Barker White
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/EDITOR
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Being a filmmaker has been Barker White’s passion since he was a child. After he graduated with a Film degree from the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he also played football, he was given the opportunity to work as unaccredited editor with his mentor, French Director, Dr. Jean Bodon on the film E-MC3, which screened at the Cannes Film Festival. This experience solidified his desire to work towards directing his own feature film and began the process of working his way up in the industry. Since then Barker has been a 1st Assistant Director on 6 features with budgets up to $600,000, many HD shorts, as well as 2 Music Videos for Epic Records, both presently playing on MTV. He also was a 2nd Assistant Director on several big budget films ranging from $200,000 to $10 million. Working with these major productions sharpened his skills and allowed him to learn how to direct and produce a quality film while staying on schedule and under budget. He has also worked with Lions Gate Entertainment to create two technical action movies in a matter of weeks, all while staying on budget and complying with all union regulations. As he watched the footage of his hometown and its surrounding areas being desecrated by the BP's recent massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a desire was ignited to dig deeper into the subject and uncover the causes behind this environmental disaster. Being a native of the Gulf Coast, Barker has taken up the responsibility to create a documentary that would show the gulf coast residents’ perspective has worked with incredible resolve to make this documentary a true success.
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Harper Robinson
PRODUCER/CO-WRITER
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Harper Robinson is an award winning producer and writer. Robinson got his start in the industry working on “American Idol”, “The Biggest Loser”, and others. He then began working closely with CEO of Stevens Entertainment an accomplished Actor, Director and Producer of over 150 films.
Robinson soon moved on to producing a number of short films, that were made official selections at notable festivals including SXSW and others. Beyond Pollution is the first feature length film. It premiered at the "Environmental Film Festival" in the Washington, D.C. The EFF is the world's premier and most influential showcase of environmentally themed films. Founded in 1993, EFF is the longest-running environmental film festival in the United States. It has grown into a major collaborative cultural event. Since, the film has been made an official selection of 14 other festivals worldwide and won three awards to date including the Grand Prize FOCUS Award at the Montana CINE Film Festival and Best In "Emerging Filmmakers" at the Blue Ocean Film Festival in Monterrey California. "Beyond Pollution" was also one of four films chosen to be showcased in an Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences environmental series and nominated for the Cinema for Peace Foundation's "International Green Film Award". This awards honors members of the film community for an environmental movie or for outstanding achievements in and dedication to raising awareness for green issues. Other nominees included Gus Van Sant's "Promised Land" starring Matt Damon, "Trashed", "Switched", & "Bitter Seed".
Robinson also worked as an associate programmer with the Lone Star International Film Festival from 2010-2015, ranked one of MovieMaker Magazine's top 25 film festivals in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The festival seeks to uncover and platform emerging films,talent, trends, production methods and distribution models that will shape the future of film.
Robinson currently works as an instructor at KD Conservatory and College of Film and Dramatic Arts, where he teaches 2 courses Advanced Film/TV Business 401 and Film/TV Distribution and Marketing 401.
Harper Robinson has extensive experience in all areas of production with a strong reputation for completing projects on-time, on-spec and on-budget with integrity and professionalism. His in-depth understanding of the evolving distribution landscape, markets, platforms, revenue streams, and marketing/branding as well as his keen eye for quality all give him unique and powerful insights into the most efficient ways to successfully create profitable content on a consistent basis and monetize any media project. Above all he is passionate about using the art of visual storytelling to spark conversation, create awareness, and inspire change.
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Dean Cain
NARRATOR
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Dean Cain garnered international attention portraying a national icon on television, and has since parlayed his craft into an accomplished film and producing career.
Dean recently wrapped production on the action drama Five Days of August directed by Renny Harlin. The film centers around the war between Russia and Georgia, and focuses on an American journalist, his cameraman, and a Georgian native who become caught in the crossfire. He also completed production on the independent comedy, Five Dollars a Day alongside Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone and Amanda Peet. The film follows the conservative son of a thrifty conman who begrudgingly joins his father on the road after being released from jail for one of his dad's earlier crimes.
