EMILY ABT – WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/CINEMATOGRAPHER
Selected as one of Variety Magazine's 'Top 10 Directors to Watch', Emily Abt is an ambidextrous filmmaker who has directed five features. Abt's narrative feature “Toe to Toe” was nominated for the Grand Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival and theatrically released nationwide by Strand. The film featured a critically acclaimed break-out performances by Sonequa Martin-Green ("Star Trek:Discovery", “Walking Dead”) and Louisa Krause (“The Girlfriend Experience”,“Billions”). Abt's upcoming fiction feature project "Thirsty" won the Athena Award for scripts featuring outstanding female protagonists and is being produced by Jeff Allard and cast by Charlene Lee. The film stars Jamie Neumann (as seen in “Atlanta”, “The Deuce”, “Lovecraft Country”) and is slated for production in 2022. She is also developing a Berkeley based episodic series entitled “Pureland”.
Abt's first feature documentary “Take It From Me” (PBS’s POV series) was created when she was a 23 year-old caseworker in New York City. She then went on to receive her MFA in film directing from Columbia University and was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to make her thesis film. Abt's other feature documentaries include “All Of Us” (Showtime's 2008 World AIDs Day film) and “Daddy Don’t Go” which was executive produced by the actors/activists Omar Epps and Malik Yoba. The film won eight “Best Documentary” awards and premiered on the Starz network in 2017. In 2018 Abt was tapped by Showtime to direct the feature documentary feature "Beyond the Opposite Sex” about two transgender people living in rural America. It premiered on the network in Spring 2018.
Abt is also a seasoned documentary cinematographer and branded content director who has created films for clients such as Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson and Oracle. She shot and directed the short film "Born A Fighter" which was commissioned by 23andMe and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2019. In 2021 she was hired by producer George Rush (“Sorry to Bother You”, “Burn Country”, etc) to co-write the feature comedy “Unborn” and is also attached to direct. She is currently a Consulting Producer on three feature documentaries: “Raising Khan”, “Suzy” and “American Trans”.
Abt was a Brooklyn based filmmaker for 20 years who moved to the Bay area in 2016 with her husband (UC Berkeley Professor Shamik Dasgupta) and their two daughters. She is a member of New Day Films, Free the Bid, Film Fatales and the Collective of Documentary Women Cinematographers.
Collaborators
ALAN JACOBSEN - CINEMATOGRAPHER
Alan Jacobsen photographs narrative and documentary projects with an authentic natural eye and sensitive curiosity. He filmed Yance Ford's Oscar Nominated "Strong Island" and his films for two-time Oscar nominated director Marshall Curry: “Racing Dreams” and “Point and Shoot” both received the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival. "The Trials of Darrel Hunt" won the Audience Award at Full Frame, was nominated for the Sundance Grand Jury and Independent Spirits awards, and was shortlisted for the Academy Award. Alan's breakout narrative feature "Toe to Toe" was nominated for the Grand Jury and Cinematography Awards at the Sundance Film Festival, and his ribald comedy "The Auteur" premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival, becoming a midnight cult favorite as Cinetic Media's inaugural CRM release. In addition to short-form and commercial work for directors including Peter Sillen, Jeremy Saulnier, Annetta Marion, and Morgan Spurlock, Alan is currently shooting a feature doc with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, as well as “Finding 52- The Search for the Loneliest Whale”, for Josh Zeman and Adrian Grenier.
NICOLE WON - PRODUCER/EDITOR
Nicole is currently producing for Pureland and started her career in film with the Bay Area based film troupe Odd Folk Films. She has extensive experience in editing, directing, and producing independent shorts and sketches. Nicole's background as a business major from UC Berkeley and as a strategy consultant motivated her to start Clever Coast Media with the goal of producing commercial and narrative work. Her experience in visual storytelling and developing marketing strategies have helped small business and start-ups achieve their brand and targeting goals.
JEFF MARCELLO - EDITOR
Jeff is a film and video editor and post-supervisor. He and Emily have collaborated for many years starting with "Toe to Toe" which Jeff edited and post-supervised. Jeff also cut "Daddy Don't Go" and two shorts directed by Emily as well as a mini-doc for Janssen. His recent feature film credits include "Starring Austin Pendleton," "Cultures of Resistance" and "Planet B-Boy", the spectacular dance documentary that follows the evolution of breakdancing throughout the world. Jeff has also edited many television shows and commercials for Netflix, MTV, Discovery Channel, TLC, Travel Channel, Style Network, Spike TV, Cooking Channel and Nickelodeon.
MARCUS HANSCHEN - PHOTOGRAPHER/DP
Marcus Hanschen has been creating images for over 30 years and is now moving into videography with Pureland Pictures. He has photographed legendary recording artists including Snoop Dog, Lenny Kravitz, Ice Cube, Jane’s Addiction and many others. His client list includes Sony, Condé Nast, NEST and Miller Freeman. He has taught photography, drawing and architecture at the University of California and California College of the Arts. Marcus lives in Berkeley with his partner and their daughter Kai.
ANDREW GERSH - EDITOR
Andrew Gersh co-edited “Daddy Don’t Go” and most recently edited the Sundance winning Netflix documentary “Crip Camp” directed by legendary sound designer Jim LeBrecht. Gersh’s work has appeared on PBS, ABC, MSNBC, National Geographic, Discovery, Turner Broadcasting, the BBC and Channel 4, UK and in theaters worldwide. He is a Sundance Documentary Edit and Story Lab Fellow. His feature documentary credits include “Real Boy”(PBS’ Independent Lens);SPARK: A Burning Man Story (premiered at SXSW) and “The Revolutionary Optimists” which aired on PBS’ Independent Lens and was nominated for an Emmy.
