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Can blackness escape the violence of its origins?
Three Black men set out on a transformative journey along the transatlantic slave route in reverse, exploring resistance, liberation and a new understanding of Blackness.
This film traces the journey of three men inquiring into the roots of Black identity & trauma backward through time and space, gaining new insights and healing at each step.
THREE BLACK MEN is a feature documentary that follows visionaries Resmaa Menakem, Bayo Akomolafe, and Orland Bishop as they trace the reverse transatlantic slave route. Their epic voyage takes them from Los Angeles to Salvador da Bahia in Brazil, and finally to Accra in Ghana. These destinations hold crucial pieces of Black history and representations of the forced migration, survival and demise of the millions who crossed the Atlantic.
The mission is to redefine Blackness, heal from historical trauma, and envision new paths to liberation beyond the constraints of white supremacy. They challenge an oversimplification of blackness and the stereotypes and entrapments of black masculinity, and enter spaces to witness the connection between modern realities and historical origins of the Black experience. On their expedition they collaborate with black & multi-cultural communities, engaging in discourse, play and ritual combined with artistic and spiritual expressions of resistance and hope.
By bringing together diverse perspectives, and honoring ancestral wisdom, Orland, Resmaa & Bayo seek to inspire new ways to respond to our global challenges by fostering spaces for collective dreaming, healing, and action. By sharing their work across three continents, they're not only cross-pollinating ideas but also creating a living example of global Black solidarity and intellectual exchange.
SYNOPSIS
Three Black Men is a feature documentary that follows visionaries Resmaa Menakem, Bayo Akomolafe, and Orland Bishop as they trace the transatlantic slave route in reverse. Their epic voyage takes them from Los Angeles to Salvador da Bahia in Brazil, and finally to Accra in Ghana. These destinations hold crucial pieces of Black history and representations of the forced migration, survival and demise of the millions who crossed the Atlantic.
The mission is to redefine Blackness, heal from historical trauma, and envision new paths to liberation beyond the constraints of white supremacy. They challenge an oversimplification of Blackness and the stereotypes and entrapments of Black masculinity, and enter spaces to witness the connection between modern realities and historical origins of the Black experience. On their expedition they collaborate with Black & multi-cultural communities, engaging in discourse, play and ritual combined with artistic and spiritual expressions of resistance and hope.
By bringing together diverse perspectives, and honoring ancestral wisdom, Orland, Resmaa & Bayo seek to inspire new ways to respond to our global challenges by fostering spaces for collective dreaming, healing, and action. By sharing their work across three continents, they're not only cross-pollinating ideas but also creating a living example of global Black solidarity and intellectual exchange.
SYNOPSIS
THREE BLACK MEN is a feature documentary that follows visionaries Resmaa Menakem, Bayo Akomolafe, and Orland Bishop as they trace the reverse transatlantic slave route. Their epic voyage takes them from Los Angeles to Salvador da Bahia in Brazil, and finally to Accra in Ghana. These destinations hold crucial pieces of Black history and representations of the forced migration, survival and demise of the millions who crossed the Atlantic.
The mission is to redefine Blackness, heal from historical trauma, and envision new paths to liberation beyond the constraints of white supremacy. They challenge an oversimplification of blackness and the stereotypes and entrapments of black masculinity, and enter spaces to witness the connection between modern realities and historical origins of the Black experience. On their expedition they collaborate with black & multi-cultural communities, engaging in discourse, play and ritual combined with artistic and spiritual expressions of resistance and hope.
By bringing together diverse perspectives, and honoring ancestral wisdom, Orland, Resmaa & Bayo seek to inspire new ways to respond to our global challenges by fostering spaces for collective dreaming, healing, and action. By sharing their work across three continents, they're not only cross-pollinating ideas but also creating a living example of global Black solidarity and intellectual exchange.
SYNOPSIS
This film traces the journey of three men inquiring into the roots of Black identity & trauma backward through time and space, gaining new insights and healing at each step.
This film traces the journey of three men inquiring into the roots of Black identity & trauma backward through time and space, gaining new insights and healing at each step.
