Behind the Scenes

Karissa Tuthill Akin co-founded Après Visuals video production studio based in Jackson, WY with Amon Barker. The two were first introduced through their mutual love of the outdoors and soon realized their unique talents made a great team. Karissa studied marketing and was drawn to the creativity of production. Since beginning they have had the opportunity to bring on other inspiring creatives, travel to far out locations, and work with major clients. Après Visuals approaches every project with a true passion for collaboration and a great attention to detail. She also co-directed A Grand Journey which will be presented at Sundance. Learn more at https://www.apresvisuals.com/ and find them on social media @apresvisuals. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website at www.laurapowers.net. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, and on instagram at laurapowers44.

Andrei Zinca has worked, and successfully worn many hats, within the film industry over the last 40 years, from director to CEO of several field-related companies, including the Miami and Los Angeles based Double 4 Studios (www.double4studios.com). He has thoroughly sown his creative industrial oats, making him highly knowledgeable and well connected with many pioneers and tastemakers in the global film and television industries. Mr. Zinca is a native of Romania, where he graduated from the Institute for Film and Theater Studies. Once in the United States, he completed his graduate studies at USC in Los Angeles. As a director and producer, he was one of the pioneers of scripted production in the US Hispanic television market and was nominated for several regional Emmy Awards. In 2005, he reconnected with the Romanian film and TV industry and since then, he directed and/or co-produced in Romania one TV series, two features, and served as line producer for a major USproduction. For a few years now, he's been working in partnership with The Romanian Film Fund (C.N.C.), and the Romanian Filmmakers Association ( U.C.I.N.) to promote cooperation between creative and financial forces in the entertainment industries in the US and Romania. His work as a director and producer was awarded in international film festivals in the US, and in Romania by The Filmmakers Association, The TV Professionals Association and The Producers Guild. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website at www.laurapowers.net. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, and on instagram at laurapowers44.

Three time Telly Award-winning filmmaker Sue Vicory has been creating community-based films and projects within her not for profit production company Heartland Films, Inc. since 2003. Her works include “Homelessness & the Power of One,” feature documentaries “One” and “Kansas City Jazz & Blues; Past, Present & Future” and short films “Absent” and “1898, The W.F. Norman Story. In 2015, she founded Team XX, an all female team of 25 filmmakers that created the award-winning film “Down Stage.” Ms. Vicory is a member of the Los Angeles-based Alliance of Women Directors and creator of the website http://www.womendocumentaryfilmmakers.com/, designed to increase visibility for female filmmakers. She is the creator of the non-profit brand "My Power of One" (MPO1). In 2015 under the MPO1 banner, she filmed a 48 state tour completing "12 Acts of Kindness." A feature titled "Ruby's Heartbeat" based on this journey is currently in the works. Find more about her work at http://suevicory.com/ and https://www.mypowerofone.com/. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website at www.laurapowers.net. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, and on instagram at laurapowers44.

Three time Telly Award-winning filmmaker Sue Vicory has been creating community-based films and projects within her not for profit production company Heartland Films, Inc. since 2003. Her works include “Homelessness & the Power of One,” feature documentaries “One” and “Kansas City Jazz & Blues; Past, Present & Future” and short films “Absent” and “1898, The W.F. Norman Story. In 2015, she founded Team XX, an all female team of 25 filmmakers that created the award-winning film “Down Stage.” Ms. Vicory is a member of the Los Angeles-based Alliance of Women Directors and creator of the website http://www.womendocumentaryfilmmakers.com/, designed to increase visibility for female filmmakers. She is the creator of the non-profit brand "My Power of One" (MPO1). In 2015 under the MPO1 banner, she filmed a 48 state tour completing "12 Acts of Kindness." A feature titled "Ruby's Heartbeat" based on this journey is currently in the works. Find more about her work at http://suevicory.com/ and https://www.mypowerofone.com/. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website at www.laurapowers.net. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, and on instagram at laurapowers44.

