Deepak Rauniyar is a pioneering filmmaker from Nepal, renowned for intertwining personal and political narratives reflecting Nepali society’s complexities. He gained international recognition with his debut feature, “Highway” (2012), the first Nepali film to screen at a major international film festival, premiering at the Berlinale. His second feature, “White Sun” (2016), continued his success, winning multiple awards, including the Interfilm Award at Venice and Best Film at the Singapore and Palm Springs International Film Festivals. Rauniyar’s films are celebrated for their authentic portrayal of Nepal’s sociopolitical landscape. The Los Angeles Times praised “White Sun” for its “narrative gifts regarding matters of his homeland,” and The New York Times named him one of “The 9 New Directors You Need to Watch,” recognizing his significant contributions to global cinema.
His latest project, “The Sky Is Mine,” currently in post-production, explores social justice and personal resilience themes. This film has already garnered accolades, winning the TFL Audience Design Award and receiving funding from the Norwegian Film Institute’s Sorfond.
Rauniyar has collaborated with notable figures such as Academy Award nominee Danny Glover and Joslyn Barnes. His work for BBC Media Action in Nepal earned him two BBC Global Reith Awards in 2009, highlighting his versatility and impact across different media platforms.
For More Information: https://deerauniyar.com
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Larry Engel is an Associate Professor and Division Director of Film and Media Arts Associate Director for the Center for Environmental Filmmaking and Faculty Affiliate, School of International Service at American University, Washington DC. With over 40 years of experience in teaching and filmmaking, and having completed 250 projects, his documentaries have been featured on PBS, the Discovery Channels, National Geographic, and many other platforms. His accolades include a Daytime Emmy for Best Cinematography and the Mountain Spirit Award from Mountainfilm in Telluride. His teaching emphasizes theory, production, and emerging media, with favorite classes like Classroom-in-the-Wild: Extreme HD Alaska, and The Practice of Environmentalism, which takes students to the Galapagos Islands and Cuba. The PBS series “The Human Spark,” hosted by Alan Alda and directed and photographed by Engel (pbs.org/humanspark), won the prestigious AAAS Kavli Science Journalism Award for In-Depth Reporting, marking his second win of this award.
Engel is a member of the Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America–East, Directors UK, and the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club–Mountaineering Division. Passionate about environmental and conservation issues, he collaborates with regional nonprofits and involves students in CB-designated courses. Additionally, he enjoys rock climbing, mountain biking, and road biking, with Antarctica being his favorite place on the planet.
For More Information: https://www.american.edu/soc/faculty/engel.cfm
Professor Michael Brown, a renowned ethnographic, participatory, and non-fiction filmmaker, holds a position at the University of South Wales, UK, and serves as a Board Member of the International Visual Sociology Association. His research, influenced by Paulo Freire, centers on ethnographic and participatory practices. He engages with marginalized, disadvantaged, or declining communities, exploring their cultures, species, places, and ecosystems to foster positive transformation through dialogue. Michael collaborates with local and global communities, NGOs, and social development organizations, employing participatory methods. His work spans 20 countries worldwide. As an educator, he teaches undergraduate non-fiction filmmaking and supervises MA and PhD students in related fields. Additionally, Professor Brown will lead a masterclass and serve as a jury member at the festival. During the masterclass, he will share insights from his experiences in ethnographic, documentary, and participatory filmmaking, drawing primarily from his work in Nepal
For More Information: https://staffdirectory.southwales.ac.uk/users/michael.brown.html#publications
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Nina Streich is the Executive Director of the Global Peace Film Festival, based in Orlando, Florida, which she founded in 2003. She boasts a rich background in the film, television, and media industries as well as in the political arena. Streich has held senior management roles in various film festivals and has produced documentaries on social issues ranging from nuclear disarmament to women’s health. She also served as Deputy Film Commissioner for the New York City Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre & Broadcasting. Her political experience includes roles such as New York Finance Director for the Democratic National Committee and Deputy Executive Director for the NYC Host Committee for the 1994 Grammy Awards.
In addition to her festival work, Streich is an accomplished events producer, having organized film premieres, music festivals, conferences, parades, street fairs, and press conferences. She began her career as a film editor, working on trailers and marketing materials for over 50 major studio and independent films.
For More Information: https://peacefilmfest.org
Rebecca Bustamante is currently the Screening Director for the La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival and served as a judge for the 2019 DC WebFest. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she was introduced to the world of women in film through Women in Film Dallas, where she performed in a PSA for Gilda’s Club featuring voiceover by Meryl Streep. When her career brought her to Washington, DC, she connected with Women in Film & Video (WIFV), sparking a journey of personal and professional growth.
During her first term on the WIFV Board of Directors, she executed the marketing plan for the 2012 Women in Film and Television International (WIFTI) Summit. Five years later, as President of WIFV, she accepted the Washington DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Service to the Arts on behalf of the organization. Throughout her tenure, Rebecca worked to improve board governance with updated policies like the data retention policy and enhanced the use of technology for social media and board collaboration. Rebecca’s advocacy for the arts began when she became a charter member of The National Museum of Women in the Arts. She holds an MFA in Acting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she co-founded the Cross-Cultural Artists Forum with support from the Non-Traditional Casting Project in New York City.
For More Information: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1028427/bio/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm