Northwestern University Department of Radio/Television/Film Fall 2019 Faculty Welcomes

We welcome to the Evanston We also welcome to the RTVF welcomes Lecturer campus Assistant Professor Evanston campus Professor Ariel Stess to the MFA in Danielle Beverly, who has Marco Williams, who has Writing for the Screen & been teaching at NU Qatar. been teaching at NU Qatar. Stage program. Ariel Stess is Beverly typically works as a An award-winning a playwright and director one person crew, recording documentary film director, originally from Santa Fe, both picture and audio. Marco Williams’ credits New Mexico. Her work has Beverly’s documentary Old include: Tell Them We are been produced and/or South debuted in March Rising: The Story of developed at Playwrights 2015, and had its national Historically Black Colleges Horizons, The Bushwick broadcast in February 2016 and Universities (2017), The Starr, New Georges, Clubbed on The World Channel/PBS. Black Fives (2014), The Thumb, Mabou Mines, and It was the season 4 opener of Undocumented (2013), The Playwrights’ Center. She the “America ReFramed” Inside: The New Black is a 2018-21 Core Writer of documentary series, airing Panthers (2008), Banished the Playwrights’ Center, a during African American (2007), Freedom Summer member of the 2026 class of History Month. (2006), I Sit Where I Want: New Dramatists, and a New The Legacy of Brown v. Georges Affiliated Artist. Her Beverly's newest feature Board of Education (2004), plays include Tranquil, 4 documentary Dusty Groove: MLK Boulevard: The Women, The World My The Sound of Transition at Concrete Dream (2003), Mama Raised (Clubbed SF DocFest in June. On Two Towns of Jasper Thumb), Heartbreak (The September 23, the (2002), Making Peace: Bushwick Starr, co-produced film visited Malmö Rebuilding our Communities by New Georges, Time Out University for a screening at (1995), The Spiritual Deficit New York Critics’ Pick), Medea, their and The American Dream and I’m Pretty Fucked transdisciplinary research (1994), Without a Pass (Clubbed Thumb, Five lab. (1992) In Search of Our Stars Time Out New York). Fathers (1991), From Harlem Ariel received her BA from Beverly also participated in a to Harvard (1982). Bard College and her MFA in panel at The Nordisk playwriting from Brooklyn Panorama as a member of the Williams received a B.A. College. Her writing has American Delegation from Harvard University, in appeared in The Brooklyn selected by The International Visual and Environmental Rail and Culturebot. ​ Documentary Association Studies. He received a (IDA). It was presented by Master of Arts degree from SFI Filmrummet and was UCLA in Afro-American titled “The Female Gaze 2.0 Studies and a Master of Fine and Beyond – Capturing Arts also from UCLA in their Women on Screen”. Beverly Producer’s Program. Before also presented at the UFVA joining NU, he was a conference in Minneapolis. professor at New York University, Tisch School of the Art. Faculty News

NewCity's 2019 Film 50 list included RTVF's Ines Sommer (above left), Associate Director and Lecturer in the MFA in Documentary Media Program, RTVF's Aymar Jean Christian (above right, with Elijah McKinnon), Debra Kahn Tolchinsky, Associate Chair and Associate Professor in Radio/TV/Film, and David Tolchinsky (both pictured at right), Professor and Co-Director of the MFA in Writing for the Screen and Stage program.

Sommer recently completed Seasons of Change on Henry’s Farm. The doc will play in competition at the 2019 BendFilm Festival. Sommer recently received a Digital Media Production Fund award for the production of The Reformers, a series of online micro-documentaries that David Tolchinsky's short film, Cassandra, will follow newly elected Chicago will have its premiere at the Nightmares Film progressive Aldermen. She also organized Festival on October 25 in Columbus, Ohio, at the first DOC CHICAGO conference in the Gateway Film Center. March. Tolchinsky’s script Clear was a first prize Van Gogh award winner at the Amsterdam International Film Festival. And his script Heal was a Van Gogh award finalist at the Amsterdam International Film Festival, and was selected for inclusion in the Houston Comedy Film Festival, Las Vegas International Film Festival, and The Hague Global Cinema Festival.

Associate Professor Ariel Rogers’ new book, On the Screen: Displaying the Moving Image, 1926-1942, was published by Columbia University Press this summer.

In addition, Rogers' article, “Screen Practices and Hollywood Cinema in the 1930s,” appeared in the Summer 2019 issue of Screen.

This summer, Associate Professor and (Photo courtesy Jen Proctor) RTVF Chair Zayd Dohrn was in the writers room for a new series from A24 and Writer/Director Mike Mills. At the annual UFVA conference in Minneapolis, MN, Associate Professor Dohrn was also in residence at the Kyle Henry (above) won the Fiction O'Neill Playwrights Conference Feature Gold Award for Rogers Park. (pictured above) with his new play, The Humanities.

The Chicago Sound Show is happening September 27-December 29. Nine artists were commissioned to make major sound installations, including Senior Lecturer Stephan Moore, as well as Olivia Block (an RTVF adjunct) and Andy Slater (MA SAI 2020). Moore's piece is called Six Accompaniments for Solo Voice and involves turning park benches into subtle interventions that interact with the noise pollution caused by the Chemistry Building's air handling system, celebrating it, decorating it, but also calling critical attention to it.

The annual sound art exhibition that Stephan Moore curates at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts re-opened on June 15. In mid-August, Moore's collaborative piece with Peter Bussigel called Chorus for Untrained Operator was installed at the Fiegenbaum Arts Center at Union College in Schenectady, NY. It will remain up through December 5.