Steve La Rue is a veteran television development executive with 20+ years experience having championed such iconic series as Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The X-Files, The Simpsons, King of the Hill, Battlestar Galactica and Farscape. He is also a writer/performer having logged many hours onstage at The Groundlings, Pinata, Muse Literary Salon, and To Whom It May Concern. We discussed what's hot in tv and what's not right now. His blog, www.SurfingHollywood.com, chronicles his chill view of all things entertainment. You can connect with Laura at www.laurapowers.net, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, on Twitter @thatlaurapowers, and on Instagram @laurapowers44.

Diane Bell’s first film as writer/director, Obselidia, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2010 in Dramatic Narrative Competition and won two awards, the Alfred P. Sloan Award and Excellence in Cinematography. She was selected for Sundance Screenwriting Lab 2011, with STEM, for which she was awarded the Sloan Development Fund at the Tribeca Film Institute. Her second film, Bleeding Heart (film), premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2015. It stars Jessica Biel and Zosia Mamet. On October 1, 2018, her guide to successful independent filmmaking, “Shoot from the Heart” was launched. Learn more about her at https://www.dianebell.com/ and on Instagram @dianebell, and find her book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shoot-Heart-Succesful-Filmmaking-Sundance/dp/1615932887. For 10% off her Shoot from the Heart class visit tinyurl.com/shootfromtheheart and use the code powers10. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website at www.laurapowers.net. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, and on instagram at laurapowers44.

Merhia Wiese Meow Wolf is an arts and entertainment group based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They are dedicated to creating and supporting art across a variety of media, including architecture, sculpture, painting, photography, video production, cross-reality (AR/VR/MR), music, audio engineering, narrative writing, costuming, performance, and more. As a certified Benefit Corporation, Meow Wolf champions otherness, weirdness, challenging norms, radical inclusion, and the power of creativity to change the world. Learn more at https://meowwolf.com/ or https://denver.meowwolf.com/ to connect with the Denver team. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website at www.laurapowers.net. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, and on instagram at laurapowers44.

Claire Taylor is the director of programming at SeriesFest, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the art of episodic storytelling. With year-round initiatives and professional development opportunities focused on diverse and under-served voices, education programs for students, and an annual festival, which gives emerging artists a platform and place for discovery, SeriesFest is where new voices and storytellers have found a home.
The award-winning festival, SeriesFest: Season 5, will take place in Denver, Colorado – the birthplace of cable television – June 21-26, 2019. With a musical performance and network premiere at the world famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre and six days of in-competition screenings, panels, and network sneak peeks, the annual festival showcases compelling and creative content while celebrating television history and engaging in meaningful dialogue about serialized storytelling. To learn more and see upcoming events visit www.seriesfest.com. For 10% off your submission visit http://www.seriesfest.com/2019-submissions and use the promo code SeriesFest-Powers. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website at www.laurapowers.net. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, and on instagram at laurapowers44.

Audrey Elling is the Executive Director of the heartland chapter of NATAS (The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences). It is the only non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing outstanding achievement, raising industry standards, and improving the quality of television. Learn more at https://emmyawards.tv. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website at www.laurapowers.net. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, and on instagram at laurapowers44.

Mariel Rodriguez-McGill is an Emmy Award-Winning creative producer, director and editor focused on documentary filmmaking with a passion for telling inspirational and compelling stories. At Rocky Mountain PBS in Denver, Colorado, Mariel helped develop the web-series Great Ingredients, and the historical documentary series Colorado Experience, which launched its fifth season in 2017. Currently, Mariel serves as the Deputy Film Commissioner for the Colorado Office of Film, Television & Media. Mariel received a BA from Boston College and holds a Masters Degree from University of Denver in Media, Film & Journalism Studies. Learn more at http://coloradofilm.org/ or on Facebook @sidestoriescolorado and @coloradofilmcommission and on Twitter @ColoradoFilm. To find out more about Laura and her work please visit her website at www.laurapowers.net. You can also find Laura on twitter @thatlaurapowers, on Facebook @thatlaurapowers, and on instagram at laurapowers44.