Who We Are
Powerful media for pressing issues.
We are passionate about visual storytelling that stimulates public dialogue & advocates for positive change.
Talking Eyes founders Julie Winokur and Ed Kashi teach regularly. If you can't make it to one of their live classes, you can check out their workshop, Making a Short Documentary, on CreativeLive.
The Team
Julie Winokur
Founder + Executive Director
Julie Winokur, Executive Director of Talking Eyes Media, has been a storyteller for over two decades, first as a magazine writer and then as a documentary filmmaker. She launched Talking Eyes in 2002 as a way to focus on creating visual media that catalyzes positive social change. Her work has appeared on PBS, the Documentary Channel, MediaStorm, National Geographic Magazine and Discovery online, as well as in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, and MSNBC.com. Beyond broadcast and publication, Winokur works extensively with nonprofit organizations to develop their messages and put Talking Eyes' films to work at the grassroots level. She has been a National Geographic Explorer and served on the faculty of Rutgers University-Newark and the International Center of Photography in New York.
ED KASHI
PHOTOGRAPHER
Ed Kashi is a photojournalist, filmmaker and educator dedicated to documenting the social and political issues that define our times. Ed is a member of VII Photo Agency, as well as a mentor, teacher and lecturer. He was named Multimedia Photographer of the Year by the Pictures of the Year International in 2014, and has won numerous awards from World Press Photo, UNICEF’s Photo of the Year 2010, a Prix Pictet 2010 Commission, and honors from Communication Arts and American Photography. Kashi’s images have been published and exhibited worldwide. He has published seven books, including Curse of the Black Gold: 50 Years of Oil in the Niger Delta and THREE. Kashi’s latest book Photojournalisms, is a compilation of journal writings to his wife, done over a nearly 20-year period, from various locations around the world.
RACHEL DENNIS
produceR
Rachel Dennis is a filmmaker, designer, and producer with a deep belief in the power of a great narrative. Her work has taken her all over the world in pursuit of stories about global poverty and human migration, and has appeared on National Geographic, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Guardian. Driven by her voracious appetite for podcasts, she is currently expanding her storytelling toolkit to include audio. Rachel is a 2012 graduate of the School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she worked on the award-winning Living Galapagos project.
CAT MCGRATH
PRODUCER
Cat McGrath is a producer and journalist with over a decade of experience crafting national stories about education for PBS and nonprofit organizations. Her work includes videos on the opioid epidemic, dyslexia, federal education grants, school leaders, music and the arts, as well as a full length PBS documentary about technology in the classroom. She’s passionate about telling stories with social relevance to viewers who are in a position to actualize change. Prior to her work in education, Cat produced for A&E, The History Channel, and KRON4 TV in S.F. where she got her start in film and video production.
Stephanie Khoury
Producer
Stephanie Khoury is a documentary editor and producer and was named a Karen Schmeer Diversity in the Edit Room Mentee for 2019. She began her career as a storyteller by documenting life through her drawings. Inspired by the courageous vulnerability of the people who let her into their lives, she now spends her time collecting and collaging moments into films. Stephanie recently edited Death Metal Grandma, which premiered at SXSW, was selected as a New York Times OpDoc, and screened at the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmakers Showcase at Cannes 2019. She was an Associate Producer on Kitty and Ellen, which screened at DocNYC. Stephanie graduated with a B.A. in Documentary Studies and Production and minors in Art and Environmental Studies from Ithaca College. She hopes to continue to create meaningful media that inspires empathy and understanding.
REILEY WOOTEN
Associate Producer
Reiley works as a freelance photographer, videographer and editor. Prior to pursuing a freelance career, she worked as a staff photographer at the Gillette News Record in Gillette, Wyo. Reiley graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010 with a degree in photojournalism and a double minor in chemistry and biology.
Michael Curry
Colorist + Digital Producer
Michael worked as Ed Kashi’s Retoucher/Digital Producer and Talking Eyes’ Colorist for seven years. His responsibilities included digital management of all photographs, color correction of video, photo / graphics coordination, photo calibration, printing, and assisting with all exhibition preparations and publication submissions. He continues to provide his imaging and technical expertise as a freelancer. Michael splits his time between the studio and his own pursuits in photography and art. He received a degree in Digital Arts from The College of New Jersey in 2005.
ASHLEY DAVISON
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST
Ashley was one of the early adapters who helped organizations across multiple industries successfully leverage digital marketing channels and analytics. She blends strategic thinking with tactical execution and hands-on experience creating content, messages, campaigns, and programs. By leveraging her background in digital marketing, video production, and social media, she is a digital marketing leader with a track record of building complete-solution marketing communications teams that turn existing marketing departments from ordinary to strategic.
Ashley holds a Master of Science (M.S.) in Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia from Quinnipiac and a Bachelor's Degree in Media Studies; Video Production from Rutgers-University-Newark.
