Artist Biographies

Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Director and Writer of A SCREAMING MAN

Mahamat-Saleh Haroun was born in 1960 in Abéché, Chad. He studied cinema in Paris and journalism in Bordeaux. After writing for several years for many regional dailies, he directed his first short film, Maral Tanié, in 1994. In 1999, his first feature, Bye-Bye Africa, was nominated at the Venice Film Festival and was awarded the Best First Film Prize. He then made Abouna/Our Father, Daratt/Dry Season (Special Jury Award, Venice 2006), and Sex, Okra and Salted Butter. His most recent filmA Screaming Man, was nominated for the Palme d’Or Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010—the first film by a Chadian director to screen in official competition at the festival. The film won the Grand Jury Prize.

Cambria Matlow

Co-Director of BURNING IN THE SUN

In 2005, Cambria Matlow co-founded Birdgirl Productions, an independent media production company, whose projects include the award-winning documentary film Burning In the Sun, which Cambria co-directed and co-produced. As an official selection in over 20 international film festivals including the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the New York African Film Festival, FICMA Barcelona, Woods Hole Film Festival and Rooftop Films, Burning in the Sun was a recipient of the Grand Jury Prize for Best EarthVision Environmental Film at the Santa Cruz Film Festival and the Audience Award for Best Environmental Film at the Indie Spirit Film Festival. Burning in the Sun is distributed worldwide by Al Jazeera and in the U.S. by the National Black Programming Consortium.

In addition to her own material as a film producer, Cambria has also worked in development and production with social issue media organization Arts Engine on the documentary feature films Nicaragua Dreaming and Pushing the Elephant. As a film distributor, Cambria worked for two years with Film Movement, where in her role as manager of non-theatrical programming she led nationwide distribution and outreach efforts for international and American independent films, including notable award winners Munyurangabo, Lake Tahoe, and Alamar.

Cambria holds a Certificate in Film Production from Burlington College in Vermont and a B.A. in Hispanic Studies from Columbia University. She has driven across the United States six times, lived in Spain and New Zealand, and traveled abroad extensively, including time spent in Morocco, Singapore, Central America, Mexico, and Eastern Europe. Originally from Los Angeles, Cambria spent over a decade living on the East Coast before finally deciding to come back West. She now resides in Portland, Oregon.

Demetrius Wren

Director and Co-Producer of STREETBALL

Demetrius Wren began his artistic training at an early age at Davidson Fine Arts School in  Augusta, Georgia, where he received eight years of study in music, dance, drama and video. While in high school, Demetrius worked and volunteered for the Jewish Community Center in his hometown, working predominantly with special needs students. He gave saxophone lessons and tutored at local schools in Augusta.

Demetrius completed a dual studies degree in classical music and motion picture production at Florida State University before moving to New York. While in New York, he served as an assistant writer to Steven Sater for the Tony Award winning musical, Spring Awakening. He spent several months working closely with Robert Wilson at the Watermill Center and has written and directed his original play, Legends, Myths and Hieroglyphs, which will soon be turned into a feature film.

His original work centers around the stories of children and youth and, in particular, highlights the stories of often overlooked young people. He taught workshops at the Florida State University Graduate Acting Conservatory in Acting for the Camera for first and second year graduate students. Film highlights include the short film Of My God, charitable work for Nolashines.org and From Us With Love, as well as other music videos and art films.

Currently Demetrius is wrapping up his narrative feature film directoral debut with producing and writing partner, Christina Ghubril. Their film entitled Saudade? is currently in post production for a fall 2011 release.