“The blackness of captivity,
if all it can conceive of is justice,
then it will be stuck within
the logic of its oppression.” Bayo
“There is no need to keep asking for permission to cultivate the world we want to cultivate.” Resmaa
“The intention was not to make black an identity, it was more toward the mysteries. The mysteries live in the soul and beyond.” Orland
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ORLAND BISHOP
Originally from Guyana, South America, Orland emigrated to Los Angeles by way of Brooklyn as a teenager. A community organizer, philosopher, healer and teacher, Orland Bishop works within a global social network of individuals and agencies engaged with the Ecology of Nature and Human Consciousness within the realms of life and death. His work in healing and human development is framed by an extensive study of medicine, psychology, naturopathy, phenomenology and indigenous cosmologies, primarily those of South and West Africa. He is the Co-Founder of Shade Tree Multicultural Foundation, a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to creating agreements of the heart for societal development where he focuses on mentoring youth and fostering social change through spiritual practices. Orland aims his work toward the development of consciousness and healing of cultures. His approach often involves bridging ancestral wisdom with visions of the future. He is the author of The Seventh Shrine: Meditations on the African Spiritual Journey.
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BAYO AKOMALAFE
Bayo’s original home is Nigeria yet life has led him to live in many places, currently Chennai, India and Western Massachusetts. He is rooted with the Yoruba people in a more-than-human world. Bayo is the father to Alethea Aanya and Kyah Jayden Abayomi, the grateful life-partner to Ije, and a son and brother. Bayo is a widely celebrated international speaker, post-humanist thinker, poet, teacher, public intellectual, essayist, and author of two books, These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home (North Atlantic Books) and We Will Tell our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak. He is Founder of The Emergence Network, a planet-wide initiative that seeks to convene communities in new ways in response to the critical, civilizational challenges we face as a species emphasizing the power of indigenous wisdom and the need to "make sanctuary," creating spaces for new possibilities to emerge. He is host of the postactivist course/festival/event, ‘We Will Dance with Mountains’. He currently lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute, California. He sits on the board of many organizations including Science and Non-Duality (US). He has been appointed with many honors including the inaugural Global Senior Fellow of University of California Berkeley's Othering and Belonging Institute. He is also the inaugural W. E. B. Du Bois Scholar in Residence for Trans-public Intellectualism at the Schumacher Centre for a New Economics.
RESMAA MENAKEM
Resmaa is a therapist and licensed clinical worker specializing in racialized trauma, communal healing, and cultural first aid. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Resmaa is now based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a highly sought after public speaker and panelist both nationally and internationally. He is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times best seller My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies, and The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating Our Nation’s Upheaval and Racial Reckoning. As the originator and leading proponent of Somatic Abolitionism, an embodied antiracist practice for living and culture building, Resmaa is the founder of Justice Leadership Solutions and the Cultural Somatics Institute and is an educator and coach. Resmaa is a Senior Fellow with The Meadows Behavioral Healthcare and has worked as a county care counselor for civilian contractors in Afghanistan. Hailing from the city where George Floyd was killed and close friends with the special prosecutor who tried his killers, Resmaa is uniquely positioned at the heart of the matter. Working at the intersections of anti-racism, communal healing, and embodied purpose, Resmaa Menakem is the challenging yet compassionate coach we all need in this time of racial reckoning and near-global dysregulation.
THREE BLACK MEN
SUBJECTS
OUR TEAM
Resmaa is a therapist and licensed clinical worker specializing in racialized trauma, communal healing, and cultural first aid. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Resmaa is now based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a highly sought after public speaker and panelist both nationally and internationally. He is the author of several books, most notably the New York Times best seller My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending our Hearts and Bodies, and The Quaking of America: An Embodied Guide to Navigating Our Nation’s Upheaval and Racial Reckoning. As the originator and leading proponent of Somatic Abolitionism, an embodied antiracist practice for living and culture building, Resmaa is the founder of Justice Leadership Solutions and the Cultural Somatics Institute and is an educator and coach. Resmaa is a Senior Fellow with The Meadows Behavioral Healthcare and has worked as a county care counselor for civilian contractors in Afghanistan. Hailing from the city where George Floyd was killed and close friends with the special prosecutor who tried his killers, Resmaa is uniquely positioned at the heart of the matter. Working at the intersections of anti-racism, communal healing, and embodied purpose, Resmaa Menakem is the challenging yet compassionate coach we all need in this time of racial reckoning and near-global dysregulation.
