Zack Bornstein
I know him as Uncle Nathan. As my Nana’s stoic, kind-eyed brother-in-law, whose name was sewn into the lining of my Bar Mitzvah suit. But to Colonel Mendel Marshak, the Soviet overseer of defeated Germany, Nathan Freisinger is the only tailor in East Berlin fit to fashion his leather jacket. And the suit maker Stalin […]
Emil Stern & Sigmund Stern
Brothers Emil and Sigmund Stern, originally from Sydney, Australia, have established themselves as accomplished writers across different media, with both individual achievements and collaborative projects. Emil’s screenwriting credits include the thriller LIFE BEFORE HER EYES (directed by Vadim Perelman, starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood), which was based on his Black List script IN BLOOM, and TENDERNESS (directed by John Polson, starring Russell Crowe). Sigmund Stern has built his reputation as a longtime contributor to renowned satirical publications The Onion and McSweeneys. Together, they were co-creators of comedy noir audio series KING OF THE EGG CREAM with Justin Bartha, starring Richard Kind, Michael Stuhlbarg and Melanie Lynskey, among many others. Emil has also written for Tablet, Jewish Review of Books, and the Washington Post.
Jessie Kahnweiler
Jessie’s films have been featured everywhere from the New York Times to
the Cannes Film Festival. Jessie wrote, directed, and starred in ‘The Skinny’, a dark
comedic series based on her 10-year relationship with bulimia. ‘The Skinny’ was
produced by Joey Soloway and Refinery29. It premiered at Sundance and won a
Webby for best series. Jessie also developed ‘Viagra Diaries’ for CW, ‘Bump’ for ABC,
and staffed on ‘Skam AUSTIN’ for Facebook Watch. Fox commissioned Jessie to write
and direct the comedic thriller Retreat which premiered on Hulu in 2020. Jessie’s short
film, ‘He’s The One,’ premiered at Sundance and her series of the same name sold to
Topic Studios. She is an alumnus of the Sundance Labs, Six Points Fellowship, and the
Jewish Writer’s Initiative.
Currently, Jessie is directing a documentary about circumcision for Reboot Studios and
writing the verticals ‘Pregnant by the Boss’ and ‘Royally Screwed’ for Interactive Films.
IG: @jessie_kahnweiler
Doron Drew Feldman
Drew Feldman is a Jewish-American director and writer whose work spans network television, film, documentaries, animation, commercials, and music videos. His films have screened at over 20 festivals worldwide, including Pivot Pals (Best of Fest, Rochester; now on Omeleto) and Touch of Grey (Golden List 2021, co-written with Derek Weissbein).
On television, Drew has directed for REELZ (Murder Made Me Famous, Price of Fame, Johnny Cash: Road to Redemption) and Lifetime (#TextMeWhenYouGetHome), and served as showrunner for The Jewish Story on Unpacked.
For JWI, Drew developed Herzl, a movie-musical about Theodor Herzl–a failed playwright who, shocked by the Dreyfus Affair, abandons everything in a desperate bid to save his people. Scorned by the elite and risking it all, he stages the First Zionist Congress, changing Jewish history forever
Drew’s background includes acting Off-Broadway, touring nationally, and directing theater in the US and Israel. He is a Drama League Fellow and a graduate of Oklahoma City University and the National Theater Institute.
Adam Epstein
Agnostic Jewish American private investigator Allen Sobel is sent to Israel by a rabbi to find the true Messiah that he thinks is being held in a mental ward that treats individuals suffering from Jerusalem Syndrome, a psychological condition that afflicts people that go to the Holy City which causes them to believe that they […]
Brian Ash
Bronx raised and Yeshiva educated, Brian Ash is a producer and writer specializing in adult animation, comic books and feature films. Brian’s TV credits include Adult Swim’s “The Boondocks”, “Black Dynamite”, “The Jellies” and “Lazor Wulf”. He is the co-creator of the “Alef Blessed” collectible card game.
Marina Michelson
Marina Michelson is a writer, director, and actor originally from Tel Aviv, born to Soviet émigrés from the Republics of Georgia and Moldova. Her work explores identity and power through the everyday lives of women, as well as the rhythms of the contemporary immigrant experience. She holds a BFA in Theater from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and her short films have been recognized on the film festival circuit, including “Stagiaire,” which premiered at the 2021 Maryland Film Festival and “Biophilia,” which garnered the Outstanding Achievement Award for Best Screenplay at the 2018 Brooklyn Film Festival. She is currently in development on her first feature film, a coming-of-age refusenik story set in 1970s Soviet Union, with which she was a Top 50 Nicholl Fellowship semi-finalist, a Humanitas New Voices Fellowship semi-finalist, a 2024 fellow with NYU’s Production Lab Development Studio, and a 2025 recipient of NYU’s Production Lab Financing Slate.
Danielle Dardashti
Danielle Dardashti returns to her roots with this project – revisiting her family’s story and getting back to broadcasting. She’s a former TV/radio reporter and Emmy-winning documentary writer/producer. Danielle now leads storytelling workshops and advises companies on story strategy. She’s a Moth StorySLAM champ and co-founder of Storyboom, a live storytelling show. Danielle and her husband are co-authors of the Jewish Family Fun Book series.
Sam Butin
Sam Butin is a storyteller working in games and XR. His past work includes the historical video game 1979 Revolution: Black Friday (BAFTA, SXSW, The Game Awards Nominee, Facebook Game of the Year), HERO (Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival Storyscapes Winner) and Fire Escape: An Interactive Narrative Series (NYFF, Tribeca, VIFF). He has developed original stories for partners including Google, Verizon, & The Brown Institute.
He is the founder of On The March, an independent game studio that opens windows for players to peer into untold history.
Omer Benjakob
Omer Benjakob is an investigative journalist with Haaretz in Israel. He covers disinformation and is focused on the intersection of technology and politics. He was born in New York, raised in Tel Aviv and is a research fellow at the LPI in Paris. He divides his time between these locations.