Meet the industry professionals, thought leaders, filmmakers and experts joining us for conversations at the 2026 DocShop Filmmaker's Forum.
ALEXANDRA GARCIA
Executive Producer, The New York Times Opinion Video
Alexandra Garcia currently leads Op-Docs, the newspaper's Oscar-winning series of short documentaries. Previously, she was a documentary director/producer for The New York Times’s video newsroom and for its documentary series “The Weekly” and “The New York Times Presents” on FX and Hulu. Her directing work at the Times has earned three Emmy awards, over a dozen Emmy nominations and screened at film festivals worldwide. Formerly, she was a fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard and a senior video journalist at The Washington Post.
Alex will participate in DocShop as a panelist for The Power of Shorts: Leveraging Short-Form Work for Long-Term Impact.
ALICE QUINLAN
Co-founder Red Owl Partners; Impact Strategist
Alice is a co-founder and partner at Red Owl, a social impact collective working across creative disciplines. As an impact and engagement producer with fifteen years of experience using storytelling to drive social change, she leads campaigns with responsive strategies and an eye for creative partnerships and community-based work. Current and recent campaigns include UNION, SUGARCANE, STORM LAKE, NO TIME TO FAIL, and VICTIM/SUSPECT. Previously, as the Director of Community Engagement and Education at POV, Alice developed national engagement campaigns for POV documentaries, produced resources around POV's features, shorts and digital projects, and facilitated hundreds of free screenings nationwide every year with her team. Prior to joining POV in 2014, she founded the KRTS Youth Media Project in Marfa, TX, a part of PBS Student Reporting Labs. Alice is the director of programming at the Dome House, a community space and studio in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, which seeks to provide artists of all mediums with space for creativity, contemplation and wonder.
Alice will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Indigenous Impact Alliance: A Collective Strategy Model.
AMBER MORNING STAR BYARS
Independent FIlmmaker; Fouder, Good Trade Productions
A member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Amber Morning Star Byars is a multidisciplinary artist, lawyer, producer, impact producer, and Indigenous rights advocate. In 2023, Amber founded Good Trade Productions, a production company dedicated to supporting the art of Indigenous storytelling. Amber has contributed to the impact campaigns of acclaimed films including the two-time Emmy winning documentary Lakota Nation vs United States and the Academy Award nominated, Sugarcane. Amber currently serves as a cultural advisor for AMC Networks and was named one of DOC NYC’s New Leaders for 2024-25.
Amber will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Indigenous Impact Alliance: A Collective Strategy Model.
ADAM NEUHAUS
Founder, Neuhaus Ideas
Adam Neuhaud is the founder of Neuhaus Ideas, focused on creative development and production. Adam spent 7+ years in development for 30for30 and ESPN Films, producing 100+ projects across documentary, digital, scripted, and launching 30for30 Podcasts. Neuhaus Ideas currently produces the podcast Hello Puzzlers with A.J. Jacobs, a puzzle show with 500+ episodes and 5M+ downloads. Adam worked for RadicalMedia and Original Media, began his career at Williams Morris Agency and serves as a mentor for Unlock Her Potential and on the Capacity Council for Brown Girls Doc Mafia. He is CEO and Co-Founder of the Nonfiction Hotlist, championing exceptional nonfiction storytelling connecting storytellers to audiences, industry opportunities, and sustainable pathways to success.
Adam will participate in DocShop as a coach and mentor for filmmakers participating in the Big Sky Pitch, and as a panelist for Thinking as a Collective: The Value of Cooperatives & Coalitions.
ADDIE MORFOOT
Reporter, Variety Magazine (Documentary)
Addie Morfoot currently serves as the lead documentary reporter at Variety and has been covering the entertainment industry for the last two decades.
Addie will participate in DocShop as the moderator for The Social Shift: Rethinking Audience Engagement for Meaningful Change.
AMADA TORRUELLA
Programmer, Independent Filmmaker
Amada Torruella is a Salvadoran artist, filmmaker, producer and film curator working between El Salvador and the United States. Rooted in collaborative storytelling, Amada’s work explores the relationship between people and home, grief and cultural dissonance. She cares deeply about memory work as well as centering the experiences of women and Queer people. Amada’s work has been supported by Chicken & Egg Films, Firelight Media and Sundance Institute. Her short documentary LA ISLA was acquired by the New Yorker and her films have screened at BlackStar, New Orleans Film Festival and Femme Frontera.
Amada will participate in DocShop as the panelists for Balancing Career & Creative Sustainability.
AMANDA SPAIN
Head of Documentary, Everwonder Studio
Amanda Spain, Head of Documentary at EverWonder Studio, boasts over 25 years of experience, harnessing a unique 360 perspective on the industry having worked as an independent director and producer, in the studio system, and as a buyer. Before joining EverWonder Studio she led MSNBC Films, as the Vice President of Longform Acquisitions, helping revitalize the division as a home for dynamic, thought provoking, artistically excellent series and films like the Emmy winning series The Sing Sing Chronicles and the critically acclaimed Paper & Glue. She served as the Director of Non-Fiction for Blumhouse Television, where among others, she was an Executive Producer on the vitally important film Pray Away and produced the Netflix hit Our Father. She also independently produced the Emmy winning film Art & Krimes by Krimes and the fan favorite Bathtubs Over Broadway. She lives in Los Angeles.
