2025 SPECIAL GUESTS
Mahershala Ali is an award-winning American actor and rapper. He rose to fame in the 2010s for his roles in Predators (2010), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay (2014–2015), and House of Cards (2013–2016). Ali is best known for his roles in Moonlight (2016) and Green Book (2018), winning two Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for both films. He is the first Muslim actor to win an Oscar.
Anne-Marie Johnson is an American actress and impressionist. She is perhaps best known for her roles as Nadine Hudson–Thomas in What's Happening Now!!, Althea Tibbs in In the Heat of the Night, or her recurring role as fashion designer Donna Cabonna on That's So Raven during its final season.
Sawyer Spielberg studied drama in New York City and has worked in Theatre, TV, and Film since. Sawyer is known for the Apple TV + series Masters Of The Air playing Lt. Roy Frank Claytor and brought the film Christmas Eve in Millers Point to the 2024 Cannes Film Festival. Other films Sawyer is known for are Honeydew in 2020 and Merry Good Enough in 2023.
Jon Shenk is an Emmy‑winning, Oscar‑nominated American documentary filmmaker, cinematographer, and co-founder of Actual Films in San Francisco. After earning a BA in English from Yale and an MA in documentary filmmaking from Stanford, he began at Lucasfilm capturing behind‑the‑scenes footage for Star Wars: Episode I, releasing The Beginning: Making Episode 1 (2001) . In 2003, Shenk directed Lost Boys of Sudan, earning a Film Independent Spirit Award and an Oscar shortlist nod. As a cinematographer, he worked on Smile Pinki, which won an Oscar in 2008, and won a News & Documentary Emmy for the PBS film Blame Somebody Else (2007). His feature documentaries include The Island President (2011)—winner of TIFF’s People’s Choice Award and the IDA Pare Lorentz Award—Audrie & Daisy (2016), a Peabody winner, and An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (2017), which premiered at Sundance and earned an Oscar short‑listing and BAFTA nomination. Additionally, he co‑directed Netflix’s Athlete A (2020), winning an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary, and the Oscar‑nominated short Lead Me Home (2021). Shenk’s recent works include In Waves & War and The White House Effect (2024 premieres), underscoring his commitment to socially powerful storytelling. A member of the Academy’s Documentary Branch, his career spans producing, directing, and shooting high‑impact nonfiction narratives for global platforms.
Wendy Lobel is a director and Emmy Award-winning producer whose work explores the complexities of the human experience. With three decades of experience, her projects have been featured on networks such as PBS, A&E, VH1, MSNBC, Nickelodeon and more. Wendy produced over 25 episodes of the acclaimed children’s series Nick News with Linda Ellerbee, including Worried Sick: Living with Anxiety. Other notable projects include Inside TV Land: Primetime Politics, MSNBC Investigates: The Mating Game (doc specials), the PBS documentary shorts Women in Science & Technology and Mothers and Sons, and the short film The Power of Positivity. ANXIETY CLUB (2024 DOC NYC Film Festival) marks Wendy’s debut as a feature director. Drawing on her personal experiences with anxiety, she brought a heartfelt authenticity and profound understanding of its themes to this film. Wendy is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy. She also serves as Vice President of Angelight Films, a nonprofit that empowers children with brain tumors to create their own short films.
Martin A. Gottlieb (AKA Martin Grey) is from Brooklyn, NY and now lives in Los Angeles. A graduate of the University of Colorado - Boulder, he’s an award-winning actor/writer/producer and photographer. As an actor he’s worked in films as diverse as Ghost World, The Natural, The Odd Couple, The Cherokee Kid and About Fifty. On stage, he was honored with a Los Angeles Drama-Logue award for best actor in Friends. Marty also had starring roles on television shows like Bones, Life, Cold Case, CSI: Miami, X-Files, Desperate Housewives, ER and NYPD Blue. He made his writing, producing and directorial debut with the original half hour comedy On and On. About Fifty, his first film (as co-writer/producer/actor) was bought and distributed by Screen Media after winning several festival awards including Audience Favorite at the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. The Addiction of Hope marks his feature film directorial debut. His goal as a filmmaker is to move people.
