Directory

Name	Organization/Role	Areas	About	Contact/Schedule
	After Bruce	Public relations and strategic communications, treatments and pitch deck consulting, marketing consulting	After Bruce is an independent agency that delivers strategic, creative solutions to shift the primacy of dominant narratives. Offering communications, creative, impact & engagement, PR, and marketing services, we believe in the power of storytellers, artists, community-centered organizations, and justice-oriented change makers to elevate voices, move audiences, and transform the most pressing issues we face. After Bruce	elizabeth@afterbruce.com
Merrill Sterritt	If/Then	Short Film Development, Short Film Production, Short Film Post Production, Short Film Festival and Distribution Strategy (documentary)	IF/Then Shorts is a fund, career development and filmmaker advocacy initiative at Field of Vision. With a focus on breaking systemic and structural barriers to access, IF/Then amplifies regional, community-centered stories and supports non-fiction filmmakers through a combination of project grants, substantial mentorship, industry consultations, editorial feedback, filmmaker advocacy, and multi-platform distribution support. Since its inception in 2017, IF/Then has supported 110+ U.S. and international short documentary projects through pitch competitions at renowned film festivals and open calls for labs and residencies. Many IF/Then-supported projects have achieved prestigious festival premieres, awards, and extensive media broadcasts on platforms such as New York Times Op-Docs, Al Jazeera English, PBS REEL SOUTH, POV Shorts, Criterion Channel, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Netflix, and more.	To schedule time with IF/Then, email ifthenshorts@fieldofvision.org with subject line “Palestinian Filmmaker Consult Request” and your availability to meet. Please send multiple time slot options and include what time zone you are in.
Chithra Jeyaram		Short Film Development, Short Film Production, Short Film Post Production (documentary or narrative)	Chithra Jeyaram (she/her) is a physical therapist turned filmmaker. She identifies as Tamil and uses audio-visual stories to challenge stereotypes. Her film RAGS TO PADS dismantles stigmas around menstruation and FOREIGN PUZZLE explores motherhood through cancer. Her upcoming film, OUR DAUGHTERS, examines open adoption through an immigrant lens. She has also produced the soon-to-be-released short documentary, AMMA’S PRIDE, a powerful film about a mother and her adult trans daughter. Food is her first love, and she is an avid runner who has completed 15 marathons. She calls Chennai and New York City home.	Chithrajey@gmail.com
Courtney B. Cook, PhD	POV/American Documentary, Impact & Engagement Strategy	Impact Strategy, Implementation & Budget; Ethics, Power, and Care Work; Story Development & Pitch Coaching; Writing & Editing	Courtney B. Cook, PhD (she/they) is a queer teacher/academic turned producer and has been working on education and impact at PBS’s POV for the last six years. They specialize in relational ethics, power, and how not to reproduce inheritances that normalize violence on personal and institutional levels. In their time at POV they’ve supported hundreds of (feature and short) social documentaries’ impact campaigns. In addition to their work at POV, they freelance as a producer, pitch coach, and materials editor for projects that are in alignment with their values of collective liberation.	ccook@pov.org
Denae Peters	Impact Strategist & Programmer	Impact strategy and implementation; festival strategy	www.denaepeters.com	hey@denaepeters.com
Elise McCave	Kickstarter, Head of Film	Funding and crowdfunding; Distribution, Alternative Distribution; Festivals (North American market focus)	As Kickstarter’s Head of Film, Elise is responsible for working with filmmakers and organizations worldwide to bring film projects to life, building communities of support, and providing tailored mentorship on fundraising and audience-building for films in development and production. She nurtures emerging talents, with a keen focus on creators from historically underrepresented groups. Based in New York, she previously worked with Doc Society in London. She is a Rockwood JustFilms Fellow, a DOC NYC New Leader 2023, a member of BAFTA North America, and an independent documentary producer. https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisemccave/	elise.mccave@gmail.com
