadth of experience has now led him to launch Pacific West Motion Pictures, as the next natural step in his professional career, and a fulfillment of his desire to use film and TV to promote social and workplace equality. The company aims to finance projects using crowd funding and crowd sourcing. It also welcomes private investments, as well as equity investment with business associates for stability and sustainability.
Pacific West Motion Pictures’ will soon start pre-production on a feature film call Histotech, a dark comedy-drama about gender discrimination in the workplace, which Shaw will like to work as director and producer.
Will Schwarz
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Burn: The Lynching of George Armwood was produced, written and edited by Will Schwarz, an independent television producer, EP, writer and director based in Baltimore, MD. The award-winning television veteran has more than 30 years of experience creating original non-fiction programming for broadcast, government and corporate clients. Will’s work has been honored with numerous Emmy, Telly and other industry awards.
Schwarz is also the founder and President of the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that works to advance the cause of racial reconciliation in the state by documenting the history of racial terror lynchings, advocating for public acknowledgement of these murders and working to honor and dignify the lives of the victims.
Erin Cutler & Emily Weiss
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Erin is an emerging documentary filmmaker who recently relocated to Los Angeles from Washington, D.C. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, she spent the past five years working in arts education at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. While there, she managed two national arts education networks and organized large annual conferences. She holds a B.A. in theatre from Northwestern University and a graduate certificate in documentary filmmaking from George Washington University.
Emily is a photographer, social worker, and bar and restaurant proprietor in Washington, D.C. Emily came to documentary filmmaking to add to her storytelling skill set. She has spent the last 10 years creating documentary photo essays of births and families, and for nonprofits that serve the greater Washington, D.C. community. Prior to photography, she spent the first 15 years of her career as a public policy worker, working on health care access for pregnant women and children. Emily holds a Master’s in Social Work from the Catholic University of America, a B.A. in Women's Studies from New York University, and a certificate in documentary filmmaking from George Washington University.
Sergio García Locatelli
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Lima, Perú 1978. Graduated from the School of Communications at the University of Lima. Diploma in Screenplay and Direction of Documentary Film by the Madrid Film Institute (NIC). Screenplay studies at the School of Writers. Director of the documentary Internal Outskirts (2009), It's in your Eyes (2011), 9546 km. (2013), Our Own Sri Lanka (2015), Solari (2016) and Bread of Life (2016). All his films have received awards at international festivals and have been broadcast on TV in Spain, Italy and Brazil.
Currently he is carrying out the documentary project "Take a Walk" in advanced development. This film has participated in Meeting Doc Buenos Aires, Bolivia Lab, Talents Buenos Aires, Santiago Alvarez in Memoriam and in the Laboratory of FICBAQ Festival of Barranquilla.
Przemysław Wawrzyniak
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Przemyslaw graduated from the Warsaw Academy of Film and Television in 2001.He collaborated with theaters creating visual settings for plays and performance. He has returned to the documentary form after 14 years since his academy diploma debut entitled "Low end instruments" released in 2015.
Sean Bowman
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Sean Bowman began his passion to produce video content while attending Michigan State University. Sean’s passion lead him to create content to educate as well as entertain his viewers. This lead him to gain clients ranging from community organizations, churches, and local leaders, to name a few.
Upon graduating MSU, Bowman expanded his videography services to local businesses, real estate agencies, entertainment companies, and nationally recognized personalities. It wasn’t until 2018, when Bowman decided to start his own filming company, Captured Screens Productions, LLC. when he created his first documentary short “After I’m Gone”; which details the story of a native, Detroit woman, who gave up her dreams to raise a family only to retire and find that her dreams did not give up on her.
Currently, Bowman is a full-time editor for The Word Network, a religious television network that is seen in over 200 countries and reaches over 95 million homes worldwide. This position gives Sean the creative freedom to design and build content that highlights various gospel ministries and programs that air on the network.
