Filmmaker Summit 2018 by Studio Two

8 1 0 2 MAY 30 - 31

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

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Dear Filmmakers, We are pleased to welcome you to the seventh annual Filmmakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Summit and the thirteenth annual Berkshire International Film Festival! The BIFF aims to foster a community-wide attitude that will allow filmmakers, directors, writers and actors an encouraging environment to collaborate, present their work, and interact with each other and with film audiences. It is in support of this aim that the Filmmakers Summit was developed six years ago as a nurturing, creative space for filmmakers and industry professionals to come together in the spirit of collaboration, discussion, and continued growth. The Filmmakers Summit is an integral part of the festival experience for filmmakers, ensuring the freshest and most poignant dialogue in conjunction with unique events with Douglas Trumbull and Sheila Nevins. The Summit goes beyond networking and fortifies the festival experience. Cheers,

Kelley R. Vickery

BIFF FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR

Carolyn Lancaster

CL PRODUCTIONS NYC FILMMAKERS SUMMIT PRODUCER

BIFF thanks Carolyn Lancaster, Mary Mott & Gordon Simmering, Doug Tirola and the industry professionals for their time and participation. Congratulations to the 2018 Filmmakers!

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11:30am Bus departs from the Red Lion Inn to head to Douglas Trumbull Studio 12:30-1:30pm Filmmaker Summit Welcome Lunch 1:30- 3:00pm Douglas Trumbull Presentation & Tour 3:00-3:15pm Coffee & Cookie Break

3:45pm Bus departs for hotels 6:45pm Shuttle pickups for the Summit Cocktail Dinner Party at Yale Hill 7:00-11:00pm Filmmaker Summit Cocktails & Dinner 11:00pm Shuttles to hotels

3:15-3:40pm Greg Rhem A TALK WITH HBO DOCS

Moderator Doug Tirola Red Lion Inn 30 Main Street, Stockbridge, MA 01262 Tel (413) 298-5545

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9:00am Hotel pick up in front hotels 9:15am -10:00am Summit Breakfast at Yale Hill Barn 10:00am-11:00am Tracie Holder Presentation ROADMAP TO DOCUMENTARY FILM FUNDING 11:00am -12:00pm Douglas Tirola, Cynthia Wade, Darren Dean & Christopher White THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE CREATIVE FILMMAKING PROCESS 12:00-1:00pm Buffet Lunch Service

1:00pm-2:00pm Danielle McCarthy, Wendy Lidell & Elizabeth Sheldon THE INS AND OUTS OF FILM DISTRIBUTION IN A DOC WORLD 2:00pm-3:00pm Dan Braun & Josh Braun A TALK WITH THE BRAUN BROS 3:00pm Champagne Toast and closing remarks 3:15pm Shuttle to hotels 5:15pm Shuttle pickup for BIFFs Opening night 6:00pm Opening Night of BIFF begins

Yale Hill Barn 28 Yale Hill Road Stockbridge MA

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DOUGLAS TIROLA

WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER Douglas Tirola’s films have screened at over thirty film festivals around the world including world premieres at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, Berlin and Edinburgh. DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD premiered at the Sundance Film festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures. The award winning HEY BARTENDER (Netflix) premiered at the SXSW Film Festival was released theatrically around the world and went on to be nominated for a James Beard award. ALL IN – THE POKER MOVIE (Showtime and Netflix) was a grand jury prize winner and is considered the definitive documentary about poker. Douglas’ first feature AN OMAR BROADWAY FILM premiered at the Tribeca Film festival where it was acquired by HBO. Douglas has also produced a number of critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries including BISBEE ’17 which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance award winning KATE PLAYS CHRISTINE and the critically acclaimed MAKING THE BOYS, a film about the groundbreaking LGBT play and film The Boys in the Band.”Douglas

Tirola’s films have screened at over thirty film festivals around the world including world premieres at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, Berlin and Edinburgh. DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD premiered at the Sundance Film festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures. The award winning HEY BARTENDER (Netflix) premiered at the SXSW Film Festival was released theatrically around the world and went on to be nominated for a James Beard award. ALL IN – THE POKER MOVIE (Showtime and Netflix) was a grand jury prize winner and is considered the definitive documentary about poker. Douglas’ first feature AN OMAR BROADWAY FILM premiered at the Tribeca Film festival where it was acquired by HBO. Douglas has also produced a number of critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries including BISBEE ’17 which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance award winning KATE PLAYS CHRISTINE and the critically acclaimed MAKING THE BOYS, a film about the groundbreaking LGBT play and film The Boys in the Band.”

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DAN BRAUN

CO-FOUNDER OF SUBMARINE ENTERTAINMENT Dan Braun is the co-founder and co-president of New York based sales, production and distribution company Submarine Entertainment. Mr. Braun has been involved with the sale of many feature films and documentaries including LIFE ANIMATED, THE WITNESS, BLACKFISH, THE WOLFPACK, CITIZENFOUR, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, BATKID BEGINS, THE OVERNIGHT, FINDING VIVIAN MAIER, BEST OF ENEMIES, and MAN ON WIRE. Braun also heads the distribution label Submarine Deluxe whose releases include I CALLED HIM MORGAN, PEGGY GUGGENHEIM ART ADDICT, CHASING ICE, LOVE MARILYN, PEACE OFFICER, and many others. Mr. Braun has executive produced documentaries KILL YOUR IDOLS, BLANK CITY, SUNSHINE SUPERMAN, STREETLIGHT HARMONIES, RATS, I CALLED HIM MORGAN and upcoming feature adaptation BATKID BEGINS; upcoming TV Anthology CREEPY; and upcoming Bill Wyman documentary THE QUIET ONE. Braun produced the documentaries BURDEN, PEGGY GUGGENHEIM: ART ADDICT and KUSAMA-INFINITY.

