PB Film

Carla Bryant is a former board member of the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission and an enthusiastic cinephile. For over 35 years, she has successfully managed project and training initiatives in a variety of industries including technology, aerospace, intelligence, engineering, nonprofit, education and government. She currently consults with several Federal agencies that are engaged in highly complex projects involving numerous stakeholders. Carla delivers effective solutions within budget by applying a rigorous analysis of qualitative and quantitative data as well as her knowledge of industry best practices. Her expertise includes defining challenges and articulating complex ideas for stakeholders to achieve buy in and promote effective decision making. Her hobbies include golf, puzzles, travel and of course – movies!

Adam Howard is the winner of four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Special Visual Effects and has been nominated a total of nine times for his VFX work on multiple Star Trek series. He originally trained in his home town of Melbourne Australia as a graphic designer, illustrator and animator, using very traditional artist tools. His passion for visual effects in film and television led him to be one of the first digital artists creating ground breaking digital effects and animation for ABC-TV Melbourne and AAV Studios. Since relocating to Los Angeles, Adam has worked on over 140 feature films and created visual effects and animation for television series including; Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise, Will & Grace, That 70's Show and the iconic opening title chalkboards for The Simpsons. He also served as senior VFX Supervisor for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride experience at Universal Studios Orlando, Tokyo and Los Angeles. Adam recently completed work as VFX Supervisor for M. Night Shyamalan’s TV series Servant and is now supervising VFX for season 4 of Evil on CBS and Co-Visual Effects Supervisor on Rush Hour 3.

Dean Lyon  was a pioneer in developing computer graphics for film and television co-inventing Colorgraphics DP Max - the first real-time paint and 2D/3D compositing system. At the peak of his Hollywood career, Dean led the startup of Oktobor in New Zealand. He was recruited to define the future for da Vinci Systems, developing a 3D computer graphics finishing system utilizing supercomputing processing that made the completion of ‘Avatar’ and dozens of other 3D feature films possible. Dean then launched - Splinter Studios to streamline visual effects-led content production through disruptive technological integration with the creative process. During the pandemic, Dean helped launch Ada Animation in Nairobi, Kenya in order to identify talent, and helped develop Ada Animation BootCamp bringing international mentors to train mentees virtually. Dean is currently working on Simba VFX Studios, his vision of the future that goes beyond the current trend of LED-wall studios and Virtual Production. He has been an active member of both SMPTE and ACM/SIGGRAPH since 1984. He was elected to the Visual Effects Society in recognition of his VFX Supervisor roles on Without a Paddle, Spooked, Bogeyman and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Monte Young is a producer/writer, producing a number of feature films, including Billy Todd's War, Hitters Anonymous, Gasp, and The Wave, starring Justin Long and Tommy Flanagan, and a short titled Survivors -produced with Marco Shepherd at Centropolis Entertainment. In 2020 Monte produced the feature films, Scarlettville, and The Old Way. Mr. Young is currently producing a reality medical show, Dr. East meet West, which explores the best of both Chinese and Western medical practices. Mr. Young partnered with Mana Animation, headed by VFX professional Dean Lyon, developing children’s animated educational series, including Sparx, Bookends, Earth 101 and First Pets, as well as a live-action feature film trilogy, Dragon Wars. Prior to entering the entertainment industry, Monte Young worked as a finance attorney, developing and structuring infrastructure investments in Asia.

Jaime Cuadra is a Peruvian Music Producer, Marketing Specialist, Singer and Composer. He produced three songs and original scores for the James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" and is currently Peru’s Cultural Ambassador. Jamie began his musical career in Lima Peru working in his father’s recording studio as an audio engineer. He studied cinematography and filmmaking at Robles Godoy Institute and directing and editing at INICTEL. Today he is an award-winning music producer and composer of music for cinema and advertising. He moved to the US in 2016 and is the director of Quadra Music Studio.