In spring of 2018, Sean composed a documentary series as creative director, editor, and writer for former NFL Pittsburgh Steelers - Linebacker, LaMarr Woodley’s, “The Journey with LaMarr Woodley”. One of his greatest pieces of advice given was, “Make sure your declaration(s) match your decision(s)”. Bowman hopes to continue to focus on producing content that will change perspectives and create films that will spark conversation amongst his viewers. That one day, his work will change the perspective of the negative things we see everyday in the world.
Alberto Rocco
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Was born in Torino (Italy), has graduated in the same city in "scienze dell 'informazione". He has extensive experience in team management in several Italian, Spanish and Portuguese companies. During the last 15 years he has been involved in several audio visual projects (feature films, reports, advertising spots and fashion). The most representative are the feature film "A Bússola", the documentary "Born To Fly", the film "Fantasia" realized in collaboration with John Frey Actors Studio and its feature length film "O Esquema", which is a brilliant and bizarre comedy Where real and unreal blend in an incredible way resulting in an hour and a half of fun and laughter. "The Scheme", as it will be in the next few years, is the result of the OMP Academy digital film course of which it is co-ordinator. The year 2016 was marked by the last production of the academy the film "The Host H653", a triller sci-fi action where the same to perform along with his colleague and friend Octávio Marques, plays the main character "Stuart" comes Receiving several international recognition. Alberto is director, cinematographer, actor, writer and for him creativity plays a very important role in his life.
Jawad Sharif
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Jawad Sharif is an award-winning filmmaker based in Pakistan, known for his signature visual storytelling style. He has an intuitive talent for revealing spontaneous human moments. He is among the rare filmmakers who are proficient in weaving compelling visuals and narratives in both fiction and non-fiction films. He was awarded a scholarship to contribute to an International Film Exchange Program at the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. He is an alumnus of the Swedish Institute and Institut Fur Auslandsbeziehunge, Germany. Jawad is also the jury member of the Jaipur Library Academy Awards, India.
He has worked on a number of socially and culturally sensitive film projects involving the themes of human rights and social injustice besides arts and culture. He has also directed telefilms, TV series, and several TV commercials.
His first feature film, “Indus Blues” is about the fading folk instruments from various indigenous cultures in Pakistan, which has won the Grand Jury Prize at Guam International Film Festival and has been nominated in several other prestigious international film festivals. The film created waves in both local and international media including BBC, DW, and VOA upon the release of its trailer and initiated the much needed debate about the radicalization of the society in Pakistan. He has also won several awards as the cinematographer and editor of “K2 & the Invisible Footmen,” which has screened in film festivals around the world.
Vanessa Bundschu
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Vanessa Bundschu is a recently graduated from Ringling College of Art & Design on May 3, 2018. She focuses heavily on producing Video Content Development throughout concept, film production, and animation. Vanessa is passionate about creating artwork that would touch others lives in an inspirational and motivated perspective.
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David Smith
Award-Winning Filmmaker
For the past 8 years, Tin has split his time between writing, directing and composing. He originally attended the Queensland College of Art, studying at the Griffith Film School in Brisbane.
In 2008, Tin was accepted in the industry renowned USC/ Universal Producing and Directing Program, completing a gruelling six weeks of intensive filmmaking and adding a impressive three short films to his reel within the period of time. This led to experience in film development with several different companies in Los Angeles including Color Force/Dreamworks and Vendome Pictures.
After working on two seasons of The CW’s SMALLVILLE in Vancouver, he returned to Sydney as a freelance assistant director and production manager on television and feature films. More recently, Tin worked in animation development for television at Flying Bark Productions, along with stints in voice direction and acting.
In 2014, he completed his latest short film, THE PALE MOONLIGHT, a neo- noir sci- fi thriller that enjoyed a world premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival. The short also screened in Los Angeles at the HollyShorts Film Festival.
His latest project, the single take Stroke awareness short film MOTHER, CHILD, premiered at the 2017 Melbourne International Film Festival and won the 2017 ATOM Award for Best Short Fiction. It has since screened at FLiCKERFEST 2018 in Sydney, as well as HollyShorts, Mammoth Film Festival and the Legacy Film Festival on Aging in the United States.
Will Mayer
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Mayer began directing for Vans at 14 while still in high school, traveling the world with their professional snowboarders, skaters and surfers. He left high school early, moved into a van, and drove from New York to California.