Gareth Smit
visual journalist
Gareth was born in 1990 in Heidelberg, South Africa, he began his career as a freelance photographer and writer at Independent Newspapers in Cape Town. Smit has an honors graduate degree in Philosophy from The University of Cape Town and a certificate in Documentary Photography from the International Center of Photography. His images and writing have been published in various South African publications including The Cape Times, The Weekend Argus, The Star and The Cape Argus. Internationally, his photography and videography has appeared in the Associated Press Images wire, Internazionale Magazine, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and The New York Times.
Co-Conspirators
Nyier Abdou
Nyier is a video journalist, filmmaker and multimedia producer. A New Jersey native, she worked as a reporter based in the Middle East for more than six years before returning to the U.S. to join The Star-Ledger newspaper, where she moved from print to video journalism and went on to produce award-winning documentaries and news features with the paper. She now works freelance.
JESSEY DEARING
Jessey is a photographer, cinematographer and editor. He also works with audio and motion graphics, amongst his many other technical skills. In his spare time he is working on a documentary film, SPILLING OVER, which examines the human consequences of BP’s oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2011, he graduated from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in photojournalism.
KATHARINE GARRISON
Katharine gave up her promising career as a trapeze artist to become a filmmaker because of her desire to tell visual stories. She has produced and edited work for PBS, NBA Entertainment, IFC, AMC Networks, Sundance Channel, Oxygen, Bravo, Voom, Trio and We TV. Having worked in most genres, long form documentary film remains her one true love. Her work has been nominated for an Emmy Award, as well as won a Webby Award and a Filmmaker Magazine Award. She received an MFA degree from Columbia University Graduate Film School, and holds a BA from Oberlin College.
KATHLEEN HENDRY
Kathleen is a seasoned news producer and investigative journalist. Before joining the team at Talking Eyes, Kathleen worked at ABC NEWS for nearly twenty years, most recently as a Producer for ABC’s World News with David Muir and Associate Producer/Field Producer for ABC’s 20/20. Additionally, she has produced Emmy-award nominated news stories on Iraq and the 2004 tsunami, as well as a benchmark series on sexual assault in the military. She recently completed a three-part series on education reform that took viewers inside the Little Rock school system fifty years after integration and the halls of an innovative Boston charter school. Among her colleagues, Kathleen is known for her endless curiosity, for never giving up on a story and for her authoritative decision-making — except in restaurants, where she is incapable of deciding what to order.
CAROL DEVOE
Carol is a documentary filmmaker, multimedia producer + creative media specialist who designs video and web-based communication solutions for nonprofit and social justice organizations. Her story-driven approach to media production is evident in the TEM productions Inner Wounds of War, which aired on the History Channel, The Sandwich Generation II, a POY award-winner and Firestorm, nominated for a regional Emmy award, among others. Most recently DeVoe co-produced the PBS special Mariachi High, which is a featured program in PBS’ national anti-dropout campaign, American Graduate. She is also pursuing a Masters in Educational Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University.
ANNE FAUSTIN
Anne is a Strategic Development Consultant with over a decade of experience in strategic planning and development. As the Outreach Producer for Bring It to The Table she identifies and cultivates relationships with colleges, universities, prospect funders, and national organizations in the civil discourse space. She previously served as the Strategic Development Consultant for the Ciné Institute, a Consultant at the Clinton Global Initiative and has a Master of Public Health (MPH) from New York Medical College, a BA in Management from Manhattanville College and received her Certificate in Television and Film Producing from NYU.
JASON GREENE
Jason Greene is a cinematographer, photographer and documentary filmmaker interested in social issues and the collaborative nature of filmmaking. Most recently, he was the Director of Photography for the film “55 Days,” about a war widow learning to let go of her loss. He is currently a master’s candidate in Multimedia, Photography and Design at Syracuse University, and a Co-Founder of Haptic Cinema.
ANDREW HIDA
Andrew is a filmmaker and video producer whose work focuses on issues of health, environment, and social justice. He works closely with corporate, non-profit and editorial clients to help realize their visions through filmmaking, consultation and good storytelling. He was born and raised in Honolulu, HI and now calls Los Angeles, CA home.
SASHA JIWANI
Sasha was the Production/Communications Associate for Talking Eyes Media. Since graduating from Emory University with a BA in International Relations, Jiwani has worked on several projects related to raising awareness on pressing social issues. She also leads the initiative in a faith-based organization to launch educational and sports activities for youth in her community. She is currently working as a Project Manager for Pearson and working towards getting her MBA from Rutgers University.
MARK KENDALL
Mark is a 2014 Guggenheim Fellow in Film/Video whose first film, La Camioneta (2012) was selected by Stephen Holden as a New York Times' Critics Pick and was featured as one of IndieWire's “Top Docs of 2013.” He received a B.A. (2005) and M.A. (2008) from Vanderbilt University and an M.F.A. (2011) from the School of Visual Arts, and his work has appeared at numerous national and international venues, including the National Gallery of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, the Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara and the SXSW Film Festival. He is currently a MacDowell Colony Fellow, where he is developing his next project.
Caitlin KlEiboer
Caitlin worked for Talking Eyes from 2013-2014. She is now based in Colorado.