Vanilla Ice parlayed his love of poetry into music and had a number one hit Ice, Ice Baby at a the young age of 16. His career expanded to include writing and acting with over 30 titles on IMDb, including the Adam Sandler comedies That's My Boy and The Ridiculous Six. He hosted the home improvement and renovation series The Vanilla Ice Project for nine seasons on the DIY Network, and recording a debut single with Jedward, Under Pressure (Ice, Ice Baby), a mash-up of the two songs. He recieved the American Music Award for Favorite Pop Rock Artist and Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Artist in 1991 and the Oniros Film Award for Best Voice Over for Seaper Powers: Mystery of the Blue Pearls in 2023.

Michael Orland is thrilled to have been a part of the mega-hit TV show American Idol for 16 seasons as the Pianist, Arranger, Vocal Coach and Associate Musical Director for FOX and ABC. In between he served as  Music Director/vocal coach on Little Big Shots and Forever Young hosted by Steve Harvey. Michael has appeared on Oprah, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood and Ellen.  He has collaborated with music industry giants such as Burt Bacharach, Neil Sedaka, Diane Warren, Elton John, Dolly Parton, Harry Connick Jr, Jennifer Lopez, and Keith Urban all as a result of American Idol.

Hal Rosenfeld is equal-parts composer, music producer, percussionist, and orchestrator whose work can be heard in nearly 200 films, television shows, and video games. Hailed for his versatility, creativity, and production across all genres, Hal has been involved with projects that have garnered Emmy, Grammy, and Oscar recognition, including The Greatest Showman, Fosse/Verdon, In the Heights, Only Murders in the Building, and A Very British Scandal. He is prominently featured on soundtracks such as Top Gun: Maverick, Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Fortnite, The Adam Project, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and groundbreaking Netflix series The Witcher. He currently co-scores NBC’s highly acclaimed prime time sitcom American Auto. Working outside of film and television, Hal has appeared with Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Jonas Brothers, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Engelbert Humperdinck, Imogen Heap, Cuco, Daveed Diggs, as well as on albums that total millions of unit sales and over 1 billion Spotify streams, globally.

Elsten Torres is a multicultural bilingual artist who has performed on stages all over the world as well as an award-winning songwriter with major international hits. He has earned two GRAMMY nominations, two BMI songwriting awards, and six Billboard top ten hits throughout his career. A musical pioneer, credited as one of the prominent creators of the Latin Alternative Rock sound of the late 90’s in the USA, this eclectic and unconventional musician has cemented his artistic fingerprints in the music industry for over 3 decades.  Born in Cuba and raised in NYC, “Be yourself everyone else is already taken” is not only his favorite quote from Oscar Wilde, but also his personal motto.

Eric Gordon is a multi award winning director and producer in pre-production for a new documentary titled Rabbit Holes - a very political documentary. Previously, he produced, shot, and directed the feature length documentary, When All That’s Left Is Love. The film gives viewers an unprecedented, behind-the-scenes understanding of Alzheimer’s and the heroic tenacity and love of caregivers. Gordon holds a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production from the University of Miami, as well as a Certificate in Documentary Arts from the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University. His non-profit fiscal sponsor is the well-known group, From the Heart Productions.

Jack Lighton is the CEO of SeaLegacy, the global marketing, education, and communication agency for the ocean and ocean solutions. The firm uses the power of world class science and media to create campaigns that instill hope and move audiences - and investors - into action. Mr. Lighton leads SeaLegacy’s global strategy and has launched the firm’s newest offerings that enable individuals, impact investors, foundations, and aligned corporations to develop large scale conservation impact-campaigns that put people and our planet - first. Prior to SeaLegacy Mr. Lighton spent nearly ten-years as President & CEO of Loggerhead Marinelife Center one of Palm Beach County’s most visited cultural and scientific institutions.

Jay Cashmere has worked for WPTV as a reporter and anchor since 2001. He has won 4 Emmy Awards and has 22 Emmy nominations during his two-and-a-half decades in local television. In May 2022, Jay was awarded a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, considered among the most prestigious awards in news, for his story on two Boca Raton teenagers preparing for the Olympics. He has also won multiple Associated Press awards. Jay was born and raised in New Orleans and graduated with a degree in Broadcasting from the University of Alabama. He and his wife Kelly and their two children live in Palm Beach Gardens.

