OUR MISSION
We are a diverse group of film activists and creatives who share a common goal: to make a difference through storytelling and increase awareness of the struggles that people face due to conflict and displacement.
OUR VALUES
Human Connection
We are committed to delivering quality production and creating stories with visual and emotional impact. We believe that by capturing the human experience, we can create a connection between our audiences and the people in our films.
Social Responsibility
We are committed to social responsibility and the individual's human rights. We believe it is our duty as filmmakers to use our platform to contribute awareness that might bring positive change.
Writer, Director & Producer
Mimi began her filmmaking journey by developing and directing self-taught Super 8mm films before learning digital filmmaking, cinematography, and film editing. Inspired by history, she embarked on a novel-in-progress about the Vietnam War. She was among the Nominees for the Allegra Johnson Award for Novelist through the UCLA Extension Writers' Program in 2020.
Her script, CHILDREN OF WAR, received the Top 15 Finalists award for the Shore Scripts’ Spring 2024 Short Film Fund and placed Finalist for the 2023 Carole Dorothy Joyce Grant. The project recently advanced to the Semi-Finalist Round for the Fall 2024 Screencraft Film Fund Program. The script was also selected among over 10,000 submissions for Final Draft's Quarter Finalist Round of the Big Break Screenwriting contest. Her script reached #1 on Coverfly’s Red List for the Top 20 scripts in the early months of July and August 2024 for the Thriller Short category. It remains #2 in the past year for this category and it's in the Top 1% of all projects aggregated by Coverfly.
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While working with refugees and marginalized communities at a Women’s Business Center, she fundraised and managed programs that won economic development grants from foundations, federal agencies, and corporate sponsors. Mimi studied feature and television writing at UCLA Extension and earned a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. She advocates for women, children, refugees, and disability rights.
Katherine Nilsen
Co-Producer & Production Manager
Katherine is from Whidbey Island, Washington. She is a digital artist/painter who dons various roles on set, ranging from video editor to producer and set dresser. She kickstarted her editorial career as an apprentice to documentary filmmaker Kristy Guevara-Flanagan at UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television.
Katherine holds Associate degrees in Film Studies, Film & Television Production, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. She founded the non-profit Expressive Technology Coalition (ETC), dedicated to supporting a nurturing community for the convergence of arts and technology through media production, creative mentorship, and career advocacy for underserved individuals.
Director of Photography ​
Jonas' work has been broadcast on national television in Germany, China, and the United States. His cinematography for the science-fiction thriller All Terrain, was produced by Oscar-winner Gray Frederickson (The Godfather, Apocalypse Now) and is one of the world’s first 3D 360° virtual reality feature films.
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He received two European Cinematography Awards, a European Independent Film Award and was nominated for two Golden Eagles. He holds an MFA from Florida State University, an M.A. from the University of Memphis, and a B.A. from the University of Mainz and he has taught classes in cinematography and film at all three institutions between projects.
Consulting Producer
Born and raised in Ukraine, Anastasiia is a journalist, actress, and a humanitarian filmmaker now working in Los Angeles. She is currently immersed in expanding the production of the feature documentary, MARIUPOL SURVIVORS, which won Best International Film at the Santa Fe Film Festival in 2023 and was an Official Selection at the Los Angeles Independent Women Film Awards.
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As a consultant on our project, Anastasiia brings firsthand experience and insight, offering invaluable perspectives to illuminate the stark realities of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Consulting Producer
A Canadian-American writer/director/producer, Lisa has made eight short films which have played in 100+ film festivals. Her anti-gun violence short Thoughts and Prayers played in 56 film festivals. Her screenplays have won the CineStory Screenwriting Awards and the Nashville Film Festival Grand Jury Prize; her scripts reached the Finals of the Nicholl Fellowships, PAGE International Screenwriting Awards, and Script Pipeline TV Competition.
