Filmmakers (U - Media)

<p>Growing up in inner-city Newark, New Jersey, Sampson Davis and two friends made a pact to “beat the street” and become doctors—and they did it.</p><p>Today, Dr. Sampson Davis is a board-certified ER physician who has appeared on numerous talk and radio shows including <i>Oprah</i>, <i>CNN</i>, <i>The Today Show</i>, <i>Dr. Oz</i>, <i>Anderson Cooper 360</i>, <i>The View</i>, <i>Tavis Smiley</i> and <i>NPR</i>.

<p>Ruth E. Carter’s unparalleled ability to develop an authentic story through costume and character has made her one of the most sought-after, renowned, and award-winning costume designers today. </p><p>A two-time Academy Award-winner for “Best Costume Design” (<em>Black Panther </em>in 2019; <em>Black Panther: Wakanda Forever</em> in 2022), Ruth E. Carter has also garnered nominations for Spike Lee’s <em>Malcolm X</em> (1993) and Steven Spielberg’s <em>Amistad</em> (1998).

<p>Damon Davis brings a powerful blend of social commentary and art therapy to audiences to help heal divisions, empower the powerless, and illuminate issues of race and class in society. </p>

<p>Filmmaker and Human rights activist, Barbara Martinez Jitner, is the inspiration for the Jennifer Lopez film <i>Bordertown</i>. Martinez Jitner posed as a worker in a factory on the Mexican border in order to uncover a dark world of grueling poverty and sexual abuse that has led to over 400 women being murdered in the border town of Juarez, Mexico.

<p>Through the transformative power of storytelling, Soledad O’Brien brings a fresh perspective on diverse and contemporary issues to foster change in your own community or organization.</p><p>Soledad O’Brien is an award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, author, and philanthropist, and founder of Soledad O’Brien Productions, a media production company dedicated to telling empowering and authentic stories on a range of social issues.

<p>Eugene Jarecki is an award-winning filmmaker, public thinker, and author. His latest film, "The House I Live In" is the definitive film on the failure of America&#39;s drug war, but it is also a masterpiece filled with hope and the potential to effect change.  The film was winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2012.</p>

<p>Brandon Stanton shares his journey of personal growth and discovery, and uncovers the stories behind the stories featured on <i>Humans of New York</i>, powerfully illustrating the value of sharing your experiences. </p><p>As the founder of the street portrait blog, <i>Humans of New York</i>, Brandon has emerged as a worldwide Internet phenomenon and one of today’s most influential storytellers.

<p>An Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer, and director, Alex Gibney tackles hot topics with artistic flair. His works include <i>Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room</i>, which was nominated for an Academy Award, and <i>Taxi to the Dark Side</i>, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2007. The film focused on an innocent taxi driver in Afghanistan who was tortured and killed at Bagram Air Force Base in 2002.