Jun Li
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Jun Li is a director from China who moved to USA three years ago . His current project is a work-in-progress filming and editing a 60-minute documentary with Doctors against Forced Organ Harvesting (a 2016 Nobel Peace Prize nominated organization) about organ trafficking and violation of medical ethics. He finished the production of a 60-minutes Chinese version documentary about forced organ harvesting in China, which will broadcast around the world.
He worked as director and producer at New Tang Dynasty TV an independent 24x7 Global TV, New York City from January, 2014 to March, 2016
Jun Li has more than 20 years of working experience with mass media. He achieved many top Chinese national awards and twice international awards in journalism from news reporting to documentary productions. He is now an independent producer and director at Deerpark Studios.
August, 2008, his documentary “ Witness Nanjing Massacre” won the International award in Ukraine for commemorating Anti-Fascist Victory
August, 2008, his documentary “ Witness Nanjing Massacre” won the 24th “Golden Eagle” award, the highest award of television in China
October, 2007, his documentary “Blood of Mountain Far Away” was nominated for the Asian Productions Awards at the 2007 International “ Gold Panda” award
April, 2007, his documentary “Zheng He's voyages ” won the top national award of the ten best documentaries in China
October, 2006, his documentary “Blood of Mountain Far Away” won the 23rd “Golden Eagle” award, the top award of television in China
"I hope more and more people in the world would become aware of the ongoing forced organ harvesting done to Falun Gong practitioners in China, run by the Chinese government. This is an unprecedented evil on this planet."
Shaun Mathis
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Shaun Mathis an Atlanta writer/director and is the co-owner of Laconic Productions. Shaun has written, directed & produced 2 award winning web series, 3 feature films and has shot music videos for 2 Chainz & Young Jeezy to name a few. In addition, Shaun is an instructor at Bridge17 Scriptwriters Studio.
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Levilyn Chriss
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Levilyn Chriss was born in New Orleans, raised in New York and currently lives in Chicago. She started her studies at Kennedy King College where in 2011 she received her Associate in Applied Science Degree in Media Communications. Kennedy King afforded her the opportunity to build a solid interest in video, television production and photography. Levilyn continued her education at Chicago State University where in 2013 she obtained her Bachelors Degree in Communications, Media, Arts and Theater. Ms. Chriss sought after higher education and in 2016 received her Masters of Fine Arts Degree in Independent Film and Digital Imaging at Governors State University.
Her award-winning documentary, The Louisiana Project, Is about a few strong willed Survivors of Hurricane Katrina who tell how their life has been for the past ten years and the challenges they encountered due to the storm.
Zeynep Kılıç
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Zeynep Kılıç was born and raised in Turkey. After completing her bachelor’s degree in economics at the Middle East Technical University, she moved to the U.S. to pursue graduate school in 1993. She completed her masters and doctorate degrees in sociology at the Arizona State University. She arrived in Anchorage in the summer of 2008 after fourteen years in the Arizona desert. She is still getting acclimated…
Her earlier work focused on immigration, belonging and citizenship. Lately she has been exploring food and culture as her primary research agenda. Her latest project, Tables of Istanbul, has been supported by grants from the TCF, ITS, UAA and Fulbright. Her next project will be picking up where the movie left off, writing a book while on sabbatical in 2016-2017. As an associate professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, besides dabbling in film-making and book writing, she teaches sociology classes, dances tango, and adores her husband Wayne who is single handedly renovating her dream home while she travels around the world for this fun project.
Will McKee
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Will creates small films for historical interpretation in museums. These are done on tiny budgets and in guerilla format. The Journey to Lan Yuan was his first attempt at feature length historical documentary.
The film is about a group of museum workers who retraced the footsteps of the pioneer Chinese who travelled 10,000 kilometers to find gold for their suffering families back home. The Journey to Lan Yuan tells this incredible tale of endurance over the decades, culminating in the creation of the Chinese Garden in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Maia Porter
Award-Winning Filmmaker
After raising two children alone at the age 21 I went back to College. While in College I discovered I had a passion for Photography. From photography I learned how to integrate images with reality in my photos I was able to edit and combine renewed photos. Then from there I have explored Videos I also have completed commercials for the San Jose SaberCats and
Silicon Valley Space Center. I also filmed my son when he went to America’s Got Talent. Now I find myself having the passion for capturing moments in Videography and Photography. For one of my school projects, I decided to go out to feed and interview the Homeless in Fresno ca. I also filmed a mini Documentary on The World's largest Homeless Encampment in San Jose, CA. My current project I’m working on is a Documentary called Black Fatherhood. Capturing moments brings me joy and I will continue trying to change the world one Documentary or film at a time. Owner of NatuRealBalanceMK@gmail.com
James Blannin-Ferguson
Award-Winning Filmmaker
James Blannin-Ferguson is a writer/producer/director. He jump-started his career documenting ‘The Big Roll’ (2010) – an epic journey from Perth to Sydney, walked step-for-step by a group of volunteers pushing a wheelchair.
James worked as a camera operator on the award winning feature film ’54 Days’ and has since furthered his experience in the camera department with TV show ‘Better Homes & Gardens’ (Seven).
Passionate about his craft, James is also a regular contributor to the film site AnyCameraWillDo.com.
Jean-Julien Pous
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Jean-Julien Pous is a French filmmaker. He was trained in animation in Supinfocom and Vancouver Film School, before turning to live-action. His work reflects his profound attachment to French, Chinese and Korean cultures. It has been described as poetic, existentialist, sensual and feminine. His shorts and commisionned films have been awarded 8 times, among those the Red Dot Design Award and the Rotterdam Film Festival "Best New Arrival".