OMAR EPPS - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/ACTOR
Omar Epps is an award-winning actor who starred in the hit FOX medical drama “House” for 8 seasons. Epps received an NAACP Image Award for “Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series” in both 2007 and 2008. As someone who grew up fatherless, the issues in “Daddy Don’t Go” resonate with Omar personally and are close to his heart.
ANDREW NAM CHUL OSBORNE - PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/DP
Andrew is an award winning filmmaker and producer based in New York City who co-directed/shot “Daddy Don’t Go” and has collaborated with Emily since 2008. He is currently a Senior Producer at BBDO Worldwide, working across the agency's client roster on innovative branded content. His work has been recognized by the Cannes Lions, Clios, and ADDY award shows. Osborne graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design with a B.F.A. from the Film and Television program.
SUZETTE BURTON –PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/EDITOR/DP
Suzette Burton Co-Produced “Daddy Don’t Go” and has been working with Pureland since 2010. She studied film and video at Pratt Institute where she graduated with a BFA in Film/Video. During her time at Pratt, Suzette created several films and video installations including a documentary entitled “Disconnected” about her father’s mysterious death. Since graduating from film school, Suzette has worked as an Assistant Editor on the documentary “Little White Lie” and as an Assistant Producer for a variety of television shows including The Maury Povich Show, Atlas Media, Black Entertainment Television, Mr. Youth, Biggest Loser, The Tyra Banks Show, Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane and Celebrity Catwalk. Suzette currently works at One Kreate as a producer and The Moth as an editor.
JAMES DIRITO - ILLUSTRATOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER/MOTION DESIGNER
With over 15 years experience, James DiRito whose background as a multi-disciplinary designer has shaped his aesthetics and sense of design. His clients include: LionsGate Films, Olivia Travel, DiningOut Magazine and many Bay Area small businesses. His approach is to engage in the creative process by going to the root source of a client's needs. Together, we build a design that is the balance between simplicity and complexity from which inspiring, compelling, and authentic narratives are born.
MALIK YOBA - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/ACTOR
Malik Yoba starred in FOX’s hit drama “New York Undercover” for five years, played a pivotal role in the first season of “Empire,” and has gained cult status with the sci-fi epic “Alphas.” As a father of three children and a lifelong advocate for community building, Yoba believes “Daddy Don’t Go” will inspire a much-needed conversation.
ERIC HOLLAND - COMPOSER
Holland created the score for two of Emily’s feature films “Daddy Don’t Go” and “Beyond the Opposite Sex”. Holland has been working with music and sound for over 20 years. Past projects include the documentaries “The Mask You Live In,” "Representation,” “Desert Runners,” “Speed & Angels,” and “Motherland,” the PBS/Sundance Channel series “e2 – the economies of being environmentally conscious” narrated by Brad Pitt; and commercial campaigns for Nokia and Blue Cross. Eric lives with his wife and two daughters in the Bay Area.
NATALIE TETER - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER/IMPACT STRATEGIST/OUTREACH COORDINATOR
Natalie Teter is an Associate Producer on upcoming Sundance-supported feature film "The Last Black Man in San Francisco", Sundance and SXSW short film select "American Paradise," and ITVS co-production "The F Word Series".
KEVIN HOTALEN - EDITOR/CINEMATOGRAPHER
Kevin is currently editing for Pureland. He began his film career in Phoenix, AZ by producing sketch comedy shorts and local promotional videos before managing the video production department of Choice One Social, a social media marketing company. After relocating to Los Angeles, he worked on various short film projects including Infectious, for which he was the writer and Director of Photography. Now located in the San Francisco Bay Area, his focus has shifted toward producing commercial and narrative work with his production partner Nicole Won under Clever Coast Media. He also founded and participates in Odd Folk Films, a local film troupe working on independent shorts.
JENNIFER FOX - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER/WRITER/DIRECTOR
Jennifer Fox served as Executive Producer on "Daddy Don't Go." She is an acclaimed documentary filmmaker who transitioned into narrative filmmaking with her stellar debut "The Tale". Jennifer directed “Beirut: The Last Home Movie” (Best Film and Cinematography 1998 Sundance Film Festival), the ten-hour “An American Love Story” (1999 Sundance Film Festival), the six-part “Flying Confessions of a Free Woman” (2008 Sundance Film Festival), and the feature “My Reincarnation” (IDFA Audience Award 2010; POV 2012; Emmy nominated 2013). Jennifer's narrative feature film debut "The Tale" (starring Laura Dern and Common) premiered in Dramatic Competition at Sundance 2018 and will air on HBO.
KERYN THOMPSON - PRODUCER/ANIMATOR/ILLUSTRATOR
An alumna of the Rhode Island School of Design, Thompson is a longtime Pureland collaborator who was Associate Producer on Pureland’s 2010 film “Toe to Toe.” As an animator/illustrator, her work has been featured in films, television shows, music videos, and print campaigns. These include “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee” (premiered Berlin International Film Festival, 2009), the Sundance Channel show “Love Lust,” and pieces for Stevie Nicks’ release of “Crystal Visions.” Thompson has also produced several genre-based films under Penny Spent Films, including the 2017 psychological thriller The Abduction of Jennifer Grayson. She is currently in preproduction on the horror-comedy, Area 718.
