Beth Basa Pielert is a Producer, Director, and writer of television and documentary films. She co-produced and co-directed Scha'nexw Elhtal'nexw Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life with Darrell Hillaire, Executive Director of the Lummi media company Children of the Setting Sun Productions and Vision Maker Media. The film is now airing on PBS through WORLD Local U.S.A. 

Pielert formed Good Film Works in 2001 while writing and directing Out of the Poison Tree, a documentary that explores truth and reconciliation for survivors of the Cambodian Genocide. Under Good Film Works, Pielert produced documentary shorts for Apple Inc., IDEO|bedsider.org, and Bay Area nonprofits that help provide transitional housing and services for the unhoused.

Her documentary credits include: The Corporation, winner of over 24 International awards including the Sundance Audience Award in 2004, Claiming the Title: Gay Olympics on Trial, winner of 6 awards including best documentary at Palm Springs International Short Fest 2009.

Salmon People: Preserving a Way of Life can be seen Streaming on YouTube World Channel

https://www.YOUTUBE.com/watch?v=soJ-De4osic

Irina Chernikina is a filmmaker with over two decades of experience in producing, directing, writing, and editing. She has led multiple projects from development through post-production, focusing on narrative filmmaking.

Her recent work includes directing and producing the comedy series Being Bossy (2021) and an ongoing anthology series Bedtime Stories (2020-), where she also served as writer and editor. In 2024 Irina produced two feature films - a thriller Smile Maker and a horror Legado. She is currently developing a comedy feature Bum Next Door, which has a pre-sale offer from Glass House Distribution, along with Knockout, a female-driven action film, and Circulus Initium, a sci-fi action series.

In addition to narrative projects, Irina has worked on commercials, music videos, and educational content. Her experience across multiple aspects of production allows her to efficiently manage and execute projects while maintaining a clear creative vision. She currently manages the Film Funding Group with her partners Matt Chassin and Randy Fabert.

Rachel Antell has worked in documentary film production for over two decades but found her true passion in archival producing. In 2014 she co-founded Sub-Basement Archival, where she’s had the honor of being archival producer on dozens of documentaries that have screened worldwide, and garnered FOCAL Awards and an Emmy nomination for research and use of archival footage. In 2023, Rachel co-founded the Archival Producers Alliance (APA) with Jen Petrucelli and Steph Jenkins. 

The APA was created to organize archival producers, educate the film community about the craft, and advocate to make archival materials accessible and affordable to independent filmmakers. The APA's first initiative addresses Generative AI’s impact on documentary film and archival work. Last year, the APA published the first industry-wide guidelines, Best Practices for Use of Generative AI in Documentaries, with endorsements from over 50 organizations, foundations, production companies, and film festivals, as well as dozens of filmmakers.

Tony Panaccio is a 36-year media veteran, having started his career in the 1980s as a newspaper journalist for The Clearwater Sun, The Tampa Tribune and others. He later shifted his career into public relations with video game producer Capstone, where he also scripted many of their games, including William Shatner’s TekWar. During that period, he was also Shatner’s publicist for his various video game projects. Today, he is the CEO of Victory Comics, a startup in the contract publishing space.

Victory’s COO, Jan Utstein is an internationally award-winning Producer and Editor-in-Chief of Hurricane Entertainment. She has produced numerous comic books and graphic novels through Image Comics, IDW Publishing and CrossGen Entertainment, boasting over 2.3 million dollars in sales worldwide.

Utstein was Editor-in-Chief of all of Hurricane’s titles, including “Violent Messiahs”, which earned nominations for every major award in the comics industry including the Harvey Award, Wizard Fan Award, and the Eisner’s Russ Manning Award. While at Hurricane, she also partnered with entertainment luminaries such as 4 time Academy Award winner Star War’s Ben Burtt on their title “Chassis” and Kurt Russell, Debra Hill and John Carpenter on the title “Snake Plissken Chronicles”. 

