Help us welcome Jeff Barehand, Myron Partman, Malcolm Pelles and Devante Smith!
Washington Filmworks is pleased to announce that Governor Jay Inslee has appointed four new members to the Board of Directors. The landmark bill that passed during the 2022 legislative session allows for the Co-Chairs of the Film Leadership Council and the Co-Chairs of the Equity Committee to become voting members of the board. Their appointments are effective immediately.
Take a look below to learn a little more about them.
Co-Chairs of the Film Leadership Council (FLC)
The FLC serves as an advisory board to Washington Filmworks’ Board of Directors and consists of 15-18 film professionals from around the state. The FLC works with WF’s staff to develop proposals about how to maximize the impact of both the incentive program and the resources of the state film office.
Jeff Barehand is CEO/President of Sky Bear Media, a production company headquartered in Olympia, WA. Jeff is of the Gila River and Navajo people of Arizona but has lived in Washington State for more than twelve years. He is a 2014 Sundance Native Lab Film Fellow and is currently adapting a book to film. He is the founder and current Board President of OlyFilm, a filmmaking non profit that supports filmmakers in the South Sound and promotes Women and POC in the film industry. He is a singer and actor, currently cast in the first Native American pop musical, Distant Thunder, set to debut at the First Peoples Museum of Oklahoma City spring of 2022. He is a 2022 recipient of the Evergreen Longhouse’s Inspired Natives Grant award, in recognition of his artistry and community work with youth and others. He resides in Tumwater, WA with his partner Shana Greenberg Barehand, and his four children.
Devante Smith is a recent graduate of Eastern Washington University’s Film program. After interning for season three of Z Nation, he has been working as the basecamp production assistant for the past two years on the show. In the off-season, he works with local musical artists to build a voice and brand through interviews, podcasts, and music videos to bridge the gap between the music community and the visual art community. Currently, he is working with a colleague on starting a production company that can tailor to new upcoming film enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest area. Having worked on a handful of productions from student shorts to professional TV shows, Devante values the opportunities the film industry has given him and hopes to pass the opportunity on to generations to come.
Co-Chairs of Equity Committee
The Equity Committee collaborates with the board, staff and external partners to develop Washington Filmworks social and racial equity goals as the organization strives to create equitable programs and policies and help to develop inclusive film sets in Washington State.
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 Guy. Myron was the Past President and current committee member of C89.5/KNHC Public Radio Association, Co-Chair of Seattle Film Task Force and served on boards of Washington Film and Video Association, Seattle Ad 2, and the ITVA.
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 an MFA degree in dramatic writing from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and an undergraduate degree in film production from Florida State University.