Dorothy Fadiman has been producing award-winning social change media since 1976. Honors include an Oscar nomination and an Emmy. Subjects focus on social justice and human rights and range from the light of Spirit in every faith (Radiance: The Experience of Light) to progressive education that honors children's natural knowing (Why Do these Kids Love School?) to the extraordinary healing journey of a woman witha spinal cord injury (Moment by Moment: The Healing Journey of Molly Hale). She has produced several series, including a trilogy on abortion rights (From the Back-Alleys to the Supreme Court) -- and a five-part series on AIDS in Africa (Seeds of Hope). Her most recent film is STEALING AMERICA: Vote by Vote, which examines the integrity of a decade of U.S. elections. Future projects include a documentary focusing on the disenfranchisement of Native American voters. PRODUCING with PASSION follows her career and offers specific suggestions, based on what she has learned, for independent filmmakers to use in their work as they find their unique voices through filmmaking.

Matthew Luotto has spent the last seven years producing documentaries on a wide variety of topics involving issues of human rights and social justice. He has worked as director, videographer, and editor on projects ranging from voting irregularities to a non-profit ceramics collaborative in Managua to a contemporary artist's retrospective in Paris to the healing journey of the woman with spinal cord injury. He traveled to Addis Ababa to co-produce, shoot and edit a five-part series on HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia. He also has managed post-production and taught selected workshops in digital story telling. Luotto is also a passionate hiker. He walked 2,175 miles along the Pacific Crest Trail to shoot a feature length documentary. He shot all his footage hand-held, and he carried his camera in his backpack. More recently he completed the Appalachian trail, and filmed that journey as well. In June, 2011, he will be setting out on the Continental Divide Trail, again, with camera.

Matthew was trained in computer science and has a BA in Film and Digital Media from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Xuan Vu is a documentary filmmaker whose core motivation is to give a voice to those who otherwise would not be heard. The main focus of her work is to gain insight into the lives of individuals with unique perspectives. As a student of life, Xuan feels that her purpose as a filmmaker is to share the knowledge and wisdom she learns from her subjects with the rest of the world.  

Xuan holds a dual BA/MA degree in Documentary Filmmaking and East/West Philosophy from Boston University's University Professors Program, " Her graduate thesis was a documentary film about two Zen students living at the Cambridge Zen Center in Cambridge, MA.

Xuan is currently fulfilling her life dream of traveling the world and making films. Her major project is a personal film about how to live life without regrets, gleaning wisdom from the many life teachers she is encountering along her journey. Her travel itinerary for 2010 includes Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America.  

Justine has been working in production since graduating from Oberlin College in 2004. She has worked on a variety of projects, including scripting for MTV’s True Life; assisting the Director of Development at Brett Ratner’s production company, Rat Entertainment; annually assisting the Director of NBC’s live coverage of the LA Marathon as well as assisting on HGTV’s Color Splash. Since 2008, she has worked for Dorothy Fadiman’s Concentric Media on project such as Reclaiming Their Voices: The Native American Vote in New Mexico, Stealing America: Vote by Vote and Choice: Then and Now. She is currently directing a short on problems surrounding electronic voting machines, for release this fall.

Robert Althouse has been In the field shooting documentaries and commercials, since he bought the very first portable (but actually not so portable) video package. He has been a director, cameraman and editor on feature documentaries, commercials, narrative features, and industrials. He and his wife currently have Arthouse Productions in Santa Fe. His own projects have focused on sustainability, indigenous culture, and social and environmental justice. He specializes in solar installations. His own current project is a feature doc, Suburban Nation, The Rise and Decline of America's Manmade Landscape, about our automobile-addicted nation, and the alternatives.