Bayo’s original home is Nigeria yet life has led him to live in many places, currently Chennai, India and Western Massachusetts. He is rooted with the Yoruba people in a more-than-human world. Bayo is the father to Alethea Aanya and Kyah Jayden Abayomi, the grateful life-partner to Ije, and a son and brother. Bayo is a widely celebrated international speaker, post-humanist thinker, poet, teacher, public intellectual, essayist, and author of two books, These Wilds Beyond our Fences: Letters to My Daughter on Humanity’s Search for Home (North Atlantic Books) and We Will Tell our Own Story: The Lions of Africa Speak. He is Founder of The Emergence Network, a planet-wide initiative that seeks to convene communities in new ways in response to the critical, civilizational challenges we face as a species emphasizing the power of indigenous wisdom and the need to "make sanctuary," creating spaces for new possibilities to emerge. He is host of the postactivist course/festival/event, ‘We Will Dance with Mountains’. He currently lectures at Pacifica Graduate Institute, California. He sits on the board of many organizations including Science and Non-Duality (US). He has been appointed with many honors including the inaugural Global Senior Fellow of University of California Berkeley's Othering and Belonging Institute. He is also the inaugural W. E. B. Du Bois Scholar in Residence for Trans-public Intellectualism at the Schumacher Centre for a New Economics.
Originally from Guyana, South America, Orland emigrated to Los Angeles by way of Brooklyn as a teenager. A community organizer, philosopher, healer and teacher, Orland Bishop works within a global social network of individuals and agencies engaged with the Ecology of Nature and Human Consciousness within the realms of life and death. His work in healing and human development is framed by an extensive study of medicine, psychology, naturopathy, phenomenology and indigenous cosmologies, primarily those of South and West Africa. He is the Co-Founder of Shade Tree Multicultural Foundation, a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to creating agreements of the heart for societal development where he focuses on mentoring youth and fostering social change through spiritual practices. Orland aims his work toward the development of consciousness and healing of cultures. His approach often involves bridging ancestral wisdom with visions of the future. He is the author of The Seventh Shrine: Meditations on the African Spiritual Journey.
STORYTELLING
STYLE
Three Black Men uses a blend of traditional, observational footage with archival, graphics, dynamic animation and interviews. Because of the experiential nature of this story and our camera’s access, we are able to create an intimate portrayal of each of our three men and the growing relationship among them. Using stylistic framing and saturated images of each location and its rituals, the film builds the character of each place along with our men. It becomes a wondrous journey of discovery on all levels — visually, sensorially, and philosophically. Animation will be added to illustrate the ideas and philosophies of our three men and their approaches to liberation and change. A sophisticated soundtrack will round out the experience, including traditional and popular music, original music/song, poetry, drums, and natural sounds. The blend of visuals and audio will create unexpected beauty and rhythm alongside a deeply moving, intellectually provocative and spiritually nourishing story.
In the wake of the violence of 2020, a powerful nationwide response emerged and determined activism gave hope for real movement toward racial justice. Yet today, years later, persistent despair remains. Racism, misogyny and hatred fuel many people’s politics. Peace and unity seem far from reach.
Orland, Bayo & Resmaa craft new practices, drawing from a vast well of Black thought and experience. The film aims to inspire viewers to confront the past, heal from trauma, and work towards a more just future—ultimately celebrating Blackness as rich with possibility. Their journey democratizes access to profound ideas, potentially catalyzing a new wave of thinkers and activists in the ongoing struggle for Black liberation and new imaginings for humanity.
Three Black Men is an exploration of what it means to be Black and male in a world shaped by the legacy of slavery and colonialism. By moving from the specific context of Black American experiences to the broader African diaspora and finally to the African continent itself, the documentary challenges monolithic views of Blackness and opens up new possibilities for understanding, healing, and liberation.
WHY NOW?
Originally from Guyana, South America, Orland emigrated to Los Angeles by way of Brooklyn as a teenager. A community organizer, philosopher, healer and teacher, Orland Bishop works within a global social network of individuals and agencies engaged with the Ecology of Nature and Human Consciousness within the realms of life and death. His work in healing and human development is framed by an extensive study of medicine, psychology, naturopathy, phenomenology and indigenous cosmologies, primarily those of South and West Africa. He is the Co-Founder of Shade Tree Multicultural Foundation, a Los Angeles-based organization dedicated to creating agreements of the heart for societal development where he focuses on mentoring youth and fostering social change through spiritual practices. Orland aims his work toward the development of consciousness and healing of cultures. His approach often involves bridging ancestral wisdom with visions of the future. He is the author of The Seventh Shrine: Meditations on the African Spiritual Journey.
