Panelists
Michael Abels
“Master Class: Music Composing”
Pulitzer prize-winner Michael Abels is one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and influential composers. Among his accolades, Abels’ scores for Jordan Peele’s Us and Nope were Academy Awards shortlisted for Best Original Score. The score for Us received a World Soundtrack Award, the Jerry Goldsmith Award and multiple critics awards, as well as Critics Choice and IFMCA Award nominations. It was hailed as “Score of the Decade” by The Wrap. Abels’ score for NOPE earned him the African-American Film Critics Association Innovation Award, an IFMCA Award, a Society of Composers & Lyricists Award, and a Hollywood Music in Media Award.
A three-time Emmy nominee, Abels was recently nominated for his original main title theme for the series The ’Burbs. For his score for the Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte, he received an NAACP Image Award. In 2023, Abels was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music for the acclaimed opera Omar, co-composed with Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Rhiannon Giddens, which opens October 23 at Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Abels’ other film credits include Get Out, The Burial, and Bad Education. Most recently, he scored Na Hong-Jin’s much-anticipated action adventure Hope. His television credits include Sirens and the docuseries Allen v. Farrow. Upcoming projects include the films Behemoth!, directed by Tony Gilroy and starring Pedro Pascal and Olivia Wilde, and An Ode to Mary Jo, directed by Justin Liberman and starring Rhiannon Giddens.
Abels has composed many concert works, including the choral song cycle At War With Ourselves for the Kronos Quartet, and the Isolation Variation for Hilary Hahn, which garnered him a Grammy nomination. His concert works have been performed by the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, and many others. He is also the co-founder of the Composers Diversity Collective.
Brittany Alsot
“From Premiere to Purpose” Panelist
Brittany Alsot learned the power of personal storytelling making videos at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Now in Chicago, her work represents the outsider experience with a focus on family resilience through trauma. After producing and directing several queer fiction shorts, she co-directed her first feature documentary, Finding Your Laughter, with Arlieta Hall.
Tony Barraca
“People vs Money” Panelists
Tony Barraca has been a working member of Local 476 since 1994. In those 27 years, he served the union in a supervising role for 26 of those years. During his tenure, he worked on 23 feature titles and 17 full seasons of episodic TV, adding up to over 300 episodes and 6 pilots. He has been a member of the Executive Board for 12 years and currently serves as the Business Agent/Secretary Treasurer of Local 476.
Ryan Barteck
“State of the Industry” Panelist
Ryan joined the independent production company H2L Media shortly after its inception, and helped it develop a diverse slate of projects from the ground up. He produced the debut film from Lauren Hadaway The Novice, which won the Tribeca Film Festival and was nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards. He also produced Brad Anderson’s film Blood. He joined with Billy Hines and Steve Sims to launch Co Created Media, and recent releases include Dead Man’s Wire from Gus Van Sant; Night Always Comes, a thriller for Netflix starring Vanessa Kirby and Jennifer Jason Leigh; and the feature documentary Ghost Boy from Rodney Ascher, which won the Audience Award at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival. Upcoming releases include How To Feed a Dictator, which premiered at the 2026 Tribeca Film Festival, and The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, playing here at Chicago International Film Festival.
Guy Bauer
“Fix It In Post” Panelist
Guy Bauer is a writer, director, producer, and editor, and founder of the ad agency Umault, where his work has earned millions of views. His acclaimed short The Counselor was a Short of the Week pick. His feature debut, Ana the Cleaner, premieres at the Chicago International Film Festival.
Ana Christian
“Fix It In Post” Panelist
Ana Christian is a Chicago-based editor and co-founder of Journeywork Entertainment and its subsidiary, Anachrony Post. She is primarily a narrative-focused editor who treasures unique stories and authentic performances and strives to elevate both through nuanced editorial choices. Her multidisciplinary studies as both a dancer and musician have bestowed her editorial style with a unique sense of rhythm, fluidity and emotion.