Amanda will participate in DocShop on the jury panel for the Big Sky Pitch and as a panelist on Distribution in 2026: Trends, Opportunities, and Industry Insights.
CAROLINE ANDRYC
Director of Development, Concordia Studio
Caroline Andryc is the Director of Development at Concordia Studio, where she helps oversee the development and production of the company’s nonfiction slate. Previously, Caroline produced films including It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley, which premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival, as well as HBO’s The Case Against Adnan Syed. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Caroline was based in New York, where she worked at Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions, supporting the execution of documentary series and features including Money Shot: The Pornhub Story (Netflix), Salt Fat Acid Heat (Netflix), Dirty Money (Netflix), The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (HBO), Citizen K (HBO), and Murder on Middle Beach (HBO).
Caroline will participate in DocShop on the jury panel for the Big Sky Pitch and as a panelist on Distribution in 2026: Trends, Opportunities, and Industry Insights
CARRA GREENBERG
Independent Filmmaker; Jonathan Logan Fellow, UCLA Documentary Film Legal Clinic
Carra Greenberg has produced commercials, docu-series and feature content for a variety of brands and networks. Her first feature documentary, DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION, explored the women’s movement through the lens of the original Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, and won a Grand Jury Prize at SXSW. HAVANA LIBRE documents the underground world of surfing in Cuba. Her most recent documentary, SHUFFLE, won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at SXSW 2025. She continues her work in impact-driven storytelling as the Jonathan Logan Fellow at the UCLA Documentary Film Legal Clinic. Carra is an honors graduate of New York Law School’s Social Justice Policy Center.
Carra will participate in DocShop as a speaker for UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic sesssion Beyond the Premiere: Doc Film Distribution, Rights and Sustainability.
CELINE PARREÑAS SHIMIZU
Dean of Theater, Film and Television; Professor of Film, Television and Digital Media, UCLA
Celine Parreñas Shimizu is Dean of Theater, Film and Television and Distinguished Professor of Film, Television and Digital Media at UCLA. A premier scholar of race and sexuality in representation, her books include The Movies of Racial Childhoods (Duke, 2024), The Proximity of Other Skins (Oxford, 2020), Straitjacket Sexualities (Stanford, 2012), and The Hypersexuality of Race (2007) which won Best Book in Cultural Studies from the Association for Asian American Studies which also awarded her the 2022 Excellence in Mentorship Award. Her peer-reviewed articles appear in top journals in cinema, performance, ethnic, feminist, sexuality studies, and transnational popular culture. Her writings are translated to French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Distributed by Women Make Movies, her films The Celine Archive (2020) and 80 Years Later: On Japanese American Racial Inheritance (2022) each won several festival awards. Her latest So To Speak (2025) is on the festival circuit. She received her Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University, her M.F.A. in Film Directing and Production from UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and her B.A. in Ethnic Studies from U.C. Berkeley.
Celine will participate in DocShop apart of the Lawsuits and Other Threats to Storytellers and Fair Use and Licensing: Use of Archival Content in the Post-Warhol Era UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic sessions.
CHRISTIE MARCHESE
Founder & CEO of Kinema, Co-Auther of The Distribution Playbook
Christie Marchese is the founder and CEO of Kinema and EVP of Entertainment Partnerships at Publicis Media. Kinema is a global streaming and screening event platform that leverages the power of community and social interaction to distribute films and series. She was previously the founder of the impact entertainment agency Picture Motion, which was acquired by Publicis Media in 2024 as part of PMCI Entertainment, their entertainment studio that funds and distributes brand-backed original film and TV. Prior to joining Picture Motion, she led impact efforts for Righteous Pictures, developed digital strategies for the social action group at Participant Media, and managed program coordination and social media for Norman Lear's nonprofit, Declare Yourself. Christie is also the co-author of The Distribution Playbook and has won several industry recognitions, including being named one of Fortune’s Rising Female Founders in 2023 and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in 2021. She’s currently on the boards of Subject Matter, The Redford Center, and The Reinvent Stockton Foundation. She holds a BA from SDSU in International Security and Conflict Resolution (ISCOR) and Comparative Religions, with a concentration in Arabic and the Middle East..
Christie will participate in DocShop as a co-presenter on Six Steps to Build Your Own Distribution Playbook and moderator for Distribution in 2026: Trends, Opportunities, and Industry Insights
CLEO VEGER
Head of International Sales, Dogwoof
Cleo heads the international sales department at Dogwoof, driving the global strategy for their slate of films across financing, festivals, sales and distribution. She has led the successful global distribution of over 100 films including the Oscar-winning documentaries 20 Days in Mariupol and Navalny.
Cleo will participate in DocShop on the jury panel for the Big Sky Pitch and as a panelist on Distribution in 2026: Trends, Opportunities, and Industry Insights.
