Maurice Micallef
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Maurice Micallef, has an impressive track record in film-making, which goes back to 1964 when he produced his first documentary ‘A Glance at Valletta’-a twelve minute insight of the capital city. In 1972, with the help of the Italian government, Maurice was sent to RAI studios in Rome where he gained technical know how and experience which were to become an asset in his film-making career. From those days on, Maurice never looked back and produced to date twenty three productions, amongst which are: The Hiker (1974), The Islet of Filfla (1974 & 1995), Images (1975), The Boy and the Red Ball (1977), The Hand of God (1978), My Brother’s Keeper (1980), The Puncture (1983), The Unsolved Riddle (1984 and 1994), Back to Eternity (1986), Mnajdra (1987, 1995, and 2002), Full Circle (1991), Kannizzati Fishing (1992), Norman Legends in Malta (1993 and 1994), Fatal Hitman (1994), and Arlekkinu, (1996).
The critically-acclaimed winning documentary about ‘The Phoenicians’ which has garnered no less than 24 international awards amongst them the Grand Jury Prize in the New York International Film and Video Festival in 2005, brought to life the Phoenician world as never seen before and deals with who were the Phoenicians, what were they famous for and what was their effect on the Maltese population.
The ‘Tal Qadi stone’ another documentary about the Tal Qadi stone directed by Maurice Micallef found in the limits of Burmarrad near the Tal Qadi temple also landed 20 international awards in film and video festivals around the world amongst which was the Jury Award in the Mountain Film Festival in 2013 held in USA.
The documentary ‘Hal Far Airfield’ was awarded Best of Show in the Best Shorts Competion held in USA in 2014. This documentary traces the history of Hal Far Airfield. According to the competition’s website (http://bestshorts.net/past-winners/winners-march-2014/) the film is impeccably researched and includes extensive original war time footage combined with re-enactments of Maltese Army Regiments and the British Royal Air Force. Reference is made to this carefully crafted, informative documentary which was created by master filmmakers Chris and Maurice Micallef. It deserves a wide audience according to the publicity provided by the competition organizers.
Maurice is also a four-time award winner with different documentaries in the WorldFest-Houston, the third longest-running International Film Festival in North America, and the Oldest Independent Film Festival in the world. WorldFest’s mission is to recognize and honor outstanding creative excellence in film & video, validate brilliant abilities and promote future filmmaking in Texas as well as enhance cultural tourism for Houston and environment.
His lastest production 'KANNIZZATI FISHING' has to-date been awarded 40 international awards including BEST OF SHOW in the WRPN.TV Short, Tight and Loose Global Film Festival Competition and DOCS without Borders Film Festival in the USA
Today Maurice is retired. Throughout his filming career Maurice managed to win 243 awards in international film and video festivals on three continents. Between 1954 and 1959 he worked at Saint Luke’s Hospital as a radiographer and later at the bacteriological laboratory. Later in 1964 he was technical officer at the Malta College of Arts Science and Technology at Msida. Maurice was awarded the National Order of Merit during Republic Day celebrations in 2014 for his outstanding film-making career and representing Malta with his award winning productions.
Caleb Vinson
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Caleb Vinson is a talented film maker and photographer known for his distinct style, artistry, soulful expression of life and for telling stories about the human experience in an intimate and up close way. There is a haunting beauty in his work that will touch your heart and lift your spirit.
In 2006, his first documentary, Why Baltimore Why?, won him the Outstanding Achievement Award of his graduating class from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. His 2014 documentary release, Koentopp, was a Best Shorts awards winner, and an Official Selection of the Chicago International Movies & Music Festival.
His most recent documentary, Who Am I, is just now being released. Caleb also has done many professional promos (including for the Four Seasons), music videos, and numerous artistic projects.
Caleb Vinson was born in NYC, raised in Connecticut, and currently makes his home in Chicago with his wife, Rachel.
Andrew Power
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Andrew Power has a degree in Zoology from Trinity College Dublin and a Master of Research in Conservation Biology from the University of Nottingham. He is currently working towards his PhD in marine contaminants in sea bird eggs at the Marine and Freshwater Institute at GMIT. He is director, writer and second cinematographer at CrowCrag Productions. His extensive field experience working on wildlife research both locally and abroad (Egypt, Cape Verde, International waters Atlantic Ocean) has given him the opportunity to film projects in action in a wide variety of settings. Andrew is an expert in ornithology, specializing in cliff- and island-nesting seabirds, and in lepidopterology.
SPOTLIGHT
DOCUMENTARY
FILM AWARDS
Bob Hercules
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Bob Hercules is a Peabody Award-winning filmmaker whose work has been seen widely on PBS, the Discovery Channel, IFC, The Learning Channel and through television syndication worldwide.
His 2016 film, "Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise," is the first film made about the remarkable writer/activist/performer. It premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and aired on PBS' American Masters series in 2017 and on the BBC's Storyville series in 2017.. It went on to win 19 awards on 3 continents, including a Peabody Award in 2018.
Zheyu Liang
Award-Winning Filmmaker
After receiving her bachelor of Broadcast and TV journalism from Shanghai University, she entered graduate film school at UCLA, and now she is concentrated on documentary filmmaking.
In her teenage years, the most frequent word from her family and friends describing her was “premature,” When her peers were addicted to animations, entertainment programs or popular blockbusters, she had started to watch documentaries or films of the minority and make short documentaries. She also likes traveling to many countries a lot like Germany, France, Canada, Singapore, Thailand, and Cambodia to experience varies culture and lives, encounter different people and hear more stories. These experience not only enriched her life but also gave her lots of creative inspirations.
Zheyu always wants to be a director with social responsibility, bring truth to the society, focus on telling people’s story, showing normal people’s real lives and lead people to think independently and get moved by her work. Her short documentary “Pineda’s Dream” is about a DACA recipient girl and her family have to be deported to Mexico and separated with each other. She was selected by UCLA to be the nominee for the BAFTA Student Film Awards and the film also won 2018 Spotlight Short Film Award Gold Award and Screened at the CINE VIVO, Perth Independent Latino Film Festival in Australia. Zheyu also received many awards like and 2018 and 2019 Mary Pickford and 2019 Pearl Wang Fellowship because of her excellent academic performance and artwork.at "Do You Believe in Miracles The Story of the 1980 US Hockey Team" and "The Rivalry: Michigan vs. Ohio State." Currently, he is a studio director at MLB Network while also working the Olympic Games for NBC. Stern was born and raised in Connecticut and is a graduate of the University of Michigan. He currently lives in New York. This is his first documentary short.
aneel ahmad
Award-Winning Filmmaker
English filmmaker working on diverse projects around the world! Won the UNICEF award in 2005 for his short documentary Waiting For Sunrise, and also was shortlisted for a Grierson Award for Best Newcomer in 2006. In 2012, his short film Boy In Tree was long listed for a (BAFTA) British Academy of Film and Television Arts & in 2014, his short film Checkpost was long listed for a (BAFTA) British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2019 Winning 8 entry for his short film Babli Super 8mm short at the Cannes film Festival 2019.
TOM ST JOHN GRAY
Award-Winning Filmmaker
With 15 years’ experience making history, archaeology and science documentaries in the UK and Singapore, Tom has produced award-winning content for BBC One, BBC Four, Channel 4, National Geographic Channel, Discovery Channel, History, Science Channel, Smithsonian and Channel NewsAsia. He studied at The University of Edinburgh (MA, Archaeology) and SOAS (MA, South East Asian Studies), and as a freelance writer for Current World Archaeology magazine, Tom has reported on heritage issues around the globe.
Tom Bolwell & Mattia Reiniger
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Tom Bolwell and Mattia Reiniger are London based filmmakers who have created content for a variety of the UK’s leading brands. They are currently producing a documentary about the Homeless World Cup and helped shoot the documentary, BLACK SHEEP which was nominated for an Oscar at the 91st Academy Awards (2019).
Joe McStravick
Award-Winning Filmmaker
I am an award-winning Film & Television Director who works in narrative drama and documentary. A number of my past projects have been commissioned and/or broadcast by BBC, Northern Ireland Screen, BFI, The Arts Council, TG4 and RTE.
A number of my previous short films have screened at various international film festivals; including BAFTA and Academy Award accredited film festivals.
I have also directed/produced a range of multi-platform commercial content for Randox, Cable & Wireless, PwC, HM Treasury, BBC and various other international clients.
Orit Novak
Award-Winning Filmmaker
This is Orit’s debut documentary.
She is a passionate story teller and filmmaker and has worked tirelessly on this project for the past two years. Throughout the process she has been inspired by films such as ‘Dancer’, ‘Polina’ and ‘Mao’s Last Dancer’ and drew on these films frequently for inspiration. Apart from her love of documentary filmmaking she has also directed, edited and produced music videos and narrative short films. She enjoys all stages of the filmmaking process especially post production where she really feels the story comes together. Orit continues to seek out new and innovative ways of telling stories. With her unique passion for visual effects and keen eye for rhythm and editing she continues to improve her skills in all areas of filmmaking.
Graham Carroll & Kara Heitz
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Graham Carroll is an artist based in Kansas City. His motion picture work reflects an interest in history, memory, love, and non-human life. His field-based practice leads him to spend much of his time looking around for stories. He is a co-founder of the Blue River Society, a group of artists making work about the Blue River Watershed. You can see more of his work at grahamograph.com
Kara Heitz is a historian, educator, and storyteller. She is currently a lecturer at the Kansas City Art Institute (KCAI) where she teaches courses in American history, film, and philosophy. She is also the owner of Clio's Scroll Productions, a media production company that creates historically-focused documentary films. You can view her personal website at karaheitz.org
Adam Smith and Ryan Sandberg
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Adam Smith and Ryan Sandberg met each other in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both have a passion for South American people, and it was a natural fit to come together and work on Paradise Lost. They also gathered approximately $10,000 in medical donations to take to the Venezuelan refugees that are walking a dangerous path through South America.
