Discover Top Non-Fiction Film Directors in Aurora, Illinois, USA

Colin is a 2X Emmy winning cinematographer. He was the Director of Photography on When Claude Got Shot, 2022 Winner of Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking and EP'd by Snoop Dogg. He was also a Cinematographer on a Major League Baseball Brewers Commercial, 2017 Winner of Outstanding Commercial Series. Two decades of video experience with a passion for detail and communication. Colin also creates his own documentary content.

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• Video Editor - Documentary
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• Drone Operator
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Andrew J. Morgan is a passionate image maker and visual storyteller. A graduate of Columbia College Chicago, he has been working professionally as a cameraman for over 15 years on a wide range of projects ranging in style, budget, and scope. From people and places to products and puppets, Andrew makes sure that the right equipment and crew are in place to capture impactful and professional images. Andrew’s credits don’t just stop at client work. He has found himself as a cinematographer for additional material included in Universal’s reboot of Candyman (2021) as well as the 2023 Showtime series “Goliath”. Away from the camera, Andrew is also an accomplished director and editor. His directing credits include the cult documentary Vannin’ (2013), its follow up Sleeze Lake (2021), as well as a host of short documentary films that have played in festivals across the country. He delights in nerding out over the latest and greatest gear to take projects from concept to creation.

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Stephen L. Garrett is a filmmaker based in Chicago, who collaborates with directors, producers, and production companies to develop, shoot, and edit feature-length documentaries, series, and promotional films for organizations large and small. Stephen began his filmmaking career in Madagascar as a third year Peace Corps volunteer in 2007. This experience led him to produce work for various organizations across the US and in 17 countries for clients such as the World Bank, the Ford Foundation, USAID, and the US Institute of Peace. Over his 12 year career in filmmaking, he has helped develop and produce television series that have aired on major television networks. In 2018 he coordinated coordinated post-production teams for 3 feature-length documentaries simultaneously: Nossa Chape debuted at South by Southwest 2018 and aired on Fox Sports; Momentum Generation won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Long Sports Documentary and debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival 2018 and aired on HBO; and Give Us This Day aired on AT&T Audience Network. In addition, he coordinated production and post production teams working in 13 countries for Phenoms, an internationally broadcast 6-episode documentary series about rising World Cup soccer stars for Fox Digital. In 2019, Stephen was the associate producer for Committee Film’s Investigation Discovery series Serial Killer: Devil Unchained. He is currently editing his first feature-length documentary How To Build A School in Haiti for director Jack C. Newell, which will be released in 2020. His short documentary, Mine 21, was awarded the 2019 Austen Riggs Erikson Prize for Excellence in Mental Health Media. Stephen has a BA in Conservation Studies from the University of the South.

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• Event Photographer
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Jiayan "Jenny" Shi is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker and video journalist who is passionate about stories that find shared humanity and compassion. Her debut documentary "Finding Yingying" (MTV Documentary Films) has won numerous awards including the Special Jury Recognition for Breakthrough Voice at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival and a China Academy Award of Documentary Films, and was nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy award. Jenny's work has appeared on Paramount +, MTV, BBC News, PBS NewsHour, Insider, and Bilibili. She has also contributed to work on Netflix, Discovery Channel, Tencent, and Google, among others. Jenny is a Kartemquin's Diverse Voices In Docs fellow, a Women at Sundance Adobe fellow, a Firelight fellow, a Logan Nonfiction Program fellow, and a DOC NYC "40 Under 40" filmmaker. Jenny is the co-founder and programming director of the Chicago chapter of the Video Consortium where she curates films and organizes community events for non-fiction storytellers.

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Sam Mirpoorian is an award-winning filmmaker exploring societal themes at the intersection of time, isolation, health, science, + introspection. During his undergrad + grad studies at Indiana University, he made his first doc-short, Little Warriors, which tells the story about youth activism in the space of climate policy. The film was a Grand Prize Winner at the Academy Award-Qualifying, Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis. In 2018, Sam edited + produced a doc-short, Destination Park, which examines a mobile chapel located in the heart of a desolate truck stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York + made its online premiere via The Atlantic in 2019. In 2020, Sam’s second doc-short, Sonnie, which follows the serene + poignant life of a single father raising his son, played + won awards from over 40 film festivals across the United States + is a recipient of the Kodak Motion Picture Film Bronze Award for Excellence in Filmmaking. Sonnie won three Regional Emmy® Awards and was acquired by NBC, making its broadcast premiere via Peacock in 2021. In addition to his film work, Sam has directed, shot, edited, + produced national + regional commercial/branded content campaigns for philanthropic + environmental foundations including brands such as Pharrell Williams’ IceCream, Robert Redford’s The Redford Center, the YMCA, NASCAR, Goodwill, Louisville Slugger, High & Mighty, + others.

