Brigid Maher (Producer and Director)

Brigid Maher is a filmmaker, tenure-track assistant professor in the Film and Media Arts Division at American University, Washington D.C.   In 2005, she taught and worked in Lebanon as a Fulbright Senior Scholar. Her work often focuses on issues of cultural identity and discrimination. She has directed film and theater productions across the world and recently completed a film short, AWOL, shot on location in Lebanon and now touring the festival circuit. She wrote, directed and produced the feature film Adrift in the Heartland, shot in the West Bank and Chicago. Her films have screened at international film festivals throughout the United States.

Karen Bauer (Co-Producer and Writer)

Karen Bauer is a Research Associate at the Institute of Ismaili Studies, London. She recently received her PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University; her dissertation research focused on pre-modern interpretations of three verses of the Qur’an which have to do with women. She is currently working on turning her dissertation research into a book, which will incorporate interviews of clerics, which she conducted in Syria. She is also working on an anthology of translated Qur’anic verses to do with women, and commentaries on these verses, and is organizing a conference on theories of Qur’anic interpretation. Her experience of living in the Middle East has informed her research as well as gaining her fluency in Arabic.

Paul Oehlers (Music Composer)

Paul A. Oehlers is most recognized for his "extraordinarily evocative" film scores. (Variety) Films incorporating his music have screened at the Berlin International Film Festival, the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, the Indiefest Film Festival of Chicago, and the Hamptons International Film Festival. His compositions have been performed in the United States and abroad including performances at the Society for Electro-acoustic Music in the United States national conferences, the International Computer Music Conferences, the Gamper New Music Festival, the Seoul International Electro-acoustic Music Festival, the Institut für Neue Musik und Musikerziehung in Darmstadt, Germany, and the VII Annual Brazilian Electronic Music Festival, as well as a 1987 command performance for former United States President Ronald Reagan. Paul was named the Margaret Lee Crofts Fellow by the MacDowell Colony for the year 2006. He is currently Assistant Professor and director of the Audio Technology program at American University in Washington, DC.

Will Fortune (Sound Mixer for Sheikha Stories, Associate Preliminary Mixer for Veiled Voices)

 Will Fortune is a sound designer, sound editor, and re-recording mixer based in the Washington, DC area.  His soundtracks have been featured in documentaries screened at film festivals including the Coney Island Film Festival and the International Festival of Muslim Cinema.  Will graduated magna cum laude from American University where he studied Audio Technology and earned certification as a Digidesign Pro Tools Operator.  He developed his ear and techniques working in post-production houses in both DC and Hollywood, CA.  Currently, Will is the Assistant Studio Manager for the recording studios at American University and on the audio post-production team for the pilot TV show, “Hard To Be Me.”

Sarah Farhat (Assistant Editor, Translation, and
Research Assistant)

Sarah Farhat has been involved in filmmaking for the past six years. Several of her films have been broadcasted on regional Arab Television networks. She has worked as a freelance editor and cinematographer on many independent films and is currently finishing her first feature length documentary. Sarah holds her MFA in Film and Electronic Media from American University in Washington DC where she was awarded a Hall of Nations Fellowship.

 Samer Chehab (Co-Producer for Lebanon and Graphic Designer)

Samer Chehab created the branding and look for Veiled Voices and was also responsible for introducing Brigid Maher to Sheikha Ghina Hammoud. Born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, he's a self-taught graphic artist and has worked on experimental and commercial projects with several clients throughout the Middle East. He enjoys working with print and web media and lately has been trying to experiment with the fusion of oriental and minimalist design trends. He previously worked with Maher on the graphic design and as production designer for her film short A.W.O.L. When he's not globe-trotting by virtue of his daytime corporate job, he enjoys a strong cup of espresso in a foreign city with interesting company and daydreams about typography and other creative stimuli.

C.J. Walls (Web Design and Animation)

Charles "C.J." Walls graduated magna cum laude from School of Communication (SOC) at American University with a BA degree in film and media arts and a minor in graphic design. He was a recipient of two 2009 Visions Media Awards from SOC at American University in the New Media category. He also created a mfx opening for the annual "Make Your Media Matter" event by the Center for Social Media. C.J. was a student of Brigid Maher at American University and is pursuing a career in motion graphics and animation.

 Heather Ritchie (Educational Outreach)

Heather Ritchie is an education specialist who is pursuing a Master’s Degree in International Training and Education at American University. Heather has taught students of all ages from around the world in a variety of subjects. Through an extensive breadth of hands-on work, Heather has been able to provide in-depth knowledge of adult and youth learning processes and to utilize this knowledge in creating effective lessons, study guides and educational programs. Previous to Heather’s work in ESL education, she worked in a variety of communications and business development positions. The businesses included a school for children with disabilities, a teen crisis home, a video production company and an Opera company. Heather’s roles have consisted of producing, filming, scriptwriting, creating/designing sets, coordinating crews/casts, event management, volunteer and client management, counseling and fundraising. Heather has two degrees from Virginia Tech, one in Communications and the other in Theatre Arts.

Amanda Sweet (Publicist) 

Amanda Sweet has been a Marketing and Public Relations specialist for 12 years, with developed expertise in a variety of industries including arts and entertainment, food, and luxury goods. Now working independently as founder and president of Bucklesweet Media, based in Washington D.C., Sweet has held Directorial positions at such prestigious record labels as Telarc and Heads Up, both subsidiaries of Concord Music Group, and Atlantic Records and she was Director of Public Relations at Sylvie Bigar, IPR.  She has represented and collaborated with a diverse group of artists across all genres of music including Charlie Hunter, Maria Muldaur, Otis Taylor, Eric Bibb, Saxophone Summit, and Ann Hampton Callaway. With a unique specialty in classical music, Sweet has also achieved unusually prominent PR exposure for classical guitarist David Russell, mezzo soprano Susan Graham, Maestros Erich Kunzel and Paavo Järvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and Maestros Robert Spano and Donald Runnicles and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Her work has helped bring many of her artists the exposure necessary to win coveted Grammy® awards, including Gloria Cheng, Robert Spano/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Ying Quartet, Sharon Isbin, and current client Turtle Island Quartet (2x), just to name a few.  Recently she has begun working with filmmakers and individuals in the healing arts.

Kari Barber (Outreach Coordinator)

Originally from Oklahoma, Kari Barber has worked as a solo video journalist in West Africa covering stories from women in politics to ethnic conflicts in eastern Congo and human rights abuses in Equatorial Guinea.  She first became interested in international issues while interning at a newspaper in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.  Kari has reported for television, radio and print organizations including the Voice of America, Reuters news agency, Associated Press Television News and Marie Claire magazine.  Prior to going overseas she worked as a video journalist at the CBS affiliate in Little Rock, Ark.  She is currently pursuing an MA in film at American University and hopes to focus on documentaries about social issues and politics.

Rouane Itani (Outreach Consultant)

Rouane Itani is an international media producer and promoter of educational videos and documentaries. Under her Washington, DC-based company Aflama, LLC, Ms. Itani provides video production and language services to non-profit organizations, cable TV, small businesses and independent filmmakers. Fluent in Arabic and French, she is committed to social justice, human rights and gender issues, particularly in connection to the Arab world and the global South. Rouane organizes cultural events and judges’ film festivals, and serves on the board of Women in Film and Video. She holds a Master’s degree in Producing Film and Video from American University.