Suzanne Niedland is an award-winning filmmaker, actor and Broadway producer. Ms. Niedland serves on boards of The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission, The International Committee for the Performing Arts, and The President’s Advisory Council at The Kennedy Center as well as DeVos Institute for Arts Management. She is also a proud minority owner of the Washington Spirit professional women’s soccer team.  

Fabio Arber has had a distinguished career as an executive-in-charge of production, line producer and producer spanning over 40 years in film and television. He started as a location manager on Miami Vice before transitioning successfully to line producer from scripted series and features, to reality TV and docu-series, Fabio served as line producer for TLC's hit series, Miami Ink. Overseeing the production from conception through network delivery, enhanced his reputation in the fledgling industry of reality TV. Fabio's producing expertise also includes production supervising Confessions of a Shopaholic, and the pilot for FXX's Justified. Fabio has produced compelling reality and docu-series TV shows that have aired on networks such as Travel, Oxygen, Nat Geo Wild, and WEtv, showcasing his ability to take a project from conception through delivery. Fabio is highly respected in the industry and continues to provide valuable consultation to writers, directors, and producers in preparing their projects for investment opportunities.

Michael Chasin is a South Florida based award winning screenwriter and screenplay consultant. His passion for storytelling has returned him to the classroom where he teaches screen-writing to CSB Media Arts Center students in Connecticut, North Carolina, and Florida. In addition to being a film school graduate, Michael holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, a Master's Degree in Business Administration, and a Master's Degree in Human Resources Management.  In his spare time Michael reads widely, severely neglects his lawn (but his neighbors still love him), and exercises just enough to delude himself that he is still in black belt shape.

Christopher Cobb is a Writer/Producer/Reporter at The Education Network, a station owned and operated by the School District of Palm Beach County providing original, academic programming to the School District and the community at large. Prior to this, he worked with the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission as a Producer and Writer for The Palm Beaches Student Showcase of Films. His creative fiction work was published by Darkwater Syndicate which delivered the re-release of his first novel, A Moon Called Sun, and his second book, The Slant Six. Both novels received critical acclaim, as well as praise from New York Times best-selling author Piers Anthony. Christopher has served on the Board of Directors of the Florida Writers Association and is a member of the Bloody Pens Writers Group and the South Florida Writers Association. He holds a Theater Arts degree from Florida School of the Arts and a Bachelor of Arts from Florida Atlantic University.

Christopher DePaola is a writer and an Emmy Award nominated actor. He spent a season as head writer on the WCIU television series Green Screen Adventures. His television pilots have received recognition from the Austin Film Festival, the Sundance Institute, Screencraft, WeScreenplay, BlueCat, Scriptapalooza, and Final Draft. He assisted numerous theatres with the development of new work, and his plays have been commissioned and published by Pearson Education/Scott Foresman. Christopher is an alumnus of the Resident Playwright Program at Chicago Dramatists.  He has also been a Florida Division of Cultural Affairs Theatre Fellowship panelist, and a Broward County District Thespian Adjudicator. His teaching credits include writing and acting classes at Barry University, Ohio University, Marietta College, and After School Matters. He holds a BFA in Acting from Otterbein College, and an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University.

Kim Festa Gelnaw has had a varied entertainment career.  She is currently a talent manager and producer.  She recently wrote a children’s picture book, LetZooLunch, A Journey To Learning One Bite At A Time and is developing an episodic program based on it.  She spent more than 20 years working with Oscar-winning film producer Stanley Jaffe, working closely with creative executives and studio staff at Paramount Pictures and Sony Studios. In the nineties, Kim became the Executive Assistant to Mr. Jaffe in his role as President & Chief Operating Officer at Paramount Communications, (now Viacom International). Her other pursuits have included work as a production coordinator for an outdoor advertising company and residential interior design professional. She enjoys many hobbies—photography, golf and singing in particular. Kim was born in Montclair, NJ.  After a stint in Los Angeles and many years in New York City, Kim now resides in South Florida. She is married and has twin sons.

