Equity Committee
Equity Committee
The Equity Committee serves as an advisory board to Washington Filmworks’ Board of Directors and provides film industry insight and input from historically underrepresented communities in order to foster diversity, equity and inclusion within the organization and the statewide film industry. The Equity Committee also holds the organization accountable for integrating DEI into all aspects of its work.
Read the Equity Charter (PDF).
Equity Committee
Ryan Abe
Ryan Abe is the author of The Pathfinders and Stormheart, two genre-blending novels inspired heavily by his indigenous roots. In addition to his writing, he owns a media company, Counting Coup Media, with his three best friends from college. He is currently creating a turn-based console game adaptation of his book Stormheart. Ryan has also…
Davies Chirwa
Davies Chirwa is a multi-award winning Celebrity Film Producer, who has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. With a strong background in media technology and an expert in virtual presentations, Davies is a visionary for serial entrepreneurship who is recognized as a prominent influencer in the entertainment, sports, fashion, and film industries. As the…
Dae Shik Kim
Dae Shik Kim is a Seattle-based creative development and production leader with more than 15 years of experience across documentary, digital series, video podcasts, social video, and platform-native storytelling. He has worked on feature-length documentaries and premium documentary programming at VICE, helped build major digital series and formats at CUT, and now works in video…
Frances Grace Mortel
Frances Grace Mortel (b. 1987, Manila) is an artist, filmmaker, and community organizer. She is the Co-Executive Director for Asians for Collective Liberation in Spokane and Asians for Collective Action, a member of Washington Filmworks Equity Committee, serves on the board of Spokane Film Project, and programs films at Spokane International Film Festival. Her site-responsive…
Rodney Outlaw
Rodney Outlaw is an accomplished audio engineer, music producer, recording artist, and educator with more than 20 years of professional experience in the music and audio industry. A graduate of the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences, Rodney has built a career spanning studio recording, music production, live sound, digital audio, and artist development. He…
Myron Partman
Equity Chair
Equity Co-Chair Born and raised in Seattle, Myron is the owner of Chameleon Creative Services and has spent most of his career in the sound field. More recently he goes back and forth between sound and camera. Credits include Grey’s Anatomy, 21 and Over, World’s Greatest Dad and an Emmy for Bill Nye The Science…
Malcolm Pelles
Equity Chair
Equity Co-Chair Malcolm Pelles is a professor, playwright, and filmmaker. He teaches screenwriting at Eastern Washington University. His plays have been performed Off-Broadway in New York City and in Washington, DC at places like the Kennedy Center. Malcolm has written scripts for CBS Entertainment, the National Football League, Gameloft, and the US Army. He has…
Jessica Sanders
Jessica Sanders is Director of Kraken Studios, South Puget Sound Community College’s Corporate and Continuing Education community media program, where she provides community members with access to film equipment, studio space, and skill-building opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. She is also Board President of the Dark and Stormy Nights Film Festival, an…
Jeremiah Schuler
Jeremiah Schuler is a Director of Photography and co-owner of L61 Productions. Born in Buffalo, New York, and raised between Argentina and Washington State, his work is rooted in the communities, cultures, and experiences that shaped him. As a cinematographer, Jeremiah is drawn to stories about identity, equity, culture, and belonging, with a focus on…
Michelle Mai Smith
Michelle Mai Smith is a makeup artist and hairstylist with over 12 years of experience working in the film and entertainment industries. She has been a proud member of IATSE Local 488 since 2021 and loves to share her passions related to arts, music and entertainment with a special commitment to sustainable and equitable practices.…
Marley Tullis-Monetta
Marley Tullis-Monetta is a Seattle-based video producer, gaffer/grip/best boy, and documentary filmmaker. Balancing commercial production with hands-on experience across local sets, she brings an on-the-ground perspective to the Washington Filmworks Equity Committee. Marley is deeply committed to fostering a collaborative film environment where emerging voices, ethical storytelling, and accessible training opportunities can empower the next…
Sharon Nyree Williams
Sharon Nyree Williams is an Emmy Award-winning storyteller, voice-over artist, producer, presenter, educator, and filmmaker. Her work has been shared throughout the United States and Rwanda, using storytelling to foster connection, belonging, and community. Her film credits include co-producing WHAT ABOUT US?, ADDICTED (Short Film Corner, Festival de Cannes), Mary Jane, and Sometimes and Always…
Ben Wilson
Ben Wilson founded the Color of Sound in 2024 after a 35-year career in healthcare technology. Ben helped to start companies like BabyCenter, Consumer Health Interactive, and Together Senior Health, and worked for multinational corporations including Intel and Citrix. Ben currently serves on two other nonprofit boards, including The Port Townsend Film Festival and Centrum.…