Rebecca Stern is an Emmy-nominated documentary producer and director living in Los Angeles, CA with over a decade of experience in the field delivering high-quality non-fiction films and series to myriad platforms, film festivals, and media outlets including HBO, Hulu, AMC, ESPN, Starz and PBS among others. Her work has covered topics from the world of sports, national debates, systemic issues, crimes and comedy. Deeply rooted in the documentary community, she is on the board of the Documentary Producers Alliance, a 2023 DOCNYC 40 Under 40 honoree, a 2018 Impact Partners Fellow, a PGA-accredited producer. Rebecca is particularly drawn to films that feature joy, awe, strong narrative structures, and a healthy dose of fun.

Eli Yetter-Bowman is a genderqueer documentary filmmaker, science communicator, and founder of Ethereal Films. While a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Eli uncovered the story of GenX contamination in their hometown of Wilmington. That discovery led them to begin a years-long investigation into PFAS chemicals and to build a production company from scratch to tell the story. Since then, their films have reached international audiences, including BURNED: Protecting the Protectors, produced with actor Mark Ruffalo, and The Bowl, which opened the 2025 BEYOND Film Festival.

Eli’s work bridges medicine, science, and advocacy, and they now serve as an affiliate researcher at UNC Chapel Hill. Some of their awards include the National Academies’ Excellence in Science Communication Award, a Southern Circuit Fellowship, the title of Honorable Colonel, and nearly one million dollars in grants supporting documentary projects. Their films have been shown at festivals, in classrooms, and in fire departments across the country, sparking conversations about health, ethics, and accountability.

Alongside filmmaking, Eli’s creative practice extends into theatre, music, and public speaking, where they bring the same energy and presence that inform their documentaries. They are also a dedicated rock climber and once won a computer competition in Chapel Hill in 2025. Inspired by the love and creativity of their parents, Eli continues to merge art and advocacy, showing students and audiences that storytelling can be both a tool for change and an expression of joy.

Heidi Burkey is a documentary producer with over 16 years of experience crafting powerful, character-driven stories. Known for capturing the voices and journeys of underrepresented communities, Heidi has directed and produced projects for major platforms like Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu. She’s a pro at developing stories from concept to final cut, bringing scripts to life with an authentic, hands-on approach. Heidi’s credits include Jedi Junior High, The Pitch, Fan Chronicles, The Class, and An Update on Our Family—which premiered at Tribeca. An active member of the Video Consortium, Women in Media, Documentary Producers Alliance, and the International Documentary Association, Heidi is passionate about building trust with her interviewees and digging into stories that push beyond the surface.

Prerana Thakurdesai is a New York based director and producer whose work affirms that all art is political. She tells stories across the US and India, centering women and the South Asian diaspora. Her credits include The Last Ecstatic Days (feature doc), Where The Light Enters You (short doc), The Last Resort (short doc), 9/11: The Legacy (TV doc) and the PBS World Channel aired micro-doc The Essential Worker. In India, she produced the globally acclaimed docu-TV series Satyamev Jayate, produced by Aamir Khan and watched by 600 million viewers. A Producers Guild of America Fellow and DOC NYC Documentary New Leader honoree, Prerana’s work streams on PBS, Amazon Prime, History Channel and Apple TV. She is also the co-founder of Bitchitra Collective, a network of 400+ women and non-binary documentary filmmakers of Indian heritage.