News & Notes

35 Women in 31 Days

Sunday, March 1: Shoshana Rosenbaum

To start the celebration, we focus on SHOSHANA ROSENBAUM, an independent writer, director and producer, who made her first short film THE GOBLIN BABY in 2014. The film premiered at the 2014 DC Shorts Film Festival Screenplay Competition (the script was a finalist in 2013), was invited to screen at the 2014 Cape Ann Film Festival in Gloucester, MA; won a Rosebud Award (top 5 film) at the 2015 Rosebud Film & Video Festival; and is under consideration at various other film festivals. Shoshana is also a painter and photographer who coordinates the Artists of the Palisades series in Northwest Washington, DC. A former classroom teacher, Shoshana works as an independent educational consultant and is currently coordinating a citywide professional development program for DC teachers.

Monday, March 2: Cintia Cabib

CINTIA CABIB is a producer, videographer and editor whose documentaries and educational videos have covered such diverse topics as health issues affecting African Americans, the social and historical significance of an 88-year-old carousel, and the vital role of seven community gardens in Washington, D.C. Cintia is currently producing LABYRINTH JOURNEYS, a documentary which will feature the stories of people who use the labyrinth as a tool for healing, rehabilitation, meditation, stress-reduction and spiritual awareness. Visit the film’s Facebook page and learn more about Cintia’s programs on her website.

Tuesday, March 3: Sonya Dunn

SONYA DUNN is and award winning writer/producer/director. She is currently the President and Chairman Arlington Independent Media, a media corporation and public access channel; owner of JEMH Entertainment, a transmedia production company and founder and digital curator of www.inherwords.org, an interactive multiple media platform website for women in media.

Wednesday, March 4: Sheila Smith

SHEILA SMITH is a director of photography and Steadicam operator who works filming documentaries, commercials, television shows, independent features, sports, dance, and music videos. She also enjoys mentoring younger women wanting to become DP’s and working on independent feature films and documentary projects. Sheila supports WIFV as a regular panelist sharing her expertise and as one of the 35th Anniversary Dance Party sponsors.

Thursday, March 5: Katy Garrity

Katy Garrity is an award-winning producer and writer at Mirandola Films and has more than a decade of experience in non-fiction television. She has worked as a field producer for various documentary programs and has international shoot planning experience on every continent. She received an Emmy nomination for her work on “Penguins: Waddle All the Way” for the Discovery Channel. Katy is a National Board Member of the Producers Guild of America and an organizing member of the PGA East National Capital Chapter.

Friday, March 6: Jane Ingalls

Voice actor JANE INGALLS has a deep interest in communicating the issues surrounding healthcare, education and our growing Latin American community. Bilingual in English and Spanish, she speaks for organizations and corporations both locally and internationally, contributing her voice to projects in Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil and Argentina. Her works spans from video narrations about tropical diseases for the World Health Organization to providing the Spanish voice of Nancy Reagan, Margaret Thatcher and Laura Bush in presidential library audio tours.

Saturday, March 7: Cathy Kades

You already know CATHY KADES’ work. Whether it’s as a makeup artist for television news — including MSNBC, CBS, Fox News and CNBC — or for presidents, prime ministers, CEOs of Fortune 50 corporations, Hollywood stars, commercial actors, sporting legends and even royalty, her craft has been seen by tens of millions in America and around the globe, including her native South Africa. She also uses her gifts to help non-profit groups and NGOs. Cathy’s gift for bringing beauty and her own positive attitude even under the most challenging circumstances have made her a leader in her field.

Sunday, March 8: Sharon Sobel

SHARON SOBEL is a self-described “multi-faceted maven” who specializes in helping production companies, educational television stations, and businesses and organizations carry out their video visions. She’s a field producer, teleprompter operator, goat herder, editor, and more. As a judging coordinator for NATAS (“the Emmys people”), she has become well-networked as she recruits judges for Emmy entries from other parts of the country. She feels confident in saying “If we can’t do it, we can find the person who can!”