Dean recently was seen in the drama The Way Home where he received a Grace Award Nomination.This film is based on a true story about a small town community that bands together to find a missing child. In addition, Dean was seen in the Western The Gambler, The Girl, and The Gunslinger, a Hallmark Original Movie in which he stars as a conman who competes for both land and love. Also, Dean was recently seen starring in Final Approach a Hallmark Original Movie Event. This explosive thriller centers on a group of militant American terrorists aboard a doomed airliner – with the only hope of salvation for the passengers on board and thousands on the ground an embittered ex-FBI agent who happens to be on the plane. Dean stars as ex-FBI agent “Jack Bender.” Dean was also seen in the controversial September Dawn, a love story set during a tense encounter between a wagon train of settlers and a renegade Mormon group, written and directed by Dean’s father Christopher Cain. Dean plays Joseph Smith, the founder of The Mormon Church. His co-star John Voight, leader of the Mormon group, fights the unsuspecting Christian Wagon Train to avenge his death after his assassination.
His other recent film credits include Out of Time, opposite Denzel Washington and Eva Mendes, the independent film Lost, and Bailey’s Millions, opposite Tim Curry. On the small screen, Dean was recently seen in guest starring roles on “CSI: Miami” and “Smallville.” He also recently starred in “Making Mr. Right”, a telefilm which aired on Lifetime and “Crossroads: A Story of Forgiveness,” a "Hallmark Hall of Fame" presentation which appeared on CBS. He also was seen in the high-profile biopic based on Scott Peterson’s trial, “The Perfect Husband, “Clubhouse” opposite Christopher Lloyd, “Hope and Faith,” and “Law and Order:SVU.” In addition, Dean had a recurring role on “Las Vegas,” starred in the NBC movie “10.5: Apocalypse” as well as the Lifetime Original Movies “A Christmas Wedding” and “Making Mr. Right.”
He shot to stardom when he starred as Clark Kent/Superman in the highly acclaimed television series “Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.” He has also starred on the big screen in films such as Rat Race opposite Whoopi Goldberg, Cuba Gooding Jr., Seth Green, and John Cleese and The Broken Hearts Club, a romantic comedy that premiered with rave reviews at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.
Dean grew up in Malibu, and made his feature film debut in 1984 in the critically acclaimed The Stone Boy, which also starred Robert Duvall and Glenn Close. An athlete at heart, he attended Princeton University where he was an All-American football player and set three NCAA records for interceptions, two of which still stand today. After graduating as Princeton’s top athlete, he signed with the Buffalo Bills, but a knee injury quickly ended his professional career before it began. He turned back to acting and starred in the cop comedy Best Men with Drew Barrymore and Luke Wilson, Flight of Fancy, the telefilms Dog Boys, Rag and Bone, Christmas Rush, Futuresport co-starring Wesley Snipes and Vanessa Williams, as well as the Hallmark Hall of Fame film The Runaway, with Maya Angelou. Dean also spent a season playing Rick on the popular series “Beverly Hills 90210.”
Dean has added the title of producer to his resume. His production credits include several smaller films, and the hit syndicated series, “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” which he also hosted. The show premiered as the highest rated original series on cable. He has developed a number of series’ with Sony Pictures, including the reality-based “On Parole,” and an instructional dance DVD starring choreographers Cris Judd and Eddie Garcia.
He resides in Los Angeles with his son Christopher.
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David Cieri
PIANIST/COMPOSER
Playing the piano for over 30 years, first studying under renowned pianist and harpsichordist Mary Jo Horton and Argentinean pianist Americo Caramuta and later under ECM recording artist Art Lande, Cieri's training spanned Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Twentieth Century, Jazz and Free Music. From there, Cieri drew out the shape of his inner voice as both a pianist and composer.
Performing with the rock band Chief Broom, Cieri had the opportunity to play in venues all across the country from Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Fiddler's Green Stadium, The Fox Theatre and The Fillmore West, to Oregon’s Roseland Ballroom and Crystal Ballroom, to Cincinnati’s Riverbend Amphitheatre and St. Louis’ Riverport Amphitheatre, drawing crowds of up to 30,000. The 1997 Horde Tour was an opportunity for Cieri and Chief Broom to share the stage with Neil Young, John Medeski, Col. Bruce Hampton, Jeff Sipe, Anders Osborne, and members of Morphine and Primus.