JOSH BRAUN

CO-FOUNDER OF SUBMARINE ENTERTAINMENT Josh Braun is the co-president of Submarine, a hybrid sales and production company. Recent films include KAILASH, THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS, CRIME AND PUNISHMENT, THE FINAL YEAR, SCOTTY, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRE, DINA, CHASING CORAL, TROPHY, NOBODY SPEAK, DEALT, BARBECUE, THE B-SIDE, WEINER, LO AND BEHOLD, LIFE ANIMATED, ZERO DAYS, THE WOLFPACK, CITIZENFOUR, BEST OF ENEMIES, BLACKFISH, 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN and many others. Documentaries produced by Mr. Braun include SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRE, BURDEN, PAGE ONE INSIDE THE NY TIMES, THE UNKNOWN KNOWN and EASY RIDERS RAGING BULLS. Mr. Braun was an executive producer on David Cronenberg’s A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE, and produced the cult horror hit HOUSE OF THE DEVIL and recently was a producer on BURDEN and Morgan Spurlock’s RATS.

PANELISTS

DARREN DEAN AMERICAN PRODUCER, WRITER, DIRECTOR

Darren Dean is an American producer, writer and director. A three-time Independent Spirit Award nominee, Dean is responsible for producing some of the most notable independent features of the last 10 years. Together with frequent collaborator Sean Baker, he created the award-winning features PRINCE OF BROADWAY (which he co-wrote), tangerine, Clio Award-Winning short SNOWBIRD and 2017’s Spirit and Oscar nominated THE FLORIDA PROJECT. He has also produced such Award-Winning fare as 2010’s KINYARWANDA (dir Alrick Brown), which won the World Cinema Audience Award at Sundance, H.O.M.E. (dir Daniel Maldonado), THE OTHER KIDS (dir Chris Brown) and the short film PIONEER HIGH (dir Suha Araj). He has also been nominated for an NAACP Image Award

(KINYARWANDA) and has won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Feature (for the groundbreaking tangerine). In 2016, his body of work was recognized with a nomination for the prestigious Independent Spirit Piaget Producer’s Award. His upcoming projects include the recently announced SHORT HISTORY OF THE LONG ROAD (dir Ani Simon Kennedy) starring Sabrina Carpenter, Steven Ogg, Maggie Siff, Jashaun St John, Rusty Schwimmer and Danny Trejo, as well as soon-to-beannounced projects from Directors Chris Brown (THE OTHER KIDS; FANNY, ANNIE AND DANNY) and Matt Barber (TV’s Lethal Weapon; GUARDIAN). Dean is directing his first feature in 2018, the Spanish-language NO SUGAR TONIGHT. He continues to develop his adaptation of Will Eisner’s legendary graphic novel A CONTRACT WITH GOD for the big screen.

TRACIE HOLDER

FILMMAKER, CONSULTANT, PRODUCER & FILM FUNDING SPECIALIST Tracie Holder is a filmmaker, consultant, producer and film funding specialist. She is a 2016 Sundance Creative Producers Fellow and leads workshops in the U.S. and abroad, tutors and serves on juries at international pitching and training sessions. She is widely regarded as a “go-to” person and allround resource for artists seeking U.S. funding having raised more than $2.4 million for her own projects from a mix of government funders, private foundations and individuals. Clients include: Documentary Campus, European Documentary Network, Scottish Documentary Institute, Lisbon Docs, DocNomads, Active Voice, DOC NYC, Creative Capital, Unions Docs, and the Made in NY Media Center, among others. Holder

was a longtime consultant to Women Make Movies and most recently was the Development & Funding Strategist for Abby Disney’s Fork Films. She is a former board member of NY Women in Film & Television and Manhattan Neighborhood Network, and grant panelist for national and local funders. Holder is the co-producer/director/writer of JOE PAPP IN FIVE ACTS, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and screened at more than 40 festivals internationally. The film will broadcast nationally on PBS/American Masters in 2019. She produced GRIT, a feature documentary set in Indonesia, co-directed by Academy Award-winner Cynthia Wade and Sasha Friedlander, Executive Producer, Abby Disney and is currently producing A PRINCE FROM OUTER SPACE: ZEKI MÜREN and THE QUIET ZONE.

PANELISTS

WENDY LIDELL

DANIELLE MCCARTHY-BOLES

Wendy Lidell is Sr. VP, Theatrical/Nontheatrical Distribution & Acquisition at Kino Lorber Inc., a leader in independent art house distribution for over 30 years with a library of more than 1600 titles. Prior to joining Kino Lorber in 2016, Lidell was President of International Film Circuit, a company she founded in 1987. During its first decade, InFC earned a reputation for excellence, winning acclaim for its introduction into the US market of previously unknown filmmakers such as Raul Ruiz, Alexander Sokurov, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Nanni Moretti. She later turned to documentary releasing, and handled such films as SHE’S BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE’S ANGRY, and YOO-HOO MRS. GOLDBERG which grossed over a million dollars. Lidell has also run academy campaigns for three documentaries that were nominated for Academy Awards.