Now 23 and based in Los Angeles, Mayer has been in post-production on a feature-length documentary illustrating the life of snowboarder Shaun White. The documentary will be released this coming winter.
Other film projects include “Tangle,” released on Nowness, which documents the underground hardcore band Trash Talk’s week long tour through Japan.
Informed by his documentarian background, Mayer’s work aims to explore the human condition in an authentic and empathic manner. Attempts to define his work might result in phrases like “high-art doc-narrative hybrid,” but ultimately, each piece he makes aims for emotion and honesty, infused with a bit of the unknown.
Kelly Sarri
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Sarri is an award-winning filmmaker with a demonstrated history of working in the Entertainment industry. Skilled in Directing, Motion Graphics, Editing. Self-motivated with experience an original visual aesthetic for every project. Kelly Sarri has worked as a director and editor for various production companies. She has made a variety of short films and multiple trailers and promo videos. She is also a judge at Z-Fest.
Maria Jose Bermudez Jurado
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Social Communicator and Journalist of the University of La Sabana, Colombia. Filmmaking MA at The Northern Film School, UK. She has focused her career on exploring video as a tool within Communication for Development and Social Change. She has worked as director, producer and editor in different audiovisual projects with different NGOs and independent productions, especially in conservation issues in the Colombian Amazon. She has worked as a freelance as a director and editor with different production houses. She has been involved in television projects and has worked as a teacher in audiovisual courses and social research at the University of La Sabana, Universidad del Rosario and Universidad de los Andes.
Nicole Amelio-Casper
Award-Winning Filmmaker
I spent 20 years in the military community! I am veteran spouse, cinematographer, photographer, and documentarian.
I began my broadcasting career in radio in North Carolina near Fort Bragg, North Carolina and learned how to deliver a compelling news/human interest story in Clarksville, Tennessee, near Fort Campbell, Kentucky. While living in Germany, I had the honor to work at American Forces Network, where I was mentored by both military and civilian personnel. I am currently a freelance producer for ABC News National - Good Morning America and World News Tonight. I have always had a passion to tell stories about human triumph - and tangibly depict how we CAN overcome challenges no matter what the circumstances.
I also have a passion to tell stories to advance social issues, human rights, or vital political issues. As such, I have implemented my professional skills in both film and higher education throughout my career. I am also currently an adjunct professor at Baker University.
Why I embarked on the Journey to film "The Journey Back to Normal - A Look at Complementary Therapies to Combat PTSD:
During the last 2 years of my husband's 20 year military career - I had an opportunity to document unique therapies that help active duty military, and veterans with ptsd.
I filmed on location at 4 non- profit organizations founded by veterans AND families who were connected in some way to the military and the veteran community.
The non-profit organizations are located in the Fort Leavenworth area which is where we spent our last stint in the military - and also in Dallastown, Pennsylvania. These outstanding non-profits are Camp Valor Outdoors, Horses and Heroes, Warriors Best Friend and Equiteam Support Services. They provide nature therapy, Eagala equine ASSISTED PSYCHOtherapy, canine therapy , and on other therapy I won't reveal. It’s surprising to me and it may be for you too.
My documentary - "The Journey Back to Normal - A Look at Complementary Therapies to Combat PTSD" documents how these therapies can aid in the healing process in a holistic way AND it shows how these community heroes step in and step up to help our warriors in their hour of need.
Testimonies that are shared by veterans are positive and do not focus so much on their PTSD and their trauma, but rather veterans speak on the effectiveness of these complementary therapies.
Many ask me why I wanted to film this documentary - the answer is simple. I had friends who were married to soldiers with ptsd after coming home from war and I had close girl friends with PTSD who also served overseas. Their lives were broken - some marriages ended - and some lives ended - because of PTSD. I woke up one day and wanted to discover a new way, a positive way for warriors to heal from PTSD - other than traditional talk therapy and medication.
And once I found that path, I had document it on film. My goal is to educate and enlighten the public and to save lives in our military and veteran communities! I am also going to create a podcast to connect the military medical community and the civilian medical community to continue a conversation to incite change.
