Patrick O’Connor is an award-winning writer/director whose recent documentary film, The Invisible Patients, had its national PBS broadcast premiere on AMERICA REFRAMED in 2018.  The film also screened at the Heartland, Cucalorus, Chicago International Social Change Film Festivals, as well as at dozens of universities and national conferences on bio-ethics and healthcare. In 2021, he released Look Away, Look Away, a documentary that captures the fierce five-year battle that led to the removal of the Mississippi state flag in 2020.  The film won the 2022 Erik Barnouw Award for Best Documentary from the Organization of American Historians. Both films are available to stream on Kanopy and Amazon.

A recipient of a National Endowment of Arts Fellowship in literature and a Fulbright to teach and research in Hungary, Margaret McMullan is the author of nine award-winning books.

Amber Olsen is the mother to three daughters. In 2016, her youngest daughter Willow was diagnosed with Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency(MSD), an ultra rare, fatal genetic condition. Since the diagnosis, Amber formed the United MSD Foundation (501c3), forming and leading an organization that has pushed and funded multiple pre-clinical treatment projects, clinical trial readiness support and ultimately paved the way for first ever clinical trials to treat children with MSD. Olsen spent the last 7 years as chief fundraising officer for the organization and can’t wait until every child with MSD has an opportunity to live a healthy life without limitations. Amber resides in the beautiful and giving community of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. She has an amazing husband Robert Cook and her 3 daughters Kylee (21), Jenna (18), and Willow (angel at 11.)

In her professional career, Amber founded Nextaff Gulf Coast in Ocean Springs, MS in 2007 to offer recruiting services for businesses in South Mississippi. Amber is certified by the Human Resource Certification Institute as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR).  Amber is originally from Missoula, Montana where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business in 1998 from University of Montana. Amber has held various community leadership positions, including former President of the Ocean Springs Rotary Club and the President elect of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber Board of Directors.

Amber has been honored to receive the One Coast Top 10 Under 40, Community Leader, American Business Women’s Association SRCC Woman of the Year, and graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program.

Misty Talley is an accomplished Director, Editor, and Cinephile with over fifteen years of experience in the film industry. She began her career in 2009 as an Assistant Editor, quickly rising in the ranks to become a sought-after Editor on feature films and documentaries. In 2013 she made history as the first woman to direct a Syfy Channel original film, Zombie Shark. She went on to direct three more Syfy films while continuing her editing work on notable projects like Jeepers Creepers 3. With over 30 feature films edited, and many more completed as post supervisor, and VFX editor, contributing to projects like AMC’s Mayfair Witches, her knowledge extends throughout post production. Known for her work ethic, speed, and attention to detail, Misty is a resourceful and innovative filmmaker, valued for both her creative work and production management.

Matt is a lifelong creative entrepreneur who works to connect to the soul of a person, project or organization and translate what he finds into visual expressions that impact people in a deeply authentic way. He has worked in many creative industries like film, music, restaurant, architecture and technology receiving international acclaim. He lives part time in a van with a home base in New Harmony, Indiana. He co-founded LMNTL (pronounced “elemental”) with his partner Leslie Eades where together they serve as guides for people and organizations to discover and express their true elemental nature.

Eric Phillips is a composer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and teacher originally from Boston, Mass. After studying under Pedro Henriques Da Silva at New York University and graduating with a degree in Theory and Composition, Eric moved out to beautiful Portland, Oregon and began working under mentor film composer Mark Orton (Nebraska, My Old Lady, Boxtrolls, This American Life, more.) Since then, Eric has worked on and composed the music for numerous feature films, video games, documentaries and podcasts. Recent work has included Higher Ground and Concordia Studios Netflix Docuseries “Working: What We Do All Day” starring Barack Obama, Crooked Media’s “Dreamtown” which premiered at Tribeca 2023, Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers" and feature length film “12 Mighty Orphans” starring Luke Wilson, Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen, which alongside Mark Orton, Eric was lucky enough to record the Moscow Bowtie Orchestra for. In addition to working with ensembles, software and solo-ists, much of Eric’s unique sound is recorded and mixed out of his home studio in Portland Oregon with his ever-expanding collection of unique  instruments from around the world including, but not limited to pump organ, charango, autoharp, waldzither, guitars dating back to the 1920s, banjo,  Rhodes, piano, ngoni,  gust, castanets, shakers, guiro, shakere, ganza, chimes, dobro, tape machines and  more.

Alex Wiltz is a New Orleans based editor, animator, and visual effects artist. 

He works in Adobe, Cinema 4d, and Unreal Engine. Over the years, he has worked with Google, the New York Times, MD Anderson, and Accenture among many others. 

Leslie-Anne Eades is a Life Coach, Retreat Facilitator, Writer, and Endurance Athlete whose focus is helping individuals and organizations transform and live courageously in order to create the impact they want to have in the world. Leslie serves as Impact Producer for THE ZEBRA & THE BEAR, to utilizing the film as a tool to ease pain for families who have rare diseases.