152: Filmmakers of Being Michelle (Documentary)

https://www.beingmichelle.com/  Tickets to see the film: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/347265007987 Saturday July 9th, 3pm Redwood City, Ca.  https://www.instagram.com/beingmichellefilm/ Atin Mehra (Director/Producer/Director of Photography) is an award winning filmmaker who was born and raised in Varanasi, India and currently resides with his family in Los Angeles, CA. In 1999 Atin picked up his first camera and began taking photographs. Atin's uncanny ability to connect with individuals from behind the lens eventually led him into filmmaking. His own personal struggles with abuse and discrimination in India drew him to stories of underrepresented and marginalized individuals and communities. One of the first films he worked on was about female victims of dowry burnings -- a project he was forced to abandon when he started receiving death threats. In 2002, Atin directed and shot his first short film, MITTI KE JIVAN (THE CYCLE OF CLAY) about a potter from the Kumhar caste. Atin lived and worked in India until 2005, when he moved to the United States with his wife, Mae Thornton Mehra. In 2007 he started his own production company, Orange Kite Productions. Atin and Mae are Co-directing another feature documentary film, HER SONG which has been in production since 2009. Additionally they are in production on SEIZE THE DAY.  BEING MICHELLE is Atin’s directorial debut which won the Audience Award for Best Feature Documentary at Florida Film Festival. https://www.instagram.com/beingmichellefilm/ Mae Thornton Mehra (Producer) is an oral historian and filmmaker who earned her MA in Islamic Studies at Columbia University in New York City in 2008. Mae has collaborated with her husband and filmmaker, Atin Mehra on documentary film and other media projects at Orange Kite Productions since its inception in 2007. In 2020, Mae and Atin co-founded the nonprofit Thriving Roots Initiative to further their work of social impact documentary filmmaking.  Dr. Mei Kennedy (Social Impact Advisor) has firsthand experience navigating the justice system supporting her Deaf father, who was incarcerated for seven and half years. Dr. Kennedy obtained her doctorate degree in Instructional Design for Online Learning from Capella University and provides strategic consulting services on integrating technology in support of improving the learning experience for Deaf students In addition to her background in Instructional Design, she fosters enhancement in communication accessibility with years of experience in remote realtime transcription services. Dr. Kennedy also serves on the board of Telecommunications for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Inc (TDI) and Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). She currently resides in Austin, Texas with her husband and two boys. She is a parent, and an advocate of a hearing son with autism. Genaere Lowery (ASL Interpreter) Is a nationally certified ASL interpreter, and has been interpreting professionally for over 13 years. Both of her parents are Deaf, making ASL her first language. Along with working in a variety of settings (including mental health, technological, and legal) she is also serving on the board of the Florida Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (FRID). https://www.eventbrite.com/e/347265007987 Podcast edited by Barnell Amos of Speak Media Services  https://www.speakmediaservices.com/