"I'm a quote by Bayo"
"We’re trying to carve out something without having to know what that thing is. And really entering into a beautiful emergent process.” Resmaa
“We don’t just inherit the world, we co-create it” Orland
“We are retracing the roots of black capture, going back to the place of no return, turning it on it’s head and saying we are here.” Bayo
"I'm a quote by Bayo"
This film traces the journey of three men inquiring into the roots of Black identity, trauma and ritual, moving through time and space, gaining new insights and healing at each step.
Director/Producer
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for sharing stories that both entertain and inspire - stories of people striving to make a difference in the world. She has earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, and Discovery, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. The 2024 HBO doc-series, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was noted as one of the best TV shows of the year. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy’s Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), promoting documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.
Executive Producer
Victoria Santos’ work is rooted in a far-reaching vision of human potential. She has a deep commitment to our collective liberation. Her work emphasizes intersectional awareness, individual and collective healing, and compassionate action. She is the founder and director of the Center for Healing and Liberation, an organization dedicated to fostering healing, wellness, and racial and social justice. Also, as founder and co-executive director of Ile Kimoyo, Victoria is part of a cultural change movement that prioritizes health and wellness for BIPOC leaders and changemakers. Victoria is a Spanish-fluent Afro-Latina immigrant born in the Dominican Republic. She has trained in the fields of psychology, conflict resolution, trauma healing, meditation, rituals and embodied practices.
Producer
Kurt Schemper is an Emmy Award-winning producer and executive in the film & television industry. He began his career in production management at the sitcom powerhouse Carsey-Werner (That ‘70s Show, 3rd Rock From the Sun) before embracing documentary films & television. Kurt has produced award-winning content for many networks, including the hit series Intervention, for which he received an Outstanding Reality Series Emmy in 2009 and Producers Guild nominations in 2010 & 2011. Additional credits include Co-Executive Producer on the Netflix series Afflicted, Produced By credits on CNN’s series American Style, TNT’S series American Race, and Supervising Producer on A&E’s series Dogs of War. Kurt is also a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Associate Producer
Jayne Alagano received her bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism and has been working in TV/Film and Theatre for more than 15 years. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2019, she returned to her university roots to tell compelling stories in the documentary and unscripted genre. With a focus on projects that provoke in depth conversations and challenge perspectives, her work has led to shows and films airing on FX, HBO Max, VICE TV and Paramount+. Jayne worked on the Emmy-nominated documentary Superpower, alongside two-time Academy Award winner Sean Penn. More recently she has worked on Prime Minister which debuted at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival winning the Audience Award for World Cinematic Documentary.
Director of Photography
Tony Hardmon is an Academy Award winning cinematographer who has worked on some of the most celebrated projects for television and theatrical release. His credits include the BAFTA nominated feature documentary American Symphony, the Academy Award nominated documentary The Barber of Little Rock, the Academy Award winning film Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, the NAACP Image Award winning film John Lewis: Good Trouble, the Emmy award winning series The 1619 Project and the NAACP Image Award winning The Boys of Baraka. His earlier work includes Butterfly in the Sky, Who Killed Malcolm X, Miss Sharon Jones!, Michael Moore's Sicko and Liz Garbus' coming of age documentary Girlhood.
He is a recipient of the Ridenhour Documentary Prize, a Sundance Institute Fellow and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Editor
Virginie Danglades is a seasoned Film & TV editor who works on strong story and character-driven films, verité-style and historical documentary features and shorts, as well as TV series for broadcast and streamers. The Barber of Little Rock, a short film exposing the racial wealth gap, was nominated for an Oscar in 2024. No Farewells (Sans Adieu) a French documentary feature she also edited, opened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. And Wine Crush, an observational film exploring winemaking during a summer harvest, premiered at DOCNYC. Virginie edited episodes for PBS Reconstruction: America after the Civil War, Netflix’s Harry and Meghan and The Principles of Pleasure, and was a frequent editor on CNN’s long-running investigative series This is Life with Lisa Ling. Across many projects and genres, Virginie is committed to editing stories and films that will help further unveil and understand our complicated world.
Associate Editor
Kelsy Joy Jarboe has worked as an Assistant Editor and Editor in non-scripted for nearly two decades. Getting her start in reality television, Kelsy’s credits include America’s Next Top Model, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, 9 Months with Courtney Cox and Deadliest Catch. A few years ago, when a friend couldn’t assist on a documentary project, Kelsy filled in and has been in the doc world ever since. Recent projects include Netflix’s Arnold and HBO’s Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show. Kelsy spends her free time with her rescue dog, Gretchen, and her spouse and fellow editor, Alburn Binkley, at their new home in Lancaster, PA. While living in the East has its perks, Kelsy misses a few of her Los Angeles favorites like the weather, Panda Express, and driving around the city. Kelsy feels honored to be working alongside the creative and talented people on the Three Black Men documentary project.
Location Producer
Francis Kokoroko is a freelance photojournalist and visual producer based in Accra, Ghana. After graduating with a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Ashesi University College, he switched to photography full-time a few years later. Kokoroko is interested in aesthetic culture, film, documentary photography and its layered interpretations. Working in the active media spaces of photojournalism and social media in Africa allows him to rattle deep-rooted image biases most often imported, while teasing the possibilities of alternative narratives. He works on long-term personal projects, film productions and photo assignments for international entities such as the Reuters News Agency, Le Monde, Dior, Cure Blindness Project, UNICEF, IOM and The New York Times. On his Instagram account, @accraphoto, Francis Kokoroko chronicles his encounters in Ghana and his journeys through the African continent. He served on the News jury for the 2021 World Press Photo Contests edition.
Director/Producer
SIENNA McLEAN LoGRECO
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for sharing stories that both entertain and inspire - stories of people striving to make a difference in the world. She has earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, and Discovery, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. The 2024 HBO doc-series, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was noted as one of the best TV shows of the year. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy’s Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), promoting documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.
Executive Producer
VICTORIA SANTOS
Victoria Santos’ work is rooted in a far-reaching vision of human potential. She has a deep commitment to our collective liberation. Her work emphasizes intersectional awareness, individual and collective healing, and compassionate action. She is the founder and director of the Center for Healing and Liberation, an organization dedicated to fostering healing, wellness, and racial and social justice. Also, as founder and co-executive director of Ile Kimoyo, Victoria is part of a cultural change movement that prioritizes health and wellness for BIPOC leaders and changemakers. Victoria is a Spanish-fluent Afro-Latina immigrant born in the Dominican Republic. She has trained in the fields of psychology, conflict resolution, trauma healing, meditation, rituals and embodied practices.
Producer
KURT SCHEMPER
Kurt Schemper is an Emmy Award-winning producer and executive in the film & television industry. He began his career in production management at the sitcom powerhouse Carsey-Werner (That ‘70s Show, 3rd Rock From the Sun) before embracing documentary films & television. Kurt has produced award-winning content for many networks, including the hit series Intervention, for which he received an Outstanding Reality Series Emmy in 2009 and Producers Guild nominations in 2010 & 2011. Additional credits include Co-Executive Producer on the Netflix series Afflicted, Produced By credits on CNN’s series American Style, TNT’S series American Race, and Supervising Producer on A&E’s series Dogs of War. Kurt is also a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Associate Producer
JAYNE ALAGANO
Jayne Alagano received her bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism and has been working in TV/Film and Theatre for more than 15 years. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2019, she returned to her university roots to tell compelling stories in the documentary and unscripted genre. With a focus on projects that provoke in depth conversations and challenge perspectives, her work has led to shows and films airing on FX, HBO Max, VICE TV and Paramount+. Jayne worked on the Emmy-nominated documentary Superpower, alongside two-time Academy Award winner Sean Penn. More recently she has worked on Prime Minister which debuted at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival winning the Audience Award for World Cinematic Documentary.
Director of Photography
TONY HARDMON
Tony Hardmon is an Academy Award winning cinematographer who has worked on some of the most celebrated projects for television and theatrical release. He is a recipient of the Ridenhour Documentary Prize, a Sundance Institute Fellow and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His credits include the BAFTA nominated feature documentary American Symphony, the Academy Award nominated documentary The Barber of Little Rock, the Academy Award winning film Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, the NAACP Image Award winning film John Lewis: Good Trouble, the Emmy award winning series The 1619 Project and the NAACP Image Award winning The Boys of Baraka. His earlier work includes Butterfly in the Sky, Who Killed Malcolm X, Miss Sharon Jones!, Michael Moore's Sicko and Liz Garbus' coming of age documentary Girlhood.
Editor
VIRGINIE DANGLADES
Virginie Danglades is a seasoned Film & TV editor who works on strong story and character-driven films, verité-style and historical documentary features and shorts, as well as TV series for broadcast and streamers. Across many projects and genres, Virginie is committed to editing stories and films that will help further unveil and understand our complicated world. The Barber of Little Rock, a short film exposing the racial wealth gap, was nominated for an Oscar in 2024. No Farewells (Sans Adieu) a French documentary feature she also edited, opened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. And Wine Crush, an observational film exploring winemaking during a summer harvest, premiered at DOCNYC. Virginie edited episodes for PBS Reconstruction: America after the Civil War, Netflix’s Harry and Meghan and The Principles of Pleasure, and was a frequent editor on CNN’s long-running investigative series This is Life with Lisa Ling.