He directed commercials and event films for Chanel, Lenovo, Haier, Millet, the Spanish Tourism Board and the Museum of History of Wuxi.
He now lives in Seoul, giving 3d animation lectures at Kookmin University. His work is exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in Seoul and Hong Kong. He is also a permanent member of the CFAF (Association d'Études de la Culture Française et des Arts en France).
James Ragan
Award-Winning Artist
James Ragan is an internationally recognized poet, playwright, and screenwriter. Translated into 15 languages and appearing in 30 anthologies world-wide, he has authored 9 books of poetry including The Hunger Wall and Too Long a Solitude.
Honors include 3 Fulbright Professorships, 2 Honorary Ph.D’s, the Emerson Poetry Prize, 9 Pushcart Prize nominations, a Poetry Society Citation, London’s Troubadour Int. Poetry Prize finalist, and the Swan Foundation Humanitarian Award, etc.
He has read for 7 Heads of State and for the U.N, Carnegie Hall, CNN, CSPAN, PBS, NPR and audiences in China, Japan, India, England, France, Sweden, Spain, Brazil, and the Czech Republic etc. In 1985 he was one of 4 poets including Robert Bly and Nobel winners Seamus Heaney and Bob Dylan, invited to perform for Mikhail Gorbachev at Moscow’s Int. Poetry Festival. Ragan’s plays The Landlord and Commedia have been staged in the U.S., Moscow, Beijing, Athens, Prague, etc.
He worked on staff during the making of The Godfather and in production on the Oscar winner The Deer Hunter and as story collaborator on the foreign films The Rising, Clownwise, and Dom (The House) winner of the Kieslowski Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1996 BUZZ Magazine named Ragan one of the “100 Coolest People in Los Angeles: Those Who Make a Difference.” He has a Ph.D. and for 25 years directed the Professional Writing Program at the U. of Southern California and currently serves for 23 summers as Distinguished Professor of Poetry and Film at Prague’s Charles University. He is the subject of Flowers and Roots, (Arina Films), winner of 6 international awards including the Remi Platinum Award at the 49th Houston Int. Film Festival.
Joni Siani
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Joni Siani has been a media maker for more than 30 years, starting out as a teen radio and television personality and evolving into an award-winning documentary filmmaker, academician and powerful public speaker.
As an entertainment and news reporter, Siani’s interviews with celebrities, icons and newsmakers were always a bit deeper and more revealing. Siani explains, “I’m really passionate about learning and understanding people and the human experience.” Siani was a major-market morning radio personality throughout the ‘80’s and 90’s in Miami, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, Boston and the UK. While hosting a morning show, Siani received her Master’s in Psychology at Cambridge College and began teaching courses in communication and media production in colleges throughout the Boston area.
Professor Siani believes film is an important tool in education. “The power of film as a story-telling medium – from fiction to documentaries – has always blown me away. When people see and hear others that they can relate to, conversations are elevated and complex emotions can start to make sense to the viewer.” After not being able to find a film that honestly reflected the stories she was hearing from her students as they were struggling to navigate the new expectations and behaviors of communicating in a digital world, Siani explains “a passionate, articulate and talented group of my students said let’s ‘make our own!”
Celling Your Soul, is a multi-award winning film that evolved organically as Siani, in a classroom on the front line of the digital evolution, changed the conversation from “what do you think about our new communication technologies to how do you feel?” Siani was shocked to learn that teens and young adults “hate it.” Siani wanted to give an “honest voice” to Millennials who continue to feel misunderstood.
Filmmaking is a new challenge for Siani who explains, “In radio, I could interview, edit and produce full production pieces totally independently. Filmmaking is a team effort requiring many different talents.”
The student/teacher project was “a powerful and amazing experience” she says. Siani explains, “We have this incredible symbiotic relationship.” The expertise of our amazing editor, Enver Perez, and the persistent enthusiasm and vision from our associate producer Ben Abbene, were the gifts that moved my quixotic vision into a reality and success of this powerful film. It’s amazing our first documentary went from start to finish in the first place! We’re beyond proud of the positive reaction and awards Celling Your Soul has received. “
The No App For Life production team is now working on their new documentary exploring how the digital world is shaping our romantic and intimate relationships.
www.noappforlife.com
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.
Mike Krumlauf
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Mike Krumlauf is an american filmmaker from Naperville, Illinois. Mike began his journey as a filmmaker when his father gave him a video camera christmas of 1999. Since then he has worked on a variety of diverse projects from a music video he directed for Analog Rebellion (formerly PlayRadioPlay) to a self financed independent documentary entitled "A Place to Call His Own" which shares the story of his late best friend and the impact he left on his community.
Michele Beck
Award-Winning Filmmaker
For over a decade, Michele Beck has been creating poetic combinations of video, performance, objects and sound that take the form of documentary, multi-channel audio/video installation and live performance. The form may change, but her interest in the body as a site for language and expression remains consistent.My Erotic Body is her first feature-length documentary.
Michele’s work has been shown at such venues as Kassler Dokumentarfilm und Videofest, Recontre Internationales, The ICA in London, Galerie Chez Valentin, The Bronx Museum, The Queens Museum and PS122. Beck is a recipient of grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
Mirjam Clement
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Mirjam Clement, born July 21st 1980, is a Norwegian artist living in Los Angeles since 2011, when she married special-effects artist Howard Berger.
From a young age, she was always drawn to fine art the visual expression in general. “Waking a Monster” is her first, and only experience with the film medium. With the exception from the music, narration and puppeteering, Mirjam has created everything from the first sketch to the final DCP of “Waking a Monster”.