Monte Young is a producer/writer, producing a number of feature films, including Billy Todd's War, Hitters Anonymous, Gasp, and The Wave, starring Justin Long and Tommy Flanagan, and a short titled Survivors -produced with Marco Shepherd at Centropolis Entertainment. In 2020 Monte produced the feature films, Scarlettville, and The Old Way. Mr. Young is currently producing a reality medical show, Dr. East meet West, which explores the best of both Chinese and Western medical practices. Mr. Young partnered with Mana Animation, headed by VFX professional Dean Lyon, developing children’s animated educational series, including Sparx, Bookends, Earth 101 and First Pets, as well as a live-action feature film trilogy, Dragon Wars. Prior to entering the entertainment industry, Monte Young worked as a finance attorney, developing and structuring infrastructure investments in Asia.

Rolando Barrero is the founder of The Boynton Beach Art District, the president and co-founder of Art Synergy and The Florida Arts Association. He maintains a working artists studio behind the highly acclaimed Box Gallery in West Palm Beach. His curatorial background includes, Latino Fine Arts in Chicago, Center Gallery (Director/Curator), The Frances Wolfson Art Gallery (Director/Curator), The InterAmerican Fine Art Gallery (Director/Curator), Ground Level on Lincoln Road (Co-founder/ curator), and is currently working on a new curatorial project at Florida CraftArt in St. Petersburg, Florida.  Best known for his “Social Justice” art in film, video, painting and art installations. He was nominated for Best Artist of Palm Beach County 2022. Rolando is the recipient of Congressional Letter of Commendation and various  Proclamation for Cultural Leadership throughout the years. Most recently he was honored by Palm Beach County declaring June 7th, 2022 as “Artist Rolando Chang Barrero Day.” He is the host and founder of Hola Palm Beach, the first bilingual art and culture television talk show in Palm Beach County.

Laurence Gartel is a founding pioneer of the digital art movement. He is recognized for his innovative and eye-catching works. Before the official publication of photo editing software in 1987, Gartel invented his own process to manipulate images using digital synthesizers, televisions and outputting photographically as a dye sub & Polaroid prints.  Since that time, nothing has changed about Gartel’s ultramodern approach. He was the official artist of the 57th Annual Grammy Awards and has his work exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian Institute’s Museum of American History and the Bibliotheque Nationale to name a few. He was commissioned by Tesla to create an Electric Art Roadster that went viral during Art Basal Miami Beach. He is a lifelong learner and enjoys public speaking and is an accomplished writer.

Scott Glinski has been part of the Palm Beach County Sports Commission since 2007. As the Senior Business Development Manager, he has extensive experience in marketing and advertising including website content, in-house design and national publications. Scott has found innovative solutions to grow tourism in The Palm Beaches and enjoys working with events and projects including The Honda Classic, Winter Equestrian Festival, NCAA Golf National Championships, and the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award which is given annually to the nation’s best place-kicker in Division I collegiate football.Scott is a native of Michigan and moved to West Palm Beach to attend Northwood University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in the field of entertainment, sports, and promotion management.

Mary Murray is the executive editor at Palm Beach Media Group, where she works on Palm Beach Illustrated, Naples Illustrated, Fort Lauderdale Illustrated and Jupiter magazines, , She holds an English/creative writing degree from Florida State University and a master’s in arts journalism from Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. She previously worked at Town & Country magazine and served as a contributing reporter at the Charleston Post & Courier, covering the Spoleto Arts Festival. She frequently writes personality profiles and travel articles for PBMG and also covers the arts for Palm Beach Illustrated, including managing their online arts blog.

Ric Blackwell worked for years as a news and sports anchor/reporter at three CBS TV stations. He currently creates videos for the Palm Beach County School District. Ric also appears on national commercials as a spokesperson, has played a reporter on a number of popular TV shows and films, and has hosted hundreds of internet videos for non-profit organizations, doctors, lawyers, corporations, and local businesses. Ric is a skilled videographer, editor, writer, producer, and on-air talent who has created beautiful videos and documentaries. Ric and his wife Meredith have four children Taylor, Owen, Charlie and Drew.  