DALE COHEN
Director and Founder, UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic
Dale Cohen is Director and founder of the UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic, where he leads a group of student-clinicians providing pro bono counsel to documentary filmmakers on a wide range of content issues, including vetting of films for copyright/fair use issues, and production counsel on all matters that filmmakers may encounter. Dale is a frequent speaker at media and entertainment law conferences and film festivals and also teaches a Media Law class at UCLA Law. He is co-author of leading textbook Media and the Law (2d Ed. Carolina Press). Dale has also served as Special Counsel to FRONTLINE, the award‐winning PBS documentary series, for nearly a decade. His extensive experience as a media lawyer, litigator and news executive includes positions at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, NPR, Cox Enterprises, Inc. and Tribune Company. Dale was also a litigation partner at the law firm of Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal (now Denton's) in Chicago.
Dale will participate in DocShop as a presenter for UCLA Documentary Film Legal Clinic sessions Lawsuits and Other Threats to Storytellers and Fair Use and Licensing: Use of Archival Content in the Post-Warhol Era.
DANIELLE MCCARTHY-BOLES
VP of Publicity, Magnolia Pictures
Danielle McCarthy-Boles is VP of Publicity at Magnolia Pictures. She has managed publicity campaigns for independent film hits including breakout Sundance action-comedy THELMA, starring Oscar® nominee June Squibb, Alexander Nanau’s double Oscar nominee COLLECTIVE; back-to-back Cannes Palme d'Or winners and Oscar-nominated SHOPLIFTERS and THE SQUARE; Oscar-nominated RBG; and Raoul Peck and James Baldwin’s Oscar-nominated I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO among many others. McCarthy-Boles produced the critically acclaimed documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me which was released nationwide by Magnolia Pictures in 2013. Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me was 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. She is currently based in Austin, TX.
Danielle will participate in DocShop on the jury panel for the Big Sky Pitch and as a panelist on Distribution in 2026: Trends, Opportunities, and Industry Insights
DAVID BRALOW
Founder & Managing Partner, Red Owl Partners
As counsel to The Intercept, David S. Bralow brings a wealth of experience in media law including First Amendment expertise, national security issues, FOIA prosecutions and appeals, defamation, and privacy. Prior to joining First Look, Bralow was of counsel in the Media, Communication and Entertainment Practice Group of Pepper Hamilton LLP. He also served as senior vice president and general counsel at Digital First Media, a multi-platform media company with the second-largest newspaper circulation in the United States; and as assistant general counsel for 13 years at the Tribune Company, where he provided legal advice to its newspapers, websites, and television stations..
David will participate in DocShop as a speaker for the UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic sesssion Lawsuits and Other Threats to Storytellers.
EMILY BEST
Emily Best is the founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, the #1 crowdfunding platform in the world for storytellers, and one of CNBC's top 200 fintech companies in the world. She serves on the Advisory Board for a variety of early-stage startups and the Board of Film Impact Georgia and SHRM-ATL, and she is a co-founder of the tech justice non-profit (m)otherboard. Since 2024, Emily has helped to launch two of the most comprehensive, open-source resources for creators to build sustainable careers: The Crowdfunding Playbook and the The Distribution Playbook. She has produced films, VR, shorts and series that have premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Slamdance, Tribeca and more. She produced a feature called RATIFIEDabout the 100+ year struggle for the Equal Rights Amendment which premiered on PBS on October 20th, 2025. Her forthcoming film that she co-wrote and directed, MR JESUS, is due out in early 2026.
Emily will participate in DocShop as a moderator for Balancing Career & Creative Sustainability, and co-presenter for Six Steps to Build Your Own Distribution Playbook.
EMILY COPLEY
Documentary Film Council
Emily Copley is an independent producer and a 2025 Sundance Institute Grantee, currently producing her debut feature documentary. She is Joint Acting CEO of the Documentary Film Council (DFC), the UK’s first democratically run national body for independent documentary, and also Programmer and Senior Producer of Talks & Sessions at Sheffield DocFest. She works regularly as a consultant and pre-selector for leading festivals and funds, including Doc Society, IDA, Sheffield DocFest, and The Grierson Trust. Emily previously worked at The Whickers, an international fund for emerging directors, and began her career at Bertha DocHouse as part of the original team that opened the UK’s first documentary-dedicated cinema. Across more than a decade working in funding, exhibition, and talent development, her work is driven by a commitment to nurturing distinctive voices and expanding the creative and cultural space for independent documentary.
Emily will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Beyond Borders: Global Models Shaping the Future of Documentary.
EUGEN BRAEUNIG
Eugen Bräunig is a Los Angeles–based filmmaker and archival producer, recently recognized with three Emmy Awards for his work on Trafficked (National Geographic/Hulu). His work centers on archival-driven storytelling that explores the intersections of media, power, and identity across social, political, and cultural contexts. Originally from Germany, he studied in Berlin before moving to New York in 2014. As founder of Houseguest Pictures, he leads a collaborative team of researchers and producers dedicated to creating meaningful, visually resonant nonfiction films and experiences. He is also a member of the Television Academy and the Visual Effects Society, a founding member of the Archival Producers Alliance and a co-author of the group’s Gen AI Best Practices Guidelines and Toolkit.
Eugen will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Trust, Truth, and Tech: A Conversation with the Archival Producers Alliance.
GITA SAEDI KIELY
Film & Development Consultant, West of Kin Media
Gita Saedi Kiely has spent her career at the intersection of storytelling and community. She produced award-winning documentaries with Kartemquin Films (The New Americans) and taught documentary film at the University of Montana where she later served as Development Director for the School of Journalism. She is also a former Executive Director and Festival Producer of the Big Sky Film Institute. Most recently, as Director of Film & Visual Storytelling at Internews, a global NGO, she supported community filmmaking and media literacy initiatives and ran the FilmAid programs across the world. Gita is now bringing that global perspective home to Montana leading a local news funding initiative to support healthy information ecosystems across Montana; and is producing and mentoring various film projects..
