BEAH TRAVIS
Writer/Director
Beah Travis is a director and producer working across film, television, and advertising. Beah started their career working in film and television in New York City, primarily on the Emmy-award-winning series A Crime to Remember. In 2017, Beah began writing their feature film script Belladonna. The project recently completed a year-long development lab with the Chicago International Film Festival and was part of five projects that pitched at the festival's Industry Days.
Beah's 2020 short film Way Upstate premiered at the Wisconsin Film Festival and won best cinematography at the Midwest Film Awards. Beah's most recent short Ten is currently being submitted to festivals.
In 2022, Beah launched the Belladonna Film Project, a nonprofit focused on producing regional independent film projects and providing accessible arts experiences in the Midwest. The organization has been holding monthly filmmaker meet-ups, organizing screening events, and providing production support for a number of short films. Beah is currently based in Chicago and works as a Senior Post Producer at FCB.
You can learn more about their work on their website: beahtravis.com
JACKIE FILER
Producer
Jackie is a Producer in New York City and the owner of Small Victories Productions. She has been a Line Producer and Production Manager on numerous independent films and television series including ABC’s I, Witness and Viola Davis’ documentary series The Last Defense. She also worked as a Field Producer for Showtime’s The Circus. Her most recent projects have been producing the feature films, First One In starring Kat Foster and Sometime Other than Now starring Donal Logue and Kate Walsh.
J.J. BURKART
Producer
J.J. got his undergraduate Journalism degree from the University of Oregon where he produced and directed an Emmy-winning documentary film for Oregon Public Television. He spent three years as a reporter/announcer for public radio in Oregon and Alaska before returning to Wisconsin to start SilverWater Productions with locations in Plymouth and Milwaukee. For 15 years, JJ has been co-owner of SilverWater Productions and served as producer, director, editor, and voice talent on hundreds of productions for businesses and non-profits.
HANNAH KAISER
Associate Producer
Hannah grew up in Plymouth, Wisconsin and obtained a degree in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Hannah is a marketing professional in Sheboygan, Wisconsin with an established background in project management and event planning. She is excited to bring her talents to the Belladonna Film Project for both her passion for the arts and her support of the community.
JUSTIN NEWHOUSE
Director of Photography
Justin started working on a film set when he was nineteen years old where his job in the camera department was to load the 35 mm film. He is now a narrative cinematographer and Union 52 Electric member in New York City.
Justin has worked on feature films, television series, and commercials in New York City and Los Angeles since 2011. His credits include Hulu’s Ramy, the Academy Award Winning film If Beale Street Could Talk, and the HBOMax Original Series Love Life.
Justin won Best Cinematography at the Midwest Film Awards for his work on the short film Way Upstate. You can see examples of his work on his website www.justinnewhouse.com and his film credits on his IMDb page.
LISA FRIES
Costume Designer
Lisa is a New York based Costume Designer. Her credits as Costume Designer include the Emmy award winning A Crime To Remember and the new hit show I, Witness. Her Assistant CD credits include Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Zac Efron, John Malkovich, Lily Collins), HBO’s High Maintenance, Back in the Day (starring Alec Baldwin, Danny Glover) and Lucky N#mber (starring Method Man, Tom Pelphrey, Natalie Hall). In addition to film and television, Lisa has also done various commercial work including promos for Discovery and Spike TV.
She is also a wardrobe supervisor and trained tailor that has worked on various television productions including CBS’s Kevin Can Wait (starring Kevin James), NBC’s Believe (starring Kyle MacLachlan) and Cartoon Network’s The Heart She Holler (starring Patton Oswalt, Amy Sedaris, David Cross). Lisa previously worked as a costume designer and tailor in theatre and opera.