Moore's new sound installation, Two Chambers, will be installed in the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Clermont, KY, about 20 miles south of Louisville. The piece will open on October 13 as part of an event organized by sonicBernheim, a sound art collective that brings speakers, artists, and musicians to the forest to engage with sound and nature.

On November 1, Moore will perform a set with Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo and noise- cellist Leila Bordreuil at Issue Project Room in Brooklyn. RTVF Senior Lecturer Clayton Associate Professor Ozge Brown's (above) film We Believe in Samanaci's interactive art Dinosaurs holds a score of 90% Fresh installation "Fiber Optic Ocean in rating on . The film Virtual Reality" (above) was in has distribution with 1091 and will be Siggraph Art Gallery in Los Angeles available for download on iTunes and during 28 July-1 August 2019. Google Play starting November 19. It Samanci's previous interactive art has international distribution through installation "You are the Ocean" was in Tel Aviv's Cinephil, and has now been a group show entitled Ecologies of accepted to nine festivals. Transformation at the University of California, San Diego.

Lecturer Stephen Cone directed the Lecturer Chaz Evans toured an exhibition first two episodes of the second season of (above) to Ars Electronica 2019. With Jon This Close (above), airing now on Cates, Jonathan Kinkley and VGA Gallery, SundanceTV. The show is notable for Evans exhibited Chicago New Media 1973- starring and being created/written by two 1992 in Linz, Austria. deaf actors. Press for the show includes this LA Times Feature, this The documentary VR game Evans is Feature/Review, and this Paste Magazine directing, Frame Switch, met its public Review. debut at the 2019 Bit Bash festival hosted by the Museum of Science and Industry. The Adjunct Instructor Kris Rey (formally game received a mention in a review of the Swanberg) spent the summer filming her festival published on the front page of the upcoming feature, I Used To Go Sun-Times. Here, starring Gillian Jacobs and Jemaine Clement. This female-led comedy is a co- Frame Switch is a collaboration between production between Party Over Here VGA Gallery and the Media Majlis at NUQ (Pen15), Yale Productions (Stowaway) and and is supported by a MacArthur Ten Acre Films (Sorry To Bother You). I International Connections fund grant. Used To Go Here marks Rey's fourth feature, whose prior work includes Sundance hit Unexpected and SXSW pic It Was Great, But I Was Ready To Go Home. Many notable Northwestern alumni and staff were involved in the making the film, including Theatre Professor Cindy Gold in a featured role and thirteen of Rey's former film students who were interns on the film.

Contaminated Memories, (above), a short documentary directed and produced by Associate Professor, Debra Tolchinsky, premiered June 25 on Op-Docs and was featured on front page. Following its release, Newsweek, Latin Times, and Metro UK were among the international publications that wrote about Contaminated Memories.

On August 27, Kelly Richmond Pope and Bill Kresse spotlighted Contaminated Memories as well as Tolchinsky on their WGN Talk Radio show. Contaminated Memories will screen at the 2019 Chicago International Film Festival on Oct 17, 21 and 26. You may also watch on Op-Docs at The New York Times.o watch in Op- Current Student News

This past May, RTVF senior Meredith McHale (pictured at far left) attended the 72nd Cannes Film Festival where a project that she recorded sound for was being shown. Hayley Tibbenham, director and University of Michigan senior, was accepted into the short film corner for her film, Inhuman. The duo spent a week at the festival networking with other student filmmakers and receiving advice from industry professionals. The two attended a number of red carpet premieres including the premiere of Parasite, the 2019 Palme d’Or winner.

Erika Hakmiller's (Writing for the Screen & Stage c/o 2020) short play, Who's Haunting? is being produced by Random Acts Chi in October. Her short play Break Through was selected for the Nox Arca Resident Showcase in September.

Resita Cox (Documentary Media c/o 2021) won a 2019 Chicago Digital Media Production Fund grant for her project, Regrowth. This documentary short follows the reopening of a once thriving catfish restaurant as a vehicle to examine the intertwining of food and resilience. It shows members taking on rebuilding despite looming gentrification and five decades of disinvestment in a predominantly Black neighborhood on the West Side.

Milton Guillen (Documentary Media c/o 2020) was named a 2018 Carol Fielding grantee for his thesis film, On the Move.

New Podcasts from Sound Arts & Industries

The Joys of Audio Storytelling with Sound-Only Storytelling with Gary Ele Matelan Rydstrom

Ele Matelan is a sonic storyteller working in Seven-time Academy Award winner Gary Chicago as a Foley artist for both live theater Rydstrom has created some of the most and films. She has years of experience memorable sound designs in modern cinema devising the perfect sound effects to propel a (Jurassic Park, Toy Story, and Saving story forward. Private Ryan, to name a few). He has also brought his audio storytelling outside Listen as Sound Arts and Industries student traditional film, designing the sound for Jeffrey Nils Gardner guides us through Ele’s theme park Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in view on Foley’s place in audio storytelling, Disneyland and an installation at San and audio drama communities in Chicago. Francisco’s deYoung Museum called The Companions, an audio-only cinematic experience that guided visitors through immersive and directional sound.

Listen as Gary takes us through the creative process behind The Companions, and the power of using audio in storytelling.

