2026 DCIFF Annual Forum Seminars & Workshops

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2026 DCIFF Annual Forum Seminars & Workshops

Grantsmanship & Film-Focused Foundations

    • Friday, February 13, 2:00 pm – 3:15 pm

    • Location: Arlo Hotel Studio A

How the grant-making world is currently working and ways in which you can think about your film that expands its grant opportunities.

There are thousands of grants out there and there are many more people applying for them. What should you apply for and how do you know if you have a chance? Find out how the grant-making world is currently working for the arts, funder priorities and the ways in which you can think about your film that expands grant opportunities. At the Grantsmanship & Film-Focused Foundations seminar you’ll learn what your responsibilites, if you win a grant award, really are. This will be a presentation followed by a case study and a discussion with participants about their needs.

*** Special opportunity: Attend both the Film Financing: Strategies for Independent Producers and the Grantsmanship & Film-Focused Foundations seminars, and get the chance to partake in a special one-time Grants & Finance Clinic. Sit down with experts Carole Bidault de L’Isle and Deirdre Evans-Pritchard to get a more personalized experience. The Clinic will be held on Friday, February 13th, from 5:30-6:30 pm at the Arlo Hotel.

Deirdre Evans-Pritchard is a professional grant writer working specializing in social justice, social services, environmental, arts and humanities fundraising who has raised over $ 2 million in the last two years. She has experience writing NEA, NEH and other arts and social grants. She has a PhD from UCLA and M.Phil from the University of Cambridge (UK). She publishes on cultural heritage and researches the social understanding of the screen. She is also the Executive Director of the DC Independent Film Festival.

Film Financing: Strategies for Independent Producers

    • Time: Friday, February 13, 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm

    • Location: Arlo Hotel Studio A

Join an established independent industry professional and investment expert for a candid discussion, advice, and information.

The 2026 DCIFF Film Financing: Strategies for Independent Producers seminar is an opportunity to get invaluable information from an industry professional who understands the playing field out there today, knows what it takes to make a movie, and is experienced in how to prepare for, solict and access funding. The seminar will explain how independent films get funded upfront through investment and tax credits, and will include questions from participants.

*** Special opportunity: Attend both the Film Financing: Strategies for Independent Producers and the Grantsmanship & Film-Focused Foundations seminars, and get the chance to partake in a special one-time Grants & Finance Clinic. Sit down with experts Carole Bidault de L’Isle and Deirdre Evans-Pritchard to get a more personalized experience. The Clinic will be held on Friday, February 13th, from 5:30-6:30 pm at the Arlo Hotel.

Carol Bidault de L’Isle is an award winning producer, specialized in international motion picture/television financing, distribution, media asset acquisitions and management (MediaFusion Entertainment, LLC). She brings with her over 30 years of industry experience in the United States, Europe and Latin America. She recently produced Cut Off (Brad Dourif, William Baldwin, Jean-Marc Barr) and Daliland (Ben Kingsley, Barbara Sukowa, Ezra Miller). Carol is also the founder of the DC Independent Film Festival.

Alex Stickle is the founder of Poiesis Capital Management, a multi-strategy hedge fund based in Manhattan and Washington, D.C., integrating macro, systematic, and special situations strategies. With a background spanning neuroscience, technology, and finance, he has founded multiple companies, worked as a proprietary trader, and partnered with a $1B systematic macro fund. Alex advises startups and research institutions, serves on the board of the DC Independent Film Festival, and lives in Manhattan with his fiancée Katherine.

Clinic for Grants & Financing Seminar Attendees

    • Time: Friday, February 13, 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm
    • Location: Arlo Hotel Studio A
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    • Register for the clinic at either the grants or financing seminars

Did you register for both the Film Financing: Strategies for Independent Producers and the Grantsmanship & Film-Focused Foundations seminars?

Now is your chance to participate in an informal clinic and have a one-on-one conversation with panelists Carole Bidault de L’Isle or Deirdre Evans-Pritchard. This special clinic provides filmmakers with the opportunity to ask specific questions about their projects in a more intimate setting.

Each registrant will have a 10-minute meeting time with either Carole or Deirdre, so capacity is limited to only six (6) slots per panelist to ensure meaningful interaction. You do not need to register here, as a sign-up sheet will be available to everyone 15 minutes before the Grants seminar, some come early!

