Mimi and Dona


MEET THE FILMMAKERS


SOPHIE SARTAIN
WRITER, PRODUCER and DIRECTOR

Sophie Sartain's credits include the 2014 documentary Above and Beyond (writer), produced by Nancy Spielberg and winner of the audience award at more than 20 film festivals; the 2012 documentary Hava Nagila (The Movie) (writer/producer), the opening or closing night film at more than 40 film festivals; and the Emmy-nominated 2008 film Blessed Is the Match: The Life and Death of Hannah Senesh (writer/co-producer).

Sartain's past positions include Executive Director of Editorial Services for MGM Home Entertainment and Managing Editor of Sony Online Entertainment. She has contributed as a writer and consultant on several film projects, including Ishi's Return (PBS, 2016), Rock in the Red Zone (2015), Hotel Everest (2017), Feminists (projected 2017) and In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee (PBS, 2010). As a grant writer, she has raised more than $1 million for documentary projects. As a freelance writer, her clients have included Los Angeles Magazine, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Universal Studios, New Line Home Entertainment, CBS Sports Radio and ABC Radio Networks.

Sartain is a film envoy with the American Film Showcase, a diplomacy program run by State Department in partnership with the USC School of Cinematic Arts. She has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Humanities' America's Media Maker grants, and is the recipient of grants from ITVS Open Call and the Fledgling Fund.

Sartain is a Morehead-Cain Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a masters in film from UT-Austin. She began her career as a reporter for The Houston Post.


MEET THE CREW


CHRIS CALLISTER
EDITOR

Chris Callister received his master's degree in film production from USC. He has directed and edited documentaries, short films, and music videos, and his work has been seen around the world by over a million people. His credits include the 2014 documentary Above and Beyond (editor), the feature documentary Hava Nagila (The Movie) (editor and post-production supervisor); the feature documentary Blessed Is the Match (assistant editor and post-production supervisor); music and concert videos for The Killers (writer, director and editor); the feature film Cyrus (apprentice editor); and the short film The Liar (writer, director and editor), which screened at numerous festivals including the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.


ROBERTA GROSSMAN
CONSULTING PRODUCER

Roberta Grossman is an award-winning filmmaker who has written and produced more than forty hours of documentary television, and directed four feature documentaries: Above and Beyond, Hava Nagila (The Movie), Blessed Is the Match and Homeland: Four Portraits of Native Action.


DEANN BORSHAY LIEM
CONSULTING PRODUCER

Deann Borshay Liem has over 25 years experience working in development, production and distribution of educational and public television programming. Her credits include the Emmy nominated First Person Plural and In the Matter of Cha Jung Hee.


MARTA KAUFFMAN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

An Emmy Award-winning writer and producer, Marta Kauffman co-created and executive produced the television series Friends. She is the co-creator and executive producer of Grace and Frankie. Other credits include the comedy series Dream On, The Powers That Be and Veronica's Closet.


NANCY SPIELBERG
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Nancy Spielberg is the producer of the feature documentary Above and Beyond. She served as consultant on the Oscar-winning documentary Chernobyl Heart, and is executive producer of Elusive Justice: The Search for Nazi War Criminals.


DYANNA TAYLOR
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Dyanna Taylor is an Emmy Award winning director and cinematographer. Her credits as Director of Photography include HBO's The Alzheimer Project and for American Masters: Hemingway: Rivers to the Sea and Winter Dreams: F. Scott Fitzgerald.


GINNY MARTIN
ADDITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Ginny Martin has more than 25 years experience as producer and director for the KERA, the PBS affiliate channel in Dallas. She has won two national Emmy Awards for documentary productions.