The Voices of Dragons with Paula Sculpting Sounds with Trimpin Fairfield Trimpin loves natural and acoustic sound. Over a career including TV’s LOST and He moved to America decades ago partly to Game of Thrones, Emmy award-winning have greater access to discarded sound designer Paula Fairfield has created technological and mechanical materials to rich soundscapes that expertly blend reality create his inventive installations, which with the fantastic. On a campus visit she combine music composition with visually inspired our students to fully express their imaginative kinetics (and some wizardry). unique selves in their work. Listen as Trimpin talks about a selection of Listen as Paula talks about sound designing his world-renowned sound sculptures, Game of Thrones, advice for collaborating in navigating the art community as a sound creative projects, and using the voices of artist, and the beauty of natural sound. dragons to spur animal conservation. Welcome new graduate students!

Screen Cultures After graduating with a BA from New Nicola McCafferty is interested in York University, Kate Erskine examining the potential of film and completed her MSc in Gender, Media music as routes to re-enchantment, and Culture at the London School of with a particular interest in genres that Economics. Kate’s research and exist at the margins of popular culture, interests are in the the critical analysis including horror film and punk, metal, of visual culture, and specifically and noise music. With an eye toward representations of madness and affect, spectatorship, and themes of nationalism, surveillance psychoanalytic theory, she aims to and migration in contemporary study the particular types of television. Kate received a distinction engagement these genres invite and the on her graduate thesis, “Gendered ways in which the mixture of joy and States of Insecurity in Homeland.” disturbance they create can tap into Previously, she worked in film the lost magic of the postmodern development for production world. She is also interested in issues of companies based in New York, London identity within these genres and the and Shanghai. inclusion/exclusion of groups and individuals within narrative, performative, and participatory spaces based on race, gender, class, and sexuality. Nicola holds a BA in Psychology from Boston College.

Originally from the suburbs of Jennifer Smart is a first year Milwaukee, Clare Ostroski doctoral student in the Screen Cultures graduated from the University of program. Her primary research Wisconsin-Madison with BAs in Radio- interests include the intersection of Television-Film and Culture in the Age popular music with visual culture and of Globalization, with a certificate in performance, digital culture and new Digital Studies. During her media, fan/ studies, and the undergraduate career, she developed a politics of taste, with additional pop culture fanaticism working as a interest in media aesthetics, production assistant and film intertextuality, interdisciplinary programmer. Her research interests artistic collaboration, and sound include the representation and studies. Her MA thesis examined the consumption of feminine bodies in late work of the visual artist Dan Graham capitalistic media, and how women through his engagement with music exploit both masculine and post- and sound. feminist formalities to gain cultural legitimacy in media creation and Jennifer holds BAs in History and criticism. She is also interested in the Communications and an MA in Art intersections of celebrity and text in History from Southern Methodist contemporary media, and how University. Previously she worked as readings of those relationships are an editor and writer at several Texas- inherently gendered. based arts and culture publications. She continues to contribute writing on the arts to a variety of media outlets. Writing for the Screen & Stage

Alexandra Joyce is a playwright/actor Allison Theveny is a writer of character- from Chicago, IL. After graduating from the driven comedy and drama. Since graduating University of Notre Dame with degrees in from Georgetown University with a degree in Spanish and Film, Television, and Theatre, English and a concentration in Film & Media, she moved to Santiago, Chile, where she Allison spent a year studying law at the lived for the next year and a half. In University of , assisted in the Santiago, she taught English and publication of Capitalism in America, an collaborated with the musical theatre economic history by Alan Greenspan and department at an all-girls bilingual school. Adrian Wooldridge, and worked in She also served as the teacher’s assistant for development at the Folger Shakespeare a devised theatre course at La Universidad Library. In her spare time, she coordinated Católica and worked as the assistant director an English as a Second Language program, for the South American premiere of Tuko performed with her improv troupe The Tuko by Anton Juan. Her play, La Victoria, High-Fivers, and watched as much film, was inspired by her research in Santiago and television, and theater as possible. narrates the experience of theatre artists Throughout her winding journey, Allison has who used their craft as a revolutionary tool repeatedly reaffirmed her belief in the to protest the Pinochet dictatorship. Alex is cultural power and responsibility of the currently directing children’s theatre in her storyteller. hometown.

Clara Deák is a Brazilian Gahee Lee completed her Gwyneth Forsythe was screenwriter, born and raised Bachelor of Arts in Korean born in the middle of a in Rio de Janeiro. She started Language Education at the tornado bouncing storm on her career writing for Seoul National University. Midsummer’s Day in 1997. Brazilian sitcom “Cilada”. Over the past four years, she She graduated from the Later, she won a pitching has worked in a government- University of Iowa in 2019 contest for OiTV, with a web affiliated institute, writing with BA in Theatre Arts and series she co-created called press releases. At the same History with hard-won “Status: Single”, which time, Lee completed courses honors in both. She is the helped establish her career in at Korea Scenario Writers recipient of a VSA Playwright the Brazilian market. In the Association at night, where Discovery Award 2014 from past years, she wrote for she was able to gain the Kennedy Center, the several shows, mostly collaborative experiences Iowa Center of the Arts comedies. Recently, she was with artists, and won several Scholarship 2017, Tennessee an assistant writer for prizes at scriptwriting Williams Scholarship 2018, “Most Beautiful Thing” and a competitions. In the and the Lorena Bach staff writer for HBO Latin program, she hopes to write a Scholarship 2018. Her play America terror show story that can connect the Messenger: The MI5 Girl was “Esquecidos”. After a few United States and Korea, and produced at the University of years in the field, she decided a paper on education for Iowa’s theater program, it was time to go back to dramaturgy in the United where she also stage- studies and focus on her own States and Korea. managed four productions. original works. She received She was the Drama Editor at a Fulbright scholarship to earthwords: the pursue her postgraduate undergraduate literary degree. review, and has worked as a script supervisor on the short film Sexpert Franzen. If you’re looking for her you can find her hanging out with her dogs, re-watching Good Omens, or dreaming about wherever she’ll be traveling next.