Leah Sokolowsky has helped shape some of the most memorable and iconic visual images of South Florida that exist in film and television. She possesses an extensive network of industry and business connections throughout the State of Florida, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and various other locales, along with extensive knowledge of grants, rebates and other incentives potentially available to qualifying productions throughout the State of Florida. Her previous employers include Netflix, Amazon, Warner Bros., Disney, Universal, 20th Century Fox, United Artists, NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, USA, A&E, Showtime, HBO, Netflix, Amazon and countless other independent production companies. Representative projects include Miami Rhapsody, The Specialist, Donnie Brasco, The Insider, There’s Something About Mary, Any Given Sunday, All About the Benjamins, Maximum Bob, The Manchurian Candidate, Miami Vice, The Glades, Graceland, Ballers, The Irishman, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Rap Sh!t, and Justified: City Primeval. Leah currently serves on the Board of Directors of Film Florida, representing Teamsters Local 769, and has previously served as the organization’s President, Secretary, and Legislative Chair. She is also a current member of the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI). Leah is committed to creating an environment in the State of Florida where the film and entertainment production industries can not only succeed, but thrive.

Lawnette Mundy-Sorowka is an award-winning TV Preditor (Producer/Editor) with 15+ years of experience in the media industry. Originally from Philadelphia but raised in sunny South Florida, her love for production stems from attending arts schools in Palm Beach County. She attended BAK Middle School of the Arts, A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, and the University of Central Florida for her bachelor's and master's degrees. After graduation, she joined the Olympusat team and has served several integral roles throughout the years. She is currently producing & editing for Olympusat Entertainment. Their work advertising The Palm Beaches has earned them 20 (and counting) prestigious awards. The ability to create a compelling piece by taking a project from conception through post-production is Lawnette's dream come true.

Rochelle Walters is the owner of the Indie-Art Houses: The Movies of Delray and The Movies of Lake Worth in Palm Beach County. She prides herself in featuring the very best of blockbuster, art, independent, and foreign films, and delivering an exceptional theater experience that is accessible to all. Along with operating the business, Rochelle’s primary role is carefully navigating theater release schedules and selecting films with the most meaningful and intriguing composition of story, characters, tone, and artistry. Rochelle understands that the film selection process is both intuitive and strategic. She knows that watching films on the big screen has the power to educate, entertain, and inspire audiences of all ages. The theater business is truly Rochelle’s labor of love.

Jay Cashmere has worked for WPTV as a reporter and anchor since 2001. He has won 4 Emmy Awards and has 22 Emmy nominations during his two-and-a-half decades in local television. In May 2022, Jay was awarded a regional Edward R. Murrow Award, considered among the most prestigious awards in news, for his story on two Boca Raton teenagers preparing for the Olympics. He has also won multiple Associated Press awards. Jay was born and raised in New Orleans and graduated with a degree in Broadcasting from the University of Alabama. He and his wife Kelly and their two children live in Palm Beach Gardens.

James Currie is an expert in the fields of sustainable development and environmental management and a life-long wildlife enthusiast, elephant expert and native of South Africa. He is the Head of Sales & New Development for the Americas for Great Plains Conservation. James hosted the popular birding TV show, Nikon’s Birding Adventures, for 10 seasons on Discovery Channel’s Destination America and NBC. He currently hosts the show, A WILD Connection and produced the multiple award-winning documentary on elephants Last of the Big Tuskers. As well as hosting a National Geographic 24-part video lecture series on birding and another on African Safaris, he hosted the popular action-birding show Aerial Assassins on National Geographic WILD, that aired worldwide and appeared as himself in the reality birding show, Twitchers. James has appeared as a special guest on various TV shows and radio, including Martha Stewart Radio, and WGN and has been the subject of several newspaper articles including the Wall Street Journal, The Palm Beach Post and the Orlando Sentinel. James filmed for, consulted for and provided footage for the Hollywood birding movie, The Big Year, starring Steve Martin, Jack Black and Owen Wilson.

Linda Moreno is the Executive Director of Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, a non-profit, volunteer-based organization that serves as Palm Beach County’s affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Florida Beautiful. Their mission is to enhance the quality of life in Palm Beach County through programs and partnerships that encourage public agencies, private entities, residents, and visitors to reduce litter and waste. These programs and partnerships will increase recycling, beautify the county, maintain public spaces, and inspire future generations to be great environmental stewards. She attended Palm Beach State College and has worked for the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County since 2003. She has extensive knowledge in litter abatement, illegal dumping, neighborhood beautification, community service initiatives, waste prevention, and recycling. Linda uses her strong leadership skills coupled with dynamic vision to give back and serve in various capacities.

Benji Studt is a scientist, conservation photographer, nature communicator, and explorer.  After graduating from the University of Florida, he spent 3 years working for South Florida Water Management District in the wetland regulation arena.  He then moved to Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (ERM) where for almost 10 years he designed wetland restoration projects, as well as conducted biological monitoring and land management activities. For the last seven years, Benji has led ERM’s public outreach team with the goal of inspiring real connections between the residents and visitors of the Palm Beaches, and the incredible public lands system that makes this area so special.

Michael Jordan has worked in the industry for 22 years, contributing to the success of the acclaimed series Forensic Files. Having directed over 275 episodes, he pushed creative boundaries by incorporating high-energy action and stunt sequences into the show. His experience in coordinating moving vehicles helped him develop into a successful Director/DP of car commercials and stunt driving sequences for film and TV. He trained with Filmotechnic’s Sci-Tech Academy Award Winning U-CRANE SYSTEM and is one of the top operators in the world, shooting feature films, television shows and commercials. His credits include Stranger Things, Bloodline, The Walking Dead, We’re the Millers, Avengers: End Game, 1883, and Yellowstone.

Jacqueline Journey is the host and producer for the luxury lifestyle television series Passport to the Palm Beaches and the author of The Diva’s in the Details: The Celebrity & CEO Inspired Guide to Confidence, Courage & Style. Journey is an award-winning filmmaker and television producer who has created thousands of hours of original programming seen in all corners of the globe. In addition to her experience behind the camera, she is an award-winning actress, portraying Karen Stark on NBC's Friday Night Lights, appearing in independent films, and hosting numerous popular entertainment series some of which were internationally syndicated. She wrote, directed and starred in the feature film Hidden Assets which screened in Cannes, and was awarded BEST FILM at Florida Supercon. Journey was also awarded a Leading Actress Award for her role in the film. She has worked with three 24-hour music and entertainment networks: Hit Video USA (bought out by Viacom International), TMZ, The Music Zone (a partnership with TCI/Liberty) and M*E Television (a partnership with Time Warner) where she was Vice President and Executive Producer. Journey was also recruited to be the COO of Carolco Pictures and is a member of the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission Board of Directors.

Sergio Navaretta is a Canadian film director, who draws inspiration from Italian cinema. He is a co-founder of S.N.A.P. Films, along with his partner Alessandra Piccione. Sergio has a background in music from The Royal Conservatory of Music and is a member of the Directors Guild of Canada.  He served as a mentor in Being Black in Toronto initiative and is teaching a Masterclass for Reel Works, whose mission is to empower underserved youth. Navarretta has contributed to panels and forums for The Academy of Film and Television; WIFT; TIFF and FOLCS. His thought leadership mission includes topics such as: filmmaking; surviving as an artist during COVID-19, mental wellness and the importance of diversity in film and television. 

Kevin Sharpley is the founder of Kijik Multimedia, a full-service company with specialties in integrated, branded and convergent media and development. He has produced and directed projects across mediums, including the documentary Sove Nou, narrated by Danny Glover featuring Wyclef Jean, Download for Good narrated by David Lynch, and wrote, produced, and directed the multi-platform project The Beach Chronicles featuring Tommy Flanagan, Michael Chiklis and Daryl Hannah that debuted as an official selection of the Miami International Film Festival. In addition, the animated film The Incredibly Short Life Of Peter Panties is an official selection of 16 festivals, winning eight awards. He is currently in post-production on a feature film, Deadly Night Out. Kevin is a Sundance Institute fellow after having his documentary Purvis Young, Young Purvis selected for the Sundance Miami story development workshop which is currently in production. Additionally, he is an actor and artist with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and a dual major in motion pictures and psychology, as well as an AA degree from Miami Dade College and was inducted into the Miami Dade College Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014.

