My favorite part of Southern Exposure was meeting so many amazing people. I had a lot of fun making my film and traveling to some of the many beautiful areas of Alabama. I love what Southern Exposure represents and was honored to be a part of it!
—Mindy Keeley, 2014 Fellow
Having the chance to explore Alabama's natural landscapes, the mentorship and peer-critique process within a diverse group of filmmakers, and the networking opportunities the process brought with it gave me such a positive experience with a group of peers whose friendship and work I truly value.
—Rhonda Chan Soo, 2013 Fellow
Southern Exposure was an amazing experience – learning about the pressures on the environment, being embraced by Alabama's community of environmental advocates, soaking in beautiful natural treasures, spending a summer with a talented group of filmmakers – I couldn't recommend it more.
—Emily Fraser, 2013 Fellow
They made it really easy for us to fall in love with Alabama, especially as first timers. I think they also made it really easy for us to become concerned about this beautiful place because they opened our eyes to a very diverse range of pressing environmental needs here.
—Liza Slutskaya, 2016 Fellow and 2018-19 Program Coordinator
My experience in Alabama in 2014 had a profound impact on me as a filmmaker, but more importantly I linked up with a great posse of friends and collaborators.
—Chris Jones, 2014 Fellow
Through the personalized mentorship and support provided throughout the fellowship, I truly grew as a filmmaker, producer and storyteller, and was able to explore the beauty of Alabama. The fellowship definitely provided the steppingstones to my current career path as a video producer.
—Kaitlin McMurry, 2018 Fellow
Run by an amazing group of experienced filmmakers & passionate advocates, it's impossible to leave this program without an impressive film for your portfolio and meaningful connections to those fighting for important issues across Alabama. I wish I could be a part of this fellowship every summer!
—Celine Francois, 2021 Fellow
I truly believe that Southern Exposure is a MUST for young, southern documentary filmmakers with interests in the realm of Social and Environmental Justice. Not often do you get an opportunity like this in the South, especially one of such value and importance.
—Jeb Brackner, 2019 Fellow
This opportunity allowed me to grow as a professional in the world of environmental filmmaking & gave me skills + insights on how I can use film & media to be a powerful advocate of the natural world. I gained a better appreciation for the culture, people & nature of the beautiful state of Alabama!
—David Diaz, 2018 Fellow
Jeb is a filmmaker whose roots in Alabama stretch from his childhood as a Montgomery native to his education in film and psychology from the University of Alabama. Nature is one of Jeb’s leading inspirations, and he is very passionate about environmental justice, especially throughout his home state. Cinematic storytelling, whether it be narrative or documentary, is another of his passions, and he hopes to make a career out of it through a production company he's creating with two of his college colleagues.
Kristy is a Korean-American filmmaker and writer interested in themes of power, womanhood, and (un)belonging. The framework of environmental justice has profoundly shaped her politics and continues to underpin the way she sees the world as a documentarian. Her work has aired on “PBS NewsHour” and has been published in Teen Vogue, Washington City Paper, DeSmogBlog and more. She is currently producing a short documentary film with support from Glassbreaker Films on punk feminist legend Mimi Thi Nguyen. She is also executive producing an upcoming feature film on the Green New Deal. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Brown University and completed a multimedia DAAD Post-Graduate Fellowship at Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany. She is a proud member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia and the Asian American Documentary Network.
Remi is a photographer and videographer from Miami, Florida with a strong passion for environmental advocacy. With his degree in Editing, Writing & Media from Florida State University and his background in environmental journalism, Remi intends to utilize documentary filmmaking to inspire preservation of our natural resources and protection of wildlife. He enjoys landscape, wildlife, and astrophotography, and prefers to sleep in the forest whenever possible. Remi plans to spend his life traveling to the highest peaks and most remote wildernesses in search of the perfect shot.
Kenzie was born and raised in Birmingham, AL, where she just recently graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a BA in Anthropology and Digital Storytelling. She has been passionate about photography since the fifth grade, and developed an even greater devotion for documentary filmmaking. With a background in Anthropology, Kenzie uses her films as a platform for social justice and environmental issues. She sees filmmaking as an opportunity to make a difference and connect with people in a profound way. Throughout Kenzie's college career, she created or was involved in more than 20 films. She was awarded the 2018 undergraduate Media Studies Student Award and she was the co-founder of the UAB Steel Reel Film Festival. In some of her filmmaking experiences, she has had the opportunity to work with the National Holocaust Museum, UAB Institute for Human Rights, and more. Her other interests include photography, traveling, and outdoor exploration. Kenzie has had the opportunity to travel to 13 different countries over her lifetime and these cultural and global experiences have developed her enthusiasm for people and the environment.