Hayley Sigmon graduated Henry Bender is a Niv Elbaz is a writer and a from the University of North writer/actor/director/hobgo third world culture kid who Carolina at Chapel Hill in blin from Albuquerque, New was born in Israel but was 2019, where she earned BAs Mexico. For four of the past raised in Thailand. Niv in communications and film five years he attended the received a B.A in Playwriting studies. She minored in University of New Mexico, from Columbia College creative writing and was her where, among many other Chicago, where a wide graduating class’s sole things, he wrote, directed, selection of his work was recipient of the Thomas and produced his first full- produced. His significant Wolfe Scholarship. While at length, Coyote Starts A Punk work includes his play The UNC, she wrote, produced, Band (And Also Saves The Waiter of Le Majestique and directed numerous World). For the fifth year he (2018) which was chosen as student productions, notably has been writing various one of two playwriting senior her short film, Phoenix, stage, screen, and video- showcase shows at Columbia which won Best Picture, Best game scripts, acting in the College and his play Director, and Best New Mexico Shakespeare Lightning (2018) which was Screenplay at the Carolina Festival, and organizing performed at Victory Film Association’s end-of- immersive performance-art Gardens Theater. He enjoys the-year showcase in 2019. parties through a collective cycling, gaming, and eating She was also the showrunner called “The Unemployment international food in no of two student television Agency”. Henry is attending particular order. shows. While her roots are in Northwestern because he prose, Hayley’s visual hopes to build the work ethic storytelling guided her into needed to make the world a screenwriting. She writes nicer place through atmospheric stories in which storytelling. He is interested the setting plays as key a role in writing movies, tv-shows, as any character, and loves plays, podcasts, and puppet exploring antiheroines just as shows about queerness, complicated as their male overcoming trauma, and the counterparts in the golden radical notion that people age of television. should be kind to each other: all while supplanting typical heroes with the people who have typically lived on society’s margins.

Peter Ronson is a writer Ruby Hutson- Skyler Tarnas is a and comedian based in Ellenberg is a playwright Michigan-born-and-raised Chicago, Illinois. Born in and storyteller from Queens, writer, director, and , Peter New York. She graduated performer with passions for received a BA from The from CUNY at Hunter Shakespeare, true crime, and College of William and Mary College in 2016 with a B.A. in fake crime. He graduated in 2015, with a major in English. Since graduating, from the University of government and a minor in she’s worked at a due- Michigan in 2017, and was theater. He performed diligence firm in midtown awarded the Roy W. Cowden improv in college and spent a Manhattan, most recently as Fellowship and the James H. semester in Chicago, senior editor summarizing Robertson Award for participating in the Comedy and reviewing first-person distinctive performance in Studies program at Second interviews for institutional drama and creative writing. City Theater, where he later investors. Her original play Three of his two-act plays completed the Conservatory Eve and Her Neighbors won and several one-acts were program. After graduating, Hunter College’s 2015 performed by university Peter moved back to Andrew and Eleanor theater groups, and his short Chicago, where he performs McGlinchee second place comedy “Anarchy at the improv, sketch, and standup prize for a play. It was later Hearty Toadstool” was comedy at venues across the produced at The Kraine performed at the 2016 city. Since 2017, Peter has Theater on the Lower East Edinburgh Fringe Festival. been co-hosting and side during The 2016 NY His play “He Said She Said” producing a weekly comedy International Fringe Festival. was also given a staged and political discussion She has worked as a reading at Theatre Nova’s podcast, called The News production intern at the Mint 2019 Michigan Playwrights Never Ends. The show Theater on 42d Street in Festival. Skyler also interned features comedy sketches Manhattan, which produces and assistant stage managed and conversations with local forgotten plays from the for Detroit Public Theatre, as comedians, journalists, and past, and performed at well as directing or producing activists. storytelling events around a handful of independent New York. productions in Ann Arbor. He enjoys writing murder- filled and wacky plays that still seek to explore the young confused queer experience. Sound Arts & Industries

Daniel Christain is from the south suburbs of Cook County in Illinois, and holds a BA in communication with a focus on film making. Daniel previously attended the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences a decade ago, and has continued working in the field of audio for a variety of projects. His real passion includes 5K marathons, Timothy C. Burns is a Kevin Cagnolatti is a architecture, sound design, music obsessive residing in proud Chicagoan with a theme parks/attractions, Chicago. He earned a BA in bachelor’s in audio arts and Legos, video games, arts management from acoustics from Columbia documentary/behind the Columbia College Chicago College Chicago and a scenes films, and musical and enjoys cycling and master’s in digital cinema instrumentation. Daniel skateboarding. Tim began from DePaul University. He hopes that the MA in Sound DJing and collecting records is a film sound designer and Arts and Industries at and became one third of the wants to advance his craft to Northwestern will help DJ/hosts of Chicago is the all aspects of media, from VR increase his knowledge on World, a radio program on to gaming; in his words, “to the process of designing WHPK. Through his research be an ambassador for audio for documentaries, of music he found his Sound.” Some of his favorite podcasts, and theme park spiritual home, Ilé Osikan, designs come from pieces he attractions. where he was initiated Oni did for the Onion, namely Yemoja in 2016. Tim is “An Interview with God”. excited to make a living Most recently he sound working with music and designed the short film audio adaptation in different “Rearview” directed by forms of media and Stephen Kniss. He is very technology by expanding his excited to be in the last few knowledge and experience stages of building his own through the MA in Sound personal Mini theater/Dub Arts and Industries program stage… at home. at Northwestern this fall.

