Midge Costin holds the Kay Rose Endowed Chair in the Art of Sound Editing at the USC School of Cinematic Arts given by George Lucas in 2005. She produced and directed the award-winning feature documentary Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and its international premiere at Cannes Film Festival in 2019. She was nominated for Best First Time Director by Critics Choice Documentary Awards and the film received multiple awards and nominations including ACE (American Cinema Editors), MPSE (Motion Picture Sound Editors), Cinema Eye, and won the CAS (Cinema Audio Society) for Outstanding Achievement in Mixing.

Costin has been a feature film sound editor in Hollywood for filmmakers such as Tony Scott (Crimson Tide), Michael Bay (The Rock), John Waters (Crybaby), David Wolper (Imagine: John Lennon) and Amy Heckerling (Look Who’s Talking Too). Two of the films, Crimson Tide and Armageddon - for which she edited sound effects and dialogue - received Academy Award nominations for Sound Editing. Crimson Tide won the MPSE Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing. As a passionate teacher and advocate for creative use of sound in the cinematic arts, Costin has traveled worldwide to lecture on sound design & editing, and her career in Hollywood. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences where she serves as a Branch Executive Committee, a past Board member of the MPSE, and was a long-standing member of the Editors Guild.

Jerry Ross embarked on his career as an apprentice and assistant picture editor from 1976 to 1979 before transitioning to a pivotal role as a sound editor on "Apocalypse Now." Continuing to contribute as a sound editor and supervisor on various films from the 1980s to the 2020s, Ross's expertise was notably showcased during a seven-year stint on "The Walking Dead." Currently serving as a Supervising Sound Editor at Warner Bros, Ross also dedicates time to the Board of Directors for MPEG Local 700 and the Executive Committee of the Sound Branch at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, exemplifying a commitment to mentoring and service within the industry.

David Fluhr attended Crane School of Music in NY, majoring in Electronic Music Composition. After coming to LA in 1980 to work as an office assistant at a state of the art post production facility, he began his career in sound for picture as a transfer operator, sound editor, and then a stage recordist/assistant. He then launched his re-recording career mixing documentaries, TV shows, and many of the high-profile music specials and videos at the time.

After winning 9 Emmys with 38 nominations and two Cinema Audio Society awards for his work over the next 10 years, he transitioned to live action film sound re-recording. In 2004, he was invited to Walt Disney Studios where he also began mixing animated films. Since 2004, David has mixed dialog and music on every animated film for Disney Animation Studios.

Berenice Robinson started her career in France at Buena Vista International Europe in 1992, then moved to London in 1993 as the Director of Film Operations for Europe, supervising International releases for both Live Action and Animated Titles over 32 territories. She then moved to LA in 1996 as a Supervisor of Post production for Walt Disney Animation.

Her first movie was Hercules and worked closely with Directors John Musker and Ron Clements. Berenice became the head Post Production at WDAS in 2006. Berenice has worked on more than 20 animated titles and just recently finished “Strange World" and is working on the 100th year Anniversary Feature release for 2023.

Jon Jon “JJ” Augustavo is a Filipino-American filmmaker born and raised in Seattle, Washington. He currently works out of Los Angeles, California as a film, commercial and music video director.

He’s directed unique projects for brands like Adidas, Jordan and Cadillac and has over 4 billion views of his music video works with artists like Shawn Mendes, ScHoolboy Q, Kygo, Mike Posner and Macklemore. JJ’s music videos have won a handful of international awards. His shorts have screened at various festivals, notably “Just a Kid from $eattle” at Sundance in 2018.

JJ is repped by WME and Redefine Ent for film and television and MSSNG PECES for commercials.

JJ is currently developing the “Just a Kid from $eattle” feature with producers Asher Goldstein, Destin Daniel Cretton and Stephen “Dr” Love.

the reggies (Jake Herman and Clay Dirkse) are a creative super group that has worked with a variety of artists and brands across the music, fashion and branded content space.
Their music videos have received over 100 million views working with artists that include DJ Shadow, Max, Dillon Francis, and Yung Gravy. Branded content work includes clients Red Bull, Beats by Dre, Coachella, and Arizona Hard.

Best friends and collaborators, they graduated from Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, while simultaneously pursuing directing careers and fostering relationships with musicians and brands along the way. They are currently based in Venice Beach, Dirkse grew up in Portland (OR) and Herman is an LA native.