Whether you’re confused about a particular grant application, need guidance on your film’s financing strategy, or want feedback on your approach, this session offers personalized advice and troubleshooting. Bring your questions about grant proposals, budgets, investor pitches, fiscal sponsorship, crowdfunding campaigns, or any other financing challenges you’re facing. This is your chance to get direct feedback from industry professionals who understand the financial realities of independent filmmaking. It’s a perfect time for filmmakers at any stage who need targeted guidance to move their projects forward.

Creating Compelling True Crime & Premiere of the New Hulu Series: The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story

    • Time: Friday, February 13, 6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

    • Location: Arlo Hotel Studio A & B

True crime has become one of the most popular documentary genres, but creating ethical, compelling content requires careful consideration and specific expertise. Join acclaimed documentary director and producers, Conor McCarthy and Patrick Rogers, for a special evening featuring a premiere screening of Episode 1 & 2 of their latest project, the upcoming Hulu series: The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story, followed by an in-depth discussion of the genre with them.

Drawing from extensive experience and current work, Conor and Patrick will explore: identifying stories with lasting impact beyond sensationalism, building trust with victims’ families and law enforcement, navigating legal considerations and privacy issues, balancing journalistic integrity with dramatic storytelling, working with archival materials and reenactments, and understanding what major platforms seek in true crime content.

This unique format offers both the experience of watching a master storyteller’s work and the opportunity to learn directly from her creative process. Whether you’re developing your first true crime project or expanding your documentary practice, this seminar provides essential insights from veteran producers actively working at the highest levels of the field.

When high school student Cassie Stoddart is found stabbed to death in a house on the outskirts of Pocatello, Idaho, the community is gripped by fear that a random killer is on the loose. Police retrace Cassie’s final hours and focus on three classmates who were the last people to see her alive. As the investigation narrows, detectives uncover a shocking buried videotape that reframes the case, raising the unthinkable question of whether 16-year-olds could have committed such a brutal crime. The Scream Murder: A True Teen Horror Story is a new three-part docuseries premiering Wednesday, Feb. 11, on Disney+ and Hulu.

Conor McCarthy is a director, writer, and producer with more than twenty years of experience creating premium documentary and true-crime programming for streaming and broadcast. He is currently a Co-Executive Producer on an upcoming three-part limited true-crime series for Hulu/ABC News Studios. He has served as writer and director on multiple seasons of Hulu’s Wild Crime. His credits include co-producing Netflix’s I Just Killed My Dad, supervising post-production on Discovery’s The Dirt and Undercover Underage, and showrunning Investigation Discovery series Relatively Evil and Dead of Night. McCarthy’s work spans major networks, including Discovery, National Geographic, History Channel, TLC, and A&E, with projects that range from active investigations to character-driven documentary storytelling.

Patrick Rogers has written, produced and directed True Crime documentaries for the past 23 years for streamers such as Netflix, Hulu and Peacock and cable channels such as Investigation Discovery and A&E. In 2024 Rogers was nominated for an Emmy as Co-Executive Producer for “Amber, The Girl Behind the Alert, ” in the Outstanding Crime and Justice Documentary category. Rogers has also written and produced for National Geographic, Discovery Channel and Travel Channel. Prior to making documentaries, Rogers was a print and television reporter and spent five years covering the White House.

Lights, Camera… SOUND! A Kids Fun-with-Foley Workshop

    • Time: Saturday, February 14, 10:00 am – 11:45 am

    • Location: MLK Library

Get ready to explore the magic of creating sound effects in movies at our workshop – it’s going to be a blast! Ever wondered how movies get all their cool sound effects? In this hands-on, family-friendly workshop, kids will discover the the magical art of Foley—the craft of creating sound effects that bring films to life!

We’ll start with a fun, 15-minute introduction to what Foley is and how sound designers use simple, often household objects to create footsteps, punches, rustling clothes, and more. Then it’s time to get creative!

Using a “punch and roll” recording style, we’ll move around the room so each child gets a chance to contribute different sound effects—whether it’s footsteps, door slams, or silly surprises. In the final moments of the workshop, we’ll project the finished scene onto the big screen so kids can watch (and hear!) their own sound work synced perfectly to the film.

The Lights, Camera… SOUND! A Kids Fun-with-Foley Workshop is a FREE event is perfect for young film enthusiasts, curious minds, and budding sound designers—and a great way for families to learn, laugh, and make movie magic together.

Suggested Ages: 6–12. Children must be accompanied by a guardian for the event.