Bonni Cohen (director) has produced and directed an array of award-winning films. Most recently, she produced the Oscar-nominated film LEAD ME HOME, which premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival and is a Netflix Original. She also recently co-directed ATHLETE A, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary and received four nominations from the Critics’ Choice Awards. Previously, Bonni co-directed AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER which was selected to be the opening night film of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, short-listed for the 2018 Oscars and nominated for a 2018 BAFTA for Best Documentary. In 2016 Bonni co-directed the Peabody Award winning film AUDRIE & DAISY, which premiered in competition at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and was picked up as a Netflix Original film. In addition to her directing work, Bonni served as Producer on THE ISLAND PRESIDENT, winner of the 2011 Toronto International Best Documentary. Her work as producer and director on THE RAPE OF EUROPA earned her a PGA and WGA nomination and was short-listed for the Oscars. In addition, Bonni produced Jon Else’s Sundance film, WONDERS ARE MANY and together with Else co-directed INSIDE GUANTANAMO, which was nominated for an Emmy for Best Documentary in 2009. Bonni also Executive Produced 3.5 MINUTES and ART AND CRAFT, both films were selected for the Oscar shortlist in 2015. Together with Lisa Chanoff, Bonni is the co-founder of the Catapult Film Fund.
Timo Jacobs began his career as an actor and has appeared in hundreds of theatre, film and television productions, winning numerous prizes and awards. In 2012 he celebrated his directing debut with KLAPPE COWBOY! – which was selected to participate in the prestigious Max Ophüls Film Festival in Saarbrücken. For his role in KLAPPE COWBOY! Jacobs was awarded ‘Best Actor’ at the Deposhir Film Festival in St. Petersburg, and won ‘Best Director’ at the Achtung Berlin festival, and also at the Louisville IFF. After numerous short films, Jacobs made his second feature PACE, COWBOY, PACE, which was chosen to open the Achtung Berlin Movie Awards, and won awards at several festivals around the world. With his new Movie STAND UP! LOOKING FOR LOVE IN ALL THE WRONG PLACES (STAND UP! WAS BLEIBT, WENN ALLES WEG IST) Jacobs has shown again that German cinema has found its place in the world of cinema. The movie has had an enormous impact at the international film festivals at which it has appeared and has won more than 20 Awards worldwide.
Daniel Klein is a two-time Student Academy Award-winning writer for the short films It’s Just A Gun (2016) and Esta Es Tu Cuba (2018), the latter featured on HBO/MAX. Klein previously wrote and directed the short AB-, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and screened at festivals worldwide. Klein co-wrote the feature screenplay “91 Miles”, which was selected for The Sundance Screenwriters Lab. Klein is a tenured professor at DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he chairs the MFA in Film and Television Directing. Taste The Revolution is Klein’s first feature film.
Preston Lee is a veteran film-and-advertising executive currently serving as the Founder & Managing Director of Sanctuary Content, a Los Angeles–based production company he launched in 2016. With two decades of experience as an Executive Producer—previously heading Über Content (2005–2015), and working at Area 51 Films and Go Film—Preston has overseen campaigns for major brands like Dove, eBay, RE/MAX and Vital Farms. A Penn State alum who also studied theater at the University of Montana, he's known for his knack in discovering and representing talented commercial directors. Passionate about filmmaking and mentorship, Preston guides directors to break through creatively and strategically, blending roles of manager, producer and mentor to help them thrive in a competitive LA advertising landscape.
Biliana Grozdanova is a documentary filmmaker with 8 years of production experience. In 2012, she founded El Jinete Films and has co-directed two feature music documentaries, ORTIGUERA and THE LAST KAMIKAZIS OF HEAVY METAL, as well as the VR short ALL ON A MARDI GRAS DAY, currently in festival rotation.
Ryan Dugger is an award-winning filmmaker and the founder of Bandera Studios, a production company dedicated to crafting compelling documentary films. With over a decade of experience in photography and video production through his previous company, Creative Revolver, Ryan has honed a keen eye for storytelling that captures the depth of human endurance, adventure, and resilience.
His directorial debut, The 500 Project, made a powerful impact in the documentary space, earning Best Short Documentary, Best Director, and the People's Choice Award, along with numerous festival screenings. The film was later licensed and is now streaming on platforms such as YouTube Movies & TV, Truth+, Stash, and Amazon Fire.
Ryan has a deep connection with stories that inspire. His goal is to create films that emotionally move viewers and encourage them to become better versions of themselves. He lives with his wife, Genette, and their two sons, Max and Leon. Together, they love to go on adventures, and their unwavering support inspires him to pursue his dreams.
With Bandera Studios, Ryan continues to push the boundaries of documentary filmmaking, focusing on stories that challenge, uplift, and leave a lasting impact.
