Community
Our Alumni represent a group of individuals leading the outdoor industry in filmmaking, creativity and activism. With a broad representation of interdisciplinary backgrounds our alumni frame a vast network of professionals that support one another and work together to develop each others opportunities and careers. We encourage you to follow, hire and listen to the values, passion and ideals of these individuals. They are ethically driven and firmly rooted in the desire to create powerful content that continually inspires change in our world today.
HAILEY ALLISON
Fellow: PRODUCER, AUTHOR
Hailey graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 2015 with a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and minor in Professional Writing. Always combining her love of nature and passion for writing, Hailey joined the Fellowship as a Producer to bring her background in environmental communication to the next level. She is currently a Senior Editor at a research institute.
Adam Benton
Mentor: Executive Producer
Adam is the co-founder of CCFF and is the current Executive Director of the program. As a mentor, Adam focuses his attention as the executive producer of each film. He also utilizes his experience in business development and marketing in both the private and non-profit sectors to help develop each fellows professional directives.
Sarah Berman
Fellow: Producer
As a producer, Sarah brings many valuable traits to a project that allow for a much easier workflow, a smoother timeline and she possesses a broad understanding of the many facets of a production. Her natural leadership is easy to work with and her calm demeanor, is backed by a master’s degree in Social Work at the University of Denver as well as earning a bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology from Duke University. She is an outdoor enthusiast and has worked in non-profit organizations in Latin America and the U.S. with college students, families and incarcerated individuals. This work has shown her the power of narrative as a tool for self-advocacy and community action.
Anna Wilder Burns
Fellow: Director, Editor, Cinematographer
Anna Burns is a Portland Maine native, Division 1 Athlete, and student at the University of New Hampshire, class of 2020, with a double degree in Journalism and Psychology and a minor in Kinesiology. A former high level gymnast, she competes as a diver at UNH. She combines her passions of storytelling and athletics to excellence as an outdoor cinematographer. She an incredibly talented camera operator, and takes every opportunity to try out new gear and is never afraid to get down and dirty. Anna can always be found adventuring with a camera in hand and enjoys hiking, surfing, running, and skiing.
Campbell Brown
Mentor: Director Of Photography
Campbell is a Sydney-based Cinematographer with experience in Commercials, Documentaries, TV Series, Short Films and Online Content. His work for Nike, Tourism Australia, Google and several Not-for Profits has taken him across Australia and around the world. He has a passion for capturing inspiring stories in diverse environments that together bring insight and understanding. Fresh perspectives, imaginative collaborations and shared successes are Campbell's chosen ambitions on the journey to becoming an acclaimed Cinematographer.
James Coleman
Fellow: Director
James is initially from Los Angeles, but now lives in Brooklyn, where he is pursuing a career as a filmmaker. As a graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts, James brings a wealth of theoretical and technical knowledge with his rich to set. With his work in narrative, music video, and documentary, he hopes to create stories that evoke film’s power to change perspectives and inspire joy.
Céline Cousteau
Mentor: Executive Producer
Céline is an accomplished documentary film director, producer, and presenter. She is an incredible mentor and activist for the world of film and the arts. She has been a guest designer for Swarovski, ambassador for The TreadRight Foundation, and Member of the World Economic Forum Council on Oceans. Céline sits on the advisory boards of The Himalayan Consensus and Marine Construction Technologies. Her current focus is her latest film and impact campaign “Tribes on the Edge”.
Shelley Davis
Fellow: Editor
Shelley is a recent graduate of The Art Institute of Chicago with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Studio with a focus in Film, Sound Design and Animation. She specializes in post production editing, sound design, storytelling, photography, screenwriting and motion graphics. Outside of production, she enjoys hiking, traveling, running, swimming, and advocating for climate change and the protection of biodiversity.
Stefan Hunt
Mentor: Director, Editor
Stefan is an incredible filmmaker and creative. Often narrating through the eyes of a child, his films and illustrations are naive yet poignant and a reminder that we were all once children. He has gone on to collaborate with the biggest global brands, directing multi award winning documentaries, commercials, music videos and TV series. And through it all there is always one sentiment: To inspire change through creativity.
Nicole JOhal
Fellow: Editor
Nicole is a change-seeking creative and filmmaker with a background in post-production, film production, and story development. She has a well developed experience in scripted narrative, music video, and documentary short films. She hopes to create visual content that moves and inspires a greater social and environmental consciousness. Nicole is a Southern California-native and recent graduate from UC Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies.
Cailie Kafura
Fellow: Producer
Cailie is a producer, activist, advocate, and lover of the environment and people of the world. Her travels and life experiences have shaped her passions and desire to protect our world for future generations to experience. She is currently focusing her time and attention producing impact driven documentary films and organizing grassroots campaigns to ensure our world is a much better place. She also hopes to become a tree in her future life.
NICOLE LAUGHLIN
Fellow: Director, Editor
Nicole is a freelance filmmaker with projects ranging from commercial work to environmental and social documentaries. She is a graduate from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a degree in environmental science.
Isaac Lowe
Fellow: Illustrator
Montana-native Isaac Lowe-Anker grew up with the Rockies in his backyard, raised in a family that instilled an appreciation for both the outdoors and art at an early age. Isaac currently goes to school in northwest Washington State, where is continues to hone his craft as an illustrator.
