Johanna Obenda was born in Cape Town, South Africa and considers Dallas, Texas "home." A senior at the University of Alabama, she is studying History and French with an emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2013, Johanna co-produced her first short documentary film, “Black Noise,” which explores the lives of three deaf, black individuals in Alabama focusing on the concept of identity.
A native of Ashford, Alabama, Mindy Keeley received her BA in Anthropology at the University of South Florida. Upon graduation, she served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa developing HIV/AIDS youth education projects in her community. Mindy received an MFA in Documentary Film at Wake Forest University in 2014. Her thesis film, "The Possum Drop," was screened at a variety of film festivals and won second place in the documentary short category at Knoxville’s Film Festival.
Sebastian Lasaosa Rogers is a filmmaker and cinematographer currently based in Nashville, Tennessee. Originally from Concord, Massachusetts, he graduated magna cum laude from Vanderbilt University in 2013 with a BA in Film Studies and Anthropology. He has filmed in Panama, Spain, Alaska, and across the U.S. for clients ranging from country singer Dierks Bentley, the Southern Environmental Law Center, and the Show Me 15 campaign fighting to raise the wages of fast food workers. His films aim to support social, environmental and economic justice work.
Mike Agnew double-majored in History and Filmmaking at Chapman University in Los Angeles, California, and received his BA in 2013. During his time as a fellow, Mike served as a media intern at Orange County Coastkeeper, where he produced short films about the preservation of beaches and wetlands.