Hans Andreas Guttner
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Completed theatre, journalistic and law studies. Founded his own production company (Sisyphos Film). Made many films for cinema and tv. Chairman of the “Verleihgenossenschaft der Filmemacher” (Filmmakers’s Distribution Cooperative).
Initiated the “Internationales Dokumentarfilmfestival München” (Munich International Documentary Film Festival).
His most important work is the five-part EUROPA – EIN TRANSNATIONALER TRAUM (Europe – A transnational dream), made between 1979 and 1996 and consisting of the films (1) ALAMANYA ALAMANYA – GERMANIA GERMANIA, (2) FAMILIE VILLANO KEHRT NICHT ZURÜCK, (3) IM NIEMANDSLAND, (4) DEIN LAND IST MEIN LAND, and (5) KREUZ UND QUER. All of them received awards and were shown at international festivals and theatrically released.
James Dalrymple
Award-Winning Filmmaker
James Dalrymple has written, produced, shot and edited entertainment and documentary films, television commercials, videos and trans-media projects in over 60 countries. He is an award-winning filmmaker, has a masters degree in English Literature, has written a number of feature-length screenplays, and is the author of a psychological thriller novel.
Giovanni Soletta
Award-Winning Filmmaker
I began to make videos on june 2012, after many years i dreamed of.
I learned by myself and tried and made a lot of mistakes.
I did some videoclips and some editing collaborations.
"Vegetable skin, an interview" is my first medium-length film.
In the meantime i discovered and learned a little photography : at first i was really frustrated when i discovered that, for my budget, to make movies, the best choice was to buy a reflex! Now i'm greatfull to have had not so many money a that time!
Princess Garrett
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Reigning from the city of brotherly love, Princess Garrett is a recent graduate with degrees in Communication and Global Interdisciplinary Studies from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Film and television has always been something that Princess has been passionate about, but the representation of women in the media is one that fascinates her the most. Through experiences like making this documentary in Ghana, Princess hopes she can learn how to change the misconceptions and stereotypes that exist within society through film. As the director of the film, Princess hopes to use her abilities and experiences to help make this film as impactful and amazing as possible.
Nathan Ragland
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Nathan Ragland is an up and coming filmmaker from Georgia. Born on May 15, 1996, Nathan is currently studying Mass Media at Valdosta State University to make his dream of being a filmmaker possible, filming or helping with several student films. He's an award-winning director, winning Best Photography at the 2018 American Youth Film Festival for Caiden's Photos. He hopes that his films one day will inspire people in some way, whether that be the message of the film for the audience to try and follow or some aspect of the productions that inspires others to be creative with what is presented. Nathan posts most of his works on his YouTube channel, where you can see a wide arrange of films directed by the young filmmaker.
Machiel van den Heuvel
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Machiel van den Heuvel started his film career at the University of Amsterdam, where he followed a documentary course called POLDOX. This course had a huge impact on Machiel and made him realize that his destiny is filmmaking. Because of this, he continued his film education and studied ‘Film Directing’ at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent.
At this Film Academy, Machiel was seen as a filmmaker with authorship. In his films, he is looking for content in stories and personalities that somehow reflect his inner life and also have a universal appeal. This content has a few recurring themes which involves in particular: the search for meaning in life, issues of injustice, the strife for an ideal self and/or world and a feeling that is called Weltschmerz. This feeling can be described as a mood of weariness or sadness about the existence of evil and suffering in the world.
Finally, an important goal for him as a filmmaker is to create worlds that stand on their own and tell something universal about the human race. Crucial elements that contribute to this are: a high level of authenticity; universal content that is author-driven; a plot that shows something essential about the main character; a match between content and (experimental) form and finally, the existence of an inner story. The six films, he is working on now, contain most of these elements and are busy to grow towards organic wholes. 'The Sako Tapes' is the first film that is finished and he would love to share it with the world.
Samuel George
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Samuel George is an award winning documentary filmmaker and analyst for the Bertelsmann Foundation, focusing on the intersection of economics, politics, the digital revolution, and daily life. Filming on the ground from the Turkish – Syrian border to the factories of Juárez, Mexico, his documentaries dive inside the social impact of critical crossroads around the globe. He serves as the Foundation’s Global Markets & Digital Advisor, and is completing a PhD at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
Ri-Karlo Handy
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Oakland native Ri-Karlo Handy began working in the film industry at the very young age of 14. While still in high school, he collaborated with some of the bay area’s most popular artists including E-40, En Vogue, and Too Short. Starting off as a production assistant, he hustled his way up to director by the age of 18, helming music videos for Master P, Bone-Thugs and Harmony, Mack 10, and countless others.