Danielle McCarthy-Boles is Director of Regional Publicity at Magnolia Pictures. She has overseen publicity and promotion for independent film hits including MAN ON WIRE (winner of the 2008 Academy Award for Best Documentary), BLACKFISH, MELANCHOLIA, LIFE ITSELF, THE WOLFPACK, THE SQUARE, and the Oscar-nominated documentary I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO among many others. McCarthy-Boles produced the critically acclaimed documentary BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME which was released theatrically nationwide and on demand by Magnolia Pictures on July 3rd, 2013. BIG STAR: NOTHING CAN HURT ME was also released internationally by Universal Music Group in 2014. McCarthy-Boles holds a BFA in Cinema Studies from New York University and an MA in Media Studies from The New School.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THEATRICAL DISTRIBUTION AND ACQUISITIONS

MAGNOLIA PICTURES DIRECTOR OF REGIONAL PUBLICITY

ELIZABETH SHELDON

FOUNDING PARTNER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF JUNO FILMS

GREG RHEM

DIRECTORY OF DOCUMENTARY PROGRAMMING FOR HBO DOC FILMS Greg Rhem is Director of Documentary Programming for Home Box Office. For twenty-three years, he has help discover distinctive programming for HBO Documentary Films. Some of his finds have been: JOURNEYS WITH GEORGE; the Oscar®-winning FREEHELD, BORN INTO BROTHELS, THOTH, and BREATHING LESSON: THE LIFE AND WORK OF MARK O’BRIEN; and Oscar®-nominated PRISON TERMINAL: THE LAST DAYS OF PRIVATE JACK HALL, MONDAYS AT RACINE, THE LAST CAMPAIGN OF GOVERNOR BOOTH GARDNER, SPELLBOUND, and THE COLLECTOR OF BEDFORD STREET. Greg holds a M.A. in Media Studies from the New School University, and a B.A. degree in English and Film Studies from the University of Rochester.

Elizabeth Sheldon is the founding partner and Chief Executive Officer of Juno Films. She implements a collaborative approach with feature and documentary filmmakers and producers to secure funding and develop and execute bespoke all-rights releases. Recent releases include The Silk and the Flame, Constructing Albert and Michelin Stars -- Tales From the Kitchen. Prior to launching Juno, Elizabeth was COO of BOND Strategy & Influence where she oversaw the release of such films as The Settlers, Strike a Pose, Karl Marx City and The War Show. Prior she was the Senior Vice President at Kino Lorber, Inc, a leading North American independent distributor of critically acclaimed films such as A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, Jafar Panahi’s Taxi, and 5 Broken Cameras. She was Vice President at Lorber HT Digital where she launched the Alive Mind Cinema label. The early stage of her career was built in the educational market, where she oversaw acquisitions and business development for two of the leading North America educational distributors. She has been recognized as one of the ‘50 Most Powerful People’ in the documentary world by POV, is the recipient of three NEH Grants for film development and is a frequent industry panelist and guest speaker. World Wide Motion Pictures recently elected New Board Member Elizabeth Sheldon to its Board of Directors. Elizabeth is joined by her husband, Sasha Kandaurov, Co-Founder and COO of Juno Films.

PANELISTS

DOUGLAS TIROLA

DOUGLAS TRUMBULL

CHRISTOPHER WHITE

Academy Award winning, special effects icon and visionary Legendary filmmaker and visual effects pioneer, Douglas Trumbull, was one of the Special Photographic Effects Supervisors for 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968). He went on to become the Visual Effects Supervisor for such classics as CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977), STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979), and BLADE RUNNER (1982), each of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. Mr. Trumbull directed SILENT RUNNING (1972), BRAINSTORM (1983), BACK TO THE FUTURE… THE RIDE (1991) and numerous other special format films. He is the recent recipient of an Academy Award in the area of Scientific and Technical Achievement as well as the International Monitor Award and American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions in the field of involved in the evolution of visual effects using virtual digital sets and electronic cinematography.

Christopher White has been a documentary film editor, producer and director of numerous award winning films since 1995. His most recent project is ROLL RED ROLL, which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival. White was the editor and co-director of LOVE FREE OR DIE, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, winning the Special Jury Prize. Other films include THE KILLER WITHIN (as editor and co-director) which premiered at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival and was nominated for a 2008 Best Documentary Emmy, and HARD ROAD HOME, nominated for a Best Documentary Emmy in 2009. ELEVATE, a cross-cultural, multi-national journey of four particularly tall West African basketball-playing Muslim teenagers premiered at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival and won the Best Documentary Award at the 2011 Dallas International Film Festival. Episodic Series work includes THE HORN, which won the RealScreen Award for Best Digital and Branded Content – Non-Fiction in 2017. White lives in New York City with his wife and son.

ACADEMY AWARD WINNING, SPECIAL EFFECTS ICON AND VISIONARY

DOCUMENTARY FILM EDITOR, PRODUCER & DIRECTOR

PANELISTS

CYNTHIA WADE GRIT

Cynthia won the Academy Award and 16 film awards for her HBO documentary FREEHELD, about a dying policewoman fighting to leave her pension to her female life partner. Wade was a lead producer on the Lionsgate feature adaptation also entitled FREEHELD, starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page and Steve Carell. In 2013, Cynthia received her second Oscar nomination for her award-winning HBO documentary MONDAYS AT RACINE, about a hair salon that caters to women undergoing chemotherapy. Cynthiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2010 short documentary BORN SWEET, about a Cambodian village poisoned with arsenic well water, was short listed for an Academy Award and won 17 festival

awards worldwide. Cynthia is the director of the feature length documentaries GRIT (releasing in 2018), GENERATION STARTUP (Netflix), SHELTER DOGS (HBO), LIVING THE LEGACY (Sundance & IFC Channels), GROWING HOPE AGAINST HUNGER (Sesame Street Prime Time Special, Emmy Winner), and GRIST FOR THE MILL (Cinemax). She has directed commercial campaigns for Kelloggs, Unilever, Abbott, Kimberly Clark, Sanofi, Pfizer, Hershey and Bristol Myers Squibb, including the viral branded films SELFIE (Dove Real Beauty) and #ENDMOMMYWARS (Similac). Cynthia is a MacArthur grantee and holds an MA in documentary filmmaking from Stanford University and BA cum laude from Smith College.