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Thatch Films is a full service boutique production company specializing in documentary, commercial, corporate and film projects. We are a full service company offering pre-production, production, post-production, multimedia and animation services. We work with agencies and direct clients around the world to tell stories that explore our common humanity, our capacity for joy, and our search for meaning. We work with clients from conception to delivery and are dedicated to open communication and a holistic artistic approach. * Hiring During COVID-19: We are skilled in practicing and maintaining safe production practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.*

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A Filmmaker turned Humanitarian, I have spent the last 14 years working in all aspects of the film industry. My work has been in the United States and India. Must recently starting a non-profit to teach youth to create their own documentary films. I still take time for my own projects. I'm currently traveling along the United States - Mexico border for a documentary series about Asylum Seekers.

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• Grip
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• Audio Storyteller

Chicago Valley is a dynamic video production company dedicated to understanding and professionally creating videos that exceed our clients goals. Whether it's to sell more products, tell your story, or make an impact on your audience–we strive to deliver measurable results.

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Been freelancing for radio, TV, film and print since 1999. I most frequently work for Voice of America, National Public Radio, and Business Insider.

• News Shooter / Video Journalist
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• Content Strategist
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An Emmy-nominated, Webby-honored video editor and producer and award-winning photographer with passion and expertise in meaningful visual and audio storytelling across digital platforms

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• Landscape Photographer
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• Executive Producer
• Digital Content Creator
• Podcast Producer
• Social Media Producer
• Audio Storyteller
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• Copywriter

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Fábio Erdos is a Brazilian documentary filmmaker and photographer member of Panos Pictures, one of the world's leading independent and award-winning photographic agencies. In 2019, Fábio won a World Press Photo award for the film "Marielle and Monica", produced for The Guardian, and in 2021 he was invited to serve as a jury member for the World Press Photo Digital Storytelling Contest. His films have been shown at several festivals, like GLAAD (New York), One World Media (UK), La Gacilly Photo Festival (France), the Museum of Tomorrow, the Museum of Modern Art (Rio de Janeiro), and he was shortlisted for the IDA Documentary Awards. ​ Previous to his film and photography career, Fábio worked for the international non-profit ActionAid for many years, where he gained experience in grassroots work on poverty and social inequality. During this time he worked in rural communities in Northeast Brazil, a region that suffers from one of the worst droughts in the last 50 years, in Haiti, a year after the devastating earthquake of 2010, and in the rural communities of Mozambique. These experiences inspired him to pursue filmmaking and photography as a way to convey contemporary socio-environmental issues.​ ​ Fábio focuses on documenting stories through a personal and intimate narrative, aiming to bring awareness and, most importantly, impact on social and environmental issues.

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I am a Chicago-based producer, DP, and director for TV, commercial, and video production. I've owned and operated an award-winning, full-service production company, Digital Hydra, since 2011, serving clients like Nike, Leo Burnett, Taste Made, Walgreens-Coca-Cola, ComEd, Jaegermeister, and many more. I've also worked as a DP for A-list music artists like Jennifer Hudson, Billie Eilish, Run the Jewels, and the Chance the Rapper. I have extensive experience maintaining client relationships, developing creative for shoots, planning and production management, and execution of all aspects of production and post. I've sold TV series to Warner Bros, produced full-seasons of international television, and won a number of awards at film festivals all over the world. My work in commercial and marketing has won multiple ProMAX and Midwest Emmy awards. I was listed as #7 on NewCity’s Chicago Film 50 in 2021, and named to Austin Film Festival's 25 Screenwriters to Watch in 2020.

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• HD Live Operator
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Hunter N. Johnson is a documentary filmmaker, photographer and editor whose projects seek to advance human rights through visual storytelling. His work has been featured on CBS, The Atlantic, PBS, AFI Docs, and has garnered over 16 million online views. For four years Hunter worked with The Perennial Plate, a two-time James Beard Award-winning and Emmy-nominated traveling documentary team creating short documentaries on the human stories behind sustainable food production. Hunter has created videos for Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and is currently producing a project for the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. In 2020, Hunter directed and edited a viral, nonpartisan video featuring four Minnesota Governors calling for civility in the 2020 election, garnering more than four million views and featured on multiple primetime national cable programs. In 2021, Hunter completed a documentary film following two independent journalists who report on disappearances in Mexico. It was screened at 11 international film festivals and is now available online at untilwefindthem.com In 2022, Hunter edited a short documentary for CBS News about the political crisis and democratic backsliding in Hong Kong. Hunter is fluent in Spanish, and has a Masters of Human Rights from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, with a concentration in Arts Advocacy.

• News Shooter / Video Journalist
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Founded in 2019 by Rachel Pikelny, Nyla Pictures crafts compelling, nonfiction media in the form of branded content, cause-marketing videos, and original documentaries. An Emmy Award-winning filmmaker recently named to DOC NYC's "40 Under 40" List, Rachel is a sought-after producer whose work has earned accolades and sparked impact, at venues ranging from the Tribeca Film Festival to Capitol Hill. With Kartemquin Films, she produced The Trials of Muhammad Ali (Independent Lens, 2014), which won a national Emmy for Best Historical Long-Form Program, and associate produced A Good Man (American Masters, 2011). With Siskel/Jacobs Productions, she directed and produced the short film GRACE (Condé Nast Entertainment), which was digitally released by SELF in October 2018 and has garnered 150K views, and counting. Her feature documentary No Small Matter, a Gates- and Bezos-supported project about early childhood education, is helping pave new roads in digital distribution. A versatile producer/director, Rachel has created promotional content for Fortune 500 companies such as Pepsi and USAA, as well as branded videos for companies such as Manduka, in partnership with Komen. She remains active in the independent filmmaking community and co-chairs the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA).