He’s also directed commercials, films, and a collection of documentary projects including the underground hit “Unsigned” which he shot, produced, and edited.
In 2003, Ri-Karlo shifted his focus to television, editing such shows as Kitchen Nightmares for FOX, Pros Vs. Joes for SPIKE TV, and much more. Shortly after, he began show running unscripted programs for BET, MTV, TLC, and OWN, including serving as the executive producer for Keyshia Cole’s “The Way It Is” for BET and Nick Cannon’s “Son of A Gun” for MTV.
Ri-Karlo Handy most recently served as Senior Vice President of Original Programing for Bounce TV, where he participated in the creation and production of many of the network’s dramas, sitcoms, music specials, stand-up specials, and unscripted content. He served as an executive producer of the network’s hit drama “Saints & Sinners” and the popular sitcoms “Mann & Wife,” “Family Time,” and “In The Cut.”
Natasha Pizzey-Siegert
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Natasha Pizzey-Siegert is a filmmaker and multimedia journalist based in Mexico City. She is Colombian and British and has been roaming around Latin America for the last decade, with stories ranging from the Zika outbreak in El Salvador to migrant caravans in Mexico. She works both in front of and behind the camera on productions for HBO, the BBC, The Washington Post, Teen Vogue, and Al Jazeera. Natasha co-produced a feature length documentary, Colossus, exploring the effects of separation on a migrant family divided between the U.S. and Honduras.
James Fredrick is a multimedia journalist based in Mexico City since 2012. He is frequent contributor to NPR and works regularly for PBS NewsHour, Vox, the Washington Post and the Financial Times. He focuses on migrant and refugee stories, all the way from gang-ridden neighborhoods in Honduras to the US-Mexico border fence. He and Natasha are currently producing their own feature-length documentary about refugees trying to reach the US.
Caroline Sims
Award-Winning Filmmaker
First time documentary director, Caroline Sims, is originally from Birmingham, AL. Caroline's storytelling career began through music as she earned a BA in Songwriting and minor in Video Production from Belmont University in Nashville, TN. Passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless, Caroline is ecstatic to have begun her filmmaking journey with Jamie and the Sorum Family.
Ariana Feiner
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Ariana Feiner is a writer and children's author living in Atlanta, Georgia. Her children's book, Ariana Rose: A Story of Courage, is an uplifting, rhyming story for children with chronic health conditions. Ariana is an advocate for her rare metabolic condition, Hypoparathyroidism, and works to spread awareness through her book donations and fundraising campaigns for research.
Thomas F. O'Brien
Award-Winning Filmmaker
After careers in the Navy and as a painting contractor, Tom got a degree in Cinema and Television Arts. From there he was able to continue a lifetime passion for writing, and discovered a liking for directing, too. He was able to take two senior year projects (a short documentary and a feature film) and enter them into film festivals.
He currently is developing several projects with the intent of filming them in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Filiz Rezvan
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Filiz Rezvan is originally from London, England but has been established in the San Francisco Bay Area within the photography & video business for the past 16 years. Filiz is a natural entrepreneur, and a visionary who thinks outside the box. She is enormously creative and has a sensitive understanding of the human condition. Her innate curiosity inspires and enhances any creative brief to its full potential.
She has a BA Hons in Humanities & Media, studying Film, Narrative and Genre at the British Film Institute in London, with a distinction in film screenwriting.
Danny Donnelly
Award-Winning Filmmaker
The founder of PURE Music and pioneering label Suburban Base Records, Danny Donnelly's brands are recognized as some of the UK's most successful Urban and Dance album brand of all time, selling dance music album series in the millions and earning multiple gold and platinum awards. Launching his PURE brand in the UK in 2001, his albums continue to top the charts with eight number ones in the last 12 months alone.
He is currently the Chairman and Founder of Pure Film Productions, having Written/Directed/Produced numerous British feature films, all of which have been theatrically released and profitable. Naturally, the next phase was launching Pure Media Studio in Los Angeles. Using a unique business model that mirrors the 90's indie music industry, Pure Media utilizes micro-budgets and leverages Donnelly's expertise and talent influence to produce feature-length documentaries and scripted films. PURE films are produced in-house, with several slated to be released late 2019 and early 2020.
A true self-made entrepreneur, Donnelly is recognized as a visionary, capitalizing initially in the independent music industry. He has influenced youth culture and helped shape dance music globally. He is known for his hard work and intense understanding of having the pulse on the latest trends and what people seek.
Benjamin Cohn
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Benjamin Cohn was born and raised on Hawai'i island. He attended film school at Brooks Institute in Ventura California from 2003-2005. Cohn currently resides in his hometown on Hawaii island with his wife and two children.
Nicholas Mullins
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Georgia-born Director Nicholas Mullins is a Junior in college, studying Communication Theory in rural Western Pennsylvania. He has an affinity for telling the quiet, unseen, and fantastic stories of every day life, especially in depressed and forgotten areas of the world.
