John Beder (he/him) is an Emmy-nominated Asian American documentary director specializing in community-centered storytelling on social justice, public health, and climate change. A member of the Asian American Documentary Network, Documentary Producers Alliance, and The Video Consortium, he also serves on the ArtsBuild Board, is a 2023 Tennessee Arts Commission Fellow, and has been a mentor with Kartemquin and the Southern Documentary Fund. As co-founder of Bedrock Productions, he has directed four films, including Dying in Your Mother’s Arms, which earned an News & Doc Emmy® nomination. His recent documentary, How to Sue the Klan, qualified for the 2025 Academy Awards® and has been selected at 11 Oscar-qualifying festivals.

Kira is an Academy Award nominated documentary film producer (Ascension 登楼叹, 2021). She is currently producing several films by artists and filmmakers, including AX Mina and Mia Bendrimia. She is also the co-founder & co-director of 爻 yáo collaborative, a multifaceted arts nonprofit supporting hundreds of different international creative exchanges since its inception in 2013. Through all of her work, she committed to redistributing resources and mentoring the next generation of artists, cultural workers & organizers.

Sophie Barksdale is Heartland Emmy winning Australian/ American filmmaker currently based in Wyoming. Her short film Who She Is (2022), a humanizing insight into the lives of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women received a Heartland Emmy for "Best Documentary" in the cultural category, “Best Documentary” at Flagstaff Film Festival, ‘Best Social Justice Film’ at the Latino & Native American Film Fest, ‘Best Animated Doc’ at Oregon Documentary Festival among others. It broadcast Nationally on PBS after premiering on WORLD CHANNEL in May2024. Sophie produced Heartland Emmy-nominated Home From School: The Children of Carlisle (2021) which aired nationally on Independent Lens; and produced Heartland Emmy-Nominated The State of Equality (2019) with WYPBS, chronicling Wyoming’s role in women’s suffrage. Sophie Barksdale has extensive experience in film and the arts, including with Screen Ireland, and numerous film festivals in the USA, Australia & Ireland. She is a Wyoming Arts Council Visual Arts Fellow (2024).

Gilad Thaler is a four-time Emmy Award winning and two time Peabody nominated director, producer, and cinematographer, with over a decade of experience in news and documentary production. His work has appeared on 60 Minutes, Showtime, VICE, CBS, 48 Hours and Paramount+.