Meet the Team
Cody Lewis: Director/Producer
Cody Lewis through his company Freebuilt Films has aimed to produce content that not only tells stories but shifts perspectives and visually enlightens audiences. His short documentary film "Vanishing Seattle: Ballard,” played at the Seattle International Film Festival in 2020 and recently his co-directed, award-winning short documentary film, "The Black Stonefly,” has played at a number of film festivals in 2021 including Bend Film, Maui International Film Festival, and Austin Film Festival. The Black Stonefly has won numerous awards in the festival circuit including, the best short documentary, most inspirational, and best cinematography. The Black Stonefly is an encapsulation of Giancarlo Lawrence’s life, his transformation, and discovery of nature and inevitably fly fishing and his call to action as an ambassador for inner-city youth.
Raven Two Feathers: Co-Producer
Raven Two Feathers (Comanche/Cayuga/Seneca) is a Two-Spirit, Emmy award-winning filmmaker. Being intertribal only encourages their exploration of local indigenous roots, wherever they go. They graduated magna cum laude from Santa Fe University of Art & Design with a BFA in Film Production and have spent the last five-plus years producing and directing films, virtual reality programs, and art installations focused on the Indigenous experience and relating that point of view to the colonized world in the hopes of making change.
Nils Cowan: Co-Producer/Writer
An award-winning producer and writer with twenty years of experience developing, producing, and writing feature documentaries, broadcast series, and strategic multimedia communications. Born and raised in Calgary, Canada, trained in the factual documentary industry of Washington, DC, and now deeply involved in community storytelling and activism work in the Pacific Northwest, Nils has demonstrated experience employing cutting-edge production tools and techniques to emotional storytelling.
Eleni Ledesma: Co-Producer
Eleni Ledesma is a Mexican-American of Indigenous descent and is a producer and program coordinator based in Seattle, WA. Her passion for filmmaking and philanthropy over the past decade has led her to work on the feature film “My Last Year with the Nuns”, as the producer on “Confessions of a Social Bully” and as an associate producer on “Mildred Bailey”, a virtual reality experience. Eleni is the program coordinator for The Indigenous Showcase program and volunteers for the Seattle International Film Festival. She has served as board president for The Northwest Literacy Foundation, and as a former board member with the Seattle Latino Film Festival. Eleni is a graduate of the University of Washington.
Donald McKinnon: Director of Photography/Producer
Donald Mckinnon is a passionate and enthusiastic filmmaker with over 15 years of experience working in the film industry in roles ranging from writer, director, editor, producer and cinematographer. I am a feature film and commercial Director of Photography with innovative strategies and an ability to improvise for the successful completion of productions. A committed Academic spanning multiple undergraduate degrees, Donald went on to receive a Master of Fine Art degree from the prestigious American Film Institute Conservatory mentoring under the past President of the ASC, Stephen Lighthill ASC amongst other greatly respected Cinematographers and filmmakers. Donald is a sincere collaborator and team member dedicated to the successful completion of projects.
Tokala Tatum: Associate Producer/Field Production Specialist
Tokala Tatum is a 22 year old senior at the University of Washington. He is Native American enrolled in the Yakama Nation and also Rosebud Sioux. He has been making films since his freshman year in college and has produced his first full-length feature film, 'Torn Apart'. His background comes from the beginning of high school starting out as a photographer and slowly transitioning to storytelling in the form of film throughout the years. He's had the chance to write, direct and produce his own films while also getting to work under some well-accomplished and talented people such as Raven Two Feathers and Ben-Alex Dupris.
Arianne Autaubo: Production Manager/Photographer
Arianne Autaubo is of Indigenous/First American descent (Kiowa/Creek). An award-winning photographer, she calls Colorado home. Her motto: "Some people become photographers because they love cameras. I became a photographer because I love people and I deeply believe in using my craft to tell the stories of those around me.” Prior to photography, she studied dance & graphic art at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and saw an early career in the choreographic industry across multiple disciplines in Los Angeles and Colorado. Additionally, Arianne has a diverse 20-year background in office/production management, graphic design, and social media. It has become increasingly important to Arianne's life path, to evoke & encourage a knowledgeable narrative surrounding the enlightenment of cultural awareness for people of color through conversation and art.
Ross Smith: Production Sound Mixer
Ross Smith is a production sound mixer in Seattle with over ten years of experience on projects ranging from crowdfunding videos to feature films. He studied the filmmaking process at Colorado Film School in Denver and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in film and video production. His notable documentary credits include Jump Shot: The Kenny Sailors Story (2019) and the upcoming films Dark Side of the Mountain, Skate Dreams, and American Rescue. In addition, his own documentary, Eight Days at Base, was named the United States Hang Gliding & Paragliding Association's "Best Promotional Film" in 2015. A perfectionist by nature, Ross is always striving to capture the cleanest, clearest sound possible in the challenging environment of film production.