Monday, March 9: Hillary Shea

HILLARY SHEA, an Associate Producer at RHED Pixel. She is on the Board of Directors for WIFV. Her passion shines as she is dedicated to introduce young professionals to WIFV – her goal is to give them the same opportunities she’s received from the organization. Last year, Hillary helped with the inaugural edition of Spotlight on Screenwriters and is working with Monica Lee Bellais on the 2015 edition.

Tuesday, March 10: Michal Carr

MICHAL CARR, established the award-winning Hillmann & Carr Inc. (USA and CA) with Al Hillmann in 1974. Michal is one of America’s foremost experts in shaping visitor experiences to integrate narrative, social, and interactive media into interpretive programs. A founding member of WIFV, she served 2 terms as its President, received the Women of Vision Award, and is currently its Advisory Committee Chair. Past-president of Washington Film Council, and served for many years on the CINE Board of Directors. For more, http://www.hillmanncarr.com

Wednesday, March 11: Fran Murphy

FRAN MURPHY is an award-winning producer who is passionate about all things video. She is the owner of MurphyWorks, a company that has managed a wide variety of productions for almost 20 years. She has worked in all areas of production for companies like AARP, Tribune Broadcasting, and WJLA. She currently serves as Appointed Chapter Awards Standing Chair for the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

 

Thursday, March 12: Geena Vontress

GEENA VONTRESS is a freelance videographer who is currently working on many web series, including “The Scene DMV” and “Happy Hour.” She also shoots the Blue Stream Radio show, and she formerly worked at DCTV as a multimedia specialist. Meet her at WIFV’s 35th Anniversary Party–Geena will be our DJ!

 

Friday, March 13: Katie LeDain

KATIE LE DAIN is a storyteller. In 2014, she worked as a writer, director of photography, and editor on the documentary UNSETTLED, a film about the serious epidemic of homelessness in DC. It tells the story of two women and their journey from life without a home to the fight to keep their dreams and hopes alive in a city that is tacitly pushing them out. Katie is currently working as an investigative reporting intern at The Washington Post and a video production intern at The Aspen Institute.

 

Saturday, March 14: Birgit Buhleier, Harriet Getzels, Irene A. Magafan, & Kathryn Pasternak

BIRGIT BUHLEIER is a producer, writer, and cinematographer at Scientific Imaging. When at National Geographic, Birgit played an integral role in the evolution of the Crittercam, a video camera system that has provided fascinating insights into the daily lives of hundreds of species. She has personally deployed more than 100 Crittercams on a broad range of animals, including many that are native to Alaska, the Arctic, and Antarctica. Birgit has lived and worked in some of the world’s most remote places—from islands in the Pacific to polar camps.

HARRIET GETZELS has a long track record of award-winning documentaries made around the world for British, European and American television. In 2001, she relocated to DC to work for National Geographic Television. Passionate about the stories that drive her films as well as the stories that unfold behind them, in 2005 Harriet completed a creative non-fiction book called My Tribe Comes Too! about film, family, and anthropology. The most recent project for Getzels Gordon Productions is PENGUIN COUNTERS – a story that’s never been told, about tackling climate change one penguin at a time.

IRENE A. MAGAFAN is an award-winning natural history documentary filmmaker and a member of the Screen Actors Guild. Her current film, THE BONOBO CONNECTION, narrated by Hollywood actor and activist, Ashley Judd, is a documentary about one of our closest living relatives–the bonobo. The film was an official selection at the 2012 International Wildlife Film Festival in Montana and screened at the 2014 G2 Green Earth Film Festival in Venice, CA.

KATHRYN PASTERNAK makes wildlife films, and films about extraordinary relationships between people and animals, for international multi-platform distribution, and the independent documentary market. Her current film, DOEVILLE is in post-production. Pasternak spent 15 years at National Geographic Television, most of it as Senior Producer in the Natural History Unit. She’s also a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and a board member of the Missoula International Wildlife Film Festival, and recently won the WIFV Randy Goldman Career Development Scholarship.