Associate Editor
KELSY JOY JARBOE
Kelsy Joy Jarboe has worked as an Assistant Editor and Editor in non-scripted for nearly two decades. Getting her start in reality television, Kelsy’s credits include America’s Next Top Model, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, 9 Months with Courtney Cox and Deadliest Catch. A few years ago, when a friend couldn’t assist on a documentary project, Kelsy filled in and has been in the doc world ever since. Recent projects include Netflix’s Arnold and HBO’s Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show. Kelsy spends her free time with her rescue dog, Gretchen, and her spouse and fellow editor, Alburn Binkley, at their new home in Lancaster, PA. While living in the East has its perks, Kelsy misses a few of her Los Angeles favorites like the weather, Panda Express, and driving around the city. Kelsy feels honored to be working alongside the creative and talented people on the Three Black Men documentary project.
Location Producer
FRANCIS KOKOROKO
Francis Kokoroko is a freelance photojournalist and visual producer based in Accra, Ghana. After graduating with a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Ashesi University College, he switched to photography full-time a few years later. Kokoroko is interested in aesthetic culture, film, documentary photography and its layered interpretations. Working in the active media spaces of photojournalism and social media in Africa allows him to rattle deep-rooted image biases most often imported, while teasing the possibilities of alternative narratives. He works on long-term personal projects, film productions and photo assignments for international entities such as the Reuters News Agency, Le Monde, Dior, Cure Blindness Project, UNICEF, IOM and The New York Times. On his Instagram account, @accraphoto, Francis Kokoroko chronicles his encounters in Ghana and his journeys through the African continent. He served on the News jury for the 2021 World Press Photo Contests edition.
OUR TEAM
Director/Producer
SIENNA McLEAN LoGRECO
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for sharing stories that both entertain and inspire - stories of people striving to make a difference in the world. She has earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, and Discovery, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. The 2024 HBO doc-series, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was noted as one of the best TV shows of the year. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy’s Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), promoting documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.
SIENNA McLEAN LoGRECO
Director/Producer
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for sharing stories that both entertain and inspire - stories of people striving to make a difference in the world. She has earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, and Discovery, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally.
SHOW MORE
Executive Producer
VICTORIA SANTOS
Victoria Santos’ work is rooted in a far-reaching vision of human potential. She has a deep commitment to our collective liberation. Her work emphasizes intersectional awareness, individual and collective healing, and compassionate action. She is the founder and director of the Center for Healing and Liberation, an organization dedicated to fostering healing, wellness, and racial and social justice. Also, as founder and co-executive director of the Ile Kimoyo, Victoria is part of a cultural change movement that prioritizes health and wellness for BIPOC leaders and changemakers. Victoria is a Spanish-fluent Afro-Latina immigrant born in the Dominican Republic. She has trained in the fields of psychology, conflict resolution, trauma healing, meditation, rituals and embodied practices.
VICTORIA SANTOS
Executive Producer
Victoria Santos’ work is rooted in a far-reaching vision of human potential. She has a deep commitment to our collective liberation. Her work emphasizes intersectional awareness, individual and collective healing, and compassionate action. She is the founder and director of the Center for Healing and Liberation, an organization dedicated to fostering healing, wellness, and racial and social justice.
SHOW MORE
Producer
KURT SCHEMPER
Kurt Schemper is an Emmy Award-winning producer and executive in the film & television industry. He began his career in production management at the sitcom powerhouse Carsey-Werner (That ‘70s Show, 3rd Rock From the Sun) before embracing documentary films & television. Kurt has produced award-winning content for many networks, including the hit series Intervention, for which he received an Outstanding Reality Series Emmy in 2009 and Producers Guild nominations in 2010 & 2011. Additional credits include Co-Executive Producer on the Netflix series Afflicted, Produced By credits on CNN’s series American Style, TNT’S series American Race, and Supervising Producer on A&E’s series Dogs of War. Kurt is also a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
KURT SCHEMPER
Producer
Kurt Schemper is an Emmy Award-winning producer and executive in the film & television industry. He began his career in production management at the sitcom powerhouse Carsey-Werner (That ‘70s Show, 3rd Rock From the Sun) before embracing documentary films & television.
