Our mentors come from different paths, yet they’re united by a belief in learning through storytelling — and by a dedication to helping students grow creatively, emotionally, and confidently.
Our Mentors
Dana Kupper
Dana Kupper is a Chicago-based documentary cinematographer and Kartemquin Films associate. Notably, she served as the main Director of Photography for the documentary "Stevie," directed by the celebrated Steve James of "Hoop Dreams" fame. Her cinematography in "Stevie" was recognized with the Documentary Cinematography Award at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. Along with lending her expertise in her signature naturalistic work in commercials and corporate media, Dana co-owns a production company with a portfolio of over 30 films for Chicago Public Schools. After over 28 years of teaching at Columbia College Chicago, she currently serves as a full-time faculty member at DePaul University's School of Cinematic Arts.
Linda Mai Green
Linda Mai Green is a filmmaker based in San Francisco, California. Her award-winning sci-fi short MONDEGREEN is currently on its festival journey. Linda’s projects have been supported by SFFILM, where she was a 2024/2025 Resident, Mill Valley Film Festival, The Eastern Oregon Film Festival, and The Redford Center. You can also find her working freelance on projects for friends and clients. She has a BA from Stanford in German Literature and an MA in Art History from NYU.
John Fecile
John Fecile is Senior Producer of the hit podcast and public radio show Snap Judgment. He is a multidisciplinary artist and storyteller with a career that includes work in podcasts, documentary, narrative film, and print journalism. His work has been featured by NPR, The Guardian, and Al Jazeera. His audio documentary project ‘2 Years: Diary of a Divided Nation’ (KCRW, 2019) won the National Murrow Award for Best News Documentary. In 2024, he served as story consultant and producer on Mind Your Own with Lupita Nyong’o, named as one of the ten best podcasts by the New York Times. In 2026, his reporting on asylum and third-country deportations was featured on Vox's Today Explained.
Darian Woehr
Darian Woehr is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer based in San Francisco, California. She is drawn to stories at the nexus of memory, environments and defining home that occur at pivotal moments in history but are often missing from the headlines. Darian is a founder of The Home Collective, a long term documentary project exploring the concept of home and its definitive role in shaping our future.
Betsy Tsai
Betsy Tsai is a UCLA directing alumna whose work includes the PBS-aired short ÉMIGRÉS (director) and the award-winning CONFUCIAN DREAM (producer). Her co-producing credits feature the 2024 Oscar®-nominated ISLAND IN BETWEEN and the 2025 film THE DATING GAME (Sundance). A former manager of the Sundance Documentary Fund and Labs, Betsy is currently developing her feature debut in Belfast, Northern Ireland—a project supported by Sundance and SFFILM and inspired by the late Lyra McKee. A short inspired by this feature, ALONG AWAY, premiered at the 2025 SFFILM Festival.
Fritz Bitsoie
Fritz Bitsoie is an Emmy nominated Diné filmmaker based in Los Angeles. He makes documentary and narrative work rooted in real people, real places, and lived experience. His films have screened at SXSW, Big Sky, and on the NFL Network. He’s drawn to stories about connection, identity, and the quiet moments that say more than words.
Gita Saedi Kiely
Gita Saedi Kiely has spent her career at the intersection of documentary storytelling and community advocacy. She produced award-winning documentaries with Kartemquin Films (The New Americans), and has served as Executive Director of the Big Sky Film Institute and Director of Film & Visual Storytelling at Internews, where she led global FilmAid programs. Currently, Gita leads a Montana-based news funding initiative to strengthen local information ecosystems while continuing to produce and mentor independent film projects.
Anuradha Rana
Anuradha Rana is an independent filmmaker, program leader, and educator who has produced and directed award-winning films internationally. Her work has been supported by Kartemquin Films, Tribeca Film Network, If/Then, PBS, DOC NYC, IL Arts Council, Chicago’s DCASE, CAAM, American Institute for Indian Studies, Chicago International Film Festival, Full Spectrum Features, and Depaul Humanities Center. Anuradha regularly serves on film festival juries and grant review panels internationally. She is the Director of DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts, and a Vincent de Paul Professor in Film.