Elijah Davis
“From Premiere to Purpose” Panelist
Elijah Davis is a director, writer, and producer hailing from Chicago, Illinois. At 23 years old, he created, co-directed, co-wrote and produced THREE COLORS: PAN-AFRICAN (2026), an anthology feature film starring Bashir Salahuddin, Loretta Devine & Peyton Alex Smith. The film is EP’d by Academy Award winner Tarell Alvin McCraney, NBA MVP Derrick Rose and Tony Award Winner Glenn Davis. It premiered at the Slamdance Film Festival in February 2026 where it won the AUDIENCE AWARD FOR BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE FILM as well as the American Black Film Festival where it won the Grand Jury Prize for Best U.S Narrative Feature.
Corey Deckler
“State of the Industry” Panelist
Corey Deckler is a Brooklyn-based Emmy-nominated producer and executive. Across his eighteen-year career he has produced the films James White, Tramps, and It Comes at Night, and the television shows Ziwe, John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch, At Home with Amy Sedaris, and Crystal Lake. During his tenure at A24 as an executive, he oversaw films including Uncut Gems, Backrooms, Civil War, Babygirl, A Different Man, After Yang, The Iron Claw, The Smashing Machine, Primetime, as well as the upcoming film October. When not working in film or tv, he loves running, wine tasting, and galavanting with his husband and dog.
Natalie Djordjevic
“Let’s Get Physical (Media)” Panelist
Natalie Djordjevic, the artist behind Night Natalie, is a librarian with a life-long passion for film and physical media. She sources, restores, and remasters lost and rare media to create VHS and cassettes to make them accessible. She also works in different mediums and makes art that homages her favorite genre movies and idols.
Sarah Marie Flores
“People vs Money” Panelist
Sarah Marie Flores (she/her) is a creative producer and co-founder of Anarchists United Studios and Foundation. Sarah holds an MFA degree from UCLA’s Producers Program. Prior to her transition to Hollywood, Sarah worked for over a decade in film production, exhibition, publicity, and with film-based non-profits including The Roxie Theater, and Frameline Film Festival in the Bay Area.
Kyle Henry
“People vs Money” Panelist
Kyle Henry is a fiction/documentary director and professor at Northwestern University focused on communities transformed by crisis. His films have premiered at major fests including SXSW, Cannes’, Director’s Fortnight, and Sundance. His recent documentary Time Passages (2025) toured theatrically and is available via New Day Films, Kanopy and OVID.TV
Matt Hyland
“Mastering the Hustle” Panelist
Matt Hyland is an award-winning production designer and art director, known for Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (Jane Schoenbrun, 2026) and Caleb Hearon’s upcoming Trash Mountain (Kris Rey, 2026). He’s also the winner of the Art Directors Guild Award for the FX series Reservation Dogs. Matt’s career began in Detroit as a photographer and editor for documentary and commercial production, then shifted to production design for film & television in Chicago, where he currently resides.
Troy Lewis
“Fix It In Post” Panelist
Troy Lewis is an award-winning editor and a Sally Menke Editing Fellow. He edited the Sundance documentary feature, Daughters (2024), and the 2026 TIFF Centerpiece film, Trash Mountain. His editorial work focuses on depicting unique perspectives through the textures and rhythms of daily life, evoking emotion and insight through sensory experiences.
Roy Millonzi
“Let’s Get Physical (Media)” Panelist
Chicago native, Roy Millonzi is a Home entertainment sales and management executive with over 40 years of major and independent studio experience in all channels of distribution. Prior to joining MPI Roy served as Senior Vice President Sales at New Line Home Entertainment for 10 years where he directed the sales team and developed strategies working on release franchises The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Austin Powers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and including ground breaking films like The Notebook, Seven, The Mask, Boogie Nights, Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and Pink Flamingos, to name a few.
Sarah Minnie
“Mastering the Hustle” Panelist
Sarah Minnie is a Midwest Emmy-nominated producer, award-winning storyteller, artist advocate, and the founder of Minnie Productions. A self-proclaimed “video witch,” she views filmmaking as a magical practice of story-sharing. Her dynamic portfolio—spanning documentaries, commercials, music videos, and narrative films—has earned acclaim from Vogue, The Chicago Tribune, and Women & Hollywood. Celebrated on the festival circuit, her work won the 2023 Chicago International Film Festival’s Gold Hugo for Live Action Short Film and was long-listed for 2025 Academy Award consideration. Her projects regularly captivate audiences as Official Selections at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, Austin Film Festival, NYC Web Fest, Dances With Films LA – Just to name a few. Outside of Minnie Productions, Sarah is an adjunct professor at DePaul in Creative Producing – working to change the world one film and artist at a time.