In 2000 she attended the National Academy of the Arts in Bergen, Norway, and later exchanged to study traditional graphic printing techniques at Academia di Belle Arts in Bologna, Italy.
Having a background from being a painter and graphic artist, the film-portrayal of her husband “Waking a Monster” is heavily inspired by fine art, both in it`s content and expression.
Paul Crompton
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Director Paul Crompton had to carefully place his love of Manchester United to one side to make “Iron Men”. The documentary film - covering the emotional departure of West Ham United from their home of 112 years - climaxes with a stunning football match between the two sides.
In this, West Ham’s final home game at Upton Park, the Hammers not only firmly beat the Manchester side, but also ended their chances of earning a place in the following season’s UEFA Champions League. But the match was a gift to any filmmaker, a spectacle and a tribute to the very end of West Ham’s base in the heart of London’s East End.
Paul is a partner and shareholder in fledgling production company Spark Media Partners that makes the Channel 4 documentary hit series “Escape to the Chateau”.
Paul has made many hours of documentary singles and doc series for TV, he was BAFTA nominated for the BBC’s “Timothy Spall: Somewhere at Sea” which ran for three years. The series was also shortlisted for a Grierson Award.
His documentary “The Limbless Mountaineer” won an achievement award at the Dijon Film Festival and he has also won awards in his other role as an Executive Producer.
“Steven Gerrard: A Year in My Life” following Liverpool’s captain across a whole season won a Royal Television Society Award. “The Aviatrix”, a feature-length documentary telling the story of Lady Mary Heath (along forgotten solo female pilot from the 1930’s) - won ‘Best Film’ at the Explorers Film Festival.
Paul started his career in Manchester with roles as a director on TV arts documentaries for Granada TV whilst also making independent films and performance pieces using large scale video projection when he worked at the art house known as The Basement. It was here where he worked with legendary performers such as John Cooper Clarke, Howard Marks, Fela Kuti, Tony Wilson, Rabid Records, The Stone Roses and the genius behind Frank Sidebottom.
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Adrian Eppel
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Adrian Eppel is a Melbourne based Filmmaker and Photographer creating narrative driven content that helps change a viewer's perspective of the world we live in.
He has been honing his craft for the past 8-10 years, working predominantly in Melbourne and for a small stint in Los Angeles.
Starting as a Production Assistant on Neighbours (long running Australian drama series), Adrian moved onto producing multiple EPK packages for Fremantle Media before he left to travel overseas.
On his return to Australia, Adrian returned to producing short films and web content, video freelanced music festivals and a short conference in China,.
Adrian went back overseas to Los Angeles and worked for P&L Media, the production company that is responsible for shows like Judge Judy. Whilst he was there, he helped produce sizzle reels for celebrities and new concept shows.
Adrian is back home in Melbourne and continues to produce short films, documentaries and web content.
In late 2015 Adrian produced, filmed and edited the short film ‘Catching the Bug’ which was filmed in more than 20 countries over two years, Catching the Bug is a story about getting out of your comfort zone and seeing life with a new pair of eyes.
Ryan Boyko
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Ryan Boyko is the Founder and CEO of Armistice Films Inc. It is Ryan’s mission to illuminate epic, untold stories for international audiences.
Ryan was Producer, Writer and Director of the innovative, award winning series “The Camps”, which premiered on September 8th 2016. The 33 episode series has been seen in 174 countries and has garnered two awards, The IndieFest Award of Merit with Special Mention and an Award of Recognition from the Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival.
He is a multi award winning Visual Artist and an accomplished Actor who has performed on many of Canada’s finest stages including The National Arts Centre in Ottawa, two seasons with the Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan Festival and two seasons at The Stratford Festival of Canada, where he won the Tyrone Guthrie Award.
Ryan has appeared on several television series' including “Flashpoint”, “The Listener” and “Outlaw Bikers”. Ryan played Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey legend Bill Barilko and most recently, appeared in the Movie “Chokeslam” (2017).
"That Never Happened" is Ryan's feature Directorial debut, which began its festival circuit in June of 2017. Ryan's next feature film "Enemy Aliens" is in the final stages of financing.
Curtis Stiles
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Curtis Stiles is a producer and editor at the National Hockey League who has worked in sports-documentary film production for four years. He got his start in production in 2006 at New York PBS affiliate WNET in the Science & Natural History unit. His love for storytelling through film is matched only by his love for the game of hockey. "The 2015–16 Boston Pride: A Dream Born With Isobel" is his directorial debut.
Sean McElhose
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Sean is the director of the film Sacred Valley Sacred Rock, an experimental documentary exploring the effect of tourism on Peru and how it affects the value of the historical sites it protects.
"Did it, done it, did what I could. The 80's 90's and today. I'm not the best or the worst or even the middling. I'm kinda sorta caught between a rock and and hard place."
Jad Jacob
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Jad Jacob is a Syrian-American filmmaker from Upstate New York, best known for his ten-episode web series Opus 12, its prequel film Belwatch, and his new web series OFFICE. Jad is the co-President of the Niskayuna High School Drama Club and has participated in over two dozen theatrical productions as actor, director, and musical director, most recently performing in the Honors Performance Series Choir at Carnegie Hall, playing The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera at his school, and co-directing his school’s spring play, The Man Who Came to Dinner. Jad and his mother, a Syrian-American physician and poet, have participated in four Benefit Cabarets and Concerts for Syrian refugees—at Niskayuna High School; New York City; and Vermont—creating, hosting, and organizing two of them. Combined, they have raised thousands of dollars to benefit displaced Syrians and Syrian children through half a dozen different volunteer programs and support organizations. Jad will be attending NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts beginning Fall 2017 to continue his studies in film.