John Campbell
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Born in Paddington, London England, John’s career first started in the music industry. With significant opportunities to work with some of music’s most prolific artists in the industry, including Whitney Houston, Elton John, George Michael, Boy George, Jon Secada, Zucchero, Nu Colors, Brand New Heavies, and Eurythmics, and contracts signed with Warner Bros. and A&M records.
Currently, John is Founder of JCINTIME, LLC, Creative Management & Production, managing movie & Television Directors, Writers and Actors, as well as Producing Award Winning Films and documentaries. John is also Partner and Head of Management at Buffalo 8, a first class full service media company with four core divisions: development, production, post-production and client management services with accolades from Sundance, Berlin, Toronto and SXSW festivals. John is also Producer for the March on Washington Film Festival.
John is also a sustaining Board member of Youth Inc., voting member of the Grammys Academy, and former Chair of Ailey Ambassadors Committee.
Alfredo Benavides Watmough
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Born and raised in Peru and currently studying in NYU. I have focused my way in Motion Graphics and Documentary Filmaking. I've been making films since very young age by working with after effects in videogames, and those gave me a valuable lesson on creative freedom. This idea translated to documentaries, where one has more freedom on how to edit and structure the work without adhering to a script.
Lindsay Caddle LaPointe
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Lindsay Caddle LaPointe is a dancer, teacher, choreographer, videographer and video editor. She received her bachelor of arts degree in Dance/Performance from Roger Williams University and her masters degree in dance and technology from The Ohio State University’s department of dance. In 2010 she started her own video production company. Linden Tree Productions to support dance and art. Since 2012 she has worked in the video team at the Bates Dance Festival. During the academic year, she teaches at Dean College and has been a dance company member for Public Displays of Motion with Peter DiMuro since 2014.
Alain Zenou &
Bertrand Delapierre
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Passionate about history and science, Alain Zenou is the screenwriter of many prestigious documentaries, such as Toumaï, le nouvel Ancêtre, Second Life & Baby Mammoth Awakening; Kheops Revealed. His latest documentary film is Arktika Incognita produced by Luc Hardy, Sagax Entertainment, and directed by Bertrand Delapierre. In France, Alain Zenou was one of the first authors to popularize the writing of docu-fiction. His films have been broadcasted all over the world: Canal+, Arte, France Télévisions, Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel. Some of his achievements have been broadcasted in prime time, such as Ramsès – Mysteries in the Valley of the Kings; Cape to Cape (from North Cape to Cape of Good Hope); Paris, a Capital History (4×52’). He has also been editorial counselor and associate producer on Werner Herzog’s Cave of Lost Dreams, a 3D documentary.
Nil Buan
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Nil was born and raised in the Philippines where he majored in filmmaking. He moved to New York City in 1985 and further honed his skills as a freelancer shooting for independent film productions and TV networks. In 1997 he moved to Austin, TX where he started his video company, Nil Buan Videography.
Todd Howe
Award-Winning Filmmaker
After a decade as a professional musician with UK band The Boxer Rebellion, Todd Howe makes his transition to film with his directorial debut - RISE: The Story of Augustines.
A true indie innovator, Todd holds the distinction of having the first independently released album to break the Billboard 100 on purely digital sales, directly leading to changes in the Official Charts Company’s eligibility rules in the UK. Todd has toured the world, performed in Hollywood feature films, appeared on late night network TV, and has had music featured on primetime television.
Howe’s bond with William McCarthy and Eric Sanderson began in 2009, just one week before McCarthy’s brother James passed away. With only the promise of helping in any way he could, Howe played a critical role in Augustines’ initial success. He opened doors with management in the UK and introduced them to audiences across both sides of the Atlantic by having them support his band, The Boxer Rebellion, on multiple tours.
The move from musician to filmmaker was a natural one for Howe. Upon moving to the USA in 2015, and wanting to push his creative boundaries, he proposed the idea of the to the band, who immediately trusted his vision to tell their story and that it would be treated with the sensibility it deserved. Having lived their story in real time together, it enabled Howe to go deeper and capture the brutal honesty the film needed.