Tim Blake Nelson
“Master Class: Directing the Actor”
Tim Blake Nelson is a celebrated filmmaker, writer, and actor. As a writer-director, The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd marks his sixth film, joining The Grey Zone, Eye of God, Leaves of Grass, Anesthesia, and O. His filmography of over 100 on-screen credits includes The Coens’ O Brother, Where Art Thou? and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Spielberg’s Lincoln and Minority Report, del Toro’s Nightmare Alley, Malick’s The Thin Red Line, and HBO’s Watchmen. He next stars in the feature The Leader and Season 2 of HBO’s Task. He is the author of two novels, City of Blows and Superhero.
Victoria Salazar
“Fix It In Post” Panelist
Victoria Salazar is a sound designer and re-recording mixer at Noisefloor LTD in Chicago. She’s been making waves creating unique and immersive mixes for feature films Kombucha and Line Cooks. She loves a good short form project and has mixed and sound designed for Jeep and Checkers Rallys. Video Games is where she puts everything she’s learned and practiced together, designing sounds for Destiny 2 and Spongebob Idle Adventures.
Katy Scoggin
“Documentary Summit” Panelist
Katy Scoggin is an award-winning documentary film director/producer and cameraperson. Her directorial debut, Flood, won a Special Mention at IDFA in 2025 and launched on PBS Independent Lens in 2026. Previously, Katy worked for Laura Poitras on Oscar-winning CITIZENFOUR (HBO), Risk (Showtime), and The Oath (POV). She lives in Chicago.
Erik Shirai
“Documentary Summit” Panelist
Erik Shirai is a self-taught visual artist based in New York and Tokyo whose immersive work centers on intimate relationships with his subjects and what often remains unseen. His latest feature, SUMO: Spirit Weighs Nothing, premiered at Venice and Telluride. His debut, The Birth of Saké, won awards at Tribeca and Palm Springs and was acquired by Netflix and PBS. His short nowhere to go but everywhere premiered at IFFR. Shirai is currently completing How to Feed a Hungry Ghost, following NYC chef Nhu Ton’s return to Vietnam.
haydée souffrant
“Documentary Summit” Panelist
haydée souffrant is a Chicago-based Haitian American writer, interdisciplinary producer, and film programmer. Her work includes leading artist services programs developing documentary and narrative stories probing the intersections of intergenerational trauma healing and cultural legacies. Her mixed media & facilitation work centers diasporic memory, culture, and the intersections of art & restorative justice. souffrant has served as a film programmer for True/False Film Festival, Chicago Filmmakers’ REELING Film Festival; a juror for Chicago International Film Festival, The Gotham, Milwaukee Film Festival, Hot Springs Documentary Film Forum and more; and currently serves as the Director of Programs with Kartemquin Films.
Eugene Sun Park
“People vs Money” Panelist
Eugene Sun Park is Co-Executive Director of Full Spectrum Features, a nonprofit advancing equity in independent film for underrepresented creators. An acclaimed producer working across genres, his credits include Compliance (Fantastic Fest 2026), Debaters (Sundance 2025,) Desire Lines (Sundance 2024), The Year Between (Tribeca 2022), and Signature Move (SXSW 2017).
Robert Sweeney
“Let’s Get Physical (Media)” Panelist
Robert Sweeney has worked at Kino Lorber for 20 years and is now the Director of Media Production and Operations, part of the team overseeing the Kino Lorber Studio Classics (KLSC), Kino Cult, and Kino Lorber labels. He recently won Media Play News’ Best Indie Studio Disc Release award for the 4KUHD edition of Dogtooth.