Valeriya Elenskaya
Award-Winning Filmmaker
My name is Valeriya Elenskaya. I was born on March 19, 1988 in Moscow, USSR. I graduated in 2010 Russian State University of Cinematography (VGIK), screenwriting faculty. At the same year I was studying journalism in different school of tv and radio.
During two years I had experience of working for the Russian tv channels as a correspondent, producer and director assistant. In a short time I changed many genres from criminal to talk shows, from cooking programs to kids channel. It gave me a lot of knowledge, how to communicate with real people for real sets. Maybe that’s why for the moment I like more documentary films. Because there is nothing fake, you are dealing with real characters. And sometimes it could be much more work, rather working with actors.
In 2013 I got a grant from New York Film Academy Los Angeles campus and I decided to study filmmaking in details. I lived in Los Angeles for 2 years and worked in more then 20 projects - my own as a writer, director, producer and many other short films, feature films, commercials and music videos as a assistant director, producer, production design.
In December 2015 I came back to Moscow. From this long journey I appreciate so much my last project - documentary feature film “The Road to Hollywood”. It was made with very low budget, enthusiastic main characters, and a lot of love.
Today I am living in Madrid, Spain, and working for the production company for films and videos.
Josh Reed
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Josh Reed is an award-winning filmmaker who lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He received a video production degree from Grand Valley State University. He founded Bluepic Studios LLC in 2012, a West Michigan based animation and video production company that works with startups and big brands to tell their stories.
His first film "My Personal Pink Time" is the incredible story of Tammy Myers, a young mom who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33. The film offers a rare look at what it takes to battle breast cancer and the toll it takes on the mind and body. It is a true story of hope and survival.
OLEG CHORNY
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Born in 1963, Oleg Chorny graduated from the film director’s department of the State Institute of Theatre and cinema in 1985.
He shot a number of feature shorts, documentaries, ecological and promo films and musical video clips. His short feature movies and documentaries participated at the programs at the Ukrainian and international festivals.
1990: “From the comrade Gruzilov`s remarkable life” (20 min.)
1991: “The frenzy”(26 min.)
1993: “Sacura has faded in my garden, you are passing me by again…” (30 min.)
2012: - «Mission: freedom», documentary (53 min.)
2014: “Hollywood on the Dnieper. Dreams from Atlantis” documentary, (89 min.)
2016: "Rain Project"(24 min.)
2017 AWARD-WINNING documentary
FILMMAKERS in the spotlight
Mark Woodcock
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Mark Woodcock learned documentary filmmaking while apprenticing with cinéma-vérité pioneers D.A. Pennebaker and Richard Leacock. He continued as a freelance filmmaker for several decades before joining IBM as a writer and videographer. He is currently working on travelogues about Iran and Myanmar, and has dubbed his style of film creation "organic video" because he produces, writes and directs his creations and also shoots, edits and distributes them.
Jean-André Fourestié
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Born in Bordeaux, Jean-André Fourestié moved to Montreal in 2004, where he pursues his passion for editing and directing documentaries. The self-taught filmmaker’s debut, ÉLECTION, depicted the night of the 2004 American Presidential election. Also a musician, Fourestié then made a second documentary, 2006’s CONSTRUCTIONS, about the music creation process of Montreal jazz trumpeter Jacques Kuba Séguin as he recorded his first album. Always interested in people’s journeys, life choices and yearnings for freedom, he codirected 2011’s GOSPEL ACCORDING TO VIVIENNE with Bruno Pucella. That documentary was selected by several North American festivals and won the 2012 Spirit of Queens Award 2012 at the Queens World Film Festival. STONE STORY is Fourestié’s first feature-length documentary.
Jean-André also works as an editor. From 2007 to 2010, he was a director-editor for TV5 Québec Canada. He’s currently a freelance editor for television projects and independent productions. In 2013, he was nominated for a Prix Gémeaux in the Best Editing of a Documentary Series category for VOYAGES AU BOUT DE LA NUIT.
Lightning N Mitchell
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Lightning N Mitchell was born in Hodge Louisiana in 1948 and graduated from high school in 1968.
A year later in 1969 he was drafted into the service to go to Vietnam and fight for his country. After returning home, he pursued college and played college football. His greatest accomplishment was the WBA to give the American woman an opportunity to play professional basketball here in the United States. His story has been aired on Fox 4 news, K 2 TV Sports, Prime Sports along with being published in the Kansas City Star newspaper and in other states newspapers also. The book has also been accepted and put in the downtown Kansas City Public Library, and put in the Historic part of the Library.
HOWARD BERGER:
Award-Winning Filmmaker
In 1988 KNB EFX Group, Inc. was co-founded by Howard and Gregory Nicotero and over the past 27 years, they have become one of the most prolific Special Make-up Effects studios in Hollywood.
Specializing in character prosthetics, animatronics, creatures and replica animals, Howard has over 800 feature film and television credits including INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA TRILOGY, KILL BILL 1 & 2, SPLICE, THE GREEN MILE, THE PACIFIC, DOLPHIN TALE 1 & 2, THE GREY to name a few. In 2006 Howard won the Academy Award for Best Make-up for THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, as well as winning a British Academy Award for Best Achievement in Make-up for the film. Howard won an Emmy Award with his team from KNB for Best Prosthetic Makeup for the AMC hit television series THE WALKING DEAD and was Emmy nominated for his work on Bryan Cranston’s prosthetic age makeup for the final season of BREAKING BAD.
