Our Team
Gabrielle Ewing |
Director
Gabrielle Ewing is an award winning producer and filmmaker who is fiercely passionate about amplifying stories that challenge mainstream narratives. She graduated with honors in Journalism and Film & Television from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. Her multidisciplinary approach has taken her to NBC New York, CNN’s Documentary Unit, and National Geographic where her short documentary about a transgender teen was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize. Gabrielle was a Logan Nonfiction Fellow, Docs in Progress Fellow, 202Creates Resident, and was named the Filmmaker of the Month by the DC Office of Entertainment. She is currently the Director of Programming at PBS Digital Studios in Washington, D.C.
Azadeh Nikzadeh |
Producer
Azadeh works on rarely-heard human rights and women empowerment stories. She is the 2022 Athena Film Festival Writers Lab and Women Empowerment Fellow and the only Iranian recipient of the 2010 Asian Film Academy fellowship from the Busan International Film Festival. She wrote, directed, and produced award-winning films with a focus on concepts and characters that are misunderstood and judged by society such as prostitution and the archetype of divine feminine such as The Girl Sitting Here, Vida, and X. Her feature script DANDELION is a Sundance Writing Lab and Austin Film Festival finalist. She is the founder of Burnt Generation Studios, a production company that develops and produces independent films with the mission to create and promote authentic narratives that build grounds for mutual understanding and shifts in the collective perspective of the audiences.
Gabriela Díaz Arp |
Consulting Producer
Gabriela an independent director and producer passionate about how visual language deepens human understanding and connection, has directed and produced numerous independent films, exhibits, and interactive experiences for the New York Times, CNN International, Univision, and the United Nations. Her first feature film, Matininó, is a story about women transforming their domestic violence experiences into science fiction. Her film, Meeting a Monster, explores former white supremacist Angela King through virtual reality. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and screened worldwide. She has received support from Sundance, Film Independent, Doc Society, Ford Foundation, and Chicken & Egg.
Katherine Castro |
Cinematographer
Katherine Castro is a New York City based Cinematographer who was selected for the inaugural American Film Institute Cinematography Intensive for Women in Los Angeles. Born in Boston, Katherine studied architecture and photography while living in The Dominican Republic. Katherine returned to Boston in 2008, where she began working in film and TV as a Local 600 Camera Assistant. Applying her design and photography background along with the invaluable lessons she has acquired over the years working in production, Katherine brings a unique style and viewpoint to her cinematography. She's worked in many countries, including Spain, South African, and Peru. Her work spans narrative, commercial, music video & documentary. It has screened in film festivals such as Indy Film Fest, Woods Hole Film Festival & Asian American International Film Festival in NYC.
Anna Clare Spelman |
Editor
Anna Clare Spelman is a documentary filmmaker, editor, and cinematographer who is passionate about films that focus on healthcare and human rights in immigrant and LGBTQIA+ communities. Her work has been nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy, named a Vimeo Staff Pick, and recognized by the GLAAD Media Awards, Webby Awards, Edward R. Murrow Awards, Pictures of the Year International, and NPPA Best of Photojournalism, among others. Anna is the “Credible Fear” editor. She utilizes her extensive knowledge to edit scenes in English and Spanish and capture the narrative and thematic trajectory of the film.
Cassie Shao |
Animator
Cassie is an Animation Artist currently based in Los Angeles. She is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and School of Cinematic Arts at USC. She works across the field of independent films, music videos, explainer videos, experiential installations, and advertisements. Her films have been officially screened at film festivals worldwide including Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated, IndieLisboa, PÖFF Shorts, Ani’mest, Encounters, LUFF, LIAF, Mill Valley, Cucalorus, KLIK, and Ars Independent. Her films also screened or were a part of exhibitions at Hammer Museum and The Getty Museum in LA, CICA Museum in South Korea, Rosalux Gallery in Minneapolis and VisArts in Rockville. She also received a MacDowell Fellowship in 2020.
Expert Consultants
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Christina Lowery
CEO, Girl Rising
Strategic Consultant
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Yael Schacher, Ph.D.
Director of the Americas & Europe, Refugees International
Immigration Expert
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Rachel Nolan, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of International History, Boston University
Central American History & Immigration Expert
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Aura Bogado
Award winning Immigration Reporter
Immigration Expert
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Dominique Poirier
Director of Legal Services, Just Neighbors
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Daniel Montañez, STM
Ph.D. Student in Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy, Boston University
Humanities Advisor: Religion & Migration