Andrew Van Beek
“Let’s Get Physical (Media)” Panelist
Andrew Van Beek heads up home entertainment at North American distributor Music Box Films. Recent releases under his tenure include Netflix breakout Secret Mall Apartment, Cannes-selection Eephus, legendary documentarian Ross McElwee’s Remake, and the Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner In the Summers. Andrew previously worked at Visit Films, Dark Sky Films, and the Chicago International Film Festival.
Mars Verrone
“Documentary Summit” Panelist
Mars Verrone is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, musician, and educator from Los Angeles, CA currently based in Brooklyn, NY. Their documentary work includes Buckskin, which they directed, produced, edited, and composed, and Who Moves America, which they produced. As a first-time producer, Mars produced Oscar-shortlisted UNION, which premiered at Sundance, won a Cinema Eye Honors Award, and received a 2026 Emmy nomination. A Sundance Documentary Producers Fellow and 2026 Filmmaker Magazine “25 New Faces” honoree, Mars is currently developing their feature directorial debut.
Neto Villalobos
“From Premiere to Purpose” Panelist
Neto Villalobos is a Costa Rican filmmaker whose work blends social observation, humor, suspense, and emotionally resonant storytelling. His debut feature, All about the feathers (2013), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and screened at San Sebastián, Rotterdam, BAFICI, Miami, and Toulouse. His second feature, Helmet heads (2018), also premiered at TIFF. A graduate of Sociology from the University of Costa Rica and Film Directing from CECC in Barcelona, Villalobos has participated in programs including Cannes Cinéfondation, Berlinale Talents, and Locarno Filmmakers Academy. His third feature, Love is the Monster, premieres this year in the Centrepiece program at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Erica Weiss
“State of the Industry” Panelist
Erica Weiss is one half of a writer-director 25-year partnership with Caitlin Parrish. Their debut feature, The View From Tall, premiered at CIFF in 2015. In addition to creating and showrunning The Red Line on CBS, they’ve developed multiple TV and film projects, recently Amazon’s G20 starring Viola Davis.
Dashawna Wright
“Mastering the Hustle” Panelist
Dashawna Wright is an award-winning filmmaker, writer, and producer. She has produced narrative films and independent projects with a focus on bringing distinctive, character-driven stories to the screen. Dashawna served as a producer on Departing Seniors, a feature film, and is currently in post-production on Fried Catfish, an independent comedy feature. Her work as a producer spans development, production, and post-production, with a commitment to supporting filmmakers and creating opportunities for independent voices.
Moderators
Kes Akalaonu
“Fix It In Post” Panel Moderator
Kes Akalaonu is a video production professional with 20 years of experience spanning commercial, documentary, educational, and digital content. A graduate of Illinois State University, his career has included roles with Schneider Electric, Illinois Media School, the Chicago Tribune, and Orange Media Group, where he spent a decade leading video production for the Rohrman Automotive Group. His work has earned three Telly Awards, including two Silver awards for commercial production and a Bronze for documentary work. Today, Kes is a Video Community Engagement Specialist at Adobe, where he shares his video production expertise with creators across social media. He also produces YouTube tutorials, offering practical tips and techniques for popular video editing software.
Aymar Jean Christian
“From Premiere to Purpose” Panel Moderator
Dr. Aymar Jean “AJ” Escoffery (fka Aymar Jean Christian) is the Margaret Walker Professor of Communication Studies at Northwestern University, Faculty Director of the MS in Leadership for Creative Enterprises, and Faculty Associate at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center. He is the executive producer Jules Rosskam’s Desire Lines (Special Jury Award, 2024 Sundance Film Festival), Sarah Oberholtzer’s We Call Each Other (Black Public Media), and The Invite with Emmy Award winning producer Makiah Green and Emmy-nominated director Sam Bailey. Dr. Escoffery co-founded OTV | Open Television, a platform for intersectional television. OTV programs have received recognition from the Television Academy (Emmy Awards), Webby Awards, Streamy Awards, Gotham Awards, among others. He is the author of Open TV: Innovation Beyond Hollywood and the Rise of Web Television (NYU Press, 2018), Reparative Media: Cultivating Stories and Platforms to Heal our Culture (MIT Press, 2025), and The Cookout: A Guide to AI: Ancestral Intelligence (For the Birds Trapped in Airports, 2025).