Max Lowe
Mentor: Director
Known for his ability to depict human stories in the most untouched reaches of the world, Max Lowe excels at capturing captivating story through his search for adventure and narratives unheard. From his home in the mountains of Montana to now countless countries, landscapes and cultures across the globe, max has been witness to stories spanning the gap of human experience. It was from his travels and the experiences therein that stemmed his drive to begin his career as a storyteller, capturing the world around him via motion and still photography.
Clayton Mason
Mentor: Director Of Photography
Clay Mason is a Los Angeles based director of photography focused in Documentary and Commercial cinematography. His role with CCFF has been greatly valued as a leader in our education and fellow development curriculum, stemming from clays formal education background and teaching experience at Northwestern University.
Jenny Nichols
Mentor: Director
Harnessing the power of visual media to tell stories, Jenny works to create films that will act as tipping points in conservation campaigns. Jenny thrives on multidisciplinary projects and continues to collaborate with a dedicated community of photojournalists, filmmakers, writers, illustrators, scientists and conservation organizations.
Tommy Penick
Mentor: COmmercial Photographer & FIlmmaker
Tommy is an incredible filmmaker, creative and activist. He is a seasoned professional and still brings excitement and newness to every project he works on. As a mentor, Tommy worked as our “Professor” role, working with our fellows on a wide range of topics and ensuring that their abilities and understanding of the filmmaking process were on solid footing before progressing to the next phase of the program. Tommy currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina, however, spends most of his year filming for some of the largest brands in the world.
ALICIA RUBIO
Fellow: EDITOR, Assistant Director
Alicia is currently an English and Film and Media Studies student at UC Santa Barbara set to graduate in the spring of 2017. Her role within the Fellowship involved production and post production aspects alongside Stefan Hunt and Campbell Brown. With an interest in storytelling as a whole, cinematography and editing was her key focuses. She hopes to spend time traveling while developing her filmmaking capabilities and style along the way.
Amanda Sosnowski
Fellow: Director Of Photography
Amanda is a filmmaker with a background as a Marine Biologist. She completed her MSc at the University of South Florida. As an artist with a creative vision and clear voice she sees a unique need to merging her two passions of filmmaking and exploring natural environments. Amanda is a freelance videographer and photographer, specializing in documentary work and continues to gain insight into what makes a great story and how to capture moments that foster a profound connection. Amanda has an incredible eye for bringing vision to life and is such a caring soul to have on set!
Simone Staff
Fellow: Director, CINEMATOGRAPHER
Simone is a senior at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She has spend her whole life growing up in and around the ocean: surfing, sailing and exploring the seas. There hasn't been a time that she doesn't remember having a camera in her hand to document and remember those fleeting moments that pass us by. She always pushes herself to better her camera skills and become a better documentary filmmaker and photographer. This is her passion.
Emma Stehli
Fellow: Director, Cinematographer
Emma Stehli was born and raised in the sweet small-city that is Portland, Maine. She grew up around photography and film from an early age. As the daughter of a free-lance photographer, Emma fostered an early passion for visual storytelling. This interest led her out West, where she now pursues Film and Media at UC Santa Barbara. With an emphasis in cinematography, Emma has continued to learn and further her craft both through her courses and directing and filming in the field.
Matthew Vanatta
Mentor: Producer
Matthew’s background is steep in both the creative agency and editorial world with an expertise in culture and niche lifestyle markets. Through innovative storytelling, user experience, informed copy, and creative direction he helps brands tell their story and build brand loyalty. Matthew continues to expand his editorial and commercial projects while also currently working on a number of personal projects including a creative zine, screenplay, and producing independent films.
Gabriel “Gabby” Vasquez-Billin
Fellow: PRODUCER
Gabby is a very talented producer and filmmaker and his talents are backed by an associate's degree in Media Arts & Technology as well as a bachelor's degrees in both Film Production and Critical Film Studies at Keene State College. With a focus on environmental advocacy, Gabby aims his time and lens to educate people about the world they live in and how to preserve it. He is currently creating documentary content for @nature_org. Off the production scene, Gabby can be found kayaking, fencing, cooking, or foraging for edible plants. Gabby is full of wisdom and is a powerful asset with his contagious smile and caring spirit!
SIOBHÁN WETZEL
Fellow: PRODUCER, ASSISTANT EDITOR
Siobhán is a recent UCSB graduate with a bachelor's degree in English with a specialization in Literature and the Environment. With a strong passion for storytelling, she began her professional journey with UCSB's Blue Horizons documentary filmmaking program. She believes helping a story come to life on screen is one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences in the world. She is passionate about preserving our world natural beauty, and believes we should all do our part.
Thomas Woodson
Mentor: Director Of Photography
Thomas Woodson is a Boulder, Colorado based commercial photographer and filmmaker passionate about human powered adventures. Continuing on the principals that led Thomas to co-found a successful design studio, he applies a formal arts background to all aspects of his process. His work has overlapped with his love of the mountains and excitement for new experiences. Thomas holds current Wilderness First Responder and Avalanche Professional 1 certifications and is capable of expedition based work. Proficiency in ski touring, climbing and bikepacking enable self-sufficient backcountry productions.