But it wasn’t all on a whim or some rash decision to tell his friends’ life story. His criteria for undertaking the film had been met before deciding to approach the band. There was a unique and compelling story, two people who could articulate it and hold an audience. The music was undeniable. If any of those elements were not present, he knew the film would fall short. His intention from the outset was for RISE to transcend the band’s immediate audience and inspire people on a wider scale, through its use of universally appealing themes.
In one month after announcing the project it had raised over US$60,000 through crowdfunding.
The filmmaking process was life changing for Howe. His wife Jessica was battling breast cancer at the commencement of the four year project. In January 2017, she sadly passed away. Howe took a hiatus from the film and after several months, re-commenced editing with a perspective he’d never intended nor wanted. His life had parallelled the story of Augustines, with his own struggle to complete the film strangely similar to that of the band, with the editing taking over eighteen months. The combination of a life in music and experiencing great personal loss has provided a truly unique perspective on telling the inspiring story of Augustines.
John Paul Jones
Award-Winning Filmmaker
John Jones is a Cinematographer and Documentarian living in Marietta, GA. He developed a love of story telling while attending family dinners as a child. This is his debut documentary and he currently has two more on the way.
Rodney Manuel Roldan
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Rodney Manuel Roldan was born and raised in New York, NY. After high school, Rodney joined the U.S. Navy where he served as an Electricians Mate on several sea going commands as well as shore duty for special detachments for ten years, rising to the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class. His Navy service included two sea service deployments in the Mediterranean and Arabian Seas, several humanitarian operations in the Caribbean Sea, humanitarian operations in the Ukraine and Black Sea, and a member of the inspection teams that enforced the blockade of weapons into Iraq.
After serving ten years active duty in the U.S. Navy, Rodney joined the U.S. Army Reserve in Los Angeles, CA while pursuing a career in performing arts. He attended Defense Information School at Ft Meade, MD where he became a U.S. Army Broadcast Journalist. Shortly after graduating from Defense Information School, he deployed to Afghanistan, as a field reporter for American Forces Network (AFN) Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Rodney also deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve as well as additional assignments in Poland and Germany.
In his civilian life, he is a television, film and stage actor with current membership in both professional acting unions; Screen Actors Guild-American Federation for Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and Actors Equity Association (AEA). He is also the owner of the production company, Roldan Entertainment, LLC, producing and directing numerous military documentaries and a television horror series.
Rodney’s education includes an Associates in Science from Tidewater Community College, Bachelors of Arts with a concentration in Communication and Web Media Design from the University of Maryland University College, and currently attends the Stella Adler Studio of Acting’s 2 Year Conservatory Program in Performing Arts.
Dan Webb
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Born and bred in Winnipeg, Dan Webb is now a resident of Courtenay, BC (after living in Port Alberni for 5 years). He holds a PhD in Political Science and for most of his adult life taught at various universities across Canada. His interests include political philosophy, pop culture, and wandering the beaches of Vancouver Island. He is a published author and aspires to be a professional film-maker. "Let's Walk Together as One" is his first film, made on a non-existent budget.
Giordan Emilio Zemach
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Giordan Emilio Zemach is a young filmmaker, writer, and editor living in Berkeley, California. His multi-award winning short documentary, The War On You: Why Kill Kratom? is equal parts personal story and issues piece. It details his struggles with fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, the salvation he discovered in an unassuming herb and the federal government's plan to ban it.
He runs a film company, PowerOn Films which specializes in short documentary and promos as well as editing services. He is an aspiring screenwriter with numerous screenplays, pilots and short film projects, some of which are in pre-production.
Nigel Deans & Nubar Ghazarian
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Born in Christchurch New Zealand and raised in the Wimmera wheat planes of central Victoria Australia, Nigel studied Film at Swinburne/VCA School of Film & TV in Melbourne, Australia
Nigel has made many short films and Bigly Yellow, his debut feature film, co-directed and co-produced with his good friend Nubar Ghazarian.