Women Behind the Lens: Directing, Cinematography & Craft

    • Time: Saturday, February 14, 12:00 pm – 1:15 pm

    • Location: German-American Museum

Join three extraordinary filmmakers—who just happen to be women, too. The 2026 DCIFF Women Behind the Lens: Directing, Cinematography & Craft seminar will explore the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of women working in key creative roles in documentary and narrative filmmaking. Topics include breaking into directing and cinematography, building a sustainable career, navigating industry dynamics, and supporting the next generation of women filmmakers.

Karen Day is a director and producer of films tackling a wide range of social justice topics, from behind the scenes stories about striving opera singers to grassroots initiatives to end childhood malnutrition with Harvard students, to the historic internment of the Japanese Americans during World War II. One commonality of Day’s films is they all focus on the determination and resilience of the human spirit. Her films are currently distributed by Women Make Movies and have been acquired by more than 100 international universities in women’s studies, health care, and social justice curriculum. A former warzone journalist for NBC, CNN and BBC, she currently resides in Boise and is the publisher of IdaHome Magazines. Day is also the winner of the Governor’s Award for the Idaho Arts for her filmmaking. 

Kimberly Skyrme is a producer, director, and CSA casting director whose cinematic storytelling has shaped film and television for more than three decades. She began her career in casting, an artistic home where intuition meets performance, and quickly discovered that actors were her medium and the screen her canvas. Her early work under acclaimed Hollywood directors and producers on The Pelican Brief, Deep Impact, True Lies, Random Hearts, and Beloved set a high bar that continues to guide every project she casts, produces, and directs. These formative experiences sharpened her eye for talent, strengthened her storytelling instincts, and established the professional rigor that has become her signature. Known for her distinctive casting sensibilities and resourceful producing style, Kimberly has contributed to standout projects including The Girlfriend Experience (STARZ) and House of Cards (Netflix), where her ability to identify, elevate, and champion exceptional performers helped shape the tone and impact of each series.

Sheila Smith is an award‑winning Director of Photography whose work spans the globe and the full spectrum of visual storytelling. Trained by Steadicam inventor Garrett Brown, she brings a rare combination of technical mastery, artistic intuition, and physical craft to every project. Her background includes documentaries, television series, commercials, independent features, PSAs, political campaigns, dance films, and music projects. Sheila’s clients include BBC, PBS, NBC, ABC, Lifetime, and a wide range of production companies and agencies who rely on her discerning eye and calm, collaborative presence. She is known for her sophisticated lighting, her instinct for story, and her ability to create images that feel both cinematic and deeply human.

The Business of Filmmaking with Kirk Wolfinger

    • Time: Saturday, February 14, 1:30 pm – 2:45 pm

    • Location: German-American Museum

From freelancer to founder: Emmy winner Kirk Wolfinger breaks down how to build a documentary production company that actually lasts.

Many filmmakers dream of building their own production companies, but the path from freelancer to sustainable business owner is challenging. Emmy Award-winning producer Kirk Wolfinger, co-founder of Lone Wolf Media, shares hard-won lessons from decades of building and running a successful documentary production company. Topics include developing a viable business model in the documentary space, managing cash flow, budgets, and multiple projects simultaneously, building and maintaining relationships with networks, broadcasters, and funders, hiring, training, and retaining talented teams, diversifying revenue streams and adapting to industry changes, balancing creative vision with business realities, and scaling from solo filmmaker to company owner. This masterclass is essential for filmmakers ready to take the next step in their careers and build production companies that can weather industry disruptions and sustain long-term success.

Kirk Wolfinger is an Emmy and Peabody Award winning filmmaker who has been making films since 1985, producing and directing numerous critically acclaimed television specials and series broadcast nationally and internationally on major networks, streamers and cable outlets. His forte is adventure and science programming, having produced over 30 hours of PBS NOVA specials on topics ranging from biological weapons to lost Nazi U-boats to climate change in Antarctica, working with Nobel Laureates and world-renowned explorers, including Dr. Robert Ballard. Since 2020 he has Executive Produced three seasons of Paramount Plus’s America’s Hidden Stories and two seasons of History Channel’s Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters, and recently produced Holocaust Escape Tunnel (NOVA’s 2017 most-watched show), USS Indianapolis: Final Chapter for PBS, and co-directed the independent documentary Resistance: They Fought Back. Notable past work includes executive producing 35 episodes of History Channel’s Deep Sea Detectives, the limited series D-Day in HD, and the 90-minute independent feature documentary The Rivals (Best Picture, Phoenix Film Festival). Kirk and his Lone Wolf team won a national Emmy for their NOVA/New York Times production Bioterror and founded Lone Wolf Media in 1997 with Lisa Wolfinger, nurturing the film careers of dozens of young producers, directors, editors, and cinematographers.

Demystifying Distribution: A Masterclass with Sana Soni

    • Time: Saturday, February 14, 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm

    • Location: German-American Museum

    • Tickets: Eventbrite

Independent film distribution is changing at a rapid pace. How do you keep up? Join Sana Soni for a conversation around the most updated models of distribution for indie films. We’ll discuss theatrical windows, digital home entertainment, leveraging audiences, and other tools at filmmakers’ disposal that allow them to make the most of their finished features and shorts.

Sana Soni is a sales and distribution executive specializing in independent film, currently heading up sales for Giant Pictures/Drafthouse Films/Tribeca Films. She has an extensive background in film and TV distribution from multiple studios and independents in Los Angeles, London, and New York, including Signature Entertainment, Discovery, Warner Bros, NBC Universal, and Screen Media Ventures. A UCLA graduate, she brings market expertise to features in development and those looking for distribution. Sana has spoken on a number of panels and is on the boards of several film organizations such as Film Durham and DC Independent Film Festival. She is also a BAFTA professional member.

Voice, Music & Motion: The Sound of Animation

    • Time: Saturday, February 14, 4:15 pm – 5:15 pm

    • Location: German-American Museum

Hear from one of the leading scholars on music in Japanese anime, and explore the complexity of sound for animation. Animation presents unique opportunities and challenges for sound design. Without location audio to work from, every sound in an animated film must be created from scratch—from character voices to environmental ambience to the subtle sounds that bring impossible worlds to life. This seminar explores the art and craft of animation audio production, including voice casting and directing voice actors for animation, recording dialogue that matches animated performances, creating sound effects libraries specific to animation styles and aesthetics, using sound to enhance comedic timing and emotional beats, composing and integrating music that supports animated storytelling, and technical workflows for syncing audio to animation at various production stages. Whether you’re an animator looking to better understand sound or a sound artist interested in animation work, this session reveals how audio professionals craft the sonic landscapes that make animated films unforgettable.

Dr. Rose Bridges, a native of Detroit, MI, is a musicologist whose research focuses on film music and sound, popular music studies, opera and Japanese music, and is one of the leading scholars on music in Japanese anime. She is the author of the book 33 1/3 Japan: Yoko Kanno’s Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack (Bloomsbury Press, 2017) and has published articles or chapters on anime music in the journal Mechademia (University of Minnesota Press, 2021), the book The Palgrave Handbook of Music and Sound in Japanese Animation (2024), and the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Music in Television and Routledge Companion to LGBTQ+ Media. She was also a longtime anime critic for Anime News Network, the most-read English-language news site on Japanese popular media, and she has discussed anime and music on numerous podcasts and an online panel for the Japan Society NYC. Dr. Bridges previously taught music history courses on the Western classical tradition, popular music, film music, and contemporary Japanese music at UT-Austin, the University of Florida, Towson University, and Eastern Washington University, and has presented on these topics at a variety of national and international conferences.

Jamie McGonnigal has been a voice actor for over 25 years and is known for his roles as Ash’s main rivals, Barry and Trip on Pokémon. He has also been heard on Yu-Gi-Oh! GX & 5Ds (Brron, Thunder, Blitz),  Winx Club: The Magic (Damien), Viva Pinata (Teddington Twingersnaps), Chaotic (Vlar), Weiss Kreus/Knight Hunters (Omi), Magic Users Club (Takeo), Kirby (Whippy), Big Windup (Kanou), Beck (Yoshito), El Cazador de la Bruja (L.A.), Kizuna (Ranmaru), and games including Shadow Hearts from the New World (Johnny Garland) and Viva Pinata. His voice has been heard on the Cartoon Network, Fox Kids, DisneyXD, Playstation, and XBOX.

Nich Esposito is a writer, director, and producer whose work spans award-winning comedy, animation, and interactive series, including the Audience Award–winning Vocabulary of the Mysteries and the multi-award-winning short film speaking., which screened at festivals worldwide and the TCL Chinese Theatre. His animated short A Street Dog Named Desire earned Audience Choice at LA Lift-Off and serves as the proof of concept for his adult animated series City Don’t Sleep, now launching its festival run at the DC Independent Film Festival

Augustin Kaci is a Paris-based French musician and composer. Born and raised in Paris, he began his musical training at a young age at the Francis Poulenc Conservatory, where he studied music theory, violin, choir, and performed as part of the conservatory orchestra. Since 2012, he has developed an electronic music project under the name Asertime, releasing music independently and on international labels, including an American indie electronic label. His work has led him to perform as a DJ, produce records, and release his first independent album Missing in 2018. Alongside his artist career, Augustin Kaci composes music for film, television, fashion, and live performances. In recent years, he has focused increasingly on original scores for independent cinema, while continuing to release electronic music and perform live. He is currently involved in several upcoming projects as both a composer and recording artist. For the DCIFF Annual Forum, Augustin worked on the original soundtrack of “Halmeoni” directed by Lenny Marechal.