In 2012, Howard designed and created the portrait makeup of Alfred Hitchcock for Sir Anthony Hopkins for the FOX Searchlight feature HITCHCOCK, which earned him his second Academy Award Nomination. In 2013 Howard handled the Special Makeup for Jamie Foxx as Electro for THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2. Lately, Howard has taken on the responsibilities as Makeup Department Head on films such as THE GAMBLER starring Mark Wahlberg and John Goodman, TED2 for Seth McFarlane DEEPWATER HORIZON and PATIROTS DAY with Mark Wahlberg for Director Peter Berg. He has currently completed work on TRANSFORMERS 5 with Mark Wahlberg and director Michael Bay.
Currently he is designing and Department Heading the makeup for Seth Mcfarlane’s new Sci-Fi series THE ORVILLE for 20th Century Fox.
Howard lives in Sherman Oaks, CA with his artist wife, Mirjam, and has 3 children.
ROGER PARADISO
Award-Winning Filmmaker
ROGER PARADISO is currently the Producer/Director of Searching for Camelot a four-part feature doc examining the fascinating lives of JFK, RFK and Jackie and the world they inhabited called Camelot. His last film, just out to Festivals and distributors, is THE LOST Village a story about the decline and fall of the bohemian Greenwich Village.
A recent film, I WANT MY NAME BACK is the unknown story of the Sugarhill Gang who broke Hip Hop around the world with their landmark song called “Rapper’s Delight”. Toronto Film Scene said: “ I Want My Name Back will stand as a classic piece of musical history.” Currently he is in development with several film scripts and documentary projects. Past Film credits include Producer/Director/Writer of “Tony ‘N’ Tina’s Wedding” starring Mila Kunis and Adrien Grenier and Executive Producer for “City By The Sea”, starring ROBERT DeNIRO, FRANCES MCDORMAND. Mr. Paradiso was the Co-Producer on “The Thomas Crown Affair", starring PIERCE BROSNAN and RENE RUSSO as well as “At First Sight”, starring VAL KILMER and MIRA SORVINO.He also Co-Produced the Independent Film “Bullet” starring TUPAC SHAKUR and MICKEY ROURKE and was Associate Producer for the Film ‘The Manhattan Project” starring JOHN LITHGOW and CYNTHIA NIXON.
Karl Faase
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Karl Faase is a well known Australian Christian communicator, media presenter, leader and social commentator. He is the CEO of Olive Tree Media.
With over 20 years of involvement in media, Karl is one of Australia’s most experienced Christian radio and television presenters, with his programs broadcast and distributed in the USA, UK, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand.
Olive Tree Media’s latest production is the documentary series, Jesus the Game Changer, released in 2016. This timely television and DVD series looks at how the life and teaching of Jesus changed the world and why it matters. Topics covered in its ten episodes include equality, forgiveness, care, women & children, leadership, education and health, plus others. Jesus the Game Changer was filmed in the USA, UK, Australia, India and Singapore where Karl interviewed over 30 authors, speakers, historians and academics. The series can also be used in discussion groups with a full guide and guest bios in a free app.
Karl is in demand across Australia as a speaker, with a special interest in encouragement & motivation, leadership, ministry development and communicating.. Karl is regularly called upon as a Christian spokesperson and commentator on a variety of social issues.
Joey Dwyer & Timmy Dwyer
Award-Winning Filmmakers
The Dwyer Brothers are young American film makers. Inspired by the stories that alter people’s perspectives, Joey and Timmy take pride in an innovative approach of story telling. Both brothers studied film in North Carolina. Joey, 28, is based out of Brooklyn, NY and Timmy, 23, stayed in the south and is based out of Wilmington, NC. Despite the 5 years of separation Timmy and Joey started working together and shooting at a young age. Right out of school Joey began working with professional surfers curating content for their sponsors. Soon there after he was pitched a project that would change both of the brothers lives. This had potential to be biggest project of Joey’s career and he knew that it could not be done without the help of his younger brother Timmy. The only problem was Timmy was in his Sophomore year of film school and this project required a year on the road. They came up with a production plan and the brothers put together a pitch for the Dean of Timmy’s school to give him film credits to work on the documentary project. The Dean was astonished at their drive and gave them the green light. The brothers began shooting their documentary “Running On Empty” in 2014. This film became the Dwyer Brother’s first feature length project. After a year on the road filming and almost 2 years in and out of the editing studio the two have moved onto new projects. Joey and Timmy have been shooting a wide variety of commercial, doc and narrative work over the past 3 years. The Brothers have a couple projects brewing for this upcoming year 2017/18.
Jason Harney
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Jason Harney has been in the video production business part time since 2003, having worked with many clients over the years on commercials, web videos, and event videos, as well as training and recruitment videos. Now having retired from a career in law enforcement, Jason has entered the world of filmmaking full time with his documentary feature debut, "The Basketball Family". His production company, Lightning Digital Entertainment, is based in Henderson, Nevada and seeks to continue producing documentaries (both feature and short), as well as fictional films, and other projects with a focus on highlighting positive stories from the Las Vegas community.
Kobi Farag
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Kobi Farag was born in 1980 in Petach Tikva, Israel, to a family of photographers, he became an actor. His debut in the IDF theatre as part of an ensemble with whom he created the cult series Ha-Pijamot which is broadcasted to this day.
Along the years he appeared in various television series, sketch-comedy shows, feature films and an actor for the Cameri Theater of Tel Aviv.
Today he hosts a successful weekly radio program at Galei Tzahal radio in the past 6 years. Photo Farag is his first film as a documentary director.
Elam Stoltzfus
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Elam Stoltzfus is the founder of Live Oak Production Group. Originally born Amish in Lancaster, PA, Elam moved to Florida, received his degree in media production at Florida State University, and decided to focus his camera on Florida.