She spent 8 years at Marvel Studios with Production Accounting credits on all productions including but not limited to - Film: Avengers Infinity War & Endgame, Black Panther 1&2, Black Widow, Thor: Ragnarök, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol II & III, Doctor Strange 1&2 - TV: Wanda Vision, Loki, Moon Knight, Hawkeye, Werewolf at Night and Animation: What If…?, and I am Groot. Her other studio credits include Warner Bros.’ Demolition Man, Columbia Picture’s Green Hornet, and DreamWorks Studios’ Cowboys & Aliens, as well as Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. Utstein also worked in the DreamWorks Production Finance department. Educationally, Utstein earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater from Binghamton University. She was granted a full scholarship towards a Master of Fine Arts from UCLA School of Theater, Film, Television & Animation. 

Born into a family of Accountants finance is in her blood. Utstein's dedication to the entertainment industry is evident through a track record of successful projects and a commitment to continuous learning and growth.

As a Producer, she has developed both film and TV series with Madonna's Maverick Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company, and The Pitt Group. Her producing credits include the Internet TV series Payday, based on hit video game
"Payday 2"; 35 Days of Kevin Eastman a documentary on the co-creator of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles; the multi-award-winning Cinemascope feature film Valhalla; and as a partner in 88 Tranzmedia - Agent 88, which garnered worldwide press, including the front page of the LA Times.

Sarah Moshman is an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and TEDx speaker whose work has been featured on Netflix, PBS, Upworthy, Marie Claire, CNN, and Good Morning America. 

Sarah has directed and produced 3 feature-length documentaries: The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things (2014), Losing Sight of Shore (2017) and NEVERTHELESS (2020)

Sarah is an inspiring public speaker, author, and a teacher in documentary film, passionate about empowering the next generation of storytellers. In 2024 Sarah launched her own program to support women filmmakers over 30 called Look What SHE's Doing! which she intends to continue as part of her legacy for years. Her book Empowered Filmmaking is highly regarded as an excellent textbook.

Author/Grant Writer Morrie Warshawski shares his funding expertise info on creating successful funding parties. To learn more about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions please visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com.    

Our special guest today is Julie Rubio. Julie is an award-winning film producer, writer, director, and actor. As President of Women in Film San Francisco Bay Area and founder of East Meets West Productions, she produced the acclaimed “East Side Sushi,” which has enjoyed both domestic and international distribution via the Samuel Goldwyn Company, Sony Home Pictures, HBO North America, and Netflix. Rubio is the writer, director, and producer of the comedy “Too Perfect,” which found its audience domestically on Amazon Prime and through Osiris Entertainment. She was also the writer, director, and producer for "Six Sex Scenes and a Murder," available on Netflix and Apple TV. Other cinematic ventures Rubio has helmed include "Soledad is Gone Forever" for Haiku Films, "Oakland B Mine," the comedic "Del Cielo," "Everything is Temporary," and "Impression." Her films have graced numerous domestic and international festivals. Rubio’s latest work, "The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival," marks her debut as a feature documentary writer, director, and producer. For years, the enigmatic allure of Tamara de Lempicka's paintings and life story have captivated Rubio and we are thrilled to discuss the film with her today.

Join Carole Dean and Kelly Mason and learn how to:

Break Into Cinematography

Transition from Cinematographer to Producing Cinematographer and

Become a Film Consultant & Create Impact Through Filmmaking

Kelly Mason

(Mom |Entrepreneur | Healer | Filmmaker | Cinematographer)

Kelly Mason’s priority is to make a lasting difference in the world for generations to come. A mother, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and intuitive healer, Kelly’s mission spans storytelling, advocacy, and transformational work. As an independent producer, her focus lies in creating stories that champion social justice, environmental protection, and well-being awareness. 

Kelly shattered barriers in 1997 as the first female cinematographer in IATSE (ICG 669). Over her 30-year career, she has collaborated with Tier 1 crews, A-list celebrities, and world-class directors for major companies like Netflix, Warner Bros., Disney, Apple TV, and the Berlanti Group. Her cinematography expertise extends across film, digital, green screens, LED environments, and virtual production alongside cutting-edge VFX teams. Notable projects include The Night Agent (Netflix) and Travelers (Netflix). She has worked with legendary producers such as Greg Berlanti, Shawn Ryan, and Seth Gordon, and Academy Award-winning filmmakers Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. 

Her career as an "A" camera operator has been shaped by mentorship from cinematographic masters like Vilmos Zsigmond ASC and Dante Spinatti ASC, contributing to over 200 productions. Kelly’s cinematic vision has also earned her acclaim in the impact filmmaking space, with 18 laurels for her feature documentary Pave the Road, including Best Documentary Feature at the 2021 Chelsea Film Festival.

In 2024, Kelly earned the Altitude Award recognizing her achievements in the industry through Women in Media. She is an Executive Producer and the Cinematographer for the docu-series The Frequency of Miracles, currently in post-production. She is also collaborating with Academy Award-winning producer Mimi Polk Gitlin (Thelma and Louise, The Breadwinner) to adapt Pave the Road into a narrative feature film.

Through the power of impact filmmaking, Kelly influenced environmental legislation in Costa Rica to mandate the use of plastic waste in road construction, triggering an investigation that led to incarcerating 72 corrupt government officials.  Beyond filmmaking, Kelly established the Trinidad and Tobago Film Commission, and created impactful educational programs for the American and Canadian Societies of Cinematographers. Her curated motion pictures with Getty Images has generated over seven figures in royalties and continues to enrich productions worldwide.

Through her extensive work in film, healing, and environmental advocacy, Kelly Mason exemplifies the power of storytelling to inspire, transform, and create a better future.

Our special guest is Julie Hebért. Julie was born in south Louisiana. She has written and directed dozens of plays for some of the most daring theaters in the country including Steppenwolf, LaMaMa, the Magic Theater, Los Angeles Theater Center and many more. Her plays have received many accolades including two PEN Awards for Drama. After her musical drama Ruby’s Bucket of Blood was optioned by Showtime and Whoopi Goldberg, Julie wrote the screenplay, which was made into a film starring Angela Bassett. It was the first of many scripts Julie has written for film and television. She has written and directed for several hit television shows including Nashville, The Good Wife, Boss, Blue Bloods, The West Wing, ER, Numb3rs and most recently the Emmy Award-winning American Crime, where she is an Executive Producer. Julie has received grants from the NEA, TCG, AT&T New Plays, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Alexander Gerbode Foundation, and the California Arts Commission for writing, directing, and inter-disciplinary arts. Julie is also an activist who founded “Look What SHE Did!”, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that creates short films and events featuring female storytellers celebrating women who inspire them. Today we’ll discuss “Look What She Did” and how Julie is helping to bring to light stories of remarkable women who have changed the world. 

Michael Holstein is a co-founder and executive producer at Mesmeric Media. He began his career writing for HBO’s The Wire and marketing major films like The Rock and Independence Day. After earning a law degree, Michael became VP of Business Affairs at WETA-TV in Washington, DC, where he produced numerous shows, including In Performance at the White House and PBS NewsHour. He later launched The Content Farm, where he created award-winning content across unscripted genres and platforms. His honors include being the only 3x winner of Real Screen’s "Summit Showdown" competition, being a 2017 Producer’s Guild Award nominee, and receiving the 2019 Washington, DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Excellence in Media Arts. Holstein has produced several series and won multiple awards, including Emmy and Telly accolades. Michael is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America and the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Join us for an inspiring and insightful conversation with Douglas Vermeeren, the visionary director behind The Science of Getting Rich, a transformative new documentary inspired by Wallace D. Wattles's timeless classic. Discover the mental and spiritual principles that lead to financial abundance and personal fulfillment, as shared by an extraordinary cast of personal development legends, including Bob Proctor in his final and most inspiring role. Douglas reveals the creative process behind the film, its profound messages, and how it's being distributed worldwide. Don’t miss this deep dive into unlocking the secrets to living a rich and meaningful life!

Beth Dolan is an award-winning writer, producer, and documentary filmmaker. A graduate of Carnegie-Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts.

In recent years she has turned her attention fully, with producing and creative partners, Luis Remesar and Sheila Higgins, to social justice-themed documentary storytelling.