Gita will participate in DocShop as the moderator for Beyond Borders: Global Models Shaping the Future of Documentary.
JON-SESRIE GROFF
Program Office, Ford Foundaiton
Jon-Sesrie Goff is a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, curator, and cultural strategist whose work bridges narrative, infrastructure, and justice. A Guggenheim Fellow and Princess Grace Award recipient, he is the director of the award-winning documentary AFTER SHERMAN (POV, ITVS), a New York Times Critics’ Pick that screened at Tribeca, True/False, Camden, and BFI London, and was featured on the Criterion Channel. The film earned Best Documentary honors at the Santa Barbara, Atlanta, and Tacoma Film Festivals, as well as the Gordon Parks Award at Tallgrass. Goff’s leadership spans philanthropy, cultural institutions, and field-building initiatives at the intersection of arts, media, and social justice. He has advanced global strategies in documentary film, emerging media, and visual storytelling—supporting artist-centered infrastructure, equitable distribution networks, and transnational partnerships that expand cultural power. His previous roles include Executive Director of the Flaherty Film Seminar and the inaugural Museum Specialist for Film at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Jon will participate in DocShop on the jury panel for the Big Sky Pitch and as a panelist on Distribution in 2026: Trends, Opportunities, and Industry Insights.
KALIM SUMMERDAY ARMSTRONG
Co-founder, Vacationland Film; Independent Filmmaker
Kalim Summerday Armstrong tells stories to encourage empathy. He is cofounder of Vacationland Films, a documentary studio making uncommon films on common ground, where he directs documentaries, commissions, and brand series. His original films focus on identity and counterculture histories. Recent films include Engineers at Ground Zero, Row of Life, A Wonderful Kingdom, and 9 Degrees. His short documentary Telling the Story of Slavery screened at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and was published by The New Yorker. He is an adjunct professor at New England College and has taught at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Hunter College, and DCTV. Kalim lives in Maine.
Kalim will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Balancing Career & Creative Sustainability.
KATIE TOWNSEND
Katie Townsend is a Partner in the Los Angeles area and Washington, D.C. offices of Gibson Dunn, and a member of the firm's Litigation and Media, Entertainment & Technology Practice groups. An accomplished litigator with extensive experience in media and First Amendment law, Katie’s practice focuses on representing and advising individual and corporate clients in the media, entertainment, and technology industries. Katie returned to Gibson Dunn in 2025, after serving as the Deputy Executive Director & Legal Director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, where she oversaw the non-profit organization's legal services portfolio, including its amicus curiae practice and the litigation and legal advising work of Reporters Committee attorneys. In that role, she represented the Reporters Committee, news organizations, and individual journalists, including documentary filmmakers, in media and First Amendment litigation in state and federal courts across the country at both the trial and appellate levels.
Katie will participate in DocShop as a presenter for Libel and Other Threats in the Post-Truth World.
KRISTY GUEVARA-FLANAGAN
VP of Production, Impact Partners
An award-winning documentary filmmaker whose bold, genre-defying work explores gender, power, and cultural mythologies, Kristy's films have screened at Tribeca, SXSW, Sundance, and Hot Docs, and aired on Starz, BBC, and PBS. Her feature Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines (2013) examines the legacy of Wonder Woman as a feminist icon. What Happened to Her (2016), a forensic look at the dead woman trope in film, won the Grand Jury Prize at the Dallas International Film Festival. Águilas (2021), about volunteers searching for missing migrants in the borderlands, was picked up by The New Yorker and shortlisted for an Academy Award. Her latest feature, Body Parts (2022), reveals the hidden labor behind sex scenes in Hollywood and streams on Starz and BBC Storyville. After Roe fell, she co-founded the Abortion Clinic Film Collective. Her short within the collective, As Long As We Can (2024), premiered at DC/DOX. She’s now in production on Taking the Reins, a documentary about how marginalized Americans are reclaiming the cowboy archetype. Her work has been supported by NEH, ITVS, Sundance, Fork Films, and Latino Public Broadcasting. Guevara-Flanagan is Professor of Documentary at UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television, where she leads the MFA program in Documentary.
Kristy will participate in DocShop as the moderator for Expanding Your Audience: Accessibility and Inclusion.
LORALEE SUNDRA
Frontline Fellow, UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic
Loralee Sundra is the Associate Director of the Documentary Film Legal Clinic at UCLA School of Law. In addition to full time Clinic instruction, Loralee leads the Clinic’s documentary filmmakers’ legal education program with a focus on expanding the Clinic’s pro bono outreach in collaboration with film festivals and media organization events. Prior to joining the Clinic in January 2021, Loralee practiced media and entertainment law for twenty-three years with the boutique firm of Leopold, Petrich & Smith, and, more recently, as a member of the nationally recognized Media & Entertainment group of Ballard Spahr LLP. Loralee is a member of the Archival Producers Alliance Generative AI Initiative Advisory Board and, in addition to her Clinic instruction, Loralee teaches media law courses at UCLA Extension, and regularly leads presentations on topics in media and intellectual property.
