Alan Toth is a filmmaker and writer based in San Francisco. His short film Mining Phosphorus screened at film festivals, and a version of the film was broadcast on PBS Newshour.

His short film on human-lion conflict appeared in The Atlantic Selects, a series of short films curated by The Atlantic Magazine.

His feature documentary Posh Corps chronicled the experiences of Peace Corps Volunteers in South Africa as they struggled to be helpful in a rapidly changing country. The film screened at universities throughout the United States and at USAID headquarters in Washington D.C. It has become an unofficial guide and for Peace Corps Volunteers around the world.

Alan’s non-fiction writing has been published by KQED, Mission Local, UC San Francisco, UC Berkeley and Stanford University. His fiction has appeared in literary journals.

Alan has produced films in South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Jamaica, New Zealand, Fiji, Kiribati and all around the United States. He has a Masters in Journalism from UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism. He has a Bachelor of Science in Multimedia from the Art Institute of Portland. He also studied media and communications at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and Fine Art and Northwest College in Wyoming. He served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa.

Alan's Website

Lauren Schwartzman is a documentary film editor, director, and producer based in Los Angeles, California.

She was the Associate Editor for the documentary feature The Disappearance of Shere Hite (2023, Dir. Nicole Newnham) which premiered in competition at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. This was her second collaboration with Newnham and Editor Eileen Meyer. The film was acquired by IFC Films and Sapan Studios, and is a co-production of NBC News Studios and This Machine Filmworks, in association with TeaTime Pictures.

Lauren was the Associate Producer and Assistant Editor for the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution (2020, Dir. Nicole Newnham, Jim LeBrecht; Ed. Eileen Meyer, Andrew Gersh). The film was executive produced by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama and premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. Crip Camp continues to garner accolades, including a Peabody Award, and reach people around the world.

Just prior to her work on Crip Camp, Lauren completed her Masters of Journalism with a concentration in documentary film at the U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Her thesis film, Dust Rising, won a Student Academy Award, was shortlisted for the BAFTA Student Film Awards, and screened in festivals across the U.S.

Before embracing film as the perfect marriage of all her interests, Lauren has variously been an environmental educator, Peace Corps Volunteer, trail crew leader, poet, and visual artist. These past lives inform her work in film.

Lauren’s Website

Emily is a documentary filmmaker and director of photography based in Baltimore, MD. From story development to cinematography, she loves every element of creating meaningful, and moving visual stories that have the power to connect strangers, communities and countries around the globe. She believes telling stories from overlooked perspectives has the power to bring truth to power, expand empathy and inspire us individually. From dismal medical treatment in Palestine to the experiences of Gen Z with climate change, she's drawn to people-first stories that can illuminate greater systemic issues.

Her films have been selected and screened at national film festivals such as San Francisco Film Festival, Doclands, Big Sky Film Festival, Hot Springs, and the Detroit Free Press Film Festival. Her work has been supported by the California Humanities and Berkeley Film Foundation and can be seen on The New Yorker, Frontline, VICE, Motherboard, The Huffington Post, and POV, among other outlets. She's a proud pup mom to her dog, Bob Barker.

Emily’s Website

Alex is a Pulitzer-winning reporter with a passion for telling data-driven stories about policy and health. She’s a data reporter at Grid. She has masters' degrees in public health and journalism from UC Berkeley. She worked on the New York Times' graphics desk, working primarily on coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alex’s Website

Siobhan Neela-Stock is a freelance writer and journalist based in Vermont. She earned a master’s in journalism at Northwestern University in Chicago. She worked in global health and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Homoine, Mozambique from 2015 to 2016. Hailing from Vermont, she (obviously) loves the farm to table movement but has only skied once in her life to the disdain of her fellow Vermonters.

Siobhan’s Website

Socorra is a singer-songwriter and producer based in Austin, TX. She is a drummer turned guitar player, combining her blues-driven indie-rock sound with a love of pop music. Originally from San Jose, CA, Socorra has spent time working as a music educator as well as a cultivator of the local music scene there. She helped start the San Jose Songwriters Collective and has worked to produced and curate local shows and festivals. Content Magazine (San Jose, CA) has called Socorra’s voice, “a gusty blues voice […] it’s familiar but unique and undeniable in its smoky richness.” 

She has released 2 EPs, Break and Coming Home Soon, the later released in February 2020.  Socorra has opened up for notable acts like Blues Traveler, Fantastic Negrito and Lena Dunham. She is currently writing a new album, performing locally and playing guitar for other local artists.

Socorra's Website