Ellen Schneider	Active Voice	Big picture strategy of how their films can contribute to awareness- and movement-building	While we have worked primarily with US-based filmmakers, our portfolio included this initiative	info@activevoice.net
Farah Fayed	AFLAMUNA, Director of Programs	Impact Strategies, Outreach; Impact Campaigns Budgeting	https://globalimpactproducers.org/directory/member/farah-fayed	farah.fayed@aflamuna.org
Florencia Varela	Peace is Loud, Program Lead for Learning & Filmmaker Outreach	Impact 101, Fundraising and Budgeting, Strategy, Tactics, Ethics, Outcomes and Evaluation	Florencia’s (she/her) work lies at the intersection of learning, social impact, and film. She currently leads Peace is Loud’s learning and filmmaker outreach initiatives, mainly through the organization’s signature program Collective Lens, an impact training workshop tailored for filmmakers. She previously worked on impact campaigns for films such as To the End, On the Divide, Knock Down the House, Women War & Peace II, The Bleeding Edge, and The Hunting Ground.	Calendly
Jad Abi Khalil	AFLAMUNA, Executive Director	Film Production; Fundraising	Jad Abi-Khalil, a devoted contributor to the Arab film industry, has actively produced and directed documentaries since 2000. As a member of AFLAMUNA (formerly known as Beirut DC), a cultural association for Arab Cinema, he has held several key positions and has been the executive director since 2021.	jad.abikhalil@aflamuna.org
Jim LeBrecht		Sound Design; Supporting filmmakers with disabilities	Jim LeBrecht is a filmmaker and post-production sound designer and mixer. As someone with a life long disability, he welcomes anyone to meet with him about accessibility in production and post.	jimlebrecht23@gmail.com
Kaitlyn Hamby	Peace is Loud, Senior Impact Producer	Impact 101, Fundraising and Budgeting, Strategy, Tactics, Ethics, Outcomes and Evaluation	Kaitlyn Hamby is the Senior Impact Producer at Peace is Loud, where she builds and implements impact strategy for documentary films with an intersectional feminist lens. She has worked on the impact campaigns for films like Knock Down The House, The Hunting Ground, On The Divide, and The Armor of Light.	Calendly
Lela Meadow-Conner	mama.film, Founder and ED	Festival programming, non-traditional distribution, films with reproductive justice themes	Lela Meadow-Conner is an Independent Exhibition Executive, Impact Curator and Creative Producer, and the Founder of mamafilm, which curates and produces bold, socially-conscious entertainment through a maternal gaze. LinkedIn	lela@mama.film
Lina Srivastava	Center for Transformational Change, Founder	Social impact strategy	Center for Transformational Change	Calendly link
M’Daya Meliani		Editing	Website	m.dayameliani@gmail.com
Marianna Olinger	Impact Strategist and Producer	Impact strategy and production	Marianna works at the intersection of culture and community as an impact strategist and producer. She has 20 yrs of experience working with social movements, non profits, governments and diplomatic organizations. In recent years, as an impact producer, she has worked primarily with films related to Indigenous and environmental issues. LinkedIn	mariannaolinger@gmail.com
Melanie Butler	Peace is Loud, Program Lead for Film Campaigns	Impact 101, Fundraising and Budgeting, Strategy, Tactics, Ethics, Outcomes and Evaluation	Melanie Butler (she/her) is a changemaker and media-maker who has been creating winning campaigns for documentary film and social movements for over a decade. She has built engagement strategies for Oscar-winning and emerging filmmakers alike. A long-time activist, Mel was a founding member of Occupy Wall Street, and has used media to advocate for gender justice, LGBTQIA+ rights, and against war and occupation.	Calendly
Michelle Plascencia & Merle Ilina	Impacta Cine, Co-Directors	Impact; Alternative Distribution	Impacta Cine, founded in 2020, is the first Mexican film and social impact collective focused on the promotion of human rights through documentary film. We produce impact campaigns to contribute to the construction of community, with the objective of creating synergies between powerful films and the people, movements, organizations, foundations, journalists, media, activists, artists and allies who fight to promote change through their own work.	ilina.merle@gmail.com plascencia.mp@gmail.com