Since he was 7, he knew that he wanted to use movies to tell stories. After years of using his dad's camcorder to film silly skits, he set out to make his first short film (Periwinkle), during his Sophomore year of highschool. Choosing not to study film in college, Nicholas instead focuses on understanding the theories that make up communication and applying those theories to his films independent of school assignments.
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Ralph Hammann
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Ralph Hammann was a film and theater teacher and critic for over 35 years. He also had a part time career as an actor and theater director. As a curator of film festivals at the Berkshire Museum, he introduced audiences to such diverse directors as Kurosawa, Fellini, Lean and Chabrol. Following his departure from education, he has returned to his first and most abiding love, cinema.
Paul Raila
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Paul Raila is a director of photography and filmmaker who lives in Houston, TX. He cut his teeth as a photojournalist for ABC and NBC affiliates. He has three basic rules: Do good work; contribute something worthwhile to society; and be proud of what you create and have fun while doing so.
Anthony Wonke
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Anthony Wonke is an Emmy and triple BAFTA winning director, specialising in documentary style commercials and feature documentaries. He is known for his original feature documentaries - ‘Children on the Frontline’, ‘Fire in the Night’, ‘The Battle for Marjah’ - as well as his documentary series ‘The Tower: A Tale of Two Cities’. He released his recent theatrical features 'Ronaldo' with Universal Pictures and 'Being AP' with BBC Films. For the last year, Anthony has been working on a feature documentary called 'The Director and The Jedi', which follows Star Wars director Ryan Johnson and his experience of making the latest Star Wars instalment. The film had its world premiere at SXSW in March 2018. His commercial work for Ogilvy and Saatchi on Du Pont Horizons and Jaguar campaigns have won multiple industry awards. Anthony’s commercial work is always intelligent, emotionally insightful and has a visual flair. He has created successful campaigns for many big brands such as Vodafone, Lurpak and Expedia.
Keller Fornes
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Keller Fornes was raised in the small town of Kerrville, Texas. Since he was a child, he has always enjoyed entertaining people whether it was dancing, singing, acting and later making films. With a degree in filmmaking, and a hunger to make great content both in front of and behind the camera, Keller saw a great opportunity to make his first documentary film on the subject of his incredible grandfather.
Aaron Migdon
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Aaron Migdon was born in Evansville, Indiana but grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana. At the age of 28, he made his directorial debut with the feature "The Good Samaritan". Aaron is known for his minimalist approach to filmmaking, creating work on extremely low budgets. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Molly Hackett
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Molly graduated with a BSc in Zoology from the University of Bristol in 2017, having specialised in mammalian behaviour and animal communication over her two dissertation projects. She then completed an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking at the University of the West of England, during which she produced her student film 'The Housecats'.
Molly is particularly interested in films that explore our relationship with nature and human-wildlife interactions. Having volunteered in Thailand doing underwater ocean clean-ups and working with a turtle rehabilitation centre, studied how mammalian biodiversity increases with distance from human settlements in Costa Rica, and now produced a film about people who keep pet tigers in their back gardens, she has seen first-hand how these complex relationships can play out.
The Church of Almighty God
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Ryan Blake
Award-Winning FilmmakerRyan Blake is the producer/director behind "John and the Pahlavan". As a Chicago based filmmaker, Ryan grew up wrestling and continues to explore the reaches wrestling has on a global scale through video production. When Ryan first met Jahangir at the 2015 Wrestling World Cup in Los Angeles, right after Team USA and Team Iran had wrestled, Jahangir's genuine excitement and compassion for the sport stood out to Ryan.
The two filmmakers quickly found a common thread in the sport between Iranian/American wrestling, diving deeper into Jahangir’s history, and began working together on this wrestling project to promote commonality. Since then, this production has taken Ryan and Jahangir across the United States and four countries in effort to discover the history of the Persia and mythical Pahlavan
Phoebe Arnstein
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Phoebe’s worldview is seen through empathetic and curious eyes. She possesses a strong visual language that exhibits a subtle and intelligent sense of the human condition and she has the unique ability to elevate the everyday to a place that is poignant.
Phoebe's work crosses short films, commercial content and music promos. Her short 'The Dog with the Woman' won the audience choice award at San Diego International Film Festival of 2017 and has been included in the Top Ten Audience Voting Awards at the British Short Film Festival in Berlin. She is currently in development with her debut feature.
For many years Phoebe worked as a 2nd Assistant Camera in film and television before becoming a director and it was on these high profile film sets that she nurtured her craft.
Zachary Weil
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Raised in Florida during the Space Shuttle era, Zack feels a deep connection to spaceflight and its history. As founder and operator of Contact Light Films in Los Angeles, his mission is to share stories that inspire and motivate younger generations toward positions of public service and leadership. His resume includes hundreds of short-form programs highlighting the philanthropic efforts of Fortune 500 companies like Toyota and Target, to campaigns for nationally recognized non-profits like the 20MM Foundation and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. "When We Were Apollo" is his first feature-length documentary.