For over thirty years he has been documenting the wilds of Florida. During this time, he has produced seven feature-length films: Living Waters: Aquatic Preserves of Florida, Apalachicola River: An American Treasure, The Big Cypress Swamp: The Western Everglades, Kissimmee Basin: The Northern Everglades, Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition: Everglades to Okefenokee, Coastal Dune Lakes: Jewels of Florida’s Emerald Coast, and The Great Florida Cattle Drive: Unbroken Circles. Collectively, these films won 16 Tellys, 3 Davies, and one Emmy, and all of them have been featured on public television.
George Patterson
Award-Winning Filmmaker
George Patterson brings over 35 years’ experience filming and producing broadcast television documentaries, news magazines, corporate, cable, and political projects as a freelance videographer and producer to his role as Director and Producer for Picture Farmer Films. Audiences appreciate his gift for visualizing and his training and expertise in directing technically provocative photography and film products through creative use of light and composition. His clients have included ABC News, NBC TV, HGTV, Food Network, Great Museums Television, Downstream Project, political consultants, and various public relations and media consulting firms.
Scarlett Clark
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Scarlett is an aspiring documentarian and producer.
She recently graduated from Champlain College Summa Cum Laude with a passion for finding intriguing and unknown stories. While completing her degree, she studied film in Vermont USA, Montreal CAN, Dublin IRE, and London UK. She loves to find and produce stories that have a meaning and purpose.
Scarlett has interned at PBS in Vermont, USA and The Red Carpet Academy in London, UK. She has worked for two editing companies, worked on almost 20 student films, and has traveled to 23 countries around the world.
She plans to continue travelling and filming along the way. She has a few topics she plans to film in Brazil and Indonesia in the coming years while also working on an animated script.
Eduardo Rufeisen
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Eduardo Rufeisen has international experience producing, directing and leading creative teams and crews. He worked as the Senior Advisor of Advertising for Bosch-Blaupunkt group in Brazil, where he directed ad campaigns for print and TV. As marketing manager of MTV-Brazil, he created advertising campaigns for television and managed the sales accounts. He also worked as producer in charge of budgets and ratings for the Brazilian Television Network, BAND. At the Academy of Art University he was the Director of the Motion Pictures Department and also directed hundreds of scenes and shorts for the acting students portfolios.
Since completing his MBA in Marketing and Advertising in Brazil and his Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA) in Motion Pictures and Television at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Eduardo taught film and television for classes for Foothill College, Menlo College, City College of San Jose, West Valley College and worked as a producer/director for film, television for various clients in Northern California. His films have been screened and awarded in United States, Canada, Germany, England, France, Italy, Belgium, Romania and Brazil.
Currently, he independently produces and directs documentaries, films and animations for his own company.
Gino Pinetti
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Gino Pinetti was born in 1962 in Palermo, Sicily and he moved with his family at the age of five to Milan. During his adolescence, his father left the family to work with The Circus. In the years to come, he followed his father through Italy, sometimes for long period, weeks or months, other times for few days. So approaching this “magical world”, he began to know the circus people, their way of living, their traditions, their culture, their philosophy.
In this period, he also started to love Italian directors like Sergio Leone, Mario Monicelli, Vittorio De Sica, Ettore Scola and Dino Risi, among his favorites… It’s here that his passion for cinema was born.
In 1987 began to work in one of the most important production company in Milan specializing in advertising, where he became a film editor and post production supervisor, collaborating with several Italian and international commercial directors.
In 1995 he edited the movie “Diario senza date” by Roberto Andò which participated at the 52nd Venice International Film Festival.
After five years he founded his production and post production company “Stripe Film Editors” with Barbara Cifali and nowadays they collaborate with some of the major italian companies.
But as the year passed and increasing nostalgia, he decided to tell the feeling he felt during his youth thanks to his father. “The Circus” was the first documentary film produced and directed by Gino Pinetti.
Leslye Abbey
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Leslye Abbey is an award winning documentary filmmaker, photographer, and Social Worker. A New York native, Leslye Abbey has traveled the world creating films that reflect the human spirit. Leslye began to develop a love for photography while living in New Mexico and working as Social Worker with Southwest American Indians. Her passion for photography paved the way for her growth as she launched into videography. Leslye has been in private practice as a Clinical Social Worker in North Bellmore, New York since 1986.
One of her recent documentaries, Buffalo Nation: The Children Are Crying, won Best Feature Documentary at the 2014 Long Island International Film Expo and was an Award Winning Documentary at the 2014 Indie Gathering Film Festival & Convention in Hudson, Ohio. Caution: Show Dogs, the movie’s theme song was voted #1 by Song Writers Guild of America. Bayou Landfall/The Houma Nation vs. The Hurricanes won the Allen Fortunoff Humanitarian Award in the 2006 Long Island International Film Expo. It has been in seven film festivals, including Native American Film Festival, in San Francisco, California, The Native Spirit Film Festival 2007, London England and The Heard Museum Film Festival in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2007, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, in Manitoba, Canada leased Bayou Landfall/The Houma Nation vs. The Hurricanes for five years. Angels of the Basin, at its first screening, won the Best Historical Documentary in the 2007 New York International Independent Film And Video Festival. Let The Good Times Roll, another Louisiana based film, won Best Feature Documentary at the Long Island Film Festival in 2007. LCN-TV, the Louisiana Superstation, continues to show Bayou Landfall/The Houma Nation vs. The Hurricanes, Angels of the Basin, and Let The Good Times Roll.
SPOTLIGHT
DOCUMENTARY
FILM AWARDS
Sarvnaz Alambeigi
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Sarvnaz Alambeigi is an independent documentary filmmaker and painter based in Iran. She graduated from the Islamic Azad University in Tehran in 2000 and began her professional career.