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FILMMAKERS

LISA D’APOLITO OTOJA ABIT JITTERS

Assistant Director on Broadway’s revival of That Championship Season, directed by Gregory Mosher and starring Kiefer Sutherland, Jason Patric and Chris Noth. Otoja then went on to book roles in both television and film. Recent credits include: Marvel’s Netflix THE DEFENDERS directed by SJ Clarkson- acting opposite Krysten Ritter, HBO’s critically acclaimed THE NIGHT OF, directed by Steven Zaillan. THE HUMBLING, directed by Barry Levinson, opposite Al Pacino, NBC’s THE SLAP & THE BLACKLIST. And co-starring, as Marsha P Johnson, in Roland Emmerich’s feature film STONEWALL. Otoja’s co-creator, producer and star of the New York Television Festival’s Official Selection, HARLEM KNIGHTS. And the 2018 short film JITTERS which Otoja wrote, directed, produced and stars in.

LOVE, GILDA

Lisa D’Apolito is a documentary and commercial director raised in Greenwich Village, NYC. She started out as an actress in theater, television and film--and had a part in GOODFELLAS. Lisa went on to producing, making her way to SVP/EP of Production for FCB where she was responsible for managing the production department and directing high profile projects, including award winning branded content. In 2013, she launched her commercial production company, 3 Faces Films. Her pro bono clients include Planned Parenthood, Greenwich Village Youth Center and Gilda’s Club (where she fell in love with the spirit of Gilda). Her short narrative film THE GYNOTICIAN starring Amber Tamblyn & David Cross won several film festival awards. LOVE, GILDA was selected to attend the Deal Maker Program at Hotdocs, IFP Spotlight on Documentaries, CID Kopkind Retreat, IFP speed pitch, Sebastopol peer pitch, the Illuminate accelerator lab in Sedona, the Big Sky Pitch and won an A&E Cine Pitch.

VANESSA BERGONZOLI DEPORTING MYSELF

DOUGLAS BEER L’INSTANT INFINI

Douglas Beer is a graduate in art and cinema of the Geneva University of Art and Design and of the Whitney Independent Study Program in New York. He first made sculpture installations and from 1981 until 2010 he wrote, produced and directed 5 shorts (all fictions). In 2014 he was finalist of two prestigious US awards for his feature length script, Feeding The Sharks. Born in Algiers, he has both British and Swiss citizenships. He currently lives in Switzerland. FILMS MADE THE INFINITE MOMENT, HD colour 90 min., 2017 WHEN MISERY SLIDES UNDER THE DOOR..., HD, color, 2 min., 2010 THE PREDICTION, DVcam color 12 min., 2004 A PERFECT MEETING, 35 mm film, color 15 min., 1991 PARCS, 16 mm film color 29 min., 1989 BLINDS, 16 mm b/w 59 min., 1981

Filmmaker and award-winning producer, Vanessa Bergonzoli works managing all stages of production for art films, documentaries, and TV news media. A proud cross cultural and multilingual communicator, she thrives being out in the field locally and worldwide, passionately pouring herself into the tasks at hand. Some of Vanessa’s award-winning work includes Selfie (2014), DOVE’s Real Beauty 10th Anniversary Campaign (in Partnership with the Sundance Institute) for which she received a CLIO and the HBO, Academy Award nominated documentary MONDAYS AT RACINE (2013). Vanessa’s decades-long expertise producing independent content centers on creative problem solving and dynamic team leadership to manage resources, meet deadlines, and achieve common goals. She continues to work with some of the world’s finest contemporary artists and documentary filmmakers while constantly feeling incredibly blessed to make important, game changing, inspiring films. Vanessa is the Producer for the short documentary DEPORTING MYSELF, directed by Julia Neumann and Field Producer for the feature documentary GRIT, directed by Cynthia Wade and Sasha Friedlander, both films showing at this year’s BIFF.

FILMMAKERS

ELAN BOGARIN 306 HOLLYWOOD

Elan Bogarín’s first feature, 306 Hollywood, premiered on opening night of the 2018 Sundance Film Festival as the first documentary ever to be included in the festival’s NEXT section. In 2017 she and her brother Jonathan were chosen for Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Film and their projects have received support from the Sundance Institute, Just Films/Ford Foundation, Latino Public Broadcasting, NYSCA, Artemis Rising Foundation, Experimental Television Center, and IFP. Elan and Jonathan won the audience award for best pitch at the 2017 Hot Docs Forum and they are the co-directors of El Tigre Productions, a bilingual digital strategy/production company that creates innovative nonfiction films and content for the world’s leading museums and cultural institutions. Clients include MoMA, the Whitney, The Getty, Colección Cisneros, and The New York Times. Elan co-founded The Wassaic Project, an arts festival/residency program that has hosted thousands of artists and in 2009 was nominated for the Gotham + Spirit Awards for producing BIG FAN which premiered in competition at Sundance. She studied film at Tisch, NYU and photography in the MFA program at SAIC.

KEATON BOWER NIGHT

Keaton Brower, originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, is an actor, writer, director and producer for stage and screen. Before graduating from Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Arts and a minor in Arts Leadership this May, Keaton also completed programs at the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and the Governor’s School of North Carolina. When not making plays or films he enjoys traveling, listening to music, and political activism. He can be found online at www.keatonbrower.com.

RANDALL DOTTIN FEVAH

Director Randall Dottin completed his MFA in Film Directing at the Columbia University School of the Arts Graduate Film Division. His thesis film, A-ALIKE, was licensed for a two-year broadcast run on HBO in 2003 and won numerous awards including the Gold Medal at the 2004 Student Academy Awards for Best Narrative Film. In 2007, Randall’s short film Lifted was sponsored by Fox Searchlight’s program for emerging directors, the Fox Searchlab. In March 2009, Randall was named by INDIEWIRE Magazine as one of the Top Ten New Voices in Black Cinema. In July 2015, Lifted started a five-month broadcast run on CBS Television as part of a collection of short films. Currently, Randall serves as the writer/director on a feature length documentary entitled, The Chicago Franchise. The film explores the relationship between gun violence, poverty and residential segregation in the city of Chicago. When not writing and directing, Randall serves as Chair of the Screenwriting Department at the New York Film Academy. His former students have won screenwriting awards, film festivals and have recently began careers as staff writers on both American and European television shows.

CARRA GREENBERG

DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION CARRA GREENBERG(Producer). Carra’s first documentary feature, DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION, premiered at SXSW 2018 and received the Louis Black ‘Lone Star’ special jury prize. She has produced content for global brands such as Samsung, Jack Daniels and Pepsi and in 2015 was awarded a Lion at the Cannes International Festival for her short film on marriage equality. She has been a member of the California State Bar since 2007.

FILMMAKERS

LUCIEN FLORES AND MICHALA SMITH FLY LADY FLY

Lucien Flores & Michela M. Smith are a writing-and-directing duo who specialize in creating off-kilter comedy with cinematic style. Together, they made short films, sketches, and web-series for companies like Funny Or Die, Broadway Video, Google, Just For Laughs, and others. Their work has been featured on Variety, Deadline, IndieWire, Splitsider, and more. They’ve screened their work at many festivals, including The New York Television Festival and The New York International Children’s Film Festival. www.loosesealproductions.com/ Michela is originally from Andover, Massachusetts where she first developed her love of filmmaking in the 90’s. While she’s moved on from the DV cameras of that era, she holds on to her dream to direct Godfather IV. Until then, the highlight of her career remains the day that Lin-Manuel Miranda shared one of her videos. Lucien was born and raised in New York City. He briefly left the city to study film at Boston University and was promptly shipped back after graduation. He was recently a production coordinator on the A24, Spirit Award-nominated film, Menashe. He lives with his true love, MoviePass.

THOMAS D. HERMAN DATELINE SAIGON

Tom Herman combines careers in filmmaking and law. He directed the award-winning documentary DATELINE-SAIGON (2017) about David Halberstam, Neil Sheehan and other Pulitzer Prize-winning reporters of the Vietnam War. CBS’ Bob Schieffer calls DATELINE-SAIGON “the best film on Vietnam and journalism I’ve ever seen.” Tom was a co-producer of the Emmy-award winning feature film, LIVE FROM BAGHDAD, starring Michael Keaton and Helena Bonham-Carter. He formerly worked as a free-lance producer for CNN and correspondent for NPR. He has written for The Boston Globe, Poynter, and other publications. When not making films, Tom practices law in the Boston law firm, Smith Duggan Buell & Rufo, LLP, where he leads the corporate law department. “Practicing law helps me pay for my bad habits, like filmmaking,” he says. Tom was educated at the University of Pennsylvania from which he received his BA with honors, and Harvard, Oxford, and Northeastern universities. He lives in Boston.

TROY HERION 306 HOLLYWOOD

Troy Herion is a NYC-based composer writing music for film, theater, dance, and experimental arts. His orchestral and electronic music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, broadcast on MTV, and screened in major film festivals including Sundance, Toronto, Tribeca, Full Frame, Hot Docs, and SXSW. His compositions have been called “marvelous” by New Yorker music critic Alex Ross and performed by the Grammy-winning Crossing Choir, The Pennsylvania Ballet, So Percussion, JACK Quartet, and Nash Ensemble of London. He studied music aast the Princeton University PhD composition department with a dissertation on visual-music.

CHRIS HUME

THE LONG RED LIGHT Chris is an award winning movie trailer editor as well as an accomplished documentary filmmaker and animator. His trailer credits include Michael Moore’s FAHRENHEIT 9/11 and SICKO, Tim Burton’s CORPSE BRIDE, as well as AMELIE, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, and LOOPER. His documentaries include THIS IS CUBA, BENEATH LOS ANGELES, RED STATE ROAD TRIP and STRAIGHT FORWARD. His animated work includes his online series ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER MAN as well as THE LONG RED LIGHT, A WEINSTEIN FAIRYTALE and OSCAR SAVES HOLLYWOOD.

FILMMAKERS

SIMON HUNTER

MELISSA JACKSON

Simon Hunter has directed over fifty tv commercials and two feature films. His directing debut was the horror movie LIGHTHOUSE in the year 2000 and he went on to direct the visual effects-laden sci-fi movie THE MUTANT CHRONICLES in 2008. Simon’s first feature, Lighthouse, was released theatrically in 2002. Simon subsequently became a much sort after commercials director before returning to features with Edward R Pressman’s Mutant Chronicles in the Summer of 2006. In 2016 Simon directed his passion project, EDIE which tells the tale of an older lady who climbs a mountain in Scotland at the age of eighty-three. The film is to be released in the UK in May 2018. Simon lives in Berlin, Germany, when not making films you can find him on the mountains of his native Scotland or hiking in some far distant corner of the world.

Melissa Jackson is an actress and produced based in New York City. She has played in films across the landscape—from art house shorts (LENA’S COMPLICATED MACHINE), award-winning festival docs (FREEING SILVIA BARALDINI), international theatrical hits (NOUS YORK), to high-profile Hollywood features (THE NEXT THREE DAYS), where Jackson played opposite Russell Crowe in Paul Haggis’ crime thriller. Most recently Jackson played the SLAM HOST in LOVE BEATS RHYMES directed by Wu-Tang Clan member RZA, starred as “Jack” in JACK AND JILL directed by Nikhil Melnechuk, and starred in “Fevah” directed by Randall Dottin. She is currently producing a female-driven adventure film BRIDGE TO ALTA VISTA for her production company Winding Roads, and developing JACK AND JILL into a scripted series. Jackson trained under Anthony Abeson and with The Upright Citizens Brigade.