SHOW MORE
Associate Producer
JAYNE ALAGANO
Jayne Alagano received her bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism and has been working in TV/Film and Theatre for more than 15 years. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2019, she returned to her university roots to tell compelling stories in the documentary and unscripted genre. With a focus on projects that provoke in depth conversations and challenge perspectives, her work has led to shows and films airing on FX, HBO Max, VICE TV and Paramount+. Jayne worked on the Emmy-nominated documentary Superpower, alongside two-time Academy Award winner Sean Penn. More recently she has worked on Prime Minister which debuted at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival winning the Audience Award for World Cinematic Documentary.
JAYNE ALAGANO
Associate Producer
Jayne Alagano received her bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism and has been working in TV/Film and Theatre for more than 15 years. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2019, she returned to her university roots to tell compelling stories in the documentary and unscripted genre.
SHOW MORE
Director of Photography
TONY HARDMON
Tony Hardmon is an Academy Award winning cinematographer who has worked on some of the most celebrated projects for television and theatrical release. He is a recipient of the Ridenhour Documentary Prize, a Sundance Institute Fellow and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His credits include the BAFTA nominated feature documentary American Symphony, the Academy Award nominated documentary The Barber of Little Rock, the Academy Award winning film Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1, the NAACP Image Award winning film John Lewis: Good Trouble, the Emmy award winning series The 1619 Project and the NAACP Image Award winning The Boys of Baraka. His earlier work includes Butterfly in the Sky, Who Killed Malcolm X, Miss Sharon Jones!, Michael Moore's Sicko and Liz Garbus' coming of age documentary Girlhood.
TONY HARDMON
Director of Photography
Tony Hardmon is an Academy Award winning cinematographer who has worked on some of the most celebrated projects for television and theatrical release. He is a recipient of the Ridenhour Documentary Prize, a Sundance Institute Fellow and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
SHOW MORE
Editor
VIRGINIE DANGLADES
Virginie Danglades is a seasoned Film & TV editor who works on strong story and character-driven films, verité-style and historical documentary features and shorts, as well as TV series for broadcast and streamers. Across many projects and genres, Virginie is committed to editing stories and films that will help further unveil and understand our complicated world. The Barber of Little Rock, a short film exposing the racial wealth gap, was nominated for an Oscar in 2024. No Farewells (Sans Adieu) a French documentary feature she also edited, opened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. And Wine Crush, an observational film exploring winemaking during a summer harvest, premiered at DOCNYC. Virginie edited episodes for PBS Reconstruction: America after the Civil War, Netflix’s Harry and Meghan and The Principles of Pleasure, and was a frequent editor on CNN’s long-running investigative series This is Life with Lisa Ling.
VIRGINIE DANGLADES
Editor
Virginie Danglades is a seasoned Film & TV editor who works on strong story and character-driven films, verité-style and historical documentary features and shorts, as well as TV series for broadcast and streamers. Across many projects and genres, Virginie is committed to editing stories and films that will help further unveil and understand our complicated world.
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Associate Editor
KELSY JOY JARBOE
Kelsy Joy Jarboe has worked as an Assistant Editor and Editor in non-scripted for nearly two decades. Getting her start in reality television, Kelsy’s credits include America’s Next Top Model, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, 9 Months with Courtney Cox and Deadliest Catch. A few years ago, when a friend couldn’t assist on a documentary project, Kelsy filled in and has been in the doc world ever since. Recent projects include Netflix’s Arnold and HBO’s Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show. Kelsy spends her free time with her rescue dog, Gretchen, and her spouse and fellow editor, Alburn Binkley, at their new home in Lancaster, PA. While living in the East has its perks, Kelsy misses a few of her Los Angeles favorites like the weather, Panda Express, and driving around the city. Kelsy feels honored to be working alongside the creative and talented people on the Three Black Men documentary project.
KELSY JOY JARBOE
Associate Editor
Kelsy Joy Jarboe has worked as an Assistant Editor and Editor in non-scripted for nearly two decades. Getting her start in reality television, Kelsy’s credits include America’s Next Top Model, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, 9 Months with Courtney Cox and Deadliest Catch.
