CREATIVE TEAM
Zeresenay Berhane mehari - WRiter/Director
Zeresenay is an award-winning writer/director with over a decade of experience making films. Born and raised in Ethiopia, Mehari moved to the U.S. to attend film school. He founded Haile Addis Pictures to produce his first narrative feature film, Difret. His most recent film Sweetness in the Belly had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. He has a bachelor of arts degree from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Mehret mandefro - Producer
Mehret is an Emmy-nominated producer/writer that splits her time between the U.S. and Ethiopia. Her most recent film How It Feels To Be Free about trailblazing black female entertainers premiered on American Masters and was executive produced by Alicia Keys. Mehret’s credits include the New York Times critic’s pick Little White Lie and the viral digital series The Loving Generation. She was recently invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Angelina jolie - executive Producer
Angelina Jolie is a world renowned actress, director, screenwriter and humanitarian. She has received an Acadamy Award, two Sceeen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and is know for her roles in Gia, A Mighty Heart, Changeling, and Salt. Angelina promotes humanitarian causes, and is noted for he work with refugees. In 2001, she was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Comissioner for Refugees and has since been on field visits in more than 30 countries. In 2012, she was promoted to Special Envoy to the High Comissioner. In addition, Angelina serves as Co-Chair of the Clinton Global Intiative’s Education Partnership for Children of Conflict and has built schools and health care facilities in Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Ethiopia. In the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, she founded the Jolie Legal Fellowship, which assists government officials and local NGOs in protecting Haiti’s most vulnerable children. Angelina has been widely recognized for her humanitiarian work, most recently receiving the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award and an honorary Academy Award in 2013.
Julie Mehretu - Executive producer
Julie Mehretu is an Ethiopian-American artist best known for her densely-layered abstract large scale paintings and prints. Her drawings refer to elements of mapping and architecture, achieving a calligraphic complexity that resembles turbulent atmospheres and dense social networks. Her work has appeared in major solo exhibitions at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York (2010); Arnold & Marie Schwartz Gallery, Metropolitan Opera House, New York (2010); Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin (2009); among others. Mehretu’s awards include the Berlin Prize (2007), from the American Academy in Berlin; a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Award (2005); and the American Art Award from the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York (2005). Julie earned a BA from Kalamazoo College, Michigan (1992), and an MFA from Rhode Island School of Design, Providence (1997). She lives and works in New York, NY and Berlin, Germany.
jessica rankin - executive producer
Jessica Rankin is an Australian artist who lives and works in New York. Appropriating methods traditionally identified with feminine pursuits, embroidery and needlework, Rankin’s work and her organdy “embroidered paintings” feature a series of “mental maps”, with codes, signs and symbols that explore ideas of memory, intuition and interpretation. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions in the US, Europe and Australia. Recent solo exhibitions include White Cube, London (2007), PS1 Contemporary Arts Center, New York (2006) and Franklin Artworks, Minneapolis (2005). Rankin is best known for her organdy ”˜embroidered paintings’ as well as her drawings, watercolors, and editioned prints, sometimes linked to her larger scale works.
frANCESCA ZAMPI - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Born and raised in London Francesca’s career started at The Royal Court Theater where she worked in International Play Development with projects In Nigeria, Romania and Syria. She moved to New York in 2006 to work for The Ricochet Group, a marketing and management-consulting firm that specializes in working with artistic and educational not-for-profits. Clients included The Royal Shakespeare Company in New York, The American Repertory Theatre at Harvard and KidsOhio. She is now the co-founder of the talent agency Found in the UK.
lacey schwartz delgado
Lacey is a media producer and director with deep experience working for and consulting with a variety of different companies and nonprofit organizations. She is the Managing Director of Truth Aid Be a social venture that leverages media and technology to create innovative solutions to social barriers. Lacey’s prior experience includes serving as the Chief Operating Officer for Max Siegel Inc, (“MSI”) which is the parent company for a number of media initiatives, including a Universal Music distributed record label and Nascar’s Drive for Diversity program through which MSI executive produced the BET television series, Changing Lanes. In addition, Lacey has produced and developed branded entertainment programs, scripted and reality television series, commercials, feature-length documentaries, narrative films, concert films, live performances, added value DVD content, EPKs, print magazines and interactive websites for a variety of companies including MTV, @Radical Media, Drive Thru Pictures and BETJ.v