Lisa has a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from UCLA. She was a participant in the AFI Directing Workshop for Women. In late 2023, Lisa graduated summa cum laude with an AA degree in cinema production from Los Angeles City College. A graduate of the Second City Conservatory, Lisa performed improv comedy at crappy coffeehouses all over LA.
Anna Maistrenko
Associate Producer
Anna is an actress and model from Ukraine. Committed to her heritage and community, Anna served as an interpreter during the influx of Ukrainian refugees to the U.S. She has lent her voice and presence as a spokesperson, emcee, and project manager for the Ukrainian Art Center of LA, a non-profit that has stood with Ukraine from the first days of war.
With an MBA degree from Switzerland, she has worked with hundreds of people as a hospitality executive in Europe, Asia, and America. Now, Anna's mission is to merge her multifaceted talents and experiences to bring compelling and compassionate stories to the big screen.
Olajide Kay Hamed
First Assistant Director
Olajide is an American screenwriter, producer, and director, acclaimed for his debut short film Sunset & Vine, which earned an Official Selection to compete in the 2022 Cannes Short Film Festival. Raised in Houston, Texas, his early exposure to cinema ignited a lifelong passion for the art form.
Following his graduation from Hampton University, Olajide ventured into entrepreneurship, managing retail clothing stores and founding Trend Setters Magazine in South Carolina. Relocating to Hollywood in 2013, he immersed himself in filmmaking and continues to master his craft.
Claire is a native of Chicago and a registered nurse practicing preventative and acute care medicine. She is also a classical and jazz vocalist, performing over 100 shows annually. Further, she is a photographer who applies cinematic lighting to capture dynamic moments and create the world she wants to see. Her subjects range from headshots to lifestyle, fine art, street art, and fashion and beauty.
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Claire earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) at the California State University, Los Angeles.
Medical Consultant
Tim edits animation for television series, designs motion graphics, and produces videos. His recent work in 2023 includes Lego ® Dream Zzz, Trials of the Dream Chasers, The Legend of Vox Machina, Hi-Fi Rush, and Q-Force.
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Tim holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin and studied directing at UCLA Extension.
Editor & Visual Effects Supervisor
General & Electric
Ashton is a cinematographer and photographer. He joined our film crew after volunteering in Ukraine during the missile attack on Kyiv at the start of the war.
Along with his partner who co-founded Women United for Animal Welfare, Ashton had traveled with a team of vets from the U.S. to treat hundreds of dogs and cats affected by the Ukraine war. They also helped refugees who lost everything, carrying only their pets as they traveled hundreds of miles, sometimes on foot to escape the violence.
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That's why this project matters to Ashton. In his words: “We have to tell these stories and hope that they touch people in a way that compels them to act, to help the people of Ukraine, and those in other countries affected by war.”
Loren is a cinematographer and camera assistant local to Los Angeles, specializing in visual storytelling for film and television. His work spans narrative shorts, features, and documentaries. As a filmmaker and avid photographer, Loren also captures cinematic stills and social media reels for international brands such as Buy Now Japan and Blaque Diamond Wheels.
Connect with him for automotive media projects
Gaffer
Sound Mixer & Operator
Alexandre is a Brazilian filmmaker and a graphic designer. Beginning his career across South America, he worked with magazines, film companies, and sports channels. In Brazil, he taught graphic design classes for an institution that helps low-income families. After moving to Los Angeles two years ago, Alexandre has been focusing on a career in sound mixing and sound operation for features and short films.
He holds a Bachelor's degree in graphic design and has been studying digital filmmaking and cinematography.
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Check out his portfolio
Follow him on Instagram: @a.cebolado
Ethan is from Sausalito in Northern California. He is a photojournalist and filmmaker who covers local and international news, including the war in Ukraine, immigration in Mexico and Lebanon, wildfires in California, and civil unrest in the United States and the Middle East.
Ethan has been on assignment for the Associated Press, Getty Images, and Bloomberg. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time, and international news outlets.
First Assistant Camera
and Grip & Electric