Their recently released documentary STRANGER AT HOME: Healing The Psychological Wounds of War currently airs and streams on national PBS and The WORLD CHANNEL. Their latest documentary WELCOME HOME, is a story focused on establishing a comprehensive national reintegration program for our services members 

Beth is also the proud producer and host of the Blog Talk podcast “Being Deliberately” and consults regularly on how to get a social justice documentary to distribution on PBS. www.coyotepassproductions.com

Gael Chandler, based in Los Angeles, was nominated twice for a Cable Emmy for comedy editing and has trained hundreds of professionals on digital editing systems and students on editing systems, practices, and theory. Additionally, she taught editing practices and history at Loyola Marymount University and California State Universities at Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Northridge. She is the co-writer of the topic of the show, Scripting a Sermon.The Rev. Dr. Shauna Hannan is Professor of Homiletics at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. This year she is celebrating 25+ years of ordained ministry and the publication of a new book, Scripting a Sermon:Using the Wisdom of Filmmaking for Impactful Preaching (WJKP, 2024) co-authored with filmmaker, Gael Chandler.Scripting a sermon is a book for preachers encouraging them to look at and try the techniques film makers use to reach and impact audiences in creating their sermons.For more information about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions please visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com. 

Our special guest today is Karla Murthy, an Emmy-nominated producer who has been working on news documentaries for over 15 years. She began her career working for the veteran journalist Bill Moyers and has been a producer, cinematographer, and correspondent for several news programs on PBS. Her award-winning work was described in the Columbia Journalism Review as “compelling, informative, and compassionate.” Her directorial debut, the feature documentary The Place That Makes Us screened at numerous film festivals and had its national broadcast premiere on America ReFramed. She is now working on her next feature documentary film called The Gas Station Attendant, a co-production with ITVS for public television. Karla is of Filipino and South Asian descent. She grew up in Texas studying classical piano and graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in Religion and Computer Science. Today we’ll discuss her recent short film Love, Jamie, about a transgender artist incarcerated in Texas.

Adam Heyes is a multidisciplinary creative and business developer, working primarily with filmmakers, artists, authors, transformational teachers, and non-profit organizations. Adam has worked with From the Heart Productions for over a decade, helping the organization and its clients with pitch decks, design, editing, film and event production, website development, marketing, course design, and fundraising. He worked extensively with two award-winning From the Heart documentaries, Ground Operations about sustainable farming for veterans, and Take Back Your Power about the dangers of smart meters. Adam graduated Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from UCLA’s Honors Program with a degree in Psychology, and holds a Master’s Degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica. He also runs a thriving heart-centered counseling practice in Seattle. To reach out to Adam send an email to adamdheyes@gmail.com, or visit http://www.adamheyesdesign.comTo learn more about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions please visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com. 

Our special guest today is Eleanor Church, a UK based award-winning filmmaker and photographer who has been making films and using photography to tell stories for the past 20 years. She has worked on a wide range of projects, both documentary and commercial, with a particular emphasis on stories that focus on society, environment, women, human rights, migration and supply chains. Among her accomplishments, Eleanor is pleased that her filmmaking work has led to policy change. Today we’ll discuss her first feature film, X Trillion. It’s a documentary about an all-female team including sailors and scientists led by environmental activist Emily Penn, as they sail across the North Pacific Ocean to carry out cutting edge microplastics research.

This program is for creators of color in documentary filmmaking or nonfiction new media who identify as living with a disability. We seek to bring visibility to creators who are oftentimes overlooked through our 10 yearly grants of $5000.00 each. To learn more about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions please visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com. 

Remi Kessler began documenting homelessness in Los Angeles in 2015. He produced and directed THE ADVOCATES, a full-length feature documentary providing a sweeping look at the history and causes of LA’s homeless crisis and an intimate view of the tireless work of advocates striving to create better lives for their homeless clients. The film premiered at the 2018 Los Angeles Film Festival, followed by a successful festival run, multiple community screenings frequently moderated by Remi, and worldwide distribution and streaming.Since THE ADVOCATES, Remi produced and directed a series of six films for UCLA and the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health which are utilized to educate social workers and graduate students on mental illness and homelessness. He is currently producing "Homele$$, Inc" on the high cost of housing and why is it so high? For more information about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com. 

Our special guest today is John Onderdonk, the Co-Founder and CEO of Flume TV, an innovative ad-supported streaming service dedicated to independent content. Prior to founding Flume TV, John accumulated five years of media strategy experience at Comcast NBCUniversal. During this tenure, he held roles in Corporate Development, Corporate Strategy, Cable FP&A, and NBCU Corporate Strategy and Business Development, with a focus on forming the company's direct-to-consumer streaming strategy. Currently based in Palo Alto, California, John is originally from Dallas, Texas. John holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Highest Distinction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is currently pursuing an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he also serves as the Student Body Co-President, leading various initiatives to enhance the student experience and foster a vibrant community. Today we’ll discuss Flume TV.