Loralee will participate in DocShop as a presenter for UCLA Documentary FIlm Clinic sessions including Beyond the Premiere: Doc Film Distribution, Rights and Sustainability and Doc Film in the Age of AI: Legal Risks, Archival Verification, and Historical Authenticity.
LOREN WATERS
Independent Filmmaker
Loren Waters (Cherokee/Kiowa) is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of Waters Media, where her work spans directing, producing, and casting. She has been recognized on prestigious lists, including Forbes 30 Under 30 and Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces. Her short documentary film, Tiger, received the Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
Loren will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Balancing Career & Creative Sustainability.
MAREN SCOTT
Independent Filmmaker
Maren is a New Orleans-based Arts Administrator supporting early-career visionaries with vital access to social and financial capital. With over a decade in program development and event production, she has shaped and led artist development initiatives including South Pitch, the Emerging Voices Directors Lab, and the Southern Producers Lab. Maren strives to cultivate nourishing, collaborative experiences grounded in a deep belief in the power of community to build a more equitable, vibrant future.
Maren will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Thinking as a Collective: The Value of Cooperatives & Coalitions.
MARA SHEBAN
Associate Producer, Sandbox Films
Mara Sheban is an Associate Producer at Sandbox Films, working directly with the Head of Distribution & Business Affairs, Patrick Hurley, to support all aspects of distribution. Together they oversee distribution decisions for Sandbox's slate including but not limited to film festival strategy, AVOD/SVOD/TVOD, DIY distribution, and impact campaigns. Mara leads in community outreach and non-theatrical screenings of Sandbox titles. She holds a BA from the College of Wooster in Geology, with a career focus of making science engaging and accessible to all audiences..
Mara will participate in DocShop as an industry member representative for the Industry Speed Dating 1:1 sessions.
MAY HONG HADUONG
Director, UCLA Film & Television Archive
May Hong HaDuong has joined the UCLA Film & Television Archive as its fourth director in 2021, bringing more than two decades of experience in moving image collection access, conservation, and broader preservation issues. Prior to leading the Archive, she spent 13 years at the Academy Film Archive, where she oversaw access to the Archive's vast moving-image collections. HaDuong’s connection to UCLA spans many years: she earned her graduate degree from the UCLA Moving Image Archive Studies program, contributed to a major collaborative project focused on LGBTQIA+ moving image history, and taught several courses before returning to campus to lead the Archive. She currently serves on the National Film Preservation Board, the Board of Directors of the ONE Institute, the UCLA Chancellor’s Council on the Arts, and UCLA’s Community Engagement Advisors Network.
May will participate in DocShop as a speaker for UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic sesssion Doc Film In the Age of AI: Legal Risks, Archival Verification, and Historical Authenticity.
MARIANA OLINGER
Impact Strategist, Indigenous Impact Alliance (Doc Society)
Marianna works at the intersection of culture and community as an impact strategist and producer, as well as producer, researcher, artist and organizer, with 20+ years of experience in project design, campaigning, research and organizing around social justice issues. She was the lead impact producer for the Sundance, Peabody and Emmy winner documentary The Territory (Documist, Protozoa and Nat Geo Documentaries), and the narrative feature How To Blow Up A Pipeline (Neon), and the impact strategist for Yanuni (Malaika Pictures and Appian Way), Vs Goliath (Tikkkun Olam), Climate in Therapy (B reel Films). She has been part of Doc Society's Impact Strategist Bench since 2023, where she was the lead impact strategist for the Coordinated Impact Strategy Project, where the Indigenous Impact Alliance originated. As an impact producer and strategist Marianna focuses on amplifying the knowledge, stories, and lived experiences of peoples and communities nurturing relationships based on solidarity and care, fostering human development in harmony with all species and the planet.
Mariana will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Indigenous Impact Alliance: A Collective Strategy Model.
MEGHA AGRAWAL SOOD
Executive Director, Doc Society; Climate Story Unit
Megha Agrawal Sood is the Co-Executive Director at Doc Society and leads the Climate Story Unit, an initiative to make climate a priority in culture through the rapidly growing Climate Story Labs network; the Climate Story Fund which provides production and impact funding for climate-themed stories including the feature documentary The Territory, the podcast Drilled, and the web series El Tema; and the Climate Story Kitchen which supports innovative distribution pilots with public service broadcasters, grassroots networks, and streaming platforms. Recognized as a champion in advancing new climate narratives, Megha brings vision and strategy to the intersections of art, activism, and climate. Her previous experience includes leading impact programming at Exposure Labs (Chasing Coral, The Social Dilemma) and helping purpose-driven organizations grow at the innovation firm, IDEO. She serves on the board of Mountainfilm in Telluride, Colorado, holds a degree from Northwestern University, and is based in Boulder, Colorado.es.
Megha will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Beyond Borders: Global Models Shaping the Future of Documentary.
