DAVID FRANCE is an Oscar-nominated filmmaker, New York Times bestselling author, and award-winning investigative journalist. As a filmmaker, his directorial debut, HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE, received Academy and Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award. His 2017 film, THE DEATH & LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON, a Netflix Original Documentary, won numerous festival prizes and was awarded the Outfest “Freedom Award” and a special jury recognition from Sheffield International Documentary Festival. David premiered his third documentary, WELCOME TO CHECHNYA, at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the special jury award for documentary editing and received numerous awards, including BAFTA and Peabody. David’s latest film, HOW TO SURVIVE A PANDEMIC, premiered at the 2022 Thessaloniki Documentary Festival. The film won The Cinema for Peace Award on Global Health 2022 and an Emmy award for Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary.
PRODUCERS
ALICE HENTY is an award winning producer whose career started with the Oscar-winning ONE DAY IN SEPTEMBER [2000]. Most recently, she produced VICTIM/ SUSPECT with the Center for Investigative Reporting and Motto Pictures, which premiered at Sundance 2023 and is now streaming on Netflix and she is a Consulting Producer on QUEENDOM, which premiered at SXSW 2023 and won a Jury Prize at CPH:Dox. She was the lead producer on WELCOME TO CHECHNYA [HBO] with David France, which won prizes at Sundance, Berlinale and countless other festivals, before going on to win producing awards at DOC NYC and Cinema Eye as well as a BAFTA, Peabody and Grierson Awards. Prior to that she produced THE WORK [The Orchard/Topic], which won the Grand Jury prize at SXSW 2017, the Audience Award at Sheffield and was a Gotham Award nominee. Previous credits include SKYLADDER, HAPPY VALLEY, CITIZEN KOCH, BEWARE OF MR. BAKER, BUCK and THE TILLMAN STORY. She is currently producing a docuseries with A24 for HBO and continuing to develop projects with David France. She is a Sundance Creative Producing Fellow, an active member of the DPA and an Academy member [doc branch].
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON is a Tony Award winning actor, author, producer, and host known not only for his creative work but for his ongoing advocacy in the LGBTQIA+ community. His scripted podcast GAY PRIDE & PREJUDICE was released exclusively on Spotify in May 2022. This is a modern adaptation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from Spotify and Gimlet. When same sex marriage finally becomes legal, Bennet struggles to find belonging when his chosen family suddenly begins coupling off and settling down. Ferguson executive produced and lent his voice to the podcast. Ferguson also produced the documentary BROADWAY RISING under his A Kid Named Beckett Productions. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and tells the inspiring journey back to the stage and the toll of the pandemic on the Broadway community after a historic closure. Ferguson served as an executive producer on David France’s BAFTA-winning documentary, WELCOME TO CHECHNYA. A longstanding advocate for marriage equality and LGBTQIA+ rights, Ferguson co-founded Pronoun, previously known as Tie The Knot, in 2012 with his husband Justin Mikita. Since 2012, Tie The Knot has released a collection of products - in collaboration with some of their favorite fashion and design partners - inspired by their favorite art, fashion, and more – with all proceeds benefitting LGBTQ organizations and causes worldwide. In 2021, after years of progressive awakening in racial, gender and queer movements and beyond, and recognizing the inevitability of intersectionality necessary to equality’s progress, Pronoun was born. The organization has proudly raised over $1.5 million and has supported important and impactful LGBTQIA+ orgs across the nation.
JUSTIN MIKITA is a two-time Tony-award winning Producer and partner & co-founder of Hawkins Mikita, a social impact firm working to develop the intersection of celebrity influence and social good. Justin is a Producer of film, television and theater. Theater credits include the revival of TORCH SONG (2019 – Tony nominated Best Revival), OKLAHOMA! (2019 – Tony winner Best Revival) and The Inheritance (2020 – Tony winner Best Play). Additionally, Justin is Executive Producer of the Oscar Shortlisted documentary WELCOME TO CHECHNYA, which premiered at Sundance in 2020 to rave reviews. Justin produced the acclaimed scripted podcast series GAY PRIDE & PREJUDICE (Spotify 2022) and the feature film documentary BROADWAY RISING (Tribeca Film Festival) chronicling the reopening of Broadway out of the COVID-19 pandemic. Justin, with his husband Jesse Tyler Ferguson, is the co-founder of Tie The Knot – a nonprofit organization that sells limited-edition fashion accessories with celebrity guest designers and supports frontline LGBTQ organizations worldwide. Since its inception in 2012, Tie The Knot has raised over $1,000,000. In 2016, Justin created and led team Tie The Knot for the AIDS/LifeCycle ride; the team has returned every summer since and has raised over $50,000 for the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Prior to founding Hawkins Mikita, Justin served as the Development Director for the American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER). Justin worked on an intimate staff of seven to raise the funds necessary to support the Perry lawsuit, which restored marriage equality in the state of California by way of the United States Supreme Court. He helped to build a cohesive and robust social media strategy for AFER’s public education campaign by engaging and managing talent and influencers for social media amplification in the marriage equality movement on a national level. He worked with AFER through the Bostic case, which won marriage equality in Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Justin is an active volunteer with numerous community-based organizations and a passionate advocate for LGBTQ issues. He currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Human Rights Campaign - the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization. In 2014, Out Magazine named Justin on their annual list of Tastemakers; In 2016, Angeleno Magazine named Justin on their annual list of Modern Men; and in 2018, L.A. Confidential named Justin on their annual list of Portraits of Pride. Justin holds a BA from the University of California, Los Angeles and a J.D. from Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles.