Meet the Team!
Brian Frankel
Festival Director
Brian is a filmmaker and an entertainment & intellectual property attorney based in Washington D.C. Brian serves on the Board of Directors and as the Education Chairman of Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, serves as the Executive Director of D.C. Filmmakers and D.C Media Makers, and is the Festival Director for the Wheaton Film festival. Brian is an award-winning independent filmmaker. He has produced and/or directed music videos, films, television shows, commercials, and multi-media projects. Brian’s past video clients include MTV, Spike TV, Motorola, M Audio, Def Jam South Records, the Merchant Marines, and the Independent Feature Project. Brian was honored as a Kodak Emerging Filmmaker. He lives in Silver Spring, MD. Brian's hobbies include hiking, traveling and scuba diving.
Caroline Victoria Mills
Outreach Coordinator
Caroline is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and has experience in the film industry as an actor, writer, director, and producer. She is passionate about storytelling and giving others a platform with which to tell their own stories as well. Some of her hobbies include playing piano, roller skating, and watching entirely too much Jeopardy!
Board of Advisors, Member
Sam is currently working toward her Bachelor's Degree in Classics, English, & History at University College Dublin in Dublin, Ireland. She is from South Jersey in the United States and loves to visit new places. Some of her hobbies include writing, helping others, and pursuing passion projects.
Board of Advisors, Member
Gloriann graduated from Liberty University in Virginia with a major in Strategic Communication and a minor in Business. She has a focus in graphic design and content creation. In her spare time Gloriann enjoys watching movies and traveling.
Board of Advisors, Member
Jordan graduated from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania with a major in Cinema & Media Studies and a minor in History. She is spent a semester off-campus in Washington, D.C. studying at LCWS. She has a strong interest in television and film production and enjoys watching T.V. in her spare time. Her other hobbies include writing and running outdoors.
Board of Advisors, Member
Alejandra received her Bachelors of Film and Media Arts from American University in Washington D.C. Born and raised in El Salvador, she moved to D.C. 4 years ago to get her Bachelor's Degree. Alejandra loves to film and edit videos and is interested in journalism and broadcasting. Her favorite hobbies are watching movies, having new adventures and playing with her dog named Charlie.
Board of Advisors, Member
Ndyia received her Bachelors of Fine Arts from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. She concentrated in Drawing and Design and is currently a freelance graphic designer and painter. Born and raised in Washington, DC she still resides in her hometown. Her hobbies include playing acoustic guitar, roller skating and playing video games. Her all-time favorite game series is Tomb Raider.
Board of Advisors, Member
Anna is a graduate of American University who studied Film and Theater. She is from Severna Park, MD. Some of Anna's favorite artistic expressions are acting and writing. Her hobbies include running and going to the movies.
Celeste Allanach
Celeste is a graduate of Towson University with a Bachelor's degree in Electronic Media and
Film. She is a lifelong Maryland resident with experience in film production, event production,
management, film and technology education, etc. She loves to tell stories that she's passionate about through her films and scripts. Celeste's hobbies include writing, painting, and reading.
Board of Advisors, Member
Sam Smith
Gloriann Schaefer
Jordan Fischetti
Alejandra Mathies
Ndyia Boissiere
Anna Kabis
Willie is a capable filmmaker and producer. Willie has experience both in front of and behind the camera. He is currently working on a documentary about the history of basketball in his beloved Puerto Rico and has been screening his award-winning short film Hael for over a year. Willie helps maintain a cohesive community and is involved with communication. He also helps with any other need we may have.
Wilfredo “Willie” Padin
Video Producer
Ian is a Video Editor and Motion Graphics artist. He has edited internationally distributed series, music videos, and short-form digital content for companies such as MTV and Amazon Prime. Ian’s talents also include formatting videos, compressing them, and answering technical video questions that come up.