MIASARAH LAI
Member-owner, Meerkat Media; Independent Filmmaker
Miasarah Lai is an Emmy-winning documentary cinematographer, director and producer. She was a cinematographer of VICE News Tonight’s Abuse at Christian Kanakuk Kamps, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Hard News Longform. She has made work for the likes of VICE, The Atlantic, Snapchat, ABC News, Rolling Stone, People, Instyle, 60second Docs, Nike, Spruce, Bank of America, and many others. Her work has screened at Big Sky Film Festival, American Documentary Film Festival, Athens Ethnofest, Chicago Palestine Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and art museums. Miasarah has received grants and fellowships from the Academy of Arts and Sciences, Camden International Film Festival, Double Exposure Film Festival, The Propeller Fund, Kartemquin Films, and other institutions. She is a member-owner of Meerkat Media, a cooperatively-owned and award-winning production company and is the former Community Manager at Brown Girls Doc Mafia.
Miasarah will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Thinking as a Collective: The Value of Cooperatives & Coalitions.
MELISSA GRUMHAUS
Independent Filmmaker; Indigenous Impact Alliance
Melissa Grumhaus is a philanthropy professional with 30+ years of experience in service of wildlife, people and nature. After spending most of her career at a large conservation NGO, she now works as an advisor to individuals, family foundations, and NGOs. She also is a film producer with a focus on elevating Indigenous voices, as well as topics centered on nature, wildlife, women and social justice. BRING THEM HOME was her first documentary film, and as a result she is passionate about rematriating buffalo. She is currently supporting three documentary films in various states of production.
Melissa will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Indigenous Impact Alliance: A Collective Strategy Model.
MICHAEL WORKMAN
Independent Filmmaker
Michael T. Workman is a filmmaker whose films have screened at festivals around the world including Sheffield Doc/Fest, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and many more. His latest film THE ENCAMPMENTS (2025) won the Human Rights Award Special Mention at CPH:DOX. Upon its theatrical release, the film broke the box office record for the highest per-screen average for the opening weekend of a documentary. Workman’s film MEANTIME (2022) won the Best Short Film Award at Telluride Mountainfilm, Best Short Documentary Award at BendFilm Festival and the Vimeo Staff Pick Award at Palm Springs ShortFest. Workman currently serves as the board president of the only worker owned cooperative streaming platform - Means TV. He was formerly the Director of Programming at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.
Michael will participate in DocShop as a moderator for Thinking as a Collective: The Value of Cooperatives & Coalitions and a panelist for The Social Shift: Rethinking Audience Engagement for Meaningful Change.
MITO HABE-EVANS
Senior Creative Producer, NPR
Mito Habe-Evans (she/her) is the senior creative producer for NPR’s visuals team, responsible for shaping the creative direction and sensibility of its video storytelling. She develops enterprise projects and pioneers new formats that embody the ethos of being “smart with heart.” By blending documentary storytelling with inventive performance and interview approaches, she has been central in defining NPR’s cinematic and intimate video style—marked by both playfulness and depth.
Mito will participate in DocShop as the speaker for In Conversation with NPR Studios: Lessons in Collaboration & Distribution in Public Media.
MONICA VICTORIA
Independent Filmmaker; Indigenous Impact Alliance; Head of Distribution (Eyesteelfilm)
Monica Victoria (they/them) is a non-binary queer visual artist, community organizer, and the Head of Distribution, Marketing, and Discoverability at Eyesteelfilm. Born and raised in Tiotiá:ke/Mooniyang (Montréal), Monica holds a BFA Specialization in Film Production from the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema and a DEC in Cinema, Video, and Communications from Dawson College.
Monica’s roots stem from years of organizing within leftist grassroots groups, social movements, harm reduction initiatives, and participating in mutual aid networks, most specifically around supporting and advocating for marginalized communities and at-risk groups. They also have a long history of running DIY spaces, curating and coordinating cultural events, and building bridges between social justice efforts and artistic movements.
In recent years, their focus and energy have been on ensuring the films in their distribution wheelhouse have the widest reach and the most meaningful impact. Following an impact producing model, Monica has executed numerous successful impact campaigns such as for notable films such as Yintah (2024), Twice Colonized (2023), and Big Fight in Little Chinatown (2022). Monica has also sat on the pre-selection committee for the SIMA Impact Awards, and participated as an industry expert at film festivals such as RIDM and Camden International Film Festival.al.
Monica will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Indigenous Impact Alliance: A Collective Strategy Model.
MONIKA NAVARRO
Director of William Greaves Production Fund, Firelight Media
Monika Navarro is the Director of Firelight Media's William Greaves Production Fund, and an EP for In the Making, a documentary series from Firelight Media and American Masters. Monika previously was Senior Director of Programs at Tribeca Film Institute, and managed content and funding initiatives at the Independent Television Service (ITVS). Monika has more than a decade of experience producing for public media, from directing her debut film LOST SOULS (ANIMAS PERDIDAS), which bowed on Independent Lens, to producing for World Channel, American Documentary, the Peabody-award winning PBS series LATINO AMERICANS, and most recently Emmy-nominated LOVE IN THE TIME OF FENTANYL (Independent Lens). Monika has served as a mentor for 4th World, Big Sky, Blackstar, CAAM, and the Points North Institute; as a juror for Blackstar and Hot Docs; and serves on the board of the Points North Institute.
Monika will participate in DocShop on the jury panel for the Big Sky Pitch and as a panelist on Distribution in 2026: Trends, Opportunities, and Industry Insights.
NADIA RAWLS
Senior Director of Digital Media for Documenaries, GBH
Nadia Petschek Rawls is the Senior Director of Digital Media for Documentaries at GBH, overseeing digital strategy and content for Frontline, NOVA, and American Experience. Before GBH, she was a founding member of Unfinished, an initiative to educate the public about emerging tech and ethics. Prior to Unfinished, she led the audience team at Medium, growing the platform's premium publications and guiding the newsroom's coverage through the unprecedented 2020 news cycle. Before that, she led social strategy at Condé Nast, driving digital innovation and growth across 17 legacy publications, including Wired and Vanity Fair. She was the founding social and audience director at TED, where she grew the audience by sevenfold, launched the social video team, and led audience activations at TED events all over the world. At TED, she was also the founding editorial lead for an award-winning team created to experiment with new audio and video formats. She holds a MA from Columbia University and a BA from Northwestern University.
Nadia will participate in DocShop as a panelist for The Power of Shorts: Leveraging Short-Form Work for Long-Term Impact.
NATALIA HERNÁNDEZ MORENO
Research and Outreach Director, Cinema Tropical
Natalia Hernández Moreno is film researcher mainly interested in Latin American filmic archives, adaptation studies, and visual thought. She holds a summa cum laude BA in Literature from Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia) and is a New York Film Academy screenwriting, filmmaking, and producing/film finance alumna. Prior to joining Cinema Tropical, she worked as script researcher and PA for various independent productions in Bogotá and interned in Development for Paramount Pictures at their Manhattan headquearters. She is currently an MA student at NYU Tisch’s Martin Scorsese Department of Cinema Studies. As a part of the Cinema Tropical team, she is a frequent contributor for TropicalFONT and leads the research for the upcoming 25th Anniversary edition projects.
Natalia will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Beyond Borders: Global Models Shaping the Future of Documentary.
NICK WEISSMAN
Co-founder, Vacationland Film; Independent Filmmaker
Nicholas Weissman is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. His first independent film, THE MINUTEMEN, about vigilantes along the U.S. – Mexico border, won the Silver Hugo Award at the Chicago International Film Festival. FOR AKHEEM, profiling the juvenile justice system in St Louis, debuted at the Berlinale Film Festival followed by Tribeca, AFI Docs, Hot Docs, and garnered 7 Best Documentary awards. Recent films include WE THE POWER, for Patagonia, HAVANA LIBRE, A WONDERFUL KINGDOM, ROW OF LIFE, ENGINEERS AT GROUND ZERO, and the upcoming feature A CITY IN THE FOREST. Weissman is an active member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, Video Consortium, and is a Sundance Producing Fellow. As a partner at Vacationland Films, he oversees both branded films and original short documentaries for the New Yorker, Washington Post, TIME Magazine, and The New York Times.
Nick will participate in DocShop as the moderator for The Power of Shorts: Leveraging Short-Form Work for Long-Term Impact.
OPAL H. BENNETT
Senior Producer, POV and Executive Producer, POV Shorts
Opal H. Bennett is an Emmy-winning Senior Producer at POV and Executive Producer at POV Shorts. Under her leadership, POV Shorts broadcast the 2021 NewsDoc Emmy Winner for Short Documentary, The Love Bugs. Previously, Opal was Shorts Programmer and Dir. of Artist Development at DOCNYC and Senior Programmer at Athena Film Festival. She has also worked with Nantucket Film Festival, Aspen ShortsFest and Tribeca Film Festival. Opal is a member of the AMPAS Documentary branch and is a Board Member of the Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC). She has participated on various festival juries and selection committees for film grants. A Columbia Law grad, Opal holds a Masters from the LSE and received her B.A. from NYU.
Opal will participate in DocShop as a panelist for The Power of Shorts: Leveraging Short-Form Work for Long-Term Impact, and DocShop Industry "Speed Dating" 1:1's.
PAIGE BETHMANN
Independent Filmmaker
Paige Bethmann is a Haudenosaunee woman and feature filmmaker based in Rochester, New York. Over the last 10 years, Paige has worked in non-fiction television for various digital and broadcast networks such as ESPN, PBS, Vox Media, Youtube Originals, USA, and NBC. Her directorial debut REMAINING NATIVE premiered at SXSW, winning a special Jury Award and Audience Award. Her work has been supported by the Sundance Institute edit and story lab, the International Documentary Association, Doc Society, and the Points North Institute. In 2024, Paige was named in DOC NYC’s 40 under 40 documentary filmmakers to watch. She is currently a BAFTA Breakthrough recipient, highlighting her as one of the most exciting new voices in documentary film..
Paige will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Indigenous Impact Alliance: A Collective Strategy Model.
RAZI JAFRI
Senior Editor of Visual Features, NPR
Razi Jafri is a documentary filmmaker and Senior Editor of Visual Features at NPR. His work explores immigration, race, democracy, and belonging in America. His projects include HAMTRAMCK, USA (SXSW, PBS - America ReFramed), THREE CHAPLAINS (PBS/ITVS, Independent Lens), ROUGE (Hot Docs, Cleveland), the recently completed UNCOMMITTED, and the unscripted PBS food and travel show SPICE ROAD. Razi’s films have screened at SXSW, Hot Docs, Visions du Réel, DOC NYC, Hot Docs, Cleveland, and other major film festivals and have been broadcast nationally through PBS programs. His work has been supported by the Ford Foundation, Doris Duke Foundation, the Center for Asian American Media, ITVS, the Kresge Foundation, the Knight Foundation, and others. At NPR, Razi collaborates with reporters, producers, freelancers, and member stations to develop, produce, commission, and distribute compelling visual narratives across NPR's platforms, including social, digital, and broadcast. Razi has a BS in engineering and an MFA both from the University of Michigan.
