Rachel Antell has worked in documentary film production for over two decades in various capacities, but found her true passion in archival producing. In 2014 she co-founded Sub-Basement Archival, where she has had the honor of being archival producer on contemporary and historic documentaries. Sub-Basement films have aired on streaming platforms, cable, public and network television, screened at festivals worldwide, and garnered FOCAL Awards as well as an Emmy nomination for research and use of archival footage. In 2023, Rachel co-founded the Archival Producers Alliance (APA) with Jen Petrucelli and Steph Jenkins. The APA was created to organize and advocate for archival producers, educate the larger film community about the craft, and work to make archival materials more accessible and affordable for independent filmmakers. The APA's first initiative addresses the introduction of Generative AI into the field of documentary film and archival work. In September of this year, the APA published the first-ever industry-wide guidelines, Best Practices for Use of Generative AI in Documentaries, with endorsements from over 50 organizations, foundations, production companies, and film festivals, as well as dozens of filmmakers.

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.

Max Asaf is a Chicago-based, award-winning freelance documentary filmmaker. From 2016-2019, Max worked at Kartemquin Films, helping raise over $5 million for the organization and its documentaries. Max produced the 2024 IDA shortlisted documentary short Bad Hostage which reveals the pernicious origins of Stockholm Syndrome. Bad Hostage premiered at the 2024 Sheffield DocFest and won a special jury award at the BendFilm Festival. Max is the co-producer of The Last Strike, an upcoming feature documentary from Kindling Group on the 1981 PATCO strike, and was the producer of The Last Drop, a short sci-fi fiction film exploring the overlooked signs of relationship abuse. Max is also in early post-production on his feature directorial debut, Within the Box, a personal documentary about the memories, stories, and familial identity contained and lost in a box of photos smuggled out of Poland eight decades ago.