Feng Yangyang
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Chinese, born in 1990, lives in Beijing, working as the first assistant director of the film and television industry for 6 years.
Yusri Shaggy Sapari
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Yusri Shaggy Sapari is a professional busybidy using the medium of recorded video to explore stories of people. He started his journey recording his grandmother and TV shows on his audio cassette tape recorder as a child.
Shaggy went on later in his teenage years to study media hoping to become a journalist. He fell in love in the arts instead. Video is his life. He makes videos online, for companies and arts groups with Paradise Pictures and in theatre as a multimedia artist.
Shaggy's documentary “Trailer Boys” would premiere in 2018 as part of Freedom Film Festival.
Dan Gabriel
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Dan Gabriel is the Writer-Director of MOSUL, the documentary feature film on the battle to reclaim Iraq's second largest city from the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2017.
Gabriel's work and story-telling is inspired by his work as a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, where he spent 10 years countering violent extremism, and developing and benchmarking counter-radicalization theory and methodology in the Islamic world. His true life story spans six tours to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. He has lived and worked in Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Ethiopia, Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, Turkey, and Europe.
MOSUL is a feature-length documentary built around several characters that come from the vibrantly diverse cultures and backgrounds that make up modern Iraq: Sunni Tribesman, Shiite Militias, Christian Fighters, and Kurdish Peshmerga. The story unfolds as a journey north along the Tigris River and into the heart of darkness, as key participants fight to reclaim Mosul from the grip ISIS. Told through the eyes of an Iraqi journalist embedded with Iraqi forces and provided with unprecedented access to unfolding events, MOSUL reveals in stunning detail an apocalyptic battle against two unyielding enemies: violent islamic extremism - and the sectarian mistrust and hatred that will remain long after the politicians declare victory.
Gabriel is a graduate of George Washington University, and holds an MBA from Babson College, as well as an MA in International Affairs from GWU's Elliott School. He has also completed certificate programs in Filmmaking at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, and in Producing at UCLA's School of Theater, Film, and Television.
Tracii McGregor
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Tracii McGregor is a veteran media and music executive whose work is deeply woven into the fabric of the entertainment industry. Her extensive and diverse background includes stints as President of a Grammy-winning, independent record label and Vice President of Content & Communications at The Source Entertainment, where she led a team of writers, producers and editors who created content for the magazine, TV, radio and the award-winning TheSource.com website.
McGregor’s first short, JOE GOTTA GO (2001), bears witness to the remarkable groundswell of youth engagement that resulted in the election of the first Black mayor of Selma, Alabama. The film includes early interviews with then-unknown civil rights activists Tarana Burke (Me Too Movement), and LaTosha Brown (Black Voters Matter), and was featured at the 2001 Urbanworld Film Festival. McGregor recently completed her second short, THE FORGOTTEN ONES, which tells the story of one man’s 40-year struggle with addiction and homelessness on the streets of Hollywood. She is currently at work on her third documentary, which explores the controversial issue of gentrification in South L.A.
Lo Dagerman
Award-Winning Filmmaker
I was born in Stockholm, Sweden and came to the United States in 1980 to study. My first career was as an urban public transport planner (M.Sc., MIT, 1982). My second career was as a counselor (M.Sc., Johns Hopkins University, 1995, followed by fifteen years working in an elementary school in suburban Washington DC). For the past ten years, I've devoted my life to writing and filmmaking. I have two sons, now in their thirties, and have spent decades, personally and professionally, with the challenges boys face in becoming men, the theme of this film submisssion.
Filmography (in cooperation with my son, Dan Levy Dagerman, director (AFI 2014) and co-CEO of Two Hands Productions, Hollywood):
2019 "The Making of a Man" (48 min), non-fiction, director
2018 "Marty’s Shadow " (70 min), TV-play, screen adaptation and producer
2012 "Our Need for Consolation" (20 min), non-fiction with Stellan Skarsgård, screen adaptation and producer. Film festivals: Gothenburg, Rome, Big Sur, New York, Palm Springs. Available on youtube
2008 "The Games of Night", (18 min), short fiction, producer. Film festivals: Gothenburg, Aubagne, Mill Valley, Long Island, Los Angeles
Books published in the USA and overseas:
2019 "The Writer and the Refugee", Amazon, co-author with Nancy Pick
2018 "Wedding Worries" by Stig Dagerman, David Godine Publisher, co-translator with Paul Norlen
2018 "Les ombres de Stig Dagerman", Editions Maurice Nadeau, France, co-author with Nancy Pick
2017 "Skuggorna vi bär", Norstedts, Sweden, co-author with Nancy Pick
Paul A Notice II
Award-Winning Filmmaker
With over 12 years of journalism and video production experience, 2017 Emmy Award-Winning producer Paul Notice (Georgetown ’09, NYU ’11) has edited and produced hundreds of videos with MSNBC, The Legal Aid Society, OkayAfrica, Melanie Charles, OkayPlayer, Lyft, Elite Daily, Fresco News, and other media outlets. From his performance in the 2010 GLAAD Award Winning play “She Like Girls” (Working Man’s Clothes) and his written work like the Loraine Hansberry Award-Nominated “Leaves, Trees, Forest”(MPAACT), to his most recent NY Emmy Award-Winning documentary, “Broken Windows”(Elite Daily). For more info, please contact him at Paul@TheNoticeBlog.com, or visit www.thenoticeblog.com
Brianne Berkson &
Miguel Gluckstern
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Brianne Berkson and Miguel Glückstern are BriGuel, a well-known artist couple producing film and music with a mission to make a positive impact and inspire change in the world. They met several years ago on a short film production and have been inseparable ever since. They've subsequently worked on multiple film productions as well as an album and released many singles together.