Mundo Sisters: Nadine Mundo & Rena Mundo Croshere		Directing documentaries, shorts and features, documentary fundraising, interviewing techniques and utilizing narrative devices within documentary filmmaking, establishing a cinematic look and feel for the film, editing and story structure	Rena Mundo Croshere and Nadine Mundo are a director / writer team based in Los Angeles. Known for their award-winning work, the Mundo Sisters’ cinematic storytelling captures raw, arresting visuals and emotionally charged narratives. The sibling duo works with some of the world’s largest brands including ESPN Films, CNN Films, Pepsi, Beats by Dre, Delta, and Timex. For more information, visit their website	nadine@mundosisters.com; rena@mundosisters.com
Natalie Bullock-Brown		Budgeting; care work; story development assistance	Website	ascensionproductions56@gmail.com
Noah Schamus		Documentary production, narrative screenwriting (shorts and features), edit consultation for doc and narrative films	Noah Schamus (they/them) is a documentary and narrative filmmaker and professor of filmmaking, with 8 years of experience in filmmaking/post-production, and 2 years of experience teaching. They are a good person to talk to about ideation, development, production, and editing for documentary shorts and narrative shorts and features. http://www.nschamus.com	nschamus@gmail.com
Nora Poggi		Producing, impact, distribution	LinkedIn	nora.poggi@gmail.com
Prerana Thakurdesai		Story development, Distribution, Production, Impact	Prerana Thakurdesai is a producer/director based in NYC whose work has aired on the World Channel, History Channel in the US and several Indian channels. She is the producer of The Last Ecstatic Days and the award-winning series from India, Satyamev Jayate, watched by millions of viewers. Prerana is a founding member of Bitchitra Collective – a collective of Indian women/non-binary documentary filmmakers. LinkedIn	Calendly
Rachel Lears	Jubilee Films	story development at all stages (casting, pre-production, production, editing), grant writing, impact and distribution strategy	Jubilee Films	info@jubileefilms.com
Ranell Shubert		Disabled Maker Artist Support, Documentary Funding, Grants, Industry Engagement and Markets, Podcasting	Ranell Shubert is the Nonfiction Access Initiative Funds Program Manager at the International Documentary Association, a movement aimed at narrative change through building power, community, and increasing opportunities for nonfiction media-makers who identify as disabled. Prior to returning to IDA and NAI, she produced the What’s Up With Docs Podcast, taught Podcast Production at the University of Southern California, and also worked with the 1IN4 Coalition creating artist development programs for creatives with disabilities. Ranell has 10 years of experience in artist support programs and education, film festivals and industry programming, funding, filmmaker advocacy, and provides creative and professional consultation to nonfiction storytellers in all forms. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ranell-shubert-26281351	ranell.shubert@documentary.org
Robin Blotnick	Jubilee Films	editing, story development, work samples	Jubilee Films	info@jubileefilms.com
Sarah Garrahan		Film and video editing	Sarah Garrahan (she/her) is a documentary editor based in LA. Her work has premiered at Sundance, SXSW, Hot Docs and been broadcast on PBS, Al Jazeera and The New Yorker. She is available for editing consultunting and short-term pro-bono editing for Palestinian filmmakers.	sarahgarrahan@gmail.com
Sean Weiner Martha George Arno Mokros	UFO, Co-Directors	Short Film Development, Short Film Production, Short Film Post Production	UFO (Untitled Filmmaker Org) makes space for truly independent filmmakers to work, connect, and thrive. Led by a commitment to community and collaboration, UFO provides direct support to filmmakers at critical and under-resourced career stages, and works in coalition with partner organizations to cultivate a more robust filmmaker support ecosystem. Through programs that emphasize in-person, inclusive community-building, UFO creates opportunities for filmmakers from wide-ranging, intersectional backgrounds to develop and produce uncompromising, boundary-pushing films.	team@untitledfilmmaker.org