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JAMES LESTER GETTING NAKED

James Lester is a native New Yorker and an independent film director, producer, editor and writer.Â His debut featuredocumentary GETTING NAKED: A BURLESQUE STORY had its world premiere in the Venice Days section of the 74th Venice International Film Festival. Its North American premiere was at DOC NYC. His short films have won awards at the New York Television Festival, the Jackson Hole Film Festival, and have been featured on IFC. As a producer and senior editor he helped lead the way on CHICAGOLAND, the acclaimed CNN documentary series from executive producer Robert Redford and awardwinning director Marc Levin. His editor and producer resume includes programming for HBO, AMC, A&E, PBS, CBS, NBC, FOX, MSNBC, USA Network, and Sundance Channel. Before working in film and television, Lester studied piano and composition. He performed and taught piano, music theory, and jazz history in New York.

LORENA LUCIANO IT WILL BE CHAOS

A passionate filmmaker with a Law degree, Lorena tells unforgettable stories from a ground-level angle, directing films that speak to audiences that are starkly different. Her films focus on social justice, the human rights, the environment, as well as on the arts, and she is the recipient of several prestigious artist grants from the MacArthur Foundation, the New York State Council on the Arts et al. Her documentaries, winners of numerous awards, have been screened and distributed internationally. She lives in New York with her two children and her husband and film partner Filippo Piscopo

FILMMAKERS

NIKHIL MELNECHUK FEVAH

Nikhil Melnechuk is an award-winning filmmaker and poet in New York City, and a graduate of Wesleyan University. He received a certificate in Film & TV at India’s prestigious National Institute of Design. He is Founding Director of Bowery Poetry Studios, a nonprofit media incubator which supports filmmaking and poetry in service of social change. Melnechuk assisted acclaimed Israeli filmmaker Amos Kollek on CHRONICLING A CRISIS, Katy Chevigny of Big Mouth Productions on ELECTION DAY and Jasmine Dellal on GYPSY CARAVAN, before producing SEARCHING FOR THE 4TH NAIL, the first documentary directed by an American Rom (GYPSY). He produced narrative festival hits FURTHER LANE (Dir. Mesh Flinders), JEROME’S BOUQUET (Dir. Bebe Neuwirth), and

directed BA+S’ 9/11 poetry documentary WITNESS DOWNTOWN RISING RENGA, and a narrative short, SOMETHING HAPPENED, which won the “Best Experimental” Award at the 2017 New York Shorts International Film Festival. JACK AND JILL won Best Short at the 2017 Malta International Film Festival and at the 2018 Carnegie Mellon International Film Festival. Melnechuk is currently developing JACK AND JILL into a series, and developing a narrative feature BRIDGE TO ALTA VISTA for Winding Roads Productions. His latest short production FEVAH (Dir. Randall Dottin) premiered at the 2018 Vail Film Festival, and his feature documentary “DON’T BE NICE” (Dir. Max Powers) opens April 2018 at London’s East End Film Festival and at Toronto’s Hot Docs.

MEGAN MILLER SURVIVING NEW YORK

Megan Miller currently works at Newsday as a staff video editor in the multimedia department. ‘SURVIVING NEW YORK’ is her first film, one which she began as a student and completed as a graduate from Stony Brook University with a degree in visual journalism. It premiered at DOC NYC in November of last year and has since screened at festivals across the country. When Megan is not filming or editing, she’s watching other films and edits, wining with friends, dining with friends, reading, traveling, appreciating the present perfect progressive verb tense (ing), and honing her sarcasm.

ZACHARY MYERS COOL POOL

Zachary Myers is a Colorado-based filmmaker who has written and directed a repertoire of independent short films. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2016 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Filmmaking and a certificate in Technology, Arts and Media. Stylistically, Zachary is drawn to science fiction, fantasy, the off-kilter and the uncanny.

FILMMAKERS

JAMEELAH NURIDDIN MUMBET

JULIA NEUMANN DEPORTING MYSELF

DEPORTING MYSELF is Julia Neumann’s first documentary short film and it also marks her debut as a writer/director. Originally from Austria, she studied Journalism in Vienna and copywriting at Miami Ad School in Hamburg. Julia came to the U.S. to kick off her career in advertising and is currently an Executive Creative Director at TBWA\Chiat\Day in New York. Her work in the commercial world has been recognized by every major international industry award show and she was included in Business Insider’s annual list of most creative women in 2013, 2014 and 2016. As a writer by trade and an inquisitive storyteller by nature, Julia is now applying her passion for social justice to films she creates outside of advertising.

Jameelah Nuriddin is a NAACP award-winning artist and holds her BFA in Theatre from the University of Southern California (USC.) A native of Atlanta, Georgia, she began acting in films in her early teens, playing opposite such notable actors as Don Cheadle, Cicely Tyson, and Kimberly Elise. While in Atlanta, Jameelah worked for HBO, FAMILY CHANNEL, and FOX while attending the Magnet School for Performing Arts; she has also studied in New York under Larry Silverberg — world-renowned expert of the Meisner Method — forming the foundation of her craft.Over the course of her career, Jameelah has appeared in dozens of stage, film, and TV productions including: the WARNER BROS. Feature film ATL, The DISNEY REDCAT Theatre’s Cut, starring in the OFF-BROADWAY run of Innocent Flesh, and recently acting in a TV series with Vivica A. Fox and Nichelle Nichols. As a Producer and Director, Jameelah has been hired by the WATTS VILLAGE THEATRE COMPANY, and PASADENA PLAYHOUSE.A passion for teaching and inspiring in the arts, she has taught theatre widely over the globe: a Children’s Orphanage in Indonesia, Middle-school students in MacArthur Park - LA, and even sessions with inmates of NORCO California State Prison with the ACTOR’S GANG PRISON PROJEC T . As a leader and innovator, Jameelah serves as Artist Director/Co-Founder of a Los Angeles based Production Cooperative, Imaginese.