Jose Maldonado is from St Aaron Mix is originally Lucy Newton is from Paul MN and moved to from Michigan but has lived Louisville, Kentucky and Chicago to attend DePaul in Chicago for eleven years. holds a Bachelor of Arts in University to get a BA in He did his undergrad in Psychology from the cinema and mass media. He music composition at DePaul University of Louisville. Her worked for Cumulus media University and also studied academic studies emphasized (The Loop, 101.1 WKQX) as a sound recording technology. the connection between promotions assistant, which His musical career so far has acoustics and the mind, and had a few stations and been something of a winding she further pursued her experienced what a several- road, from guitarist to sound purpose through million-dollar radio station recording engineer to fundamental recording looks like and how it composer and everything in techniques utilized in operates. After that he between. He has been writing academic research and snagged a spot working for music that combines clinical diagnostic purposes. Telemundo with their traditional classical In her free time, she enjoys promotions team. His instrumentation with experimenting with sound interest in sound came from electronic instruments and editing, conceptual design, passion in high school to sound manipulation and literary voice under the install speakers and subs in techniques. Since using digital moniker, his car and those that sound design as part of his lucidsqueeze. Lucy looks followed. He likes compositional process, he’s forward to creating excellent discovering new music that very excited to have the and original content with will be the breaking new opportunity to deepen his other sound artists. trend that has lasting knowledge of sound and open cultural, social impact for its up new creative territory. time and generations later.

Troy Cruz holds BAs in Felicia Dominguez is most Danny Greenwald is a music and psychology from recently from Kenosha, WI sound artist previously based Lake Forest College. He and holds a BA in theater and in Baltimore. He grew up in enjoys everything music, English education. Since Columbia, Maryland. One of from listening, playing, or deciding that teaching high his biggest accomplishments creating. He has learned the schoolers definitely wasn't was teaching a group of basics of Ableton Live with a her dream job, Felicia has mostly Spanish-speaking focus on electronic music spent much of her free time children with no musical composition and synth learning about storytelling skills to play "Cry Me a design. In his free time through sound, with forays River" by Justin Timberlake outside of music, he is into theatrical sound design, on the guitar (their choice). working out. He hopes to get podcasting, and most He started learning how to a better understanding of recently, a student- play the drums at a very how music creates a collaborative radio play early age and has since relationship between all program, which brought delved into experimental forms of media, and he is newly written scripts to life. music—based largely on field interested in music Felicia hopes to explore recordings. His work has composition for films and many industries and job been featured in The video games, as well as sound opportunities that focus on Washington Post, Pitchfork, design, and the creation of supporting storytelling Vice, and The Fader, among very unique electronic through sound over her next others. In the coming year he sounds. An interesting fact two years in the Sound Arts hopes to score a film starring about Troy is that he and Industries program at Benicio del Toro. interned at a company that Northwestern. builds church organs. Meredith Haines is a Daniel Hayashi is from Solon Kelleher’s ready to Philadelphia-based musician, Quincy Illinois, transplanted bust a move when he educator, and sound artist. in Chicago since 2014. He hears the right groove. He’s After graduating from completed a Bachelor of originally from a small city in Temple University with a Music from Columbia College New England called BFA in dance in 2012, she Chicago in 2018 and has been Worcester, MA, a.k.a. spent the next seven years of working as a piano teacher "Wormtown" for its her life tirelessly writing and interning for a recording underground music scene. music, playing shows, and engineer. He first got into His current favorite musical touring with her multiple sound as a find of 2019 is a trilogy of projects. Her work has been musician/composer, though albums from mashup artist featured in New Noise, in the last year found himself Neil Cicierega. He thinks you Bandcamp, SPARK entranced with should go to the 5:21 Magazine, and many other recording/mixing. He has timestamp on the album blogs and radio stations. This always enjoyed "Mouth Moods" if you’re at past year, she served as the writing/producing music but all curious. For the last year, Band Coach at an afterschool now realizes he enjoys Solon returned to Worcester music program, where she recording/sculpting sound and worked at his family’s helped students from for other people’s stories too. 101-year-old restaurant, underserved neighborhoods He hopes to get a sense of which is a local landmark of write original songs. Through which stories he can help sorts. He’s attending the MA in Sound Arts and illuminate with sound Northwestern’s Sound Arts Industries program, she through this program and and Industries program so he hopes to gain skills to create how to better tell his own can open a studio space a revolutionary music tales. similar to PRX’s Podcast program that would include Garage on the second floor sound art, experimental above his family’s restaurant. music, and soundscapes as If, along the way, he learns creative tools for her the skills needed to perform students. live music a la Imogen Heap or produce psychological thriller radio dramas, he’ll be a happy camper. Originally from Colorado, Henry Koch is Born and raised in China, Xinyi Liu studied returning to Northwestern after receiving his music technology and art at Shanghai Bachelor of Music from the Bienen School of Conservatory of Music and graduated in Music this past June. In addition to earning a 2019. She cultivated a music background degree in voice and opera performance with through taking courses like Musical Acoustic a certificate in musical theatre, he was also and Computer Music, which also equipped pursuing mechanical engineering until her with musical-technology skills like audio pivoting to sound engineering during his mixing and DAW software use. To follow her senior year. In addition to working on interest in sound design, she took sound environmental advocacy projects, Henry’s design elective courses and did sound design sound work is centered on recording the for three animations and one radio play. For innately artistic and musical sounds of further studying, she desires to understand nature. This summer, Henry worked on a the role of sound designers in film research project funded by Northwestern production and how to efficiently cooperate that investigates the relationships between with other departments. Her goal is to learn composers/performers and their outdoor how to utilize audio technology skills, and environments. These collaborations will gain knowledge of media culture to figure result in multiple filmed outdoor out how sound tells a story. performances, with music videos uploaded in conjunction with his new music organization Outside OutLoud. (If anyone wants to know more about Outside OutLoud or would like to get involved/collaborate on environmentally connected music, please reach out!)