Luke Lowder was born and raised in rural North Carolina. His grandfather owned and operated a farm 100 yards from his childhood home where he spent his summers working and saving money to fund his budding 'filmmaking habit'. After high school, he studied Directing at the University of North Carolina: School of the Arts. Luke Lowder is interested in telling realistic stories rooted in the American South. He is driven to provide an honest depiction of the characters and stories he was molded by, placing the misguided and misunderstood on the world stage.
Ifigenia Tzola is a Greek actress who made her TV debut at age eight in the series Eho Ena Mistiko. A year later, she landed a leading role in the hit TV show To Nisi. Tzola enjoyed playing characters and imitating actors from a young age. She has also starred in short films.
Will Turner is an American endurance athlete best known for his incredible accomplishments in the world of triathlon. After turning 60, he set out to complete 60 full-distance Ironman triathlons in a single year—and exceeded that goal by completing 105 in just two years, earning him recognition in the Guinness World Records. He portrays himself in the film Sierra 914.
Dustin Whitehead is an actor and filmmaker from Chicago IL. Dustin can be seen in numerous independent films as well as the nationally televised shows Chicago PD, Chicago Fire, and Your Worst Nightmare. His most recent feature film, Bruiser, in which he played the lead role, co-wrote, and co-produced played at the Sarasota Film Festival, The Spirit of Independence Film Festival in London, The Silent River Film Festival in LA (*Best Actor Award), and the Southeastern Film Festival. Dustin is a co-founder and Artistic Director of Local Cinema Studios, a non-profit that bridges the gap for students from academia into the industry. He is currently teaching acting at The University of South Carolina. He received his BFA in Performance from Jacksonville University and MFA in Acting from The Theatre School at DePaul University. He also studied filmmaking in Singapore at NYU Tisch Asia.
6 Days of Films, Live Music & Events.
2024 SPECIAL GUESTS
2023 GUESTS
SEP 26: A SPECIAL EVENING WITH TOM SCHULMAN, WRITER & DIRECTOR OF THE OPENING NIGHT FILM, DOUBLE DOWN SOUTH.
Special Guests: Tom Schulman, Kim Coates (pending), and Rick Wallace.
Short Synopsis: In the dangerous high-stakes world of illegal keno pool gambling, Diana (Lili Simmons), a smart, tough newcomer, charms keno-veteran Nick (Kim Coates) into taking her under his wing. They prepare to risk it all to defeat the world champion, but soon find themselves in much more danger than they ever imagined.
Directly following the premiere, Tom Schulman will be honored the 2023 RIFF Legacy Award for his significant contributions in film and his dedication to fellow creatives and industry.
“Growing up Jewish in the South, I know what it’s like to be an outsider, and I am drawn to outsiders trying to break into, survive and even thrive in a world that isn’t designed for them to succeed. This was the genesis of the script. I became passionate about directing Double Down South because much of our country is either in denial about or even embracing both the casual and blatant racism and misogyny that still exist. I hope that the journeys of the characters in this movie, struggling against oppressive forces, can in some way inspire audiences and encourage a long overdue national conversation about race, misogyny, and hate.” Tom Schulman Reserve Tickets Here
2023 LEGACY AWARD, TOM SCHULMAN
Tom Schulman won an Academy Award for his screenplay Dead Poets Society, starring Robin Williams, and the film was nominated for Best Picture and Best Director (Peter Weir). His feature directorial debut was the dark comedy 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag, starring Joe Pesci as a gangster attempting to transport a bag of severed heads across the United States. Schulman also wrote or co-wrote Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Second Sight, What About Bob? Welcome to Mooseport, Holy Man, which stars Eddie Murphy and the Sean Connery drama Medicine Man. He was an executive producer on Indecent Proposal and Me, Myself & Irene. He co-wrote and co-produced the HBO pilot The Anatomy of Hope with Rafael Yglesias and J.J. Abrams, and recently collaborated with Callie Khouri, Trae Crowder, and T Bone Burnett on the writing of Amazon pilot The Useful Idiots.
Tom served on the board of directors and then as vice president of the Writers Guild of America, West. Tom was the president of the Writers Guild Foundation and serves on its board. He serves on the advisory board of the Science and Entertainment Exchange.
DOUBLE DOWN SOUTH
past GUESTS & HONOREES
Alfre Woodard, the 2019 RIFF Founders Award.