Winter Davis
“Mastering the Hustle” Moderator
Winter Davis is a freelance director/writer/performer/instructor/technology operator, etc. (you should see her business cards) in North America. She is a regular contractor for The Second City, Filmscape Chicago, FACETS, Women in Film Chicago, IFA Chicago, a smattering of film festivals, and multiple super-secret TV/film clubs. Winter has a background in virtual production, writing, theatre, and visual and media arts. She loves animals, coffee, and gluten-free snacks.
Audrey Francis
“Directing the Actor with Tim Blake Nelson” Moderator
Audrey Francis is a Tony Award-winning producer who currently serves as the Artistic Director of Steppenwolf Theatre, where she has been an ensemble member since 2017. She is also the co-founder and former CEO of Black Box Acting, where she built the company’s original curriculum based in the value of human behavior. Audrey is the co-creator of Steppenwolf IMPACT, which brings Steppenwolf’s ensemble ethos and emotional intelligence into the C-suite, training leaders in the power of being human. As an Artistic Director, Audrey has stewarded over 40 creative teams to launch plays from the page to the stage. She has also played an integral role in the institution’s transformation and turnaround post-pandemic, producing five of the top 10 selling shows in the company’s 50-year history within the last three years. She is also a Jeff Award-winning actor and has been in nearly 20 productions at Steppenwolf, most recently Catch as Catch Can. Her recent Steppenwolf directing credits include POTUS and You Will Get Sick. Audrey continues to work as a performance coach for Amazon, HBO, and NBC. Audrey trains both artists and professionals to view curiosity and courage as muscles that can be used to improve communication, connection, and collaboration.
Darrien Michele Gipson
“State of the Industry” Moderator
Darrien Michele Gipson is the Executive Director of SAGindie, an educational organization for independent filmmakers. Through SAGindie, she travels extensively to film festivals, film schools, and conferences, mentoring writers and filmmakers, championing diversity in the entertainment industry, and teaching producers how to hire professional actors using SAG-AFTRA’s low-budget agreements.
William Morris
“Let’s Get Physical (Media)” Panel Moderator
William Morris is currently Programming Manager & Print Traffic Coordinator at the historic Music Box Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. He has a combined 14 years of programming experience spread across various theaters and film festivals in Denver, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Morris has 12 years of experience in freelance film editing, largely focused on custom trailers for arthouse venues, tribute videos for people such as Antonio Fargas, and myriad short films. Morris also has six years experience providing historic and critical commentaries for home video releases with companies such as Vinegar Syndrome, Severin Films, & Fun City Editions. And he also serves as Executive Producer for Louise Weard’s ongoing DIY epic Castration Movie.
Naeema Jamilah Torres
“Documentary Summit” Panel Moderator
Naeema Jamilah Torres is an award-winning independent filmmaker, impact producer, and cultural worker. Raised in multigenerational, culturally diverse New York City households, she explores womanhood, complex ethnic identities, and historical legacies in the Americas through visual and audio storytelling. Her films have screened at festivals nationally, and she has produced storytelling content for social justice foundations and corporate brands across the U.S. Prior to dedicating herself fully to storytelling, she worked in film and television distribution, managing home entertainment releases for companies including Cinedigm and HBO. She has worked on projects supported by ITVS, Chicken & Egg Films, and Firelight Media, and served as associate producer of the 2025 George Polk Award-winning Audible Original The Parole Room. Additionally, she is the current chair of the Documentary program for the School of Cinematic Arts at Depaul University and serves as the Executive Director of Mezcla Media Collective. She holds a BFA in film and communications from CUNY City College and an MFA in Documentary Media from Northwestern University.
Kubilay Uner
“Master Class: Music Composing” Moderator
Kubilay Uner makes adventurous, eclectic, colorful music for adventurous, eclectic, colorful films. A member of the Motion Picture Academy, he serves on the Steering Committee of the SCL’s Chicago chapter, America’s premier organization for visual-media music creators, and directs Columbia College Chicago’s top-rated Music Composition for the Screen MFA program.