Clark Burnett is an associate producer at Florentine Films, Ken Burns’s production company, working on a film called “Emancipation to Exodus,” a documentary that looks at the Reconstruction era through the very beginning of the Great Migration. It’s set to broadcast on PBS in 2027.

Previously at Florentine, Clark worked as an associate digital producer for UNUM, a media platform that uses the Florentine filmography to place current events in their historical context and trace themes throughout history. He interned at the company in 2016.

Clark is a director in both documentary and narrative film. In college, he also interned at Genius, the music website, and Acres, a commercial production company. While in undergrad, he co-created Now, In Color, a docuseries dedicated to expanding the perception of Blackness in America. It has been featured in The New York Times, Teen Vogue, The Huffington Post, Connecticut Public Radio (WNPR), and other outlets. His short films and documentaries have been recognized by such places as The New Haven Documentary Film Festival, The Garden State Film Festival, and The Yale Policy Lab.

A 2018 Princess Grace Foundation Honorarium recipient, Clark’s short film Athol Park premiered at the 2020 National Film Festival for Talented Youth and took home an audience award. In February 2021, Clark joined Ken Burns and Sarah Burns on a virtual panel at Yale moderated by Thomas Allen Harris.

Clark graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in sociology in 2019, earning distinction in the major.

He has the Florentine family to thank for a growing interest in karaoke.

Caitrin Rogers is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker who has produced documentaries on a wide variety of subjects from war and politics to music and sports. Her credits include the Emmy-winning THE TILLMAN STORY, the Grammy-nominated THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO-YO MA AND THE SILKROAD ENSEMBLE and 20 FEET FROM STARDOM, which won numerous awards including the 2014 Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary and the 2015 Grammy for Best Music Film. Most recently, she produced TAYLOR SWIFT: MISS AMERICANA, ROADRUNNER: A FILM ABOUT ANTHONY BOURDAIN, MICKEY: THE STORY OF A MOUSE, BONO & THE EDGE: A SORT OF HOMECOMING, THE SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES and the series UGLY DELICIOUS, WORN STORIES, SONG EXPLODER and WATCH THE SOUND WITH MARK RONSON. Her upcoming projects include PIECE BY PIECE, an animated LEGO movie about the life of Pharrell Williams.

Zachary Edwin is a Director of Development at IPC where he has worked on series and features for both Nonfiction and Scripted across streaming platforms and cable outlets. He has spearheaded original development projects at a range of budgets for digital, linear, and branded networks. Prior to their acquisition by Sony, he worked closely with Don Cheadle’s This Radicle Act and their slate of projects.

Zach started at IPC in 2018 and is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara’s Biopsychology program. He currently resides in Santa Clarita.

I started my entertainment industry career as a Page in the NBC Page program in 2008. After 6 months in the program, I was able to segue that into an opportunity with the Ellen DeGeneres Show. I spent 5 seasons in the Audience Department at 'Ellen'.

In 2013, I accepted a position on the production side of the industry on The Queen Latifah daytime talk show. As an assistant production coordinator, I climbed the ladder to production manager in a matter of a few years working for production companies such as Sony Pictures Entertainment, Game Show Network and Pilgrim Media Group until I ultimately ended up at IPC in August of 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Working in production, I did a number of amazing things during my career. I've worked on large outdoor concerts for artists like Taylor Swift and One Direction; I've traveled the globe and worked on a game show in Belfast, Ireland; I've followed street racers across the country for 'Street Outlaws' on Discovery Channel and met world famous chefs while managing the Emmy nominated 'Selena + Chef' for Buckingham Television.

After spending most of my adult career in production, I decided to move into a field that gave me more flexibility in my personal life. Working in production accounting has allowed me the opportunity to not only stay within IPC but to continue to grow professionally as IPC was purchased by Sony in March 2022.

Zlata Osadsky is a manager of Business and Legal Affairs department at Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction. In her current role, Zlata handles business and legal affairs activities across development and production including drafting and negotiating various network and talent deals. She has worked on multiple projects, including American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.

Prior to joining SPTNF in 2018, she gained valuable experience clerking at the LA County District Attorney’s Office, serving as a volunteer mediator in the Downey Courthouse and assisting a litigation attorney in her homeland, the Ukraine, for more than 2 years.
Zlata holds a Master of Laws Degree in Dispute Resolution from the Pepperdine University School of Law.