She has had many group and solo exhibitions in Tehran. Her first short documentary entitled “The Second Room” was nominated for both Best Producer of a Foreign Language Documentary and Best Music at the Madrid International Short Film Festival in 2015. The film has also been screened at many different film festivals around the world. She believes she can now extend her knowledge and compare her problems, emotions and experiences with others around the globe.
She has a passion for philosophy and psychology. Her goal is to discover all the mysterious complexities of humanity through different techniques and materials.
Freya Billington
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Freya set up BoyandBearFilms in 2014 to realise personal film projects. In 2015 she completed ‘experimental musical' BREAD AND BUTTER, a collaboration with Composer Jennifer Bell since screened at festivals including Cambridge, Aesthetica, Korea, Serbia, Knoxville and gallery-installed at MagicMirror Romania, RWA Bristol and Hardwick Gallery Cheltenham. In June of 2016 she finished short NOT WAVING, staring Peter Bowles for IShorts/Creative England, screened at festivals including Bucharest CineFest, BlowUp Chicago, Underexposed and the documentary HOW? LUCKY filmed over 4x years in Finetown Township, SA thenpremiered at RapidLion: The South African International Film festival in March 2017 and since screened at Charlotte Black, Barcelona Planet and TAFF Dallas.
Freya is a Fulbright Scholar and Fellow of Syracuse University, NY where she completed her MFA in Fine Art Film. She has just become Programme Leader at UWE_FILM, having previously run Film Production at the Uni of Glos. She was awarded a HEA National Teaching Fellowship in 2015, is on the Executive Board for NAHEMI, the Board of Directors at IFA Bologna and is the current External Examiner for the National Film and Television School.
Between 2010 and 2012 she developed and taught film workshops for Actor/Director David Morrissey’s charity C.A.S.T (The Creative Arts Schools Trust) working in refugee camps in Tyre, Lebanon and townships outside Johannesburg in South Africa. She has edited documentaries for BBC4, BBC2 and the Open University and was Post Production Supervisor at BBC Drama . She has lived in Bristol for 12 years, loves astro-turf, red wine and dancing and her greatest achievement is being a single-mum to two (sporadically) lovely teenage boys!
Jay Cox
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Music producer Jay Cox rediscovered his lust for life after a cancer diagnosis. After a tough fight and with the disease in remission, he didn’t need any more reminders how short life really is, or any more encouragement to follow his passion. He changed his diet, became totally plant-based and, with new-found energy, got back on his mountain bike. He also got his camera out again and began looking for places he could make a real difference.
This reinvention of himself, his life and his purpose lead him by chance to Tarifa in Spain with endurance athlete Luke Tyburski as he embarked on an insane 2,000km solo triathlon in 12 days.
The result was the Ultimate Triathlon documentary, and the revelation of Jay’s formidable natural talent.
“I’ve worked with a lot of cameramen on a lot of fast moving location shoots around the world, and Jay is up there with the best. His ability to shoot on the fly, when the pace of events mean time is against him and retakes are out of the question, is world class”, explains former TV presenter and journalist Warren Pole (Discovery, Channel 4) who was lucky enough to work with Jay on the Ultimate Triathlon.
Former MTV creative director Erica Herbert was similarly impressed with Jay’s abilities in the edit:
“Jay has a rare skill in storytelling when it comes to editing, and is able to pull the best of any narrative together organically. His former career in music also serves him well pacing these sections to perfection”.
Late start be damned, Jay Cox is a filmmaker on a mission and this is just the beginning.
Martin Lennon
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Irish born Martin Lennon is an independent documentary filmmaker, based in the Netherlands with a strong passion for comedy, social realism and sport. Martin has covered from everything from lower league Scottish Football Mascots to analyzing the affect the Deep Fried Mars has on society.
Martin has produced, directed and edited a number of projects which have been shown in festivals across Europe and the World. His latest short documentary "Oor Wally" follows Stenhousemuir's unconventional mascot "Wally the Warrior" across an eventful football season.
Mary Zournazi
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Mary Zournazi is an author and first time filmmaker. She is the author of several books including Keywords to War, Hope - New philosophies for change and Inventing Peace with the German filmmaker Wim Wenders. Wenders and Zournazi are developing a ‘peace project’ for film. She teaches in the sociology program at the University of New South Wales, Australia.
Jelle Janssens &
Sofie Hanegreefs
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Jelle and Sofie run a documentary production company called Andere Wereld Films. They are the creators of this movie, but also its protagonists. Together they’ve tried to transform their own experience into a positive incentive to turn their life around and get a fresh start. The movie documents their candid talks and testimonies, but it is also filled with impressionistic scenes that illustrate the complex emotions the characters have to live through.
‘How To Fall Apart’ is a movie with a mission: the personal stories of Jelle and Sofie are meant to show us that a state of depression can be strongly linked to feelings we are all familiar with: stress, pressure, fear, insecurity, loneliness.
First and foremost, this documentary wants to defy popular opinion and prejudice about depression by inspiring a public debate. The straightforward story renders the movie recognizable and accessible to a wide audience.
Tyler Hall
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Tyler Hall is a film director, YouTube producer, body positive activist, and all around "multipotentialite". He has a wide range of interests that range from filmmaking to social entrepreneurship, and sustainable/tiny living. He recently graduated from Columbia College Chicago, where he received his BA in Cinema Arts and Science.