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Anh Vo is a vibrant Vietnamese cinematographer and creative director, fueling his passion for visual storytelling across diverse projects. Since earning his master's degree in Film & TV from DePaul University, he has made his mark as the cinematographer for national TV shows, commercials, and independent films showcased at international film festivals. Additionally, he has spearheaded original projects and social campaigns as a creative director for Fortune 500 global brands, with partner agencies, and athletes. With a remarkable ability to seamlessly transition between different worlds, Anh customizes his film language to perfectly suit each unique story and thrives on challenging artistic boundaries, he aims to tell stories that resonate deeply with audiences. Through his lens, Anh strives to capture the essence of emotions and create a lasting impact, leaving viewers inspired and moved.​​​​​​​

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As a director, producer, cinematographer and editor, Kevin Shaw has created award-winning films for prestige platforms. Shaw’s latest film, Let the Little Light Shine, was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Peabody Award, debuted on PBS’ award-winning series POV, and played at several film festivals and theaters around the country to stellar reception, where the Chicago Tribune lauded the film for carrying “the visceral impact of all six Rocky films and a few Creed films put together.” The film is available to stream on Apple/iTunes, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play and VUDU. Shaw’s debut documentary about Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley, The Street Stops Here, aired nationally on PBS and ESPN in 2010 to rave reviews. The following year, Shaw’s Big Ten Network short documentary on a quadriplegic trying to regain the ability to walk won the Edward R. Murrow Award for Sports Reporting Excellence. His cinematography talents were recognized in 2015 with a National Sports Emmy for ESPN’s FIFA World Cup Show Opens and Teases. Later that year, Shaw produced a documentary about the relationship between megastar Shaquille O’Neal and his collegiate coach, Dale Brown. Shaq and Dale premiered on ESPN.  Shaw was a segment director and cinematographer on America to Me, and additional cinematographer on City So Real, from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Steve James, where they both debuted at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and aired on Starz and Hulu respectively. Shaw also contributed as a cinematographer on James’ latest docuseries for ESPN, The Luckiest Guy in the World.

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Video storytelling within a marketing context is that sweet spot where story is so much more than art – it’s a form of compassion and empathy. Story is what moves people to action, whether it’s to bring people to your website, motivate a donation or sale, or help your customer fall in love with your brand. The stories I want to tell are stories that serve a purpose – that understand the heart of your target audience. What is it that leads your audience to believe in your product or mission? What do they care about? What motivates someone very different than me? It’s story that brings a brand to life. ​ I’ve worked with a wide array of brands, organizations, and artists to bring their purpose and mission to life. To do this well, it’s important to start with parameters – an understanding of the target audience. My favorite projects let me spend some time with the people served by your product/content so that I can tell the story through their eyes. I love working with research and creative teams. Give me parameters or a goal. I can take that and run with it on my own – or we can sit down and plan things together.

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John is a principal with Nimble Digital Media. He is a digital specialist, as well as a creative, technically savvy director/producer of film and video. With 25 years of traditional and new media production experience, John brings to bear proven visual messaging expertise, and helps clients develop and execute the right blend of tactics to achieve objectives across all screens and channels. He began his career as a photographer and director of photography, and soon moved into producing and directing for film and video. John has been responsible for a wide range of projects, developing and overseeing creative treatments, as well as managing crews and budgets on feature films, commercials, and documentaries. John has produced for British Channel 4, Japanese NHK, and German ZDF, PBS and other U.S. Networks. Additionally, he has consulted, produced and directed projects for major U.S. corporations including Abbott, Boeing BP, CDW and Groupon as well as Georgetown, Northwestern and Johns Hopkins Universities. An award-winning director and producer, John has earned an Emmy, three Tellys, A Kodak Award and Cine Golden Eagle. His work has placed in several international film festivals including Best Feature and Audience Award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival and Tribeca Features Festival.

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Stacey Nash is a documentary filmmaker specializing in commercial and long-form storytelling for brands. She is a director with a producer's toolbox of skills - which means she easily balances the creative with the logical. Her ability to mine emotion out of any situation is her secret weapon – from the deeply emotional to the raucously hilarious. She can put anyone at ease in front of the camera and intuitively understands the big picture. ​She has won multiple awards for her work including an Emmy Award with NBC Olympics and the International Corporate Citizenship Film Festival. ​Will crush you at trivia on the topic of olympic sports but ONLY that topic. Very poor loser when it comes to card games - that last bit is unrelated to career highlights but important to know.

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