Andy Slater was born in Milford, CT in 1975. He was diagnosed with a rare degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa and is legally blind/visually impaired. Andy has been creating sound art since he was 16 before he knew that sound art was a thing. He moved to Chicago to attend SAIC and study sound in Hannah Viti is a Chicago Danny Robles is from their BFA program. He does a native and proud product of Woodstock, Illinois and lot of work about Chicago Public Schools. She recently graduated from accessibility and disability holds two BS degrees in Lake Forest College with a BA justice, uses a bunch of conflict studies and gender & in music and English. Danny synths, field recordings, sexuality studies from is a multi-instrumentalist broken gear, antiquated DePauw University. Since who currently teaches piano adaptive tech, and anything out of his own studio based he can find to create his graduating she's become a out of Lake Forest, Illinois. work. He founded the fully trained mediator, event Other than practicing piano, Society of Visually Impaired planner, podcast advertising Danny spends much of his Sound Artists in 2015 to specialist, and most proudly, time writing and performing encourage blind and visually a DJ. Although her love of music with his bands Eve impaired people to explore DJing first began on the Black and Calico Loco. When sound as an art form, provide radio, you can now catch her he’s not teaching or accessible audio tech across the city in a plethora performing, you can usually training, and lobby for more of venues playing everything find Danny at DIY Shows sound art in museums and from to house. She's listening to local acts or galleries. He has performed, very involved in the local watching an art-house horror presented, and exhibited in a LGBTQ community and is an flick. While studying at number of places: MCA avid volunteer for the Northwestern, Danny hopes Chicago, Expo Chicago, Chicago YWCA as a sexual to experiment with how , Art assault first respondent. sound and music can interact Institute of Chicago, She's most excited to develop with other forms of media. Contemporary Jewish sound skills in podcasting Museum SF, Ian Potter and interviewing, as well as Museum of Art Melbourne, film sound narrative. Artlands Australia, Gallery 400, Constellation, Elastic Arts, Hideout, Empty Bottle, Flux Factory NYC, and so on. He also plays in a psychedelic space funk septet, Velcro Lewis Group, among other projects.

Ian Williams is originally Anthony Groce is from Returning SAI student Matt from the western suburbs of Lake Villa, IL and has a B.A. Wagner is originally from Atlanta, but has lived in in cinema & photography Western Pennsylvania and Chicago for over 11 years. He from The University of has been living in Chicago for went to UChicago for Southern Illinois, three years. He received undergrad, earned a degree Carbondale. He is passionate B.A.s in music composition in cinema & media studies, about tennis and and politics from Messiah and has worked at several aesthetics. Anthony is on his College and studied abroad at college access and success 5th career, having gone Goldsmiths, University of programs since graduating in through the film & theatre London. As a composer, he 2012. He’s been making his industries, graphic has scored short films that own music and design, IT, teaching tennis, have been selected for experimenting with sound and as an AV technician, several international film since he was 12 years old and specializing as a “Sound festivals, and he was also has produced and released 3 Guy.” Anthony has worked selected as a Finalist for both music projects ranging from for most of the major the ASCAP and BMI Student house to hip-hop over the Chicagoland AV Composer Awards in 2014. years. He co-produced a companies which brought Matt and his wife Carrie have podcast through The him to run sound for scores a band called Silver Liz and Nerdologues called Blank of VIP’s, most notably one have opened for touring acts Cassette that presented the president, B. at Chicago venues such as stories behind the songs of Obama. Anthony is looking Subterranean & Beat guest-submitted playlist and forward to turning his Kitchen. During his time in mixtapes last year. He hopes focus from live the SAI Program, Matt plans to sharpen his skills as a sound (although still doing so to develop skills in sound bedroom producer into those full-time) to the boothy design for film and television, of a professional through this worlds of mastering, the learn Max, and explore ways master’s program. His recording arts, and audio musical artists can use video interests in sound are quite technology. games containing sonically varied, but they primarily interactive content to release revolve around music their music. production, sound design, radio, and the recording industry. He loves the NBA but is not a big fan of college basketball…at all.