Vasco Diogo
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Vasco Diogo was born in Lisbon in 1970. He has a degree in Sociology by Universidade Nova de Lisboa, a master degree in social sciences by Universidade de Lisboa and a PhD in Communication Sciences by Universidade Nova de Lisboa, with the thesis: "Video: specificity, hybridity and experimentation"(scholarship by FCT, 2008).
Since 2008 he is a professor at University of Beira Interior teaching mainly cinema directing, new cinemas and experimental cinema.
After being co-founder of Projecto Teatral, works, since 1998 in performance, video art and experimental cinema around themes such as self-presentation, truth and manipulation. In experimental cinema he has won several international awards (more than twenty), specially with the film: "anexperimentalviralvlog - the movie remix # !". He has shown his works in several exhibitions and festivals in Portugal, Spain, Italy, USA, Canada, India, Germany, France, Cyprus, Poland, etc.
Cameron Tucker
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Cameron Tucker born and raised mostly in Clearwater and near Crystal River in Florida pursued filmmaking after a short stint in the US Air Force. A couple of years after graduating from college, Cameron began making serious projects with 2017’s “I Got Flowers Today”. With three projects filmed in 2018, Cameron is putting on the finishing touches on a his current film “Army Fatigue” for 2019 release.
Joby Stephens
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Director, Producer, Writer, Camera, Editor - Independent filmmaker Joby Stephens was born in London, April 8th 1985.
Stephens subscribes to a “make them feel it” approach to filmmaking. He wants the audience to have an emotional reaction to the stories he tells. His short films have been screened around the world and with over 15 years in a variety of roles across television and film, he creates and fuses different genres to create unique and memorable pieces of work.
Stephens documentary work is always looking into dark corners, finding light and addressing themes.
Joe Hitchcock
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Joe Hitchcock has been involved in film-making for over a decade, working on everything from big budget blockbusters to small independent feature films. He has travelled the Pacific shooting climate change documentaries with collaborator Andrea Egan, and is most interested in telling new stories from a unique perspective.
This year he has directed photography for Maori drama series “Ahikāroa” and directed sketch comedy show “Only in Aotearoa”.
His short films have played in festivals around the world, with highlights including mockumentary “The North Pole Deception” being nominated for best director at Show Me Shorts Film Festival, dramatic comedy “Stick To Your Gun” premiering at Palm Springs Shortfest, and Loading Docs documentary “Blood Sugar” going viral online.
Richard D. Lavoie
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Richard D. Lavoie has been doing documentary cinema and multimedia for over 25 years, as a screenwriter, director and producer. He is particularly interested in social and political cinema as well as scientific documentary. He also made videos for museum installations. He is moving more and more towards immersive photographic cinema and is pursuing a doctorate in art studies and practices on the language of this type of cinema.
Alyssa Rachelle
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Alyssa Rachelle is a director, producer and writer with years of experience in the entertainment industry. Her film career started with the production of the short films The Party and Randi’s Birthday, where she held the role of producer. Shortly after, she wrote, produced and directed her first short film A Girl's Guide to Soul Search. She has recently completed her first documentary Gumbo in 2018.
Alyssa has worked on widely popular television shows such as Style Star on the Style Network, Judge Alex, Cristina's Court and Lauren Lake’s Paternity Court, and has produced corporate videos for clients including Harris County, Texas, the City of Houston and a host of nonprofits and small businesses.
Additionally, Alyssa has contributed her writing to MadameNoire.com, Atlanta Blackstar and Black and Married with Kids and AJC.com, focusing on relationships, parenting and business.
Justyn Bell
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Born on April 30, 1992, Justyn Bell always had an interest in entertainment, but never knew where that interest was leading. It was until he joined a film internship program in Atlanta, GA that made him decide that film is what he wanted to pursue. Justyn Bell is best known for his directorial work in Mississippi Whistle (2018), Walking (2016) and Someone Get Sam (2013).
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Naixin Xu
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Naixin Xu is a photographer and filmmaker based in New York. She received her MFA in Photo, Video and Related Media at the School of Visual Arts in the Spring of 2018. Focusing on the landscape and “man-altered” landscape, her work is an exploration of the space that exists between eternity and ephemerality through the eyes of a flâneur. Her most recent film is a documentary feature of one truck's voyage from mainland China to Tibet. She has won various awards and exhibit her works internationally.
