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Bob Hercules is a National Peabody Award-winning director whose independent films have been seen widely on PBS, BBC, Discovery Channel, the Independent Film Channel, TLC, and through television syndication worldwide. His newest film, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and aired on PBS’ American Masters in February, 2017. The film went on to win 19 awards in film festivals around the world. His 2012 film, Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance, chronicles the full story of the groundbreaking dance company and aired on PBS’ American Masters in 2012. Hercules’ 2011 film, A Good Man (a portrait of famed choreographer Bill T. Jones), played at the 2011 Full Frame Film Festival, IDFA, and Silverdocs and aired on PBS’ American Masters in 2011.

Hercules’ acclaimed 2006 documentary, Forgiving Dr. Mengele (a portrait of Auschwitz survivor Eva Mozes Kor) won the Special Jury Prize at the Slamdance Film Festival and the Crystal Heart Award at the Heartland Film Festival and then was shown in over 40 film festivals world-wide. The New York Times said the film was “ . . . surprisingly uplifting. It’s impossible not be moved by her fierce capacity for life.” Entertainment Weekly said, “This moving film explores the trauma of a Holocaust survivor with rare complexity.”

His 2007 film, Senator Obama Goes to Africa (a chronicle of the then-Senator’s momentous journey to his father’s homeland) was sold to broadcasters in over 100 countries and is currently in home video release from First Run Features. Hercules’ narrative short film, The Last Frontier, won Best Dramatic Film at the 2002 IFP Film Festival and ran on the Independent Film Channel for three years and he won a Gold Hugo award for his 2010 commercial for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Bob spent his college years as a D.J. and General Manager of the campus station, WIDR, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Bob is also a member of the DGA.

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Jeff Rogers is an actor, writer, director and Second City Theater Alumni, Amazon best-selling author, sought-after public speaker, and CEO of the Oldest American School of Improvisation Players Workshop. Jeff can be seen on television shows such as Empire, Chicago PD & Chicago Fire as well as on TV commercials for Crestor, BP, McDonald’s, Miller Lite, Ford, and many others.

He is the host of Homemade Game Show and the award-winning web series Bear Facts with Jeff Rogers. Jeff is a Chicago Reader Critic’s Choice playwright & director and author of the Amazon Best-Seller: Office Sportz! The Official Office Games Handbook. Jeff’s second book, The PLAY-Maker Mindset, will be coming out in 2018.

In 1993, Jeff founded The Factory Theater which recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary. The Factory Theater delivers unexpected, unapologetic theatrical experiences through original works forged and assembled by our shameless ensemble. Jeff created and produced the mockumentary Small Business Television winning two W3 Awards, three Telly Awards, and two VEMA Awards for writing, direction, and performances. That was followed by the satirical series Unofficial Republican Spokesman that also won four Telly Awards, a Communicator Award, and two W3 Awards.

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Keith Walker is a gifted cinematographer and visual storyteller who brings over 28 years of experience to the project. Walker is also co-owner of Media Process Group. For many years, Walker has been the ‘go-to’ cameraman for Oprah Winfrey and has filmed her in locations ranging from Australia to South Africa to her story about Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Keith was also the D.P. on Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise (Sundance Film Festival official selection, 2016 and Peabody Award, 2018), and Mavis (the Mavis Staples story, HBO, 2016).

Keith has shot projects around the world for many noted directors such as Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”), Alex Gibney (Academy Award-winner for “Taxi from the Dark Side”), and Tod Lending (Academy Award nominated for “Legacy”). Walker shot and co-produced the 2006 documentary Senator Obama Goes to Africa and was the Director of Photography for Bob Hercules’ Forgiving Dr. Mengele and The Last Frontier. Walker has shot hundreds of segments for CBS’ 60 Minutes and received a National Emmy for a 60 Minutes story he shot in 2001.

Walker also was D.P. for the 2007 narrative comedy short, The Professional Interview, for director Annie Price. The film premiered at the 2008 Chicago Comedy Shorts Film Festival.

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LA-based Rachel Komar has been working in various aspects of the music industry for the past 15 years, including A&R, Management, Licensing, Supervision, and more. Komar has worked with companies like Atlantic Records, American Recordings, and FREEFORM, to name a few. She currently wears two hats - running a music supervision and consultation service, Extension Music, and heading up HyperExtension, her own music licensing company, which represents artists from all over the world.