Sunday, March 15: E. Samantha Cheng

E. SAMANTHA CHENG is a broadcast veteran with years of experience in the broadcast television production. Her experience as a journalist, documentarian and successful minority small business owner has afforded her many awards and accolades. In recent year, she had devoted much of her time to raising the visibility of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). Many of her multi-media programs center on AAPI impact and individual contributions to American history. She has worked with local and national AAPI community organizations as a member, consultant, advisor and/or mentor and had served on their boards and advisory councils. Ms. Cheng is a subject matter expert on AAPIs and their participation in American history.

 

Monday, March 16: Catie O’Keefe

CATIE O’KEEFE is the owner of O’Keefe Communications, a media and event production company serving associations, businesses, government, and nonprofits. OKC has produced hundreds of live events in the US and across the globe over the past 33 years. Catie formerly served on the WIFV Board of Directors for two years.

 

Tuesday, March 17: Susan Fertig-Dykes

SUSAN FERTIG-DYKES is the Communications Program Manager at Falls Church Anglican. She has held appointments in the Reagan, Bush Senior, and Bush Junior Administrations. At the Veterans Administration she was director of Broadcast Service and, in addition to dozens of public service announcements, produced 17 one-hour TV programs, Medical AdVAnces, distributed nationally through cable networks. She then ran her own production company for three years, and has spent the last six years at USAID leading a team of democracy and governance specialists working in Europe and Eurasia in 20 former communist countries from the Balkans to Russia to Central Asia.

 

Wednesday, March 18: Nicole Haddock

NICOLE HADDOCK is a freelance editor and colorist in the Washington, DC area. She has over 15 years of experience cutting everything from industrials to commercials to reality TV. Like most editors, she has an affinity for storytelling, especially in regards to how music, graphics and color can influence the story. Nicole has an undergraduate degree from Emerson College in Boston and an MFA in documentary film from American University here in DC. She was also one of our speakers at ScriptDC! She can be found at www.picturesonthewaves.com

 

Thursday, March 19: Vicki McGill

VICKI MCGILL is an art director, graphic designer, and social media strategist. She’s worked for a variety of companies, including the AARP Foundation, IBM, and National Geographic, and she currently works for GE Design Studio. Vicki is also a professor at Montgomery College, where she teaches courses on social media marketing, web development, and graphic design.

Friday, March 20: Jennifer Schwed

JENNIFER SCHWED is the owner and creative director at Through the 4th Wall Transmedia Productions, an immersive transmedia production company focusing on brand awareness. She also owns The Artful Presentation, where she designs unique video productions and presentations. Her films have been featured at numerous film festivals.

Saturday, March 21: Piper Hendricks

PIPER HENDRICKS is the founder and executive director of p.h. balanced films, a non-profit film and research organization that makes documentary films that aim to inform consumers on human cost in the global market. She is a human rights advocate and currently works as Director of Advocacy Communications at Habitat for Humanity International where she advocates for smart housing laws both locally and globally.

Sunday, March 22: Nell Minow

NELL MINOWis a movie critic, shareholder advocate, and journalist specializing in both corporate governance and popular culture. She is co-author with Robert A.G. Monks of three books about corporate governance and author of two print books and three ebooks about movies. She reviews movies and DVDs each week as “The Movie Mom” for Beliefnet and on radio stations across the country and is the founder of publishing company Miniver Press.

Monday, March 23: Lisa Senyk

LISA SENYK is currently the Senior Production Associate of KIDS at PBS Distribution. Formerly she worked as a production manager at Prism Communications and Nine Yards Media, and worked at National Geographic and WETA.

