Filmmakers

Reilly is the director and producer of the upcoming feature documentary, DREAMS OF DARAA. Shot over four years, it follows the journey of a young Syrian mother named Hanadi and her three daughters—first as refugees in Jordan, then as internally displaced people (IDPs) inside Syria, and ultimately, as asylum-seekers in Germany. In 2018, Reilly and Hanadi… Show more testified before experts at the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva about the war crimes of the Assad Regime. Reilly’s film has received support from the Washington-based Halcyon Arts Lab, a fellowship for emerging artists with bold ideas of how art and creativity can be forces for social change. She was also 1 of 6 filmmakers selected for the Fledgling Engagement Lab, a yearlong program that supports the social impact campaigns of documentaries focused on issues affecting vulnerable populations. Reilly is a 2013 graduate of Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, where she focused her studies on international politics and investigative journalism. Her articles have been published by national news outlets, including Al Jazeera America, ABC News, the Fiscal Times and Inc. She has also worked at SnagFilms (indieWIRE), CNN as well as for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and in the Obama White House Office of Presidential Correspondence. Reilly is currently living in Los Angeles and pursuing her master’s degree in the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. As part of this, she was awarded one of the school’s most prestigious scholarships from the Anna and Ray Romano Family Fund and had the opportunity to direct her first scripted short film, THE LAST RIDE, which is set to premiere in September 2019. Show less

Neyda Martinez (Producer) is the communications strategist for public television’s documentary series, America Reframed. For 7 years, Neyda worked at POV supporting campaigns of over 65 acclaimed films. She earned an MPA from Columbia University in 2008. She was Director of National Engagement for PBS’ documentary, and she produced the documentary film… Show more Lucky. As a consultant, she’s served Hachette Book Group USA, NYC’s Mayor’s Office of Adult Education, and WNYC and NPR’s The Takeaway. She is on the board of directors of The Association of American Cultures, Women Make Movies and Bronx-based dance company, Pepatian. Prior board service includes of Third World Newsreel and NALIP/National Association of Latino Independent Producers. Show less

Loira Limbal (Director/Producer) is an Afro-Latinx filmmaker interested in creating nuanced and revelatory portraits of the lives of working class women of color. Her first film, Estilo Hip Hop, was a co-production of ITVS and aired on PBS in 2009. She is currently the Vice President and Documentary Lab Director at Firelight Media. Firelight is… Show more committed to making films about pivotal movements and people in American history. Recent productions include: The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution, Freedom Summer, and Freedom Riders. Firelight's flagship program - the Documentary Lab - is a fellowship that provides mentorship, funding, and access to emerging filmmakers of color. Limbal is currently directing Through the Night, a feature documentary about a 24-hour daycare center in New Rochelle, NY. Additionally, she co-produces and helms the popular monthly #APartyCalledRosiePerez. For over fifteen years, Limbal has worked in the non-profit sector with a focus on cultural production, access, and representation. Limbal received a B.A. in History from Brown University and is a graduate of the Third World Newsreel's Film and Video Production Training Program. She lives in the Bronx with her two children. Show less

(Director/Producer/Editor) Chico Colvard teaches Race, Law and Media related courses at MassArt. He was the Founding Curator of the UMB Film Series. Chico is also the founding member of C-LineFilms, which produces short and long form documentaries as well as online commercial content. His feature doc, Family Affair, premiered in competition at… Show more Sundance and was the first film acquired by Oprah Winfrey for her cable channel, OWN. The film streamed on Netflix, iTunes and other online outlets. The film screened at festivals and aired on TV stations around the world. He is a two-time Sundance Fellow, WGBH Filmmaker-in-Residence, Firelight Media Fellow, and Flaherty Fellow. Chico is a frequent guest speaker, moderator, festival panelist and juror. His recent film, BLACK MEMORABILIA examines the manufacturing, consumption. and reclamation of these objects. The film premiered at MoMA and screens at festivals and museums nationally and internationally. Show less

Danielle Varga is a creative producer in nonfiction and documentary film based in Brooklyn. She co-produced Kirsten Johnson's award-winning film Cameraperson which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2016 and was released by Janus Films/The Criterion Collection. She most recently produced the short documentary Watched, which premiered at… Show more the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017. She was associate producer on Johanna Hamilton's documentary 1971 which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2014, won an IDA award for archival footage, and was broadcasted on PBS's Independent Lens in 2015. She was archival producer on Matt Wolf's Teenage which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2013 and distributed by Oscilloscope. Varga was a 2016-2017 Sundance Creative Producing Fellow. Show less

Jarod Neece has been with the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference & Festivals in Austin,TX since 2002. He is the festival's Senior Film Programmer with an emphasis on Feature and Genre Programming. He is a member of numerous Advisory Boards and has been a juror or panelist at a number of festivals and organizations, including Cannes, Sundance, TIFF,… Show more Fantastic Fest, Fantasia, the McKnight Filmmaking Fellowship & Independent Film Week. He is also the co-founder and editor of the popular Austin food blog, TacoJournalism.com, co-author of the local bestselling books, Austin Breakfast Tacos: The Story of the Most Important Taco of the Day and The Tacos of Texas published by UT Press. Show less