Mo Fitzgibbon is a successful and respected writer/producer and is co founder of, Walker Fitzgibbon TV & Film, located in South Florida and Los Angeles. The firm is considered one of the most diversified and creative production companies with projects such as broadcast television, national commercials, promos, animation, reality, variety, biographies, documentaries, and music specials both in English and Spanish. Recently Fitzgibbon established a new entity, LAFLA FilmNation, introducing a series of one-on-one workshops and Career Advisement Programs for young filmmakers coming out of Florida. The series aims to give them a leg up on how to enter the business of creating visual content and navigate the industry to become successful while building their careers and businesses in Florida.

Louise Levison is the President of Business Strategies, and a highly respected financial consultant in the entertainment industry specializing in the creation of film business plans. Her clients have raised money for low-budget films such as The Blair Witch Project, the most profitable independent film in history, and for companies raising money slates of films.  She is the author of Filmmakers & Financing: Business Plans for Independents. The book is the inspiration for the feature documentary Movie Money CONFIDENTIAL in which Levison is interviewed and for which she was the technical advisor. She also is editor of the monthly online newsletter The Film Entrepreneur: A Newsletter for the Independent Filmmaker and Investor which is available for free at moviemoney.com.  

JeanCarlo Ramirez is a Columbian/American filmmaker, photographer and travel enthusiast with a passion for creating and making visions come to life.  Based in West Palm Beach, JeanCarlo started IndieHouse Films in 2011 and has worked with National Geographic, Hilton Hotels, NASA and Delta Airlines on commercials, lifestyle, narrative and documentary projects. Prior to opening his business he worked in NYC with Academy Award winner Kirk Simon and continues to coordinate the Film Program at YoungArts. Ramirez enjoys working and supporting the Arts in Palm Beach County and teaches filmmaking workshops in schools and museums across the country. He also hosts trips to Iceland with his other company; Exploring Planet Iceland.

Jane Rumbaua is an actor, award winning director and photographer. She was born in the Philippines and moved to America at the age of 5. Known for The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (Marvel/Disney+), The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (HBO), Chateau Vato ( HBO),  MacGyver (CBS) and Star Crossed (CW Network). She began acting in college when she earned a theater scholarship at Jacksonville State College. She quickly earned her SAG card, with her 1st commercial audition for Burger King. Jane studied with Burt Reynolds as a student in his Master Acting class. Jane lives in Palm Beach Gardens, she enjoys cooking, working out, yoga, Rock climbing and archery and utilizes her mixed martial arts background in stunt fight choreography.

Frank Eberling is a multi-award-winning film and television Writer, Producer, Director, and Cinematographer with over forty-four years’ experience in the field, producing thousands of film and television segments. In addition, Frank served as a high school English, drama, and filmmaking teacher for five years and a college filmmaking instructor for twenty-six years at Palm Beach State College. He has written/directed two full-length feature films that have been distributed internationally and is the author of six novels, five of which are available on Amazon.

EK Keratsis is a film and television producer of shows such as USA Network’s hit TV show Burn Notice and most recently two 2019 Miami Film Festival independent film picks: Vandal and Huracán. Currently residing in Miami, she is a former Massachusetts resident who has been around the world with film crews and on the road directing powerboat racing and professional wrestling. Co-author of the New England true crime bestseller Citizen Somerville, she is a lifelong scribe who took her inspiration for writing and love of words from the eclectic combination of childhood favorite Harriet The Spy and the adult provocateur Charles Bukowski.

Suzanne Niedland is an award-winning filmmaker, actor and Broadway producer. Ms. Niedland serves on boards of The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission, The Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, The International Committee for the Performing Arts, and The President’s Advisory Council at The Kennedy Center as well as DeVos Institute for Arts Management.

Aaron Wells has over four decades of experience producing, directing, writing, and editing content that’s captivated audiences worldwide. From feature films to TV commercials to documentary series, he’s created thousands of hours of compelling entertainment that’s earned numerous industry awards and accolades. One of his most notable collaborations was with Hollywood legend Burt Reynolds, whom he worked closely with for over a decade on various film and theatrical productions. Today, Aaron's creative vision continues to evolve; he’s currently directing a captivating documentary series set in Las Vegas featuring football icon Emmitt Smith. With Aaron at the helm, audiences are sure to be transported into a world of excitement, inspiration, and unparalleled storytelling.