Verticals, Verticals, Verticals: Filmmaking in a Mobile-First World

    • Time: Sunday, February 15, 10 am – 11 am

    • Location: Apple Store / Carnegie

Think vertical: how to tell powerful stories in 9:16—and reach today’s audiences where they actually watch. In partnership with Apple Carnegie Library, Verticals, Verticals, Verticals: Filmmaking in a Mobile-First World explores the rise of vertical video content and mobile filmmaking in the modern media landscape. As social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts dominate content consumption, filmmakers must adapt their storytelling techniques for the 9:16 format. Learn about composition strategies specific to vertical framing, how to create compelling narratives within vertical constraints, best practices for shooting on iPhone and mobile devices, and distribution strategies for vertical content. Whether you’re a content creator, documentary filmmaker, or narrative storyteller, understanding vertical video is essential for reaching today’s audiences. Join us for this special verticals on iPhone seminar specifically tailored to DCIFF filmmakers.

This is a FREE seminar.

*** DCIFF Filmmakers — Register for the 1-hour, hands-on verticals workshop immediately following this seminar. ***

Casting: A Creative Force in Filmmaking That Makes or Breaks the Story!

    • Time: Sunday, February 15, 12:30 pm – 1:45 pm

    • Location: German-American Museum

Casting is one of the most powerful creative forces in filmmaking, yet it’s often the least understood. In this dynamic session, CSA Casting Director Kimberly Skyrme pulls back the curtain on how actors are discovered, evaluated, and ultimately chosen for roles in collaboration with Directors and Producers.

With a focus on the Washington, DC region’s vibrant talent pool, this program explores what makes an actor stand out, how casting decisions shape story, and how filmmakers can better collaborate with casting professionals to elevate their work.

Whether you’re an actor, director, producer, or film enthusiast, candid conversation, practical insights, and an Interactive Q & A, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the casting process from both sides of “the table.” This session offers a rare inside look at the art, strategy, and intuition behind great casting.

Kimberly Skyrme is a producer, director, and CSA casting director whose cinematic storytelling has shaped film and television for more than three decades. She began her career in casting, an artistic home where intuition meets performance, and quickly discovered that actors were her medium and the screen her canvas. Her early work under acclaimed Hollywood directors and producers on The Pelican Brief, Deep Impact, True Lies, Random Hearts, and Beloved set a high bar that continues to guide every project she casts, produces, and directs. These formative experiences sharpened her eye for talent, strengthened her storytelling instincts, and established the professional rigor that has become her signature. Known for her distinctive casting sensibilities and resourceful producing style, Kimberly has contributed to standout projects including The Girlfriend Experience (STARZ) and House of Cards (Netflix), where her ability to identify, elevate, and champion exceptional performers helped shape the tone and impact of each series.

The Invisible Half: Challenges in Sound Production for Film by Heidi Gerber-Salins

    • Time: Sunday, February 15, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm

    • Location: German-American Museum

Great sound can make a film unforgettable—bad audio can hold an entire production back. This dynamic masterclass on The Invisible Half of Filmmaking: Challenges in Sound Production dives into the creative and technical realities of sound production, tackling the challenges filmmakers face from set to final mix. How do you get clean, compelling audio from actors? What are the on-set obstacles that sabotage sound before you even get to post? And when is ADR the right solution versus capturing crucial wild lines on location?

Explore how filmmakers can incorporate voice work, recording techniques, and storytelling through sound alone. We’ll break down narration styles, practical tips, and how to build a cohesive sound identity and vibe that supports truth, tone, and emotion.

Whether you’re working in narrative or documentary film, this masterclass offers essential insights to help your sound elevate your story instead of holding it back. Learn to turn raw sound into a polished cinematic experience!