Nijla Mu'min is a writer and filmmaker from the East Bay Area. Her work is informed by poetry, photography, music, fiction, and dance. In 2014, she was selected for the Sundance Institute Screenwriters Intensive, and she was the winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Screenplay at the Urbanworld Film Festival, for her script Noor, which also garnered recognition from The Black List Muslim List and the Islamic Scholarship Fund.

Her debut feature film, Jinn, premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, where she won a Special Jury Award for Screenwriting. Jinn, a New York Times Critic’s pick, was released in 2018 by Orion/MGM. That year, she also directed an episode of "Queen Sugar." In 2019, she received the MPAC Media Award for Courage and Conscience and was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. That same year, she directed an episode of HBO’s “Insecure” and she wrote for the Starz show “Blindspotting.”

In 2020, she wrote and directed an episode of the Apple series, "Swagger.” She also wrote and directed a short film for Netflix, entitled Black Prom. In 2021, she directed an episode of “Wu-Tang: An American Saga” for Hulu. In 2022, she directed episodes of "All Rise" for OWN, "Swagger" for Apple, and "East New York" for CBS. She is a dual-degree graduate of CalArts MFA Film Directing and Creative Writing Programs, and a graduate of UC Berkeley.

Marco Rosas is a Mexican-American editor born and raised in the Chicagoland area. He graduated with a B.A. in Film from Columbia College Chicago. With 10+ years in post production,

Marco’s editorial experience ranges from commercials, music videos, VR, social media, short and feature length films, and T.V series. He currently works in the world of film and scripted television in Hollywood. Some of his recent credits include HBO’s Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty and Burnout, a short film produced by Jamie Lee Curtis.

Outside of work, Marco finds pleasure in watching football, movies, playing DND, being physically active, getting lost in movie scores, and savoring the vast world of tea.

Christian Rozier began his career as a music video and commercial director, producing broadcast videos for politically engaged artists and content for Hearst Interactive and Geffen Records. His documentary credits include the world-tour music film 'Among The Trees', and the multiple award-winning documentaries 'Racing the Past' (2014) and 'When the Rabbit Got the Gun' (2021).

Christian is the director of the feature film 'Apache Leap' (2022), produced in collaboration with the San Carlos Apache Tribal Reservation community in Eastern Arizona. Apache Leap premiered at the Portland Film Festival and subsequently received numerous awards during its festival tour. The coming-of-age film officially released in Spring of 2023 to audiences worldwide.

Christian Rozier is also an Associate Professor of Film Production in the School of Visual Studies at the University of Missouri.

Andrés Vázquez is a writer and director from Los Angeles whose work explores themes of intergenerational memory, spiritual mysticism, and the transformation of diasporic and detribalized narratives into intimate traditions and haunting mythologies. As the seventh son of migrants and a descendant of the Bracero Program and Mexican Repatriation, his storytelling searches for the beauty that can be found in darkness and embraces its ability to help us look deep within ourselves.

He has directed and produced for major brands such as Lululemon, Estrella Jalisco, and Warner Media. He recently collaborated with Futuro to create original episodic content in partnership with Warner Media 150. His work has premiered with Remezcla, NPR Music, NALIP, Urbanworld Film Festival, and won Best Experimental Film for his short The Burning Plain at the Official Latino Film Festival. His script, Despierta, won the Sundance Co//ab “Sound as Storytelling Challenge” presented by the Dolby Institute.

Andrés is currently in post production for his hybrid documentary No Hables (Don’t Speak), and is developing his first feature film.

Ameer Collier is from Washington, DC by way of Atlanta, GA. His career experience includes radio, digital, and most recently film and TV after relocating to LA five years ago. Ameer has held positions at NFL Network, Fox Sports, FX and Epic Records while also assisting on productions including Really Love, Space Jam 2, DMZ, Colin in Black and White, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey, and many more. His journey in the world of management began at Underground Films which led him to ColorCreative in where he’s currently a Literary Manager.

Sim Hothi is a manager at Three Six Zero where she represents clients in TV, film and music. She started her career working on America’s Next Top Model and then transitioned into representation at 3 Arts Entertainment working with writers, directors and talent. Sim enjoys developing projects with unique and emerging voices in the literary space.