Christie Marchese is the founder and CEO of Kinema. Kinema revolutionizes how films are distributed, opening new opportunities for filmmakers and studios to reach their audiences and maximizing revenue through screening tours, virtual events, and TVOD.Christie has won several industry recognitions, including being named one of Fortune’s Rising Female Founders in 2023 and Fast Company’s Most Creative People in 2021. Currently she is managing Kinema and has just released the Distribution Playbook for filmmakers.  https://thedistributionplaybook.notion.siteTo learn more about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com. 

Jonathon M. Smith, is an actor/writer/producer who has been involved in the film industry for over 15 years Recently he produced, starred, and wrote an independent feature that is part of the Amazon Prime catalog called "Broken City."At this time, Jonathon is currently producing and starring in a vertical series called "Collapse of America." He hopes to discover new trends with the series and show the industry a fresh way to deliver content and great stories to modern audiences. It will be released in all major social media platforms next month. Free Class: Jonathon also has a special promotion for From The Heart members. It's an exclusive free film financing course that will teach you different ways to raise money for your short films and features. Click the link, click I want this, and enter "FROMTHEHEART" as the discount code to receive it for free: https://malibucinema.gumroad.com/l/filmfunding  

The information that Largo provides is an invaluable tool for pitching your film to investors and distributors, hiring crew, and making casting decisions.A recent case study found that having a Largo report can improve salability of a project by up to 300%. We believe that major streaming platforms are increasingly prioritizing projects that have strong analysis based financial forecasts and other key metrics the system provides. The information in the report lets a potential distributor or investor know exactly what the project might be worth to them and how to most successfully package it. Largo can tell you how an audience will react to your film and characters emotionally, which is a strong indicator of audience engagement that all distributors want. It can show you if the emotion dips in a certain scene or if your characters are likable and relatable or not. It will show how your film compares to other similar films in many different metrics so that distributors can clearly see the market potential. If you would like to contact Alex reach out through his email at info@largo.aiTo learn more about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com.

Brynn Lucas is an award-winning producer with extensive expertise in post-production supervision, delivery, electronic press kit (EPK), and feature film development and production. She has led numerous successful projects to completion, leveraging her deep knowledge in music videos, film production, and documentaries. Her client list includes Independent Filmmakers, Studios such as WB, Universal, and Paramount, Major Streamers like Hulu, Netflix, and Apple, and Sales Teams/Distributors such as Studio Canal, S&R Films, Saban Films, and Lionsgate. (blucas@frbpictures.com)To learn more about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions please visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com.

Our special guest today is Sarah Moshman, an Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker and TEDx speaker whose work has been featured on Netflix, PBS, Upworthy, Marie Claire, CNN, and Good Morning America. Sarah has directed and produced 3 feature-length documentaries: The Empowerment Project: Ordinary Women Doing Extraordinary Things, Losing Sight of Shore, and Nevertheless. She has also directed several narrative shorts including Unbound and A Mother is Born. Sarah is dedicated to telling stories that uplift, inform and inspire as well as showcase strong and complex female role models on screen. Sarah is honored to be the Artistic Director of the non-profit arts and filmmaking organization Look what SHE Did! and the leader of their newest filmmaking program for women over 30: Look what SHE’s Doing! Today we’ll discuss her career and focus on her documentary, Losing Sight of Shore.

Meet filmmaker Gillian Greenfeld who holds a BA in anthropology from the University of British Columbia and an MFA in documentary from Ryerson University.  Currently, she is just finishing up co-directing "Phoolan," a feature documentary on the life of Phoolan Devi, India’s celebrated feminist “Bandit Queen.” The film is now in post-production and set to be released in the new year (https://phoolandevimovie.com/). Gillian is also the president of Cielo Films, a newly-launched independent film company aiming to produce thought-provoking films on women’s rights.To learn more about Carole Dean and From the Heart Productions please visit www.FromtheHeartProductions.com.