Tuesday, March 24: Beth Hoppe

BETH HOPPE is Chief Programming Executive and General Manager of General Audience Programming at PBS. She is responsible for creating and implementing PBS’ primetime content strategy, building on PBS’ series and commissioning new programming working with producers, partners, and funding sources. Ms. Hoppe joined PBS in 2011 as Vice President of General Audience Programming. In 2013, Ms. Hoppe spear-headed a primetime special event, assembling a series of programs to commemorate the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s death. Ms. Hoppe is serving her third term on the Steering Committee of the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers and has been a judge of the News and Documentary Emmy Awards.

 

Wednesday, March 25: Malia Murray

MALIA MURRAY began with Greenbelt Access Television as a Board Member in 1998. She was hired as the Executive Director in 2005. She currently works on both the administrative side as well as the production end of GATE. She gives instruction in camera-use basics and basic digital editing on Final Cut Pro.

 

Thursday, March 26: Ashley Blue

A recent grad, ASHLEY BLUE is a director, producer, writer and editor for Hand Me Down Films in Northern VA. Her latest short, “Wingboys,” has won several awards and will screen at the NOVA International Film Festival. She is also an Assistant Editor at Ventana Productions in D.C. Ashley co-created the Women in Film Week at GMU, was a finalist for the Horizon Award for her short doc “Kendra,” and is writing a sci-fi comedy script about a makeshift group of ghosts who try to haunt their way into reclaiming their “resting place” – a spooky house that was taken over by a family of humans.

 

Friday, March 27: Ufuoma Otu

UFUOMA OTU is the founder and a producer at Take Culture, a company that provides marketing and communications solutions for international organizations. Previously she worked as the Managing Director for M&CS, Inc. where she spear-headed many public relations programs.

Saturday, March 28: Barbara Valentino

BARBARA VALENTINO founded Evolving Communications, a multimedia production company, because she was inspired by the scientists and engineers she met and worked with during her tenure at the National Academy of Sciences [NAS] Television Office. She realized then that these “unsung heroes” had compelling stories that needed to be told and shared. She is also a former Executive Vice President of WIFV.

Sunday, March 29: Rachel Kennedy

RACHEL KENNEDY, CTS, is Managing Director of Operations for TeamPeople, who have a history of supporting creatives through WIFV. Rachel oversees production and media staffing services for global organizations and F500 clients. She is an advocate of empowering women in AV and broadcast technologies and providing growth opportunities for talent in the DC market and beyond.

 

Monday, March 30: Sandrine Silverman

SANDRINE SILVERMAN has her BA in Sociology from Skidmore College and a Master’s in Journalism from Harvard University. Her work experiences in Video Production range from Production Coordinator to Editorial Manager. Her passion lies in utilizing video as a powerful medium to explore, expose and examine the world around us. She feels strongly that every individual, business or organization has a unique and valuable story to tell and that video is a worthy tool for both communicating and collecting the truth. She hopes that video and other uses of media are primarily used for the benefit of society and not at its expense. She aspires to be a documentary filmmaker and to grow her own production company.

Tuesday, March 31: Maggie Burnette Stogner & Amy DeLouise

MAGGIE BURNETTE STOGNER is an associate professor of film and media arts at AU. She is founder and president of Blue Bear Films, a global media design and production company of documentaries and immersive media. For 10 years, Maggie produced stories for National Geographic’s weekly award-winning television program Explorer, overseeing over 200 documentary films. She is a voting member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Primetime and Nonfiction Emmy Awards.

AMY DELOUISE helps clients convey a cohesive story about their mission, vision, products, and services through multimedia and video. Wheather she is producing an online video, developing a live event, or consulting on a rebrand, Amy helps organizations navigate the tools and best practices of effective branding and cause marketing, including how to effectively integrate social media into the mix. She is a sought-after public speaker, seminar leader, nonprofit board coach, and video content producer–and someone who can plug into any leadership team and help get the work done. Prior to launching her consulting practice, Amy led an award-winning multimedia production company for 15 years and garnered more than 40 of the top creative awards in the industry. She is a WIFV Woman of Vision!

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