Jon Kee is a Literary Manager at Circle of Confusion where he represents writers and directors. Jon never envisioned a career in Hollywood, but after his first internship at United Talent Agency he quickly fell in love with the fast paced environment of representation and the entertainment industry. In 2023, he was selected as one of thirty top HBCU Grads in Hollywood by The Hollywood Reporter. His dedication and ability to identify emerging talent and nurture relationships has catapulted his career into being one the youngest reps in Hollywood.

Khari Davis
Assistant
WME

Khari Davis is a writer, and director born and raised in Atlanta Georgia. His upbringing in Atlanta shaped his care and passion for the culture of entertainment. He is the founder and CEO of Haricreates, a creative studio. He is currently based in Los Angeles where he works as an assistant for WIlliam Morris Endeavour. Before WME, Khari worked as an intern in the TV Development departments for Legendary Entertainment and AMC Networks. As a visionary, he enjoys collaborating with upcoming musicians, fashion designers, directors, writers, and producers to create empowering content for black people.

Brandon Marsh is the Executive Assistant for the Film department at AGBO. He reports directly to the President of Film and SVP of Film. Previously, he worked as an MP Literary Assistant and Training Coordinator at Verve Talent & Literary Agency. He has previously spoken on panels for the Group Effort Initiative on the topic of breaking into the industry and removing barriers to entry for entry-level entertainment jobs. At AGBO, Brandon balances supporting creative development for the film team with administrative duties. He has a BA in Cinema and Media Studies from the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts.

Originally from Cleveland, Ohio Ali Whitner has always had a strong passion for the entertainment, sports, and media industry. As a Howard University Alumna, she became a member of the 2018 HBCU IN LA cohort. Through this program she was able to get her industry start, interning at SAG-AFTRA. She worked as a television literary assistant at ICM Partners for two years and left to work at The SpringHill Company in 2020. She's now the studio coordinator working directly under their Chief Content Officer helping to bring in and develop content for their slate. She is often reading a script, watching a basketball game, or doing both at the same time…

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Chloee Puckett developed an interest in film, tv, and music. She began working in film marketing for movies such as The Shack, Just Mercy, and Unconditional. After graduating from Howard University, she went to law school and interned under DeVon Franklin as well as Black Women Film Network. She is currently the creative executive at Marginal MediaWorks, and works directly under the CEO and Head of Film to help oversee their slate, development, and production efforts.

Brenda Chapman is an American animator, screenwriter, storyboard artist, and director. In 1998, she became the first woman to direct an animated feature from a major studio, DreamWorks Animation's The Prince of Egypt. She wrote the storylines of The Lion King and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Nicholas Freeman is a character designer and freelancer, with a decade-long career, he has worked in animation, comics, and AAA game design. In his capacity as a freelancer, Nicholas has successfully undertaken a diverse range of projects for prominent streaming platforms, including Disney Plus and Netflix. Noteworthy among these are his contributions to acclaimed productions such "Kulipari and the Army of Frogs," and the highly regarded webcomic "1000," which garnered the esteemed Ringo Award. Nicholas's journey as an artist began at the illustrious Art Institute of Pittsburgh, where he pursued a degree in animation. However, before completing his formal education, he decided to leap headfirst into the captivating world of animation.

Bradford Simonsen brings his expertise and diverse experience in the worlds of animation and visual effects to his role as producer. Brad recently produced “Once Upon A Studio” with Yvett Morino, a short film celebrating 100 years of Disney Animation. He previously produced "Baymax" the Series with Roy Conli for Disney Plus. He previously produced Walt Disney Studios' short film, "Us Again," which was included in the shortlist for the 94th Academy Awards® Animated Short Film category, and won the prestigious NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short-Form (Animated). He first joined Disney Animation in 2012, and has served as associate producer on three Oscar®-winning features, "Big Hero 6," "Zootopia" and "Encanto," as well as the 2018 Oscar®-nominated film, "Ralph Breaks the Internet." He also produced the animated short film, "Weeds," which garnered festival acclaim and Academy consideration.

Ignacio Genzon is a Cinematographer and camera operator.