"The Difference" is BriGuel's first documentary film project as directors and producers, one in which they beckon: How can we provide humans with tools to live and thrive rather than struggle to survive? What can we do to make a difference?
2019 AWARD-WINNING documentary
FILMMAKERS in the spotlight
Saila Huusko
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Saila Huusko is a documentary filmmaker and journalist. She recently directed READING NORTH for Al Jazeera’s Witness documentary strand, and co-directed the award-winning feature documentary MORONI FOR PRESIDENT, which had a national US broadcast on PBS’ America ReFramed by American Documentary/POV. Her journalism has been published by The Guardian, Al Jazeera, and Narratively – among others. For three years, she was the in-house filmmaker for CMI, the conflict resolution NGO founded by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Martti Ahtisaari. Originally from Finland, she has worked around the world, including in South Sudan and Afghanistan. Saila graduated with honors from the Columbia Journalism School and earned her BA from Middlebury College. She was a Rotary Peace Fellow at the University of Queensland in Australia and graduated with a Masters degree in international Conflict Resolution. She completed high school at the Mahindra United World College of India. She’s currently directing FLOAT, a documentary about women and swimming in Sri Lanka and A SECRET WEAPON, about the rise of the far right in Finland. Aside from producing her own work, Saila works as a freelancer, most recently shooting for "Werq the World" - a doc series chronicling a European tour by some of the stars of the TV reality RuPaul’s Drag Race. She speaks Finnish, English, Spanish, and Russian, and strives to make films that have people saying, “I laughed, I cried, and it made me think.”
Mauricio Ventura
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Mauricio Ventura is a cinematographer originally from Washington D.C. He earned his B.A in Cinema Arts+Sciences from Columbia College Chicago where he was first introduced to the world of film. After graduating in 2015, he began working on a variety of projects as a grip, 2nd ac and eventually DP on short narratives and documentaries. After spending two years working in the east coast, he relocated to Los Angeles, California where he continued to hone his craft and sensibilities for telling stories. Mauricio has moved yet again to Maryland with his wife as of six months ago to begin his own production company called Second Wind Cinema providing the greater Metro DC area with Cinematic documentary and commercial style content.
Aaron Migdon
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Aaron Migdon was born in Evansville, Indiana but grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana. At the age of 28, he made his directorial debut with the feature "The Good Samaritan". Aaron is known for his minimalist approach to filmmaking, creating work on extremely low budgets. He currently lives in Los Angeles, California.
Sue Sudbury
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Sue’s first film 'A Day in May' was about a day when over a million women in 25 different countries demonstrated for peace. It was screened at the Barbican and the London, Sydney, Leipzig and Nyon Film Festivals. Sue went on to direct 'Moving Out' (Channel 4 TV) about two long-stay psychiatric patients adjusting to life in the community which won the RTS Educational Award and 'A Home for Clare' (Channel 4 TV) about a woman forced to leave her home and go into residential care which won the New York International Film and Television Finalist Award. For Channel 4, Sue also produced and directed 'The Tale of Bugs Bottom', a film about a community fighting against a housing development, which won the Prix de Basle. She recently made two award-winning shorts, 'Village Tales', a participatory film with four women filmmakers in rural India and 'Hunger by the Sea', an animation set in a Dorset food bank. 'Indian Space Dreams' is her first feature documentary.
JD Barth
Award-Winning Filmmaker
JD Barth is a new film maker from Catonsville Maryland. As a life long artist and musician, JD has been a very creative individual and as a "do it yourself" academic strives on bringing awareness to the roots of certain undergound movements. Mainly those artists and musicians that have lifelong passions and talents yet continue to be unrecognized in the mainstream. Some by choice others by non-affiliation of the "who you know" and the who's who in the mainstream.
Börje Peratt
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Swedish producer, director, writer and composer born in Stockholm, 1949. Early Career in Swedish Public Broadcast Radio (SR) and Swedish Public Broadcast TV (SVT).