Documentary Media

Noura Al Sabboury Al Mizani Ball is a New Chris Churchill is a Khayat is from Lebanon, Orleans native who has teacher, tour guide, and however, they grew up in grown to have a passion for veteran of local, no-budget Douala, Cameroon. As storytelling and videography. theatre and comedy. His such, they are fluent in She has recently earned a absurd comedy, “Chair” French, English, and Arabic. Bachelor of Arts degree in (2007) was “highly Noura left Cameroon to Mass Communication with a recommended” in the attend high school minor in Entrepreneurship Chicago Reader. In 2018, his in Denver. After high school, from the illustrious Xavier play, “Dénouement” sold out Noura graduated with a B.A University of Louisiana. all four Saturdays at Second in Studio Arts from She has gained over three City’s DeMaat Theatre. Kalamazoo College years of experience in He holds an MA in in Kalamazoo, Michigan. videography and editing communication, media, and While there, Noura focused from working as a production theatre from Northeastern on promoting social justice intern at Court Illinois University. His thesis on campus working with 13/Department Of Motion project, a feature length queer students of color and Pictures, a production/social documentary, “Tell Me students from religious media intern at the New About My Mother” about his minorities. This work, inside Orleans Video Access Center mother’s extreme bouts with and outside academia, and and a student director of mental illness, served as his their experience as a queer ‘Strangers’ (XU Media thesis project, got into a few muslim student of color in TVshow). In addition, to festivals and won some the United traveling to Trinidad and awards. He teaches at Harper States, has shaped Noura's Tobago to conduct College in Palatine, both a artistic vision. Meanwhile, ethnographic research and to college level public speaking their previous work at the film a documentary centered course and Arcus Center for Social around consent and sexuality theatre/film/improv camps Justice Leadership at during the Carnival season. for kids. Kalamazoo College as social Throughout her college media manager and event career Mizani has been apart photographer helped them of organizations such as the understand the power of art Gold Star Dance team, and media when it comes to National Association for the spreading awareness and Advancement of Colored engaging people. People, National Association for Black Journalist, Peer Dean Association and Student Government Association.

Resita Cox is a freelance Alessandra El Chanti is John Haley (pronouns journalist and filmmaker from Lebanon but was born he/him/his) is an aspiring based in Chicago, IL. She and raised in Qatar. She filmmaker originally from graduated from The speaks English and Arabic Mankato, Minnesota. John University of North Carolina fluently and can understand graduated from the at Chapel Hill with degrees in just a tiny bit of French. She University of Notre Dame in Broadcast Journalism and attended Northwestern May of 2018 with a degree in Political Science. Resita University in Qatar for her Film, Television, and Theatre launched her career in undergraduate studies and and Peace Studies. John has journalism at WTVD-TV in majored in Media Industries completed work with ART Raleigh, NC and WCTI-TV in and Technology, with a WORKS Projects, CBS News, New Bern, NC as a minor in media and politics. and on the documentary multimedia journalist and During her 4 years at NU-Q, film Free Solo. He has spent news reporter. Shortly after she explored different types the past year serving as an leaving the South, Resita of fields within the media Americorps volunteer at New joined Dose Media in Chicago industry through various and Avenues for Youth in as a producer, reporter and internships. Her internships Portland, where he helps to on-air talent for the include Al Jazeera Arabic, connect youth experiencing nationally-syndicated Vogue Arabic, Qatar homelessness to resources. morning news show, Morning Foundation, and different John is interested in the Dose. With a wide range of production houses in intersection of documentary journalistic skill ranging from Qatar. Alessandra graduated art and social advocacy as in-front to behind the from NU-Q as the recipient well as queer approaches to camera, Resita transitioned of the Dean’s Award, which is filmmaking, which he hopes her know-how and passion the highest form of to develop as a MFA for storytelling into her recognition a graduating candidate at Northwestern current role as editor and student can be granted from University. He has directed producer at Local Legend the university. She was also two short documentaries: Films. She is currently the student union president Respectfully, Tony, telling directing a film on the West during her final year at NU- the story of one man who Side of Chicago through a Q. spent 12 years on death row, Restorative Narrative and OUT on the fellowship with IVOH, an She is currently working on a Streets, which centers on the organization focused on documentary about middle lives of homeless LGBTQ+ empowering filmmakers to eastern tradition of coffee youth in Chicago. tell stories of resilience and cup readings! hope. Resita has also worked with Kartemquin Films, one of the leading documentary film houses in the Midwest. Anvar Hassanpour is a Liberty Ingraham- Marilyn Oliva is an Kurdish filmmaker from Gonzales graduated from emerging independent Iran. Anvar started writing California State University of filmmaker, artist, activist, short stories and poetry from Monterey Bay with a degree and daughter of Salvadorian a very young age, and in Cinematic Arts and Civil War refugees. She was literature eventually led him Technology focused in born and raised in San to the cinema. Anvar believes producing and film Francisco, CA where she in the power of story, and he marketing. In 2017, Liberty received her B.A in sees cinema as a tool for was an associate post- Anthropology and minor in economic, political, and production producer and Latino/a Studies at San social changes. He believes assistant editor on the Francisco State University. that cinema can always play a independent feature film Throughout her years in leadership role to create the Saltwater. In March of 2017 college, she developed her right path for societies. Liberty worked with CSUMB passion for documentary Anvar has been working as an and the Library of Congress, filmmaking and created independent filmmaker in the collecting veteran’s stories documentary projects on last ten years and he’s for archival purposes. She gentrification, oral histories, directed several created a short documentary the arts, and community- documentaries, commercials, from her archival work called driven stories. After college, and a few fiction projects. Conflicted, which screened at Marilyn continued her Anvar has received his the 21st Annual Social freelance career in the Bay Bachelors in Fine Arts, Justice Colloquium. Liberty Area. One of her favorite gigs Cinema Art - Science with a received the honor of being was documenting a concentration on film inducted into the Library of revolutionary moment in directing from Columbia Congress in March of 2017 Silicon Valley for College Chicago. Anvar and was awarded a certificate the Immigrants in Tech hopes that Northwestern will of recognition by the United Hackathon hosted at Netflix create more opportunities States Congress. Liberty is HQ. As a Northwestern for some new collaboration. working on the documentary documentary media feature film Addicts Among candidate, Marilyn will Us by KEET PBS North further expand her Coast, Humboldt Area knowledge on documentary Foundation and First 5 of filmmaking and use it as California in Humboldt activism to better serve the County where she also was a stories of misrepresented TEDx Humboldt Bay guest communities. Her current speaker. interests are animation and experimental documentaries. Sean Moore graduated from the University Shannon Riley is a Delaware native who of Michigan with a BA in Film, Television, has come to call Philadelphia home. She has and Media and Anthropology. This summer a B.S. in Video & Motion Graphics from he worked on a documentary about a Wilmington University. After college, Buddhist commune/organic farm in Ann Shannon spent several years working as a Arbor, MI. Because of his experience Producer and Assistant Director of working on that doc, the commune hired commercial videos. Some of her favorite Sean to work at their stall at the local projects include developing a 360 immersive farmer's market. For Sean, filming helps him documentary experience, creating a musical to see the world more lucidly. He wants to commercial, and producing a biweekly news share that insight with others and hopes to videocast. She is excited to channel her sharpen his craft as a filmmaker while at “make it happen” attitude developed as a Northwestern and to meet inspiring and Producer and AD into directing her own hard-working individuals that will push the stories. . As a commercial video Producer, form of documentary to new directions. He she witnessed first-hand the influential is interested in ethnographic film within the power of video media as well as the potential tradition of Anthropology. The idea of filmmakers have to manipulate narratives. collaboration between subject and Because of this, she is motivated to explore filmmaker, like what happens in Jean the concepts of truth and authenticity in Rouch's Chronicle of a Summer, is a documentary media and strives to present personal inspiration. honest stories in all of her work. Alumni News NU RTVF graduates Travis LaBella (c/0 2011)and Jacqueline Reyno (c/0 2011) were part of a team that won a Los Angeles Area Emmy Award for their documentary That Far Corner: Frank Lloyd Wright in Los Angeles.