MARSHALL LEAMAN
Marshall Leaman joined TEM as an intern after graduating from Ohio University. While at TEM he spent time as a field producer, videographer, photographer, editor, post-coordinator, and associate producer. He currently works at CNN.
JESSICA NAUDZIUNAS
Jessica grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She began her life in media in the public radio world, but made a career change and took the leap into documentary film production in 2012. Since then, she's worked and collaborated with multimedia makers around the country. After 10 moves to new cities in under 10 years, Jessica has settled in the New York City area with her traveling editing booth, one cute dog, and plenty of curiosity for what comes next.
ELISSA PELLEGRINO
Elissa was at TEM from 2008-2014 as a producer and editor, and worked on various productions including Living Your Subjects, Photojournalisms, the Purpose Prize Awards, and the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards, among others. Prior to working at Talking Eyes, Elissa was a production assistant at Public Policy Productions for award-winning producer/director Roger Weisberg. Elissa graduated in 2007 from Boston University with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a concentration in international relations.
JUSTIN PHILALACK
justinphilalack.com
kertiscreative.com
Justin is a graduate from Western Kentucky University with a degree in photojournalism. Justin has contributed to visual productions at Interlochen School for the Arts, Teach for America and Talking Eyes. Currently a full time producer for Kertis Creative, he is based in Louisville, KY.
JULIE TURKEWITZ
Julie worked for Talking Eyes in 2011 and 2012. She is now a reporter for The New York Times, based in the newspaper's Denver bureau.
MALLIKA VORA
Mallika is a Brooklyn-based documentary photographer, graphic designer and programmer. She works on various aspects of digital imaging (archival printing, image toning, graphic design, video color correction) for both Ed Kashi Studio as well as Talking Eyes. She is on the faculty of the Documentary Photography & Photojournalism program at the International Center of Photography, and holds a BFA in Photography & Imaging with a minor in Web Applications & Programming from the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU. She is the Spanish-speaking daughter of first-generation Indian immigrants and likes tacos, baseball + hip-hop music. Mallika designed this website! ;)
Board of Directors
Julie Winokur, President
MARYANNE GREENFIELD, Treasurer
Maryanne is Vice President of Institutional Advancement for The Rogosin Institute, one of the premier centers for the research and treatment of kidney disease in the country. Maryanne has had an extensive career in the nonprofit sector in the areas of Development, Strategic Planning and Communications. She served as Executive Director of The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Executive Director of the Hope for Depression Research Foundation, Director of Development for Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC, and Director of Development for Citymeals-On-Wheels of New York. Prior to working in the nonprofit sector, she held marketing and communications positions in the financial sector for such companies as Coutts International Private Bank, American Express, and Citibank.
Robert Feinberg, Board Member
Bob Feinberg, Chairman of the Board and Founder of the Montclair Film Festival, is Vice President & General Counsel of WNET, the premier public media provider of the New York City metropolitan area and parent company of public television stations THIRTEEN, NJTV, and WLIW21. Prior to joining WNET, Bob was general counsel and deputy general counsel at a number of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, publisher of The New York Law Journal and The New Jersey Law Journal. Previously, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York (Criminal Division). Earlier, Bob was an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and a law clerk to the Honorable Magistrate Judge Naomi Buchwald, U. S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He has been an adjunct professor of law at Fordham University Law School since 1991, where he has taught media law, criminal law and legal writing. Bob earned his J.D. from NYU School of Law and his A.B., Phi Beta Kappa, from Cornell University. For the past 12 years, he has lived in Montclair with his wife and family.
Ed Kashi, board Member
Caroline DeVoe, Board Member
A native of Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen, Caroline (Carol) DeVoe is an educator and veteran multimedia producer whose career began as a producer of TV and radio ads at Ogilvy & Mather advertising in NYC. Inspired to use her commercial production skills to promote economic and social-justice, DeVoe joined Globalvision, NY as the Media Director of Globalvision’s anti-HIV/Aids projects. DeVoe's work for Globalvision culminated in the documentary, Nkosi: A Voice of Africa’s AIDS Orphans, which she co-produced and co-directed. Nkosi aired on PBS in 2002 and screened at the Vermont Film Festival. The film was used as an advocacy and awareness-raising tool for UNICEF and the World Economic Forum (WEF). DeVoe produced award-winning work with Talking Eyes Media, contributing to numerous issue-driven documentaries and online multimedia programs, including The Sandwich Generation, Firestorm and projects for Oxfam, The Discovery Channel and many others. DeVoe was a co-producer of the award-winning documentary, Mariachi High, which premiered on PBS’ Summer Arts Festival Showcase in August, 2012. And her documentary short, Crawford: The Man the South Forgot, produced with Hobo Films, is currently gaining accolades in festivals across the country. Most recently, Crawford was voted Audience Favorite at the Pan-African Film Festival and Best Documentary Short at the Harlem Film Festival. DeVoe is a NYS-certified Educational Technology Specialist and currently teaches middle school technology classes. DeVoe has a B.A. in Digital Filmmaking, a minor in Africana Studies and a Master's in Educational Technology from Teachers College, Columbia University.