Chris Jones was raised in the rural northern California town of Placerville and credits his upbringing in the Sierra Nevadas for teaching him the importance of environmental stewardship, wilderness preservation and resource conservation. Since receiving his BA in Film Studies from UC Berkeley in 2012, Chris has worked in film production and is currently a graduate student in Film & Television Production at Loyola Marymount University.
Carlos Estrada graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree focusing on film production, film history, and poetry. His first documentary, “Undocumented,” a short about the impact Alabama law had upon two illegal immigrants, won ‘Best Student Film’ at Sidewalk Film Festival. He currently resides in Birmingham, Alabama as a videographer and editor for the non-profit organization Impact Alabama.
Emily Fraser graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2007 with a dual degree in Environmental Policy and Art/Architecture, and holds an MFA from Stanford University’s Documentary Film program. Before transitioning into filmmaking, Emily worked in the Washington, DC area in both the nonprofit and private sectors, focusing on projects in conservation, resource management and alternative energy. She attended the George Washington University Institute for Documentary Filmmaking in 2010, and has since served as the lead videographer for Philmont Scout Ranch in northern New Mexico and as a submission screener for AFI Silverdocs Documentary Film Festival.
Lacey Kennedy graduated from the University Honors Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, with a degree in Molecular Biology and minors in Media Studies, Spanish, and Chemistry. An activist at heart, she is heavily involved in the immigrant rights movement in her home state of Alabama and is interested in using film to illuminate environmental justice issues.
Nicholas Price graduated summa cum laude from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in May 2013, with a dual degree in International Studies & Linguistics and Film Studies. As an undergraduate, he began his documentary work through UAB’s Media Studies program, and later studied with the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Communications Digital Production and Storytelling program in Dubai on a William Jefferson Clinton Scholarship.
Rhonda Chan Soo was born and raised on the twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, where she began to develop an affinity for the natural world and a strong desire to protect it. After receiving her BS in Environmental Science from Furman University, Rhonda pursued her Masters Degree in Documentary Film at Wake Forest University.
Originally from Fairfax Station, Virginia, Jessica Pic received her MFA in Documentary Filmmaking at Wake Forest University in 2013. After graduating from the College of William and Mary with a BA in Public Policy and History, she joined the Peace Corps and taught at a rural school in Mongolia. During her Peace Corps experience, Jessica was responsible for developing the curriculum and training the teachers, which taught her how to communicate across cultural and language barriers.
Rebecca Marston received a degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Media Studies in the UAB University Honors Program in 2013, and is interested in creating films about science and the environment.
Spenser Gabin received his BS in Film at Northwestern University in 2013, where he was awarded the Excellence in Cinematography award. Originally from Yardley, Pennsylvania, Spenser studied filmmaking in Prague at the Film and Television Academy of Performing Arts, and his experience includes production work in New York City and Philadelphia.