Heidi Gerber-Salins has served as a communications educator as well as an audio engineer and producer for over 30 years, with her collaborative work contributing to nominations and awards of distinction in her field, including GRAMMY© award nominations, New York Festival Radio Awards, and a Helen Hayes Award. Her professional specialization is in acoustic audio engineering and production, with an emphasis on microphone theory, sound capture, and voice production. Ms. Gerber-Salins holds an M.A. in Communication from Johns Hopkins University, and is a published scholar and experienced writer. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Howard University, in Washington, DC.

Idit Dvir earned her MFA in Cinematography from the American Film Institute (AFI) in
Los Angeles, where she was the recipient of the 2005 Hollywood Foreign Press Association Scholarship. She interned under Kramer Morgenthau, ASC, on the blockbuster FRACTURE, where she met writer/director Glenn Gers, for whom she shot DISFIGURED. Her directorial debut short, CHERCHEZ LA FEMME, screened at deadCENTER and Clermont-Ferrand. Her scripts made Official Selection at fests such as Beverly Hills, Cinequest, Final Draft’s Big Break, Filmmakers’ International Screenwriting Awards, Austin, and Vail, to name a few. Idit is an Associate Professor at Howard University (DC), where she’s been teaching filmmaking and screenwriting since 2007. She volunteers with WOMEN IN MEDIA, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting inclusiveness and parity in the industry, and has served as head judge and story consultant for initiatives like CAMERAderie and The Altitude Awards.

Cinematic Worlds: Immersive Sound & Film

    • Time: Sunday, February 15, 3:45 pm – 5:00 pm

    • Location: German-American Museum

Dive into the future of cinema—three-dimensional sound. Immersive audio technologies like Dolby Atmos are transforming how filmmakers tell stories. Join Sandro Kereselidze from ARTECHOUSE and audio expert Cheryl Ottenritter from OTT House Audio for an exploration of spatial audio and immersive sound design. Topics include the technical foundations of immersive audio formats (Atmos, Auro-3D, DTS:X), creative possibilities: using height channels and object-based audio for storytelling, workflow considerations: monitoring, mixing, and quality control for immersive formats, accessibility of immersive sound for independent filmmakers, installation and experiential audio beyond traditional cinema, and the future of spatial audio in virtual reality, gaming, and emerging platforms. Whether you’re a sound professional ready to expand into immersive mixing or a filmmaker curious about next-generation audio, the Cinematic Worlds: Immersive Sound & Film seminar provides both inspiration and practical guidance for creating truly cinematic sonic experiences.

Sandro Kereselidze is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of ARTECHOUSE, an experiential, technology-driven art company producing groundbreaking 21st-century art experiences. His vision for redefining how art is experienced has positioned ARTECHOUSE as a pioneer in immersive and experiential art in the United States and internationally. Under Sandro’s creative direction, ARTECHOUSE has become a leading platform for prominent artists including Refik Anadol, Daito Manabe, fuse*, Zach Lieberman, NONOTAK, and Adrien M. & Claire B. Collaborating with these artists and its in-house production team, ARTECHOUSE has produced more than 22 major exhibitions, 10 live shows, and 130 AR experiences, attracting over 1.1 million visitors worldwide. These projects have been featured by outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, National Geographic, CNN, and The Washington Post. ARTECHOUSE has also built partnerships with organizations including the Society for Neuroscience, Pantone Color Institute, and the United Nations Foundation. Prior to ARTECHOUSE, Sandro co-founded Art Soiree in 2009, producing over 200 experiential arts events annually in Washington, DC and laying the groundwork for a permanent technology-focused art space. Since opening its first location in 2017, ARTECHOUSE has expanded to Washington, DC, New York City, and Miami Beach, as well as a mobile app, with Sandro continuing to pursue global expansion.

Cheryl Ottenritter, CAS, MPSE, is a Sound Designer and Re-Recording Mixer, Ott House Audio. Cheryl has over twenty years of audio post experience. With her love of music, she earned degrees in Jazz Studies and Theory & Composition at Auburn University. Since, she has been honored to mix in the most prestigious audio studios on both coasts, working on projects for PBS, National Geographic, Smithsonian Channel, and Discovery Channel. In 2006, Cheryl, with her business partner & husband John Ottenritter, launched Ott House Audio, now one of the premiere audio studios. Recent credits include the winning Laws of The Lizard, The River And The Wall and Hidden Pacific. Cheryl specializes in mixing for Dolby Atmos and has a niche specialty of mixing for installed immersive sound experiences. She considers innovation and creative collaboration the cornerstones of her craft. When not at her mix board, Cheryl is playing the piano or reading a book. She lives in Kensington, Maryland with her husband and two daughters.