Serge Bakalian	Arab Film and Media Institute, Executive Director and Founder	Programming; Festivals; Impact; Distribution; Alternative distribution	Serge Bakalian is a non-profit leader, science advisor, and the founder and Executive Director of the Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI). AFMI is a unique ecosystem to find, nurture, and showcase Arab film and media projects, and home to the Arab Film Festival, the largest and oldest festival of its kind in North America. He also works as a science advisor for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Serge caught the artist bug in 2007 and moved to San Francisco to develop and produce film and theatre projects, the latter dedicated to exploring Middle Eastern cultures and identities. Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, Serge holds degrees in Chemistry and International Relations. LinkedIn	serge@arabfilminstitute.org www.calendly.com/serged
Set Hernandez		Impact; Fundraising, Editing; Story development; Distribution, Care work; Accessibility; Reviewing contracts; Publicity and communications	Set Hernandez is a queer, undocumented immigrant filmmaker whose roots come from Bicol, Philippines. Their feature debut “unseen” (POV/PBS, 2024) received an Independent Spirit Award and was shortlisted for Best Feature at the IDA Documentary Awards. A long-time community organizer, Set co-founded the Undocumented Filmmakers Collective which promotes equity for undocumented immigrants in the film industry.	sethr.mail@gmail.com
Shuchi Talati		Story and screenplay development, edit consultation for documentaries and narrative films, pitching	Shuchi Talati is a writer, director, and story consultant who works in both scripted and documentary films. Her narrative feature, GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS, won an audience award at Sundance and her documentary credits include series for HBO, PBS and Netflix.	Email via website contact form
Siân Robins-Grace		TV and film development and commissioning in the UK, script development, script writing	I worked in drama script development for 7 years. I helped to create and produce Sex Education for Netflix, and created and wrote The Baby for HBO. I’m currently writing tv and film scripts and I love working with other writers to develop their scripts. I organise with Film Workers for Palestine and Workers For a Free Palestine.	sianrobinsgrace@gmail.com
Stephanie Palumbo	Peace is Loud, Director of Film Impact and Innovation	Impact 101, Fundraising and Budgeting, Strategy, Tactics, Ethics, Outcomes and Evaluation	Stephanie (she/her) is a documentary impact strategist, film producer, and organizer. She leads Peace is Loud’s film team, which uses documentary films as tools for people-powered movement building. Her current work focuses on helping filmmakers prioritize care for themselves and their film protagonists by integrating the pillars of equity, safety, and representation into all aspects of documentary filmmaking.	stephanie@peaceisloud.org

FAQ

Who Can Sign Up?

This opportunity is open to all Palestinian documentary filmmakers (regardless of your film’s content) who are seeking advice on documentary film.

Can I Sign Up More Than Once?

Yes, though if demand is high, we may give preference to those signing up for the first time.

How Long Will This Be Offered?

Consultancies are currently being offered on an ongoing basis and depending on each individual’s calendar availability. For more updates, please join Peace is Loud’s newsletter and follow Peace is Loud on social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn).

Why Palestine?

Peace is Loud is an intersectional feminist organization that amplifies the stories the world needs now. Israeli government officials have made it clear, in both their rhetoric and their actions, that they aim to silence and erase Palestinian voices. Storytellers outside Gaza are being harassed and punished simply for showing support for Palestinian liberation. In times of genocide, storytelling is essential to a people’s survival. It is a means of preserving memory and truth, and asserting one’s very existence. These are the stories we need now.

I Have More Questions or Want to Get Involved!

Send an email to info@peaceisloud.org and someone from the team will get back to you ASAP!