Erika Luckett carves her personal story from a transcontinental upbringing. Born in Mexico, Erika began songwriting and music making zigzagging across South America. Whether singing in English, Spanish, French, Italian or Portuguese, her lyrics capture our human experience with melodies that make distant lands feel like home.  Erika was honored in 2006 as “One of the 100 Most Outstanding Women of the Year” by the Jewish Post. In  2008 she performed at the 20th anniversary of the Nobel Peace prize forum. As a composer for film and television, her efforts have yielded an Academy Award nomination and two Emmies.  Newsweek Magazine gave its “Pick of the Year” award for Best Children’s Multimedia to “Stellaluna” for which she composed and produced the music. AWARDS INCLUDE: *Album of the Year - 2006 (JPF Music Awards) –Unexpected *Best Female Singer/Songwriter Album 2006 (JPF Music Awards) - Unexpected *International Music CD of the Year -2006 (World Arts Celebrities Journal) – Unexpected *Best Art and Design 2004 – (Nashville Music Awards) – The New Orleans Sessions *Best Independent Release of the Year 2002 (Acoustic Guitar Magazine) - My Little Crime *Best Jazz Vocal Album 2002 (JPF Music Awards) - My Little Crime *Best Cabaret Album 2001 (JPF Music Awards) - Tinted Glass

Alice Fernando-Ahmie is from the Laguna & Zuni Pueblos. She is a licensed Massage Therapist, holistic body worker, a photographer and videographer. The first gift her husband of 31 years, Chris Ahmie, gave her was a 35mm camera. Thus her love of photography was born. Photography awards: Santa Fe Indian Market 2009 - 2nd place; Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial 2010 - 1st place and two 2nd place awards. In 2007, a synchronistic meeting gave her the opportunity to provide footage and stills for the documentary “Reclaiming Their Voice” Among her contributions are the Laguna Eagle Dance footage and many of the still photographs of the Petroglyphs, as well as portraits of people from the Pueblo of Laguna. Despite the tumultuous state of the world today, Alice works hard at seeing the beauty in all life, in all creation. She attempts to bring this beauty forth, not only in the images that she creates, but also from within the clients that she treats. In her own words, “Look within to see the beauty in all.

John “Chris” Ahmie is from the Laguna and Mescalero tribes of New Mexico. In 1984, Chris sustained injuries from a car accident. During his recovery, he began carving wood sculptures, then stone. He has won awards in both areas. Chris returned to the workforce with a tribally owned company, where he worked his way up to become President/CEO, a position he held for 8 years. In 2006 he earned “Regional Director of the Year” by the US Dept. Minority Business Agency. In 2007, he went back to artwork, focusing on clay. He created traditional pottery and his first five pieces were accepted into the prestigious Santa Fe Indian Market, where he won a 1st place for one of his pots. Chris harvests his clays and paints from the earth. He allows it to speak through him. Chris is currently employed as the Tribal Operations Officer for the Pueblo of Acoma.

Brianna Schwanke works passionately to promote social justice in her community and to raise awareness about national and international human rights issues. Brianna graduated in 2009 with a BA from Stanford University where she majored in Human Biology, with a focus in International Women’s Health, Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Design. Brianna's past experiences range from running an environmental education grassroots organization, to leading a fundraising campaign for Tsunami victims, to advocating for reproductive justice with the Women's Foundation of California. Brianna currently works as the Outreach Coordinator for Concentric Media, organizing screenings, and managing the promotion & distribution for films such as: "SHATTERING the MYTH of AGING: Senior Games Celebrate Healthy Lifestyles, Competition and Community", "CHOICE: Then and Now", and "RECLAIMING Their VOICE: The Native American Vote in New Mexico".

Johanna Gereke, Outreach Coordinator

Peter Coyote is an Emmy award-winning narrator of over 120 documentaries, including ENRON: The Smartest Guys in the Room. An accomplished actor, Coyote has appeared in more than 90 films, including major roles in E.T. and Erin Brockovich. From 1975 to 1983, Coyote was a member and then Chair of the California Arts Council. He is also a distinguished writer and the author of a memoir, Sleeping Where I Fall. He is also songwriter, guitarist and singer.