Rachel’s credits include Music Supervision for “Alone Together” (Executive Produced by Andy Samberg for the Freeform Network), and Music Coordinator for “Ray Donovan” (Showtime Network) and “Night Shift (NBC), among others.

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Larry Peter Lundy has been a production designer for 34 years. He was born in Queens, New York and graduated from the State University College at Buffalo with a BFA in painting and sculpture. Lundy was a founding member of the influential Hallwalls Media Center.

Lundy's work has been seen in film and TV productions such as Native Son, High Fidelity, ER, The Babe, Mind of the Married Man, Flatliners, VI Warshawski, Chicago Hope, Colombiana, R Kelly’s Trapped in the Closet (22-33), Grand Piano, Mind Games, Jupiter Ascending, Shameless, Sense8 and Patriot among many others. He has twice won the Best Art Direction Award of Midwest Independent Film Festival, once in 2002 and again in 2005.

He has taught Production Design at Columbia College from 2007 through 2012 and at Northwestern University in 2011. Lundy has also authored five training sessions for the FIT (Film Industry Training) Program in Michigan in 2009 and 2010. He is a regular visiting professor at Tribeca Flashpoint and most recently at The Harold Ramis Film School.

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Media Process Group (MPG), now celebrating its 33rd year, is one of the most respected production companies in the Midwest, having won three Emmy Awards for the NexTV series they co-produced with the Chicago Urban League in 2009/10, two Emmy Awards for the series A Piece of the Gamein 2015 and a Peabody Award in 2018 (for “Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise”). MPG regularly shoots for programs like CBS’ 60 Minutes, PBS’ Frontline, HBO’s Real Sports and Oprah’s Next Chapter. Over the years the company has produced films for a wide range of clients including the Gates Foundation, Alzheimer’s Association, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, WNET-TV, the Gap, Motorola, Leo Burnett, University of Chicago and many others.

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Steven A. Jonesis a veteran producer of both studio and independent features and has worked on films starring Robert De Niro, Bill Murray, Michael Keaton, Uma Thurman, Ashley Judd, Michael Shannon, and many others.

His first feature, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (Directed by John McNaughton) premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 1989 and went on to great critical acclaim, including six Independent Spirit Award nominations.

Steve went on to co-produce a feature film version of Eric Bogosian’s live one man show – “Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll,” and followed that with Universal Pictures “Mad Dog and Glory” working as co-producer with Martin Scorcese producing and John McNaughton directing. The movie starred Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman and Bill Murray and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.

Jones then co-produced “Normal Life” starring Luke Perry and Ashley Judd for New Line/Spelling which premiered at the Sundance Film festival in 1996. In 1998 Jones produced the Studio film - Columbia Pictures’ “Wild Things” starring Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Cambbell and Bill Murray.

Steve also produced the independent films: “Drunkboat,” starring John Malkovich, John Goodman and Dana Delaney; Steve Conrad’s “The Promotion” starring Sean William Scott, John C. Reilly and Jenna Fischer; Michael Keaton’s directorial debut “The Merry Gentleman” and John McNaughton’s “The Harvest” starring Michael Shannon, Samantha Morton and Peter Fonda.

Jones is currently Producer in Residence at DePaul University where he teaches Feature Film Producing classes.

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Ericka Frederick is an Academy-Award nominee and veteran film producer. Ericka started making films as a modern dance major at the University of Michigan to accompany her choreography and live performances. At age 20, she formed her first production company, Sluggo Films, where she produced music videos and commercials in her native Detroit.

After moving to Chicago she had a long, successful tenure as a sales and marketing executive at the Eastman Kodak Co. She also produced several independent features and short films, including "By Courier", directed by actor Peter Riegert. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Live-Action Short Film in 2001. Ericka received a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts. There she created and taught an advanced production class for high-potential students. Ericka has moderated panels at the Sundance, Toronto and Telluride film festivals, and has had five films in Cannes' short film corner. She is currently producing two features which are in pre-production, as well as the documentary Tigerman. She continues to give back to her community by producing numerous PSAs, including "Anyone Watching?" which was featured on the AICP 2016 Shortlist.