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Associate Editor
KELSY JOY JARBOE
Francis Kokoroko is a freelance photojournalist and visual producer based in Accra, Ghana. After graduating with a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Ashesi University College, he switched to photography full-time a few years later. Kokoroko is interested in aesthetic culture, film, documentary photography and its layered interpretations. Working in the active media spaces of photojournalism and social media in Africa allows him to rattle deep-rooted image biases most often imported, while teasing the possibilities of alternative narratives. He works on long-term personal projects, film productions and photo assignments for international entities such as the Reuters News Agency, Le Monde, Dior, Cure Blindness Project, UNICEF, IOM and The New York Times. On his Instagram account, @accraphoto, Francis Kokoroko chronicles his encounters in Ghana and his journeys through the African continent. He served on the News jury for the 2021 World Press Photo Contests edition.
FRANCIS KOKOROKO
Location Producer
Francis Kokoroko is a freelance photojournalist and visual producer based in Accra, Ghana. After graduating with a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Ashesi University College, he switched to photography full-time a few years later. Kokoroko is interested in aesthetic culture, film, documentary photography and its layered interpretations.
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OUR TEAM
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for filmmaking and sharing stories of people striving to make a difference in the world - stories that can both entertain and inspire. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. She’s earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, Discovery, and Animal Planet, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her recent HBO doc-series project, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was recently noted in the NY Times as one of the best TV shows of 2024. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview with Sid Sheinberg into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), a media project of P.O.V./American Documentary, promoting PBS broadcasts of documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.
SIENNA McLEAN LoGRECO
Director/Producer
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for filmmaking and sharing stories of people striving to make a difference in the world - stories that can both entertain and inspire. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. She’s earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, Discovery, and Animal Planet, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her recent HBO doc-series project, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was recently noted in the NY Times as one of the best TV shows of 2024. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview with Sid Sheinberg into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), a media project of P.O.V./American Documentary, promoting PBS broadcasts of documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.
SIENNA McLEAN LoGRECO
Director/Producer
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for filmmaking and sharing stories of people striving to make a difference in the world - stories that can both entertain and inspire. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. She’s earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, Discovery, and Animal Planet, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her recent HBO doc-series project, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was recently noted in the NY Times as one of the best TV shows of 2024. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview with Sid Sheinberg into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), a media project of P.O.V./American Documentary, promoting PBS broadcasts of documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.
SIENNA McLEAN LoGRECO
Director/Producer
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for filmmaking and sharing stories of people striving to make a difference in the world - stories that can both entertain and inspire. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. She’s earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, Discovery, and Animal Planet, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her recent HBO doc-series project, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was recently noted in the NY Times as one of the best TV shows of 2024. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview with Sid Sheinberg into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), a media project of P.O.V./American Documentary, promoting PBS broadcasts of documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.
SIENNA McLEAN LoGRECO
Director/Producer
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for filmmaking and sharing stories of people striving to make a difference in the world - stories that can both entertain and inspire. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. She’s earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, Discovery, and Animal Planet, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her recent HBO doc-series project, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was recently noted in the NY Times as one of the best TV shows of 2024. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview with Sid Sheinberg into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), a media project of P.O.V./American Documentary, promoting PBS broadcasts of documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.
SIENNA McLEAN LoGRECO
Director/Producer
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for filmmaking and sharing stories of people striving to make a difference in the world - stories that can both entertain and inspire. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. She’s earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, Discovery, and Animal Planet, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her recent HBO doc-series project, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was recently noted in the NY Times as one of the best TV shows of 2024. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview with Sid Sheinberg into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), a media project of P.O.V./American Documentary, promoting PBS broadcasts of documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.
SIENNA McLEAN LoGRECO
Director/Producer
Sienna McLean LoGreco has a passion for filmmaking and sharing stories of people striving to make a difference in the world - stories that can both entertain and inspire. Her films have premiered at Sundance Film Festival, been lauded at festivals worldwide and continue to be distributed internationally. She’s earned credits as a writer and producer for HBO, Showtime, A+E, VH1, Discovery, and Animal Planet, as well as branded content for Ridley Scott’s RSA films. Her recent HBO doc-series project, Jerrod Carmichael: Reality Show was recently noted in the NY Times as one of the best TV shows of 2024. As the principal producer and interviewer for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Visual History Project, she helped grow it from a single interview with Sid Sheinberg into a comprehensive look at the women and men who have shaped the last 50 years of moviemaking. Early in her career, Sienna was part of the team that launched the Television Race Initiative (now known as Active Voice), a media project of P.O.V./American Documentary, promoting PBS broadcasts of documentary films addressing issues of race & equality, using them as a catalyst for community dialogue.