David Smith
Award-Winning Filmmaker
David is a fifth generation true blue Aussie farmer, married to Jennifer with four children and six grandchildren. He's a beef & prime lamb producer living on "Kensilgreen", their family farm just south of Kalangadoo, north of Mt Gambier South Australia.
While he was born at Penola S.A. on 6th April 1956, most of his schooling was in Mt Gambier with the last two years at Urrbrae Agricultural High School in Adelaide where he was awarded a Mortlock Scholarship for "Dux & Leadership" in 1972 and a "Sports Pocket" in 1973 for outstanding achievements in squash & badminton. An active sportsman, David played tennis, cricket and squash but it was badminton where he was fortunate to enjoy much success winning 19 Sth. Aust. A Grade Country Carnival titles and for two years trained with the state practise squad. David took on numerous administration roles with badminton at both club & association level over a 40yr period including two years on the South Australian Badminton Association Board.
His parents property was totally destroyed in the 1983 Ash-Wednesday Bushfires sadly taking the life of their only farmhand. They received help from Rotary members rebuilding fences and to repay the assistance David Joined Apex Australia and was an active member for many years and now helps the Lakes Rotary Club of Mt Gambier.
Early in 2018 David was successful entering his livestock in Australia's largest grass-fed carcase competition - "Southern Grassfed Carcase Classic" taking out five sections including Grand Champion.
With the first exploration well for unconventional gas constructed just 20km north of our family farm early in 2014 David researched the subject thoroughly and being alarmed at what he learnt organised a study trip to USA in June 2015 for eleven Aussies including 4 state politicians a doctor & a vet. With mining industry officials and some politicians still intent on turning the SE of SA into a gas-field David borrowed $100,000, took a journalist and cameraman to Queensland for a week and USA for two weeks and produced the film "Pipe Dreams Fractured Lives" to get the facts about the impact of unconventional gas on communities out to the general public.
Andreas Batliner &
Sandro Schreiber
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Andreas Batliner and Sandro Schreiber both graduatet in Summer 2016 at the SAE in Zurich. Andreas - a former radiohost - worked for a couple of tv shows for companies such as Warner Brothers.
After graduating SAE Sandro Schreiber worked for a post production company in Zurich. He mainly focused on editing and color grading.
Fearless Journey is their first movie production and premiered in Spring 2017 in Liechtenstein and Swiss cinemas.
Gary Null
Award-Winning Filmmaker
For more than 35 years Gary Null has been one of the foremost voices of the health movement with radio programs on Pacifica radio stations KPFK, WPFW, WBAI, and WABC, as well as ABC national radio. He founded the web based Progressive Radio Network, with an average of 180,000 listeners weekly. Gary, along with leading experts, examines a wide range of topics from food production, alternative healing, politics and our economic system. Gary has aired many of his documentaries on PBS.
Gary uses well-researched scientific information to support his points of view. Gary has done an original investigative reporting series on a regular basis and has published over 100 original investigative articles. He has also published over 100 books.
Gary Null has directed many film & video documentaries.
Jacob Mogler
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Jacob Mogler grew up with humble beginnings in small town Iowa. His early adulthood was spent doing all sorts of work from roofing construction, to cooking, to trail work, etc etc, and a stint in the Marine Corps where he deployed overseas twice. He always documented his travels and experiences through photography, but it wasn't until his time in the Marine Corps where he developed a passion for creating films. That passion has grown along with his education in digital media production, and he continues to pursue stories through film that inspire and educate himself and others to the complexities of the world. He is currently a free-lance filmmaker based out of Corvallis, Oregon.
SPOTLIGHT
DOCUMENTARY
FILM AWARDS
Eric Harabadian
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Eric Harabadian has been a writer for nearly 25 years having been published in Downbeat, Music Connection, & Metro Times just to name a few. He is also an accomplished songwriter/ vocalist/ guitarist and has been the vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the bands Chain Reaction and Alter Ego. Eric started his filmmaking ventures as a pre teen making animated and super 8mm short films for his family and school projects. Shortly thereafter he learned guitar and was off and running with music. In addition to the series “The Arts Uncovered”, Eric volunteered for the Michigan Television Network. Besides music, writing and filmmaking, Eric is also a public relations consultant with Media Stew Public Relations.