Facilitators
Elodie Edjang
“Documentary Summit” Table Facilitator
Elodie Edjang (she/her) is a Chicago‑based arts administrator, documentary filmmaker, and multidisciplinary storyteller. Her recent films have screened at Tacoma Film Festival, Black Harvest Film Festival, and Reeling Film Festival. Her work-in-progress, Queer Christians, has received support from Cucalorus WiP Lab, Sisters in Cinema, NeXt Doc, and Mezcla Media Collective. Passionate about expanding access for marginalized filmmakers, she has led and supported initiatives at Full Spectrum Features, the Alliance of Documentary Editors, and Mezcla Media Collective. Elodie holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Northwestern University and dual BAs in Anthropology and Advertising from the University of Georgia.
Regina Emiliano
“People vs Money” Table Facilitator
Regina Emiliano is a first-generation Filipina-American filmmaker, creative, thespian, and musician dedicated to amplifying BIPOC and womxn voices. With art department credits for HBO Max, Apple TV, Amazon, KitchenAid, and Whirlpool, this UIUC Communication graduate focuses on producing, art direction, and hosting the Let’s Chat Creative podcast to foster connection.
Kenyetta Johnson
“People vs Money” Table Facilitator
Kenyetta “Yettiii” Johnson is a Chicago filmmaker with a passion for storytelling. A 2020 Columbia College Chicago graduate in Cinema and Television Arts, she has worked with WTTW, DC Entertainment, and The CW. Kenyetta actively supports Black, Queer, Trans, and disabled creators through the Reservoir Collective and The Axis Circle.
Julie Keck
“Documentary Summit” Facilitator
Julie Keck is a queer producer with thirty years of experience across independent media. Most recently, she served as impact producer for the Oscar short-listed and Emmy nominated doc Chasing Time, Emmy-winning Reciprocity Project, and Webby Award-honored Seedcast podcast. Julie directs the Center for Community Media at Governors State University.
Ian Robertson Kibbe
“Documentary Summit” Table Facilitator
Ian Robertson Kibbe is a Senior Producer at Kartemquin Films, where his film journey first began as an intern in 2009. Over the years, he has gone on to create award-winning work with organizations including Kartemquin Films, PBS, NPR, The Onion, Gatorade, and Time Magazine. With a background spanning roles as editor, DP, producer, and director, Ian brings a versatile production skill set that keeps him grounded in both the creative and technical sides of storytelling. He produced Raising Bertie and Greener Pastures. Raised mixed-race, white and Afro-Caribbean, Ian gravitates toward stories that challenge binaries and embrace contradiction.
Jamie Kreppein-Chien
“People vs Money” Table Facilitator
Jamie Kreppein-Chien is a Chicago-based film and theatre maker, producer, and director focused on championing women and femme storytellers. Co-founder of Rm. 19 Productions and a leader at Hotel Collective, she also serves as Warren Township High School’s technical director. Her recent credits include Roller Babiez and Year One.
Kayla Myers
“Documentary Summit” Facilitator
Kayla Myers is a film programmer and writer. She’s the Director of the CineYouth Festival and Lead Shorts Programmer at the Chicago International Film Festival. She’s previously been the Director of Programming at Indie Memphis and Series Producer for The DocYard. In addition to programming, her writing has appeared in Filmmaker Magazine and Them.
Natalia Salazar
“Documentary Summit” Table Facilitator
Natalia Salazar is an Emmy-nominated producer with a decade of experience across film production and communications. She’s led strategic initiatives at the Chicago Film Office and Independent Film Alliance Chicago, and she’s produced work distributed on AMC+, Prime Video, Netflix, HBO Max, and more. She serves on the Women In Film Chicago board.
Erika Valenciana
“Documentary Summit” Facilitator
Erika Valenciana is an award-winning Chicana filmmaker & educator based in Chicago. Valenciana has been supported by organizations including Tribeca Film Institute, Kartemquin Films, Cine Qua Non Lab, Stowe Story Labs, and Open Television. Valenciana shares underrepresented stories to build towards a media landscape where diverse experiences are celebrated. She is very big in Sheboygan.