Recent productions:
- The Patient who built a Hospital. Documentary. Premier september 2018
- The Wall of Shame. Music Video. Released June 2018
- Land of Wooden Gods. Pilot for feature 2018
- John Bauer and the Mountain King Pilot for feature 2018
- The Doctor who refused to give up. Documentary Feature Film. Premier May 24th 2016
Rendah Haj
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Rendah Haj is a Melbourne based filmmaker and director who has an extensive history curating social impact and youth mindful projects. After recently graduating from film production at RMIT, she now focuses her work specifically on documentaries that intimately & ethically explore social issues.
Rachel Knoll
Award-Winning FilmmakerRachel works on a range of video and interactive projects with an emphasis on finding new and innovative ways to capture and tell human-centric stories. Combining her interest in emerging technologies and know-how of traditional disciplines, Rachel has been recognized internationally for her perspective by Wired Magazine, Vimeo Staff Picks, The National Film Board of Canada, The Atlantic, Vice, Adweek, and Fast Company.
Thomas Keith
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Thomas Keith was born in Los Angeles and received his Ph.D. in philosophy from Claremont Graduate University. He began filmmaking in 2005 and produced three best-selling films for Media Education Foundation including The Bro Code. Keith has been cited in the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, Time Magazine, The Washington Post, and The Globe and Mall. He is also the author of the book Masculinities in Contemporary American Culture (Routledge, 2017) and has a new book for Routledge Press scheduled for a 2020 release. This is his first time taking a film to festivals.
Alberto Meroni
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Born in Switzerland in 1978, he works as a director and producer of feature films, documentaries, advertising and television programs. Professionally active since 1996 he took his first steps in the television environment as a self-taught and stands out for creativity and ability. At the beginning of the digital era, a long-lasting collaboration began with the Swiss producer and director Villi Hermann, Alberto was responsible for filming and editing his acclaimed documentaries. Follows a ten-year practicum in the documentary field, producing dozens of documentaries for other authors.
In 2008 he made his first short “Ombre” which received many awards and distinguished in over 150 international festivals. In 2013 he self-produces and directs his first feature film "La Palmira - Ul Film", a comedy that become a great success: in the Italian part of Switzerland it is the most watched Swiss film ever, and has been elected the event of the year by the retrospective of the Swiss Public Television (RSI LA1 - Il Quotidiano 31.12.2013). In 2016 he produced "Arthur" a Web Series directed by Nick Rusconi and written by Chloe de Sousa, defined as the best Web Series in the "Web Series World Cup 2016" rating. In 2017 he self-produces and directs another comedy "Frontaliers Disaster". This is his fourth feature film it gets a huge success: is the most watched Swiss film ever and reaches third place in the overall ranking of Italian Switzerland.
He is the owner of the production company INMAGINE SA whose studios are in Mendrisio where he produces from 50 to 100 audiovisual productions a year; programs and content for Swiss television, advertisements and promotional films for multinational companies. He participates in the teaching of shooting and editing techniques at the International Conservatory of Audiovisual Sciences (CISA) in Locarno, and at the University of Applied Sciences of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) in Lugano.
Dennis Cahlo
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Dennis Cahlo is a multi award winning director, producer, cinematographer, and actor. In 2019 Dennis Cahlo has already completed a new short film "Lonely Hearts" and his first full length documentary "In Flowers Through Space". His previous films include "The Weekend" and "Death (And Disco Fries)" both of combined played at over 80 festivals around the world as well as won multiple awards.
Robin Greenberg
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Robin Greenberg has over twenty-five years of experience as a director, producer, writer and researcher. Born in Philadelphia and based in Wellington, Robin has directed seven documentary features as well as a diverse range of other projects in New Zealand and internationally. The two most recent feature documentaries that she has directed are:
2019 MO TE IWI: Carving for the People (133 minutes, New Zealand )
An in-depth portrait of the life of Tohunga Whakairo (Master Carver) Rangi Hetet, the last of the old-school carvers, and a celebration of the world of Maori carving, toi Māori and innovation. Forthcoming World Premiere: NZIFF 2019 www.moteiwi.com
2017 TEAM TIBET – Home away from Home (160 minutes, New Zealand)
Over twenty years in the making, TEAM TIBET reveals the extraordinary life of New Zealand’s first Tibetan refugee, Mr. Thuten Kesang and what makes him a tireless advocate for Tibet. World Premiere: NZIFF 2017
* Awards include: ‘Special Jury Award’, North American Film Awards; ‘Bronze Palm Award’, Mexico International Film Festival; ‘Award of Distinction – Humanitarian Film Award’, The INDIEFEST Film Awards; ‘Award of Excellence’ - Accolade Global Film Competition; ‘Official Finalist’, Honolulu Film Awards; ‘Award of Excellence’, Impact DOCS Award. (www.teamtibetfilm.com)