In July 2009, Cieri was selected by the Ibla International Composers’ Competition in Italy, where he performed four solo piano concerts, each consisting of his own compositions, at the Piazza Pola in Ragusa, Sicily. As part of the winners’ circle for this international competition, Cieri performed at a sold-out Carnegie Hall concert in April of 2010. Jeffery James of International Composer reported, “Composer David Cieri performed his original improvised music at Carnegie Hall. These interesting keyboard rambles hint at many contemporary and classical influences and use some extended techniques inside the piano. He shows flashes of real wit and good organizational and musical imagination.”
In 2008 Cieri composed the score for internationally known visual artist Marcel Dzama’s film, “The Lotus Eaters,” and performed the score live for two months at the esteemed David Zwirner Gallery in Manhattan. The New York Times reported that the exhibition was “greatly buoyed by its musical accompaniment, especially on Saturday, when the pianist David Cieri improvises to the action on screen, delivering one of the most poignant aesthetic experiences currently available in Chelsea.”
Since March of 2008 he has been working with Ken Burns as a composer for Burns’ documentary films released on PBS, including the 2009 release, Emmy Award-winning National Parks series, an addendum to Baseball: The Tenth Inning, released in 2010, and Prohibition, which premiered on PBS in 2011. In addition, Cieri has composed scores for over 20 films since 2008 including Erik Ewers' "Risk", Michael Buscemi's "Doc C" and Francesco Saviano's "Two Birds".
David remains grateful for these life-giving opportunities and looks forward to an ever-expanding future of developing community through music.
Clay Bennett
PULITZER PRIZE WINNING CARTOONIST
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After working briefly as a staff artist for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Fayetteville (NC) Times, Bennett went on to serve as the editorial cartoonist for the St. Petersburg Times (1981-1994) and The Christian Science Monitor (1997-2007). He now draws five cartoons a week for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, having joined its staff in 2007.Winner of The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 2002, Bennett has earned almost every honor his profession has to offer. He's received the Sigma Delta Chi Award (2001), the National Journalism Award (2002), the National Cartoonist Society's Award for Editorial Cartoons (2002), the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award (2007), the John Fischetti Award twice (2001, 2005), the Overseas Press Club Award twice (2005, 2007), and the National Headliner Award three times(1999, 2000, 2004).Bennett is also a past President of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.
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Christopher Shaw
PRODUCER/CO-WRITER
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Christopher’s passion lies in the thoughtful use of our world’s resources. His previous work as an energy consultant has driven his passion for responsible energy policy. He works tirelessly, exudes never-ending positivity, and is a true joy to work with. He has terrific organizational skills and is very skilled at negotiating. Between his tireless work ethic and his industry contacts, he brings a wealth of possibilities to the table.
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Alisha Mims
WRITER/CO-PRODUCER
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Shawn Griffith
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
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Shawn Griffith has immense creativity, film experience and a strong focus on the bottom line. He is producing a film entitled "Hands of the Dragon" being shot is Deli, Rajasthan, Calcutta and other states with in India including Mumbai (Bollywood) as well as in Vancouver, BC. He recently finished producing the award winning film "Agenda", starring Elaina Alexander, John Bennett Perry, James Black and Robert Rusler (currently in distribution). As a member of the Director's Guild of America (DGA), Shawn has accumulated credits on films such as "City by the Sea" (Warner Brothers), "Rollerball" (MGM), "Devil's Advocate" (Warner Brothers), "Uptown Girls" (MGM), "Random Hearts" (Sony Pictures), "Flawless" (MGM), "The Riff" (All Channel Pictures), "Eraser" (Warner Brothers), "Great Expectations" (20th Century Fox), and the television series, "The West Wing" (Warner Brothers). The list of star power Shawn has worked with includes Robert DeNiro, James Franco, Irwin Winkler, Chris Klein, L.L. Cool J, Sydney Pollack, Al Pacino, Keanu Reeves, Val Kilmer, Harrison Ford, Bernie Pollack, Ethan Hawke, Elliot Gould, Martin Sheen and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Having established a foundation, whose goal is to promote adolescent wellness and education, Shawn has a passion for the youth of our communities. He strives to introduce youth to this Industry, and motivate them to succeed, no matter what line of work they go into. Along with being a mentor to high school students in Beverly Hills, a member of Junior Achievement and a key note speaker at many career seminars and film camps around the country, Shawn has also directed and produced the children's television series "Reggie & the Roustabouts TM." Shawn holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in Film Production and Cinematography from The University of Bridgeport (Bridgeport, CT) and is also an accomplished actor, and musician.
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