Leila Lak
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Leila is a British/Iranian Producer/Director, who has worked across 5 continents for many major broadcasters, including BBC, HBO, Al Jazeera English and Arte. She has a background in directing observational, social justice and investigative films. She is recently completed her first independent short documentary, “Floating Justice.” She has worked on several Bafta award winning documentaries and series. She has a Master’s from Columbia School of Journalism, where she was the Brigid O’Hara Forster Scholar. She is currently based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Leila speaks English, Portuguese, French and Farsi fluently.
Rich Butterworth
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Rich Butterworth is a British filmmaker with a portfolio of award winning work which spans branded content, TV and documentary. In 2014 Rich moved to New York City where his work has been commissioned by Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and CNN Courageous Studios, where he is currently stationed an in-house Director. Specializing in human stories and fascinated with American culture, The Infamous Future, (2018) was his first collaboration with Executive Producer, John Campbell and his studio JCintime LLC – together embarking on a journey to find and document a success story in U.S education.
Dick Jordan
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Since 2013, "Cuba, Libre?" Producer and Director, Dick Jordan, has produced over 30 films that have aired on community television stations across the United States serving millions of households.
"Cuba, Libre?, his first feature-length documentary film, was released in January of 2016. It has been shown on over 50 community television stations. To date, it has been an Official Selection of 38 film festivals and film award competitions, has been nominated 8 times for "Best Documentary," winning that category 4 times and garnering 16 awards overall.
Three other of his films have been in film festivals. His short documentary, "McKenzie Power," was nominated for "Best Documentary" and "Best Oregon Film" in the Winter 2019 Oregon Cinema Arts Film Festival.
He been a freelance travel writer and has published the online travel magazine, Tales Told From The Road (www.talestoldfromtheroad.com) since 2009.
His travel stories and photographs have appeared in the Sunday Travel sections of the Dallas Morning News, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicles, and newspapers published by the Bay Area News Group.
He grew up in Seattle, Washington, and lived in the San Francisco Bay Area from 1971 until relocating to Eugene, Oregon in January of 2017.
Selene Means
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Born in Mexico, raised in South Carolina, and grown roots in Providence. Selene (He/Him) has boundless admiration for the world and has been honing his curiosity beyond documentation in the past three years working with the inhabitants of Providence. His work rests on a deep belief in our capacity for growth, our need to resist, and our real potential for mutual understanding. The body of work emerging from this practice presents both a universal testament to our collective existence and a rigorous exploration of this particularly difficult period in our history.
Timothy L. Sanders
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Timothy L. Sanders; also known as ‘Cutty Shark’ was born a natural Creator. He is an Actor, Author, Director, Entrepreneur, Host, Filmmaker, Journalist & Public Relations Specialist. He resides in Atlanta, GA by way of Chicago, IL. Timothy has been honing his skills for years independently, and has been a productive member of the Entertainment Industry for over 10 years.
Cutty; as he is affectionately known in the Industry is the CEO/President of Chalant Magazine; and Entertainment Reporter, a web-magazine founded in 2008; CEO of Cutty’s Couch TV, a web-TV show, and in 2011 started CuttyROCKSRadio on blogtalkradio.com/CuttyROCKSRadio. Sanders is a media conglomerate. He received a dual Bachelor’s Degree from Georgia State University in 2007 in: Public Relations and Print Journalism.
In 2013, Timothy published his first book dedicated to growing up without a father: Matters of A Father – I Want My Daddy, which is on Amazon.com. He plans to talk to youth to instill confidence, respect & honor in our communities around the world. He has also completed a Documentary based on his story.
As he prepares to reach the top of the ladder; Timothy remains humble and works hard to make all of his, as well as others dreams come alive. A natural leader; the day is quickly coming that you will see him as a mogul in the Entertainment Industry.
World – I introduce to you: Timothy L. Sanders.