Visionary director, Ethan Lader’s foray as a filmmaker launched in high school when he was recognized by HBO in conjunction with Spike Lee’s documentary “4 Little Girls” for his short film “The Sound of Racism” about racial intolerance in suburban school systems. Since then his expansive portfolio includes directorial campaigns with major brands such as Disney, Triller, Spotify, Nike, Nickelodeon Jr., Google, Volkswagen, Ford, American Idol, as well as top-charting artists including Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Bruno Mars, and Mariah Carey, garnering over 5 Billion Youtube views worldwide. His projects and philanthropy have been acknowledged by HBO, Forbes, Billboard, National Foundation for the Advancement in Arts, National Association of Multicultural Education, Entertainment Weekly, MTV VMAs, BET Awards, Grammys, MuchMusic Video Awards, Young Arts - amongst others. Lader and a colleague are building an Innovation Storytelling Academy in South Africa to empower disenfranchised youth by creating job opportunities within their communities. He resides in Venice, CA with his family.

Evan Rosenfeld is an award-winning Producer and Director who has been at the forefront of sports documentary filmmaking for the last decade. Evan is the Creator, Executive Producer (along with LeBron James and Maverick Carter) and Director of "Warriors of Liberty City," a documentary series premiering on Starz in Fall 2018. Prior to creating "Warriors of Liberty City," Rosenfeld was the Showrunner and Executive Producer of "VICE World of Sports", which won the Outstanding Sports Program honor at the 2017 Producers Guild Awards. "VICE World of Sports" also received an Emmy® nomination in 2018 for Best Sports Documentary. Rosenfeld's previous work includes two of ESPN's "30 for 30" films, The U and Broke, which both premiered as the highest rated films in the series. His other work includes Kareem: Minority of One (HBO), Dawg Fight, 60 Minutes Sports, and the Cocaine Cowboys series.

Kat Friis is an Emmy Award winning producer with over 20 years of experience working in the advertising and marketing industry across all product segments for many leading global advertisers. Kat serves on the Executive Committee of the Television Academy’s Commercial Peer Group and is also a climate leader on Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project. Kat is also the co-founder and CMO of dr. Scobii, a probiotic beverage company in southern California. Kat has been a consistent and active member of the advertising community and has built and fostered many key relationships with partners along the way.

Kat has been part of work recognized by The Emmy Awards, The Clio Awards, Cannes Lions, The One Show, ANDY Awards, Webby Awards, Effie Awards, AICP/Next Awards, Communication Arts, London International Awards, Ciclope, The Smartie Awards, D&AD Awards and the Women’s Image Network Awards. Kat has facilitated and fostered green production practices for many years and set sustainability guidelines at organizations she has worked with and most recently collaborated on Green The Bid.

Jessie Nagel is the Co-Founder of Green The Bid, a non-profit organization, educational resource, and community dedicated to transitioning the global advertising and production industry to sustainable and regenerative practices.

Green The Bid has hundreds of member companies from around the world - brands, agencies, production, and post - along with supporting trade organizations. Jessie’s participation in the development and ongoing nurturing of Green The Bid came out of volunteer work as a member of the West Board of the AICP (the Association of Independent Producers) for which she helped develop the organization’s first sustainability guidelines.

In addition to her volunteer commitment to Green The Bid, Jessie is the co-founder of Hype -- a boutique communications that provides brand-strategic PR, Marketing, and Social Media services to creative companies. Dedicated to the entertainment industry as a community, Hype is committed to keen storytelling and promoting the creative process.

As the first post company to join Green the Bid, Cosmo Street Editorial has been a leader in exploring sustainability best practices in media workflows. As Head of Development at Cosmo Street, Jaclyn Paris has pushed the conversation forward around our industry's anxiety surrounding file loss, and the disastrous misconception of a clean and abundant cloud.

Jaclyn previously served as Executive Producer at Company3, Beast Editorial, Method Studios at their co-located Atlanta facility. Formerly, she held various Senior Producer roles in Los Angeles including at Lost Planet, Rabbit Content, Liquid VFX and Ravenswork Audio in addition to working as a commercial Line Producer collaborating with Jaguar, Target, Absolut, Nestle, and MSNBC. During her time in NYC she worked for feature documentary outfit IsotopeFilms at the Tribeca Film Center and worked with Voyeur Films creating 16mm content for Salon94 and The New Museum. Paris is a graduate of New York University and is a proud mama to two amazing humans.