Stephanie Alton Director, Producer
Stephanie Alton was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, but for a number of years has resided in Montana. She received her MFA from Pratt Institute. She also studied film at New York University. Alton’s work is in the State of Alaska Permanent Collection. Her documentary “Ridin’ for the Brand” is distributed by Dark Hollow Films and has been shown on PBS. Her film "Yupiit: Eye of Both Worlds" has won awards Nationally and Internationally. Her films have been at numerous film festivals.
Steve Oomittuk Co-Producer
Oomittuk was born in his grandmother’s house in 1962 and raised in Point Hope (Tikigaq), Alaska. From 1972-1980 he lived in Utqiaġvik but for the past 43 years, Tikiġaq has been his home. Steve was an animal caretaker for the Navel Arctic Research Laboratory from 1977-81. He taught physical education at the school in Barrow and later was a shop teacher in Point Hope. “I went in to substitute teach for a couple of days but they kept me for seven months,” he said during a recent interview. As a shop teacher, Mr. Oomittuk kept the tradition of making ulus and harpoons alive, teaching the younger generation about how to craft these items and why they are still useful. Well-versed in the history and culture of the people of his hometown, Mr. Oomittuk is more than willing to share what he knows about everything – from ancient dances to understanding the values of the cycle of life. He served as the city mayor of Point Hope for ten years, retiring from that position in 2014. He has also been mayor and vice president of the tribal council for more than 15 years, as well as a member of the North Slope Borough Assembly. “I try to make the younger generation understand they have a rich history and a rich culture. It should not be lost,” Oomittuk says. Though he spends less time at the school now, he tries to understand the culture of today’s youth and how to best provide life lessons to this generation. He explains that one of the most important topics in his community is the whale; he believes the bowhead gives itself to the people and that without the animals, a vital element in Point Hope would be lost. He also stresses respect for the land and the sea – saying it’s crucial for the youth to understand. These days, as the teenagers go whaling with the Elders, he says they sometimes rush the process. Oomittuk describes how when he was growing up, they would be out for a week or two and he loved the adventure. Now, the trips can be much shorter. The next time you’re in Tikiġaq and wonder about the community’s history or culture, you know who to look to for answers. It’s a safe bet Oomittuk is willing to share what he knows about the village he cares so much about.
Dan Geiger Consulting Editor
Daniel Geiger has worked in the film business for over 40 years on feature films such as: Fargo, North Country, Purple Rain, Far North, Snow and The Jingle Dress. He has worked in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans and New Mexico. Lately he has edited featue-length docs such as: First Daughter and the Black Snake, The Dinkytown Uprising and Singin’ In The Grain. Today he works primarily as an editor, but over the years has worked in every facet of filmmaking. After studying art and photography and working as a graphic designer, illustrator and art director in Ohio, Daniel entered filmmaking in Minneapolis in 1981 as a cinematographer, editor, producer and writer/director on his own short films. He was a cinematographer on the Oscar-winning documentary, American Dream by Barbara Kopple. Others he's worked with include: Joel & Ethan Coen, Steven Rivkin, Sandra Schulberg, Arthur Coburn, Sam Shepard, Bill Pohlad, David Coulson and Niki Caro.
Bea Geller Consulting Editor
Bea Geller is a digital media artist, photographer, and educator. She is a creative consultant and has mentored film, photography, and painting artists. Currently, Bea is the owner of Rebeca Rocket Studi-O, where she sells fine art and exhibition prints. Geller has exhibited in over seventy national and international juried exhibits, forty invitationals, and published in several art catalogs. Her artwork is in the collection of the George Eastman House, Pierce County Portable Public Arts, Tacoma, WA, Pacific Lutheran University, Rochester Institute of Technology, and Museum of Modern Art in New York. Her awards include the Oregon State Arts Commission public art Award CAP's (Creative Artist Project) Award in New Jersey and is an alumna of Weir Farm artist residency and Pen and Brush Club in Manhattan. Her earliest recognition was to have collaborated on a "Birth Film" shown at the Whitney Museum in New York City. During the past 35 years, she has been an associate professor of Photography and digital imaging at Pacific Lutheran University. She has also taught Photography and film at Stockton State College in New Jersey, Mercy College in the Bronx, and Wagner College in Staten Island, New York.
Pam Roberts Consulting Producer
Pamela Roberts over the past 26 years Roberts has produced and directed award-winning documentary films and videos for public television and national and international theatrical distribution. These include "Butte: America", "Backbone of the World: The Blackfeet", "Ishi, the Last Yahi", a one-hour documentary nominated for an Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts Sciences, and broadcast nationally on American Experience; and "Contrary Warriors: A Story of the Crow Tribe", nationally broadcast on A&E and PBS and winner of the John Grierson Award for Best Film for First Time Director.
Cyrus Smith Technical Supervisor
Cyrus Smith, when not working with Stephanie Alton on documentaries, is Montana PBS’s Chief engineer. Cyrus is involved with Station Transmitters, Microwave links, and Remote integration production projects for ESPN+. Cyrus has worked in the defense industry as a software/systems engineer during the 80’s but in the 90’s moved to Pasadena to work in the emerging computer graphics industry for a software company, Electric Image that develop a rendering application for film and video. Electric Image has been used in many films including Star Wars Episode 1, T2, MIB and many others. He also was involved with software that supported onscreen graphics for film that included pictures like Congo, Twister and Dante’s Peak.