Razi will participate in DocShop as speaker for In Conversation with NPR Studios: Lessons in Collaboration & Distribution in Public Media.
RINA ELSTER PANTALONY
Senior Advisor, Library Policy and Legal Affairs
Rina Elster Pantalony currently serves as Chair, OCEAN Advisory Board, Ocean Faculty, and Senior Advisor, Library Policy and Intellectual Property, UCLA Library, and is a copyright lawyer working with cultural heritage institutions in Canada and the US. She served as Copyright Director to the Canadian Heritage Information Network, and then legal counsel to the Library and Archives of Canada. For over ten years, she was faculty in the Moving Image Archive Preservation Program of the Department of Cinema Studies, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Rina is the former Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee of the International Council of Museums and now chairs OCEAN. Rina is the author of the WIPO Guide to Managing Intellectual Property for Museums and a co-author of the WIPO Toolkit on Preservation. Rina served as Director, Copyright Advisory Services, Columbia University Libraries from 2014 until May of 2025. She is now Senior Advisor, Library Policy and Intellectual Property, UCLA Library.
Rina will participate in DocShop as a speaker for the UCLA Doc Film Legal Clinic sesssion Doc Film In the Age of AI: Legal Risks, Archival Verification, and Historical Authenticity.
SEAN DUNNE
Independent Filmmaker
Sean Dunne is an award-winning documentary filmmaker with 10 Vimeo Staff Picks known for raw portraits of American subcultures and overlooked corners of society, stripping away artifice to reveal the dignity, humor, beauty, and truth of life on the margins. Dunne’s career began with the short documentary The Archive (2008), which premiered at Sundance and was nominated for an Emmy, and American Juggalo (2011), a viral portrait of hardcore fans of Insane Clown Posse. His debut feature Oxyana (2013), an unflinching look at the opioid crisis in rural West Virginia, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it earned Dunne the award for Best New Documentary Director. He followed with the films Florida Man (2015) and Cam Girlz (2015) and received the Vanguard Award at the San Francisco Doc Fest in 2016. Since then Dunne has released eight films as part of a lifelong project to build a cinematic mosaic of America. His most recent feature, Wild Magic (2025), a kaleidoscopic road trip through modern mystical Americana, received the Artistic Vision Award at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival.
Sean will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Balancing Career & Creative Sustainability.
SKY HOPINKA
Independent Filmmaker
Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians) was born and raised in Ferndale, Washington and spent a number of years in Palm Springs and Riverside, CA, Portland, OR, and Milwaukee, WI. In Portland, he studied and taught chinuk wawa, a language indigenous to the Lower Columbia River Basin. His video, photo, and text work centers around personal positions of Indigenous homeland and landscape–designs of language as containers of culture expressed through personal and non-fictional forms of media..
Sky will participate in DocShop as a speaker for the Master Class - Between Frames and Forms: Exploring Film as Visual Art.
TARA NADOLNY
Director of Development, ESPN Films
Tara is a producer, developer, and writer who brings a deep passion for nonfiction storytelling to her current role as Director of Development at ESPN, where she works across ESPN Original Content and 30 for 30, the award-winning documentary series encompassing features, shorts and podcasts. Prior to joining ESPN, Tara led development at the Vice TV cable network and has worked in production and post on a variety of docuseries, independent features, and short documentaries. Tara graduated from Queen's University with a dual concentration in Film and German and has a Master of Arts in Media Studies from The New School.
Tara will participate in DocShop as a panelist for The Power of Shorts: Leveraging Short-Form Work for Long-Term Impact.
TRAVIS WOOD
Member-owner, Meerkat Media; Independent Filmmaker
Travis is a director from Minneapolis, sometimes based in Brooklyn. His short films have been selected for multiple Vimeo Staff Picks, SXSW film festival, True/False, Tribeca, Rooftop films, an NY EMMY award, and featured on NoBudge, Booooooom and Directors Notes. He was one of ten filmmakers selected for Lena Waithe’s Rising Voices program, where he directed the short film, Black Santa, that premiered at the 2022 Tribeca Festival. Most recently his debut feature film, THE TRAVEL COMPANION, co-directed with Alex Mallis will premiere the 2025 Tribeca Festival..
Travis will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Thinking as a Collective: The Value of Cooperatives & Coalitions.
ZURI OBI
Independent Filmmaker
Zuri Obi is a Haitian-American artist raised with deep cultural roots in magical realism. As a Camerawomxn, she has collaborated with artists such as Solange and Lizzo, and as Creative Producer, her projects have screened at notable film festivals, including Sundance and won top awards at New Orleans Film Festival, AFI and BlackStar. Zuri also works as a Film Curator at New Orleans Film Society, where she champions community-centered cinematic experiences.
Zuri will participate in DocShop as a panelist for Thinking as a Collective: The Value of Cooperatives & Coalitions.