FILIPPO PISCOPO IT WILL BE CHAOS

MADELEINE OURS COOL POOL

Madeleine is a recent graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder where she studied Theatre and Elementary Education. COOLPOOL is the first film she has worked on that she has cowritten and assistant directed. She currently lives in Brooklyn where she works as a model and actor.

As a director, producer, and cinematographer, Filippo Piscopo intersects his true passion for storytelling with impactful camerawork. Inspired by content that resonates with diverse audiences, Filippo has crafted engaging stories with universal implications that were featured at international film events such as the Venice Film Festival, the IDFA’s Central Pitch, and the IFP Market’s Spotlight on Documentaries. Granted the Social Justice Award by Amy Goodman, Filippo’s distinguished documentary work, often in collaboration with his wife and film partner Lorena Luciano, has opened to good reviews by mainstream media such as Variety and the New York Times and has been distributed internationally.

FILMMAKERS

CORNELIA RAVENAL MOVING STORIES

CORNELIA RAVENAL is a writer-producer-filmmaker with work performed at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and regional theaters, published in magazines in Asia and the US, and screened at over 25 international festivals. Projects include MOVING STORIES (Producer), which premiered at MOMA’s 2018 Doc Fortnight and is beginning its festival run; the 2015 NY Times Critics Pick NIRBHAYA (Producer) off-Broadway; the awardwinning off-beat documentary FIVE FEELINGS ABOUT FOOD (Co-Director, Producer, Writer); and the award-winning shorts THE OTHER WOMAN (Writer, Producer) and WHITE MAN’S BLUES (Writer, Producer) starring Michael Nyqvist (“Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”). She has also been a journalist and cultural critic, writing for The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Post, Art, Asia Pacific and others. From ‘96-98 she was a US Correspondent for India Today, India’s leading newsmagazine. She is a cofounder of WIP (Women Independent Producers), a 60+ member organization that meets monthly to discuss critical topics and share resources. She has a B.A. in English and American Literature from Harvard University and has lived in Sweden, Egypt and India.

MIKAEL SODERSTEN MOVING STORIES

MIKAEL SÖDERSTEN has over twenty years’ experience as an independent filmmaker and development executive with Scandinavia’s leading producers and television networks. He’s directed two novella-length films broadcast on Swedish TV: PASS, with Michael Nyqvist (THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO) and FISSURA, called “the best Swedish short of the decade”. With Cornelia Ravenal, he’s made THE OTHER WOMAN, WHITE MAN’S BLUES, and the offbeat doc FIVE FEELINGS ABOUT FOOD, which have been screened in +25 festivals and together won seven “Best” awards. As a script doctor, he’s worked on over 60 projects, including Tomas Alfredson’s TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY and Grand Jury prizewinners at Tribeca and Sundance. He’s co-written scripts in the thriller, drama and comedy genres, including the rom com I LOVE YOU premiering nationwide in Sweden in 2016. He line-produced and coedited MOVING STORIES, a feature documentary shot on three continents. Mikael majored in film at Harvard and studied film theory at Stockholm University. He’s taught story structure at the Swedish Royal Academy of Fine Arts and currently teaches Directing Actors at the Columbia University Graduate Film Program.

SUSANNA STYRON OUT OF MY HEAD HOUSE OF TEETH

OLYMPIA STONE

DOUBLE TAKE:THE ART OF ELIZABETH KING Olympia Stone is an independent producer of documentary films about art and artists. Her production company, Floating Stone Productions, is based in Chapel Hill, NC. Her films probe the motivations and personal histories of eclectic artists as a way of providing intimate insight into their work. Her previous films include THE ORIGINAL RICHARD MCMAHAN (2017), CURIOUS WORLDS: THE ART & IMAGINATION OF DAVID BECK (2015), THE CARDBOARD BERNINI (2012) and THE COLLECTOR (2007).

SUSANNA STYRON’s debut feature, Columbia Pictures’ SHADRACH starring Harvey Keitel and Andie MacDowell, which she wrote (with Bridget Terry) and directed, premiered at the Venice Film Festival. She has written several acclaimed television movies, and has written for Tom Fontana’s BORGIA, and Sidney Lumet’s 100 CENTRE STREET, for which she also directed. Susanna directed the web series ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE, starring Brooke Adams; and wrote and directed the 2017 award-winning narrative short, HOUSE OF TEETH. Her previous feature documentary, 9/12: FROM CHAOS TO COMMUNITY was also a collaboration with OUT OF MY HEAD producer Jacki Ochs. Susanna’s non-fiction essays have been published in The Yale Review, Spin Magazine, The New York Times, and Real Simple magazine. She teaches screenwriting in Columbia University’s MFA Film Program, and at the Mediterranean Film Institute in Greece.

FILMMAKERS

ALETHEA ROOT MUMBET

VEENA RAO

BUILDING IN MINIATURE Veena Rao is a filmmaker based in New York City. Her work has been featured on The New York Times Op-Docs, The Atlantic, National Geographic, Vimeo’s Staff Picks, and supported by|New York State Council on the Arts. She is an alumna of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and a member of Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective.

Alethea Root, is the director and producer of MUMBET. Her first feature film, PART TIME FABULOUS, available on Amazon, won eight film festival awards, including the audience award at BIFF. Her music video LONELY won her three film festival awards for BEST MUSIC VIDEO. She produced the Emmy Winning short film, A LOVE STORY and her parody “Orphan is the New Orange” won 2 film festival awards and has over 10,000 views, screening at Comic Cons all over the US and Canada. Alethea got her start in film as a production designer and is known for her work on the Academy Award Winning short film WEST BANK STORY, and the Emmy Winning web-show, DR. HORRIBLE’S SING-ALONG BLOG. Alethea currently serves on Woman In Film’s Executive Committee for their PSA program. She has several features in development and is committed to telling paradigm shifting stories that help elevate the human condition.