He was inspired by his cousin Kenna to purse documentary filmmaking. His cousin Kenna has a rare genetic disorder, and he attempted to make a short documentary about her and her disease. While that first film wasn't the most successful, Tyler was hooked on documentary filmmaking, and he began his journey as a documentary filmmaker. Rural is his debut film as filmmaker. He was inspired to make this film, because he wanted to give a voice to voters who really shaped this past presidential election.
Currently Tyler is working on inspiring himself and others to be more body positive. He's also working on writing and documenting everyone's struggle with body image in a weekly blog. He's in the very early stages of planning his next documentary; and hopes to be filming by spring.
Alonso Cordoni
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Adrian Alonso Cordoni is an independent filmmaker, he was born on March 26, 1979, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is an Advertising Man but , In the past few years, founded creativebarbershop.com an independent film Project with his partner Virginia Saldaño.
The first short film of them was Greetings from Coney Island, getting some international awards with it.
Magic cobra tattoo is his second short film, in this case, a Short documentary about the owner of a tattoo shop in Brooklyn, NYC and Has been awarded in several festivals around the world. The film tells a funny stories and experiences of a group of artists located in the neighborhood of Williamsburg.
Michael Magee
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Michael Magee graduated in film at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California in 1982. Throughout his career he has worked in the US and Europe as a freelance director of documentaries and corporate films. In1993 he founded the company Michael Magee Productions in Switzerland, specializing in films for international clients such as Swissair, IWC Watch Co., Swiss Tourism, Holcim and others. During this time he has won several awards to give an example for the Swiss Tourism in Carlsbad, Czech Republic. Since 2011 the filmmaker has mainly focused on the production of documentaries especially people portraits, which is his true passion.
CAROLINE CORY
Award-Winning Filmmaker
CAROLINE CORY is a filmmaker, futurist, international speaker and the visionary author of best-selling books on Consciousness and Quantum Healing. As a child and throughout her life, Cory has had numerous otherworldly encounters, which led her to become deeply connected to spirituality, the study of Consciousness and the mechanics of the Universe.
Previously, Cory served as Creative Director and producer of global live and televised events at one of the largest broadcast media entities in the world. Despite possessing extraordinary extrasensory abilities, Cory kept her unique gifts to herself. However, years spent creating and overseeing traditional entertainment content ultimately compelled Cory to leave her executive position in favor of a more spiritually-fulfilling career that combined her artistic background and passions with quantum healing and elevated consciousness. In 2010, Cory founded Omnium Media http://www.omniummedia.com, an experiential immersive concept for planetariums that heightens viewers’ sensory perceptions producing profound transformative experiences.
Cory has also written, directed, and produced short and feature animated films and completed several feature and TV pilot screenplays. Her latest project, GODS AMONG US, studies the science of contact and otherworldly realities. In addition to writing and producing, Cory has appeared as a guest expert at major conferences and on television shows about supernatural phenomena including History Channel's popular series ANCIENT ALIENS.
Katia Café-Fébrissy
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Paris-born and Toronto-based, Katia Café-Fébrissy is an award-winning bilingual Writer & Director of ROOT UP / À LA RACINE (2017) which, since its release, has won the Best Short Documentary Award at the Terra Environmental Film Festival, the Best Woman Filmmaker Prize at the Barcelona Planet Film Festival, and the Silver Spotlight Documentary Film Award.
Produced by the National Film Board of Canada, SOCIAL ME / MES RÉSEAUX SOCIAUX ET MOI (2015), premiered on Radio Canada TV and received numerous accolades in domestic as well as international festivals.
Katia is an alumna of Women in the Director’s Chair Program. She holds a postgraduate diploma in Creative Documentary Filmmaking from Varan Doc Institute, France, and an MA in Literature and Languages from the Université de Paris VIII, France.
Deb Ellis & Denis Mueller
Award-Winning Filmmakers
Our films examine significant social and political movements. Howard Zinn: You Can’t be Neutral on a Moving Train (short-listed for an Academy Award 2005) is an overview of social movements of the 20th century through the eyes of activist and historian Howard Zinn.
The FBI’s War on Black America (1990)is a rigorous examination of the FBI’s infamous COINTELPRO program. An underground classic, the film remains a relevant cautionary tale about the dangers of government surveillance.
Peace Has No Borders is yet another chapter, reflecting on the impact of social activism and resistance to war.
Our films are important reminders that some people make great sacrifices to talk truth to power and that often they pay a price.
Ellis and Mueller live in Vermont where they continue to make films. Ellis also teaches at the University of Vermont.
Colleen McCreanor
Award-Winning Filmmaker
Colleen McCreanor graduated from Cambridge High School (Milton, GA) in May, 2017. Colleen completed three years in the her high school's award-winning video and film program.
Colleen has loved film since her childhood and began working on her high school's national recognized morning show, The Bridge, her junior year, where she has served as the show's Supervising Producer and Director. Aside from working on the Bridge, Colleen was also part of the Hayleywood Film Festival for CURE Childhood Cancer, a charity event she helped organize through her high school's film program. In her freshman year, her film was nominated for "Best Short Film," and in her junior year, she won the award. Additionally, she served as the Vice President of the 2016 Festival. Also in her junior year, she won the Bronze Medal in her competition at Georgia's SkillsUSA State Leadership and Skills Conference (SLSC). In July of 2016, she participated in a film class at American University through the NSLC program. In August, she was awarded with "Best Documentary" and "Audience Choice Award" at the Alpharetta City Library Film Contest. In March 2017, Colleen won the first place Gold Medal in Digital Cinema Production at the SkillsUSA Georgia SLSC with her short form fiction film, "The Treatment of the Story." Colleen is excited about her most recent documentary project, "420", released on April 20, 2017.
Colleen will be attending American University in Washington, D.C. to study film in the fall.