Chico Mattoso's (MFA Writing c/o 2013) new show on HBO Latino, Pico da Nablina, premiered in August. Its English title is Joint Venture, and it can be accessed on HBO GO or HBO Now with English subtitles.

Jesseca Ynez Simmons (MFA Doc c/o 2016) won the Short Doc Silver Award for Emerald Ice: a docufantasy about Diane Wakoski.

The Promotion, a play by Joe Giovanetti (MFA Writing c/o 2018), was chosen to be featured at the National New Play Network's 18th Annual National Showcase of New Plays in Atlanta in December.

Doc Media alumni Ashley Brandon and Jesseca Simmons presented works at the annual UFVA conference in Minneapolis.

The Block Museum screened two MFA in Documentary Media program alumni's works as part of the Chicagoland Cinema Showcase: Hall of Fishes by Jennifer Boles (Class of 2019) and Palenque by Sebastián Pinzón Silva (Class of 2017). The thesis film of Pam Austin (MFA Doc c/o 2018), Whimper, had its broadcast premiere on WTTW - Chicago PBS on Friday, September 13th, 10:30pm CST. The broadcast screening was part of Chicago International Film Festival Selects, in celebration of this year's Chicago International Film Festival. Austin's film screened at last year's CIFF.

Naeema Jamilah Torres' (MFA Doc c/o 2019) film Redacted won Best Short Documentary at the Columbus Black International Film Festival.

Three documentary shorts by alumni will be at the 2019 New Orleans Film Festival. Hall of Fishes by Jennifer Boles (MFA Doc c/o 2019), Practice by Iyabo Kwayana (MFA Doc c/o 2017), and Roughly Delicate by Heqiuzi Wang (MFA Doc c/o 2018) all screen at this year's festival. The fest runs October 16th - 23rd.

Heqiuzi Wang also won Made in Chicago award at this year's Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) with her thesis documentary Roughly Delicate. CUFF is the longest running underground film festival in the world and is dedicated to the work of filmmakers who present defiantly independent visions.

Natasha Nair's (MFA Doc c/o 2019) In the Wake made make its world premiere at the 2019 Camden International Film Festival in September. Cheers to Natasha and what promises to be a long, successful festival run for her film.

In August, Jessica Scott's (MFA Doc c/o 2019) The Color of Skin screened at the Hip Hop Film Festival NYC. The short doc "explores and highlights the hatred, bigotry, discrimination and injustices against African-Americans committed by white men."

Elodie Edjang's (MFA Doc c/o 2018) thesis film, Book of Daniel, screened at Black Harvest Film Festival at Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago on Sunday, August 18 - 3PM.

MFA Doc Class of 2017 alumni Luther Clement and Shuhan Fan’s short doc Stay Close and Ashley Brandon’s On the Bit played in NYC at the IFC Center in July. The screenings were a co-presentation by Tribeca Film Institute, POV shorts, and The New York Times Op- Docs. Stay Close will make its broadcast television premiere on PBS’s POV in October.

MFA Writing Class of 2016 graduate Alex Phillips' newest film Who’s A Good Boy will screen at the upcoming Chicago International Film Festival in the shorts competition category after premiering at Maryland Film Festival, winning the "Weirdest Boner Award" at Sick 'n Wrong in Orlando, the "Insanity Award" at Shock Stock in Ontario CN, and screening at Sidewalk, Mammoth Lakes, and Palm Springs International Shorts Festival among others. Read the review here: Who's a Good Boy (2019) Short Film Review. Phillips' earlier shorts Happy Place and Eel screened internationally – with Happy Place winning a nomination nod for Best International Short at Vancouver’s Bad Ass Film Festival. He just finished another short Pushing Mongo and is in development on his first feature All Jacked Up and Full of Worms in association with Full Spectrum Features.

Department of Radio/Television/Film Annie May Swift Hall 1920 Campus Drive, 2nd Floor Evanston, IL 60208 Phone: 847-491-7315 Fax: 847-467-2389 [email protected]

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