NILOU SAFINYA JULIA BLUE

Nilou Safinya, Producer Nilou is a film and theatre producer and a graduate of Columbia University. She worked in TV/film development and production at Levantine Entertainment (Associate Producer for Amreeka, 2009) before turning freelance. Most recently, she produced the feature, EUGENIA AND JOHN (2015) and the short film MONTANA (2018). She has two upcoming features scheduled to shoot in 2018 and 2019. Nilou is also the co-founding Director of Production for Eyes Up Here Productions, that specializes in the strategic storytelling through the production of moving video content and live events.

CHRISTIAN SCALES NIGHT

Christian Scales, originally from Durham, North Carolina is an actor, writer, and filmmaker. He will be graduating from Boston University in May of 2019 with a BFA in acting and a concentration in filmmaking. He has also attended the London Academy of Music & Dramatic Arts, and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Outside of the arts he enjoys traveling, playing basketball and dancing the night away.

FILMMAKERS

DOUGLAS TIROLA BREWMASTER

PAULA SILVER

FOUNDER/CHIEF IDEA OFFICER AT BEYOND THE BOX PRODUCTIONS Paula Silver is a creative, production and marketing solutionist. Currently CEO of Beyond The Box Productions, she has served as President of worldwide marketing at Columbia Pictures, Walt Disney Company and Interscope Films. Working closely with major Hollywood studios, Paula created advertising campaigns for KRAMER VS KRAMER; ALL THAT JAZZ; ALIEN; TOOTSIE; GANDHI; GHOSTBUSTERS; THE BIG CHILL; DIRTY DANCING and MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING to mention few. Paula serves on the boards of Women in Film, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, Word Theater, #YourMomCares and the advisory board of Witness Human Rights Watch. Her best productions are her three grown children Jessica, Luke and Morgan.

Douglas Tirola’s films have screened at over thirty film festivals around the world including world premieres at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, Berlin and Edinburgh. DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD premiered at the Sundance Film festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures. The award winning HEY BARTENDER (Netflix) premiered at the SXSW Film Festival was released theatrically around the world and went on to be nominated for a James Beard award. ALL IN – THE POKER MOVIE (Showtime and Netflix) was a grand jury prize winner and is considered the definitive documentary about poker. Douglas’ first feature AN OMAR BROADWAY FILM premiered at the Tribeca Film festival where it was acquired by HBO. Douglas has also produced a number of critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries including BISBEE ’17 which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance award winning KATE PLAYS CHRISTINE and the critically acclaimed MAKING THE BOYS, a film about the groundbreaking LGBT play and film The Boys in

the Band.”Douglas Tirola’s films have screened at over thirty film festivals around the world including world premieres at Sundance, Tribeca, SXSW, Berlin and Edinburgh. DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD premiered at the Sundance Film festival and was released by Magnolia Pictures. The award winning HEY BARTENDER (Netflix) premiered at the SXSW Film Festival was released theatrically around the world and went on to be nominated for a James Beard award. ALL IN – THE POKER MOVIE (Showtime and Netflix) was a grand jury prize winner and is considered the definitive documentary about poker. Douglas’ first feature AN OMAR BROADWAY FILM premiered at the Tribeca Film festival where it was acquired by HBO. Douglas has also produced a number of critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries including BISBEE ’17 which premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, the Sundance award winning KATE PLAYS CHRISTINE and the critically acclaimed MAKING THE BOYS, a film about the groundbreaking LGBT play and film The Boys in the Band.”

ROXY TOPOROWYCH JULIA BLUE

Roxy is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and has worked in Film and TV production for 15 years. Credits include: CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER, THE OTHER GUYS, A MOST VIOLENT YEAR and SNL. She has worked for Tribeca and Sundance film festivals. Previously, Roxy directed a dance documentary FOLK! In 2014, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to Ukraine, where she researched and wrote JULIA BLUE, her narrative feature directing debut. She is an IFP Narrative Lab Directing Fellow 2016 and the recipient of the Calvin Klein ‘Live the Dream’ grant for emerging female directors 2016.

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT GOES OUT TO OUR GENEROUS UNDERWRITERS Mary Mott and Gordon Simmering for hosting the Filmmaker Summit and generously underwriting the Filmmaker Cocktail Party Douglas and Julia Trumbull for opening up his magical state-of-the-art studio, hosting the Summit lunch, and generously donating time to the Filmmakers Summit The Red Lion Inn for the wonderful hospitality to our Filmmakers, Panelists and Jurors Kate Baldwin for generously underwriting the celebratory Summit cocktail and dinner party Chris Weld and Berkshire Mountain Distillers for his generous donation of his locally produced libations Tom Leveque, Girardi Distributors and Stella Artois for their continued support and donation of fine beer and filmmaker t-shirts. Seth Nash and Blue Q for the fun filmmaker Camera Zipper Pouches Lisa Newmann and Coffee Snacks for the Java Me Up Bars The Fairfield Inn and Suites for the wonderful hospitality accommodating our Filmmakers Borgo Maragliano and Surrau for the generous donation of amazing wines Briarcliff Model for accommodating our filmmakers

RED LION INN 30 Main Street Stockbridge, MA 01262 FAIRFIELD INN 249 Stockbridge Road Great Barrington, MA 01230 BRIARCLIFF MOTEL 506 Stockbrigde Road Great Barrington, MA 413.528.3000 briarcliff@mshgmail.com BERKSHIRE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL P.O. Box 237, 40 Railroad St Great Barrington, MA 01230 413.528.8030 BIFFMA.ORG

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John Clarke, heard of transportation, can be reached throughout your stay at (413) 644-6228 Should you need anything throughout the Filmmakers Summit or Festival, please contact the BIFF office directly at 413.528.8030. The festival web address is www.biffma.org. Thank you!