PARTNERS AND STAFF
Shamara P. Bownes is a Work-Based Learning Specialist with Baltimore City Schools. A Baltimore native, she is a graduate of Baltimore City Community College, University of Baltimore, and Morgan State University. Reflected in her fifteen years of service to students is the belief that, in the words of Malcolm X, "Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” She is dedicated to ensuring diverse student populations’ needs are adequately and equitably met. She is a partner in Baltimore Youth Film Arts.
Lucy Bucknell is a senior lecturer in the Johns Hopkins Film and Media Studies Program, and the founding director of Writing Outside the Fence, a writing program for the formerly incarcerated and their extended community in Baltimore. She is Principal Investigator for Baltimore Youth Film Arts.
Greg Carpenter has worked in reentry for twenty years. He is a 2015 Open Society Institute Fellow (OSI) and owner of the 2 AM Bakery, which houses his program Eye Can B-More. Eye Can B-More offers returning citizens work experience, job training, and a range of support services. He also co-chairs the Greater Baltimore City Grassroots Network, which is comprised of more than forty service providers and advocacy groups that assist the formerly incarcerated. In addition to his roles as partner in and advisor for Baltimore Youth Film Arts, he coordinates outreach for young adults.
Chrissy Fitchett, a graduate of MICA, is a practicing photographer whose work examines family structure, generational knowledge, and issues of political and social marginalization, such as forced migration and gender inequity. She is Associate Director of Baltimore Youth Film Arts.
Keith Mehlinger is Director of the Digital Media Center and of the Screenwriting and Animation program (SWAN) at Morgan State University. A producer/writer/director, he produced episodes of the syndicated series, Story of a People, and recently completed a short documentary about parents of sons lost to street violence for the Morgan multimedia project, Mother's Lament. In addition to his roles as partner in and advisor for Baltimore Youth Film Arts, he has been a regular instructor since summer of 2016.
Ragheeb Moazzem is a street photographer and filmmaker from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in film and media at Johns Hopkins University. He is a program assistant for Baltimore Youth Film Arts.
Annette Porter is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Nylon Films, an international production company that produces content for corporate, broadcast, and cinematic audiences. Comfortable with her camera in a corporate boardroom or on a high altitude trail in Chile, she produces, directs, and shoots both stills and moving images. In addition to her roles as partner in and advisor for Baltimore Youth Film Arts, she has been a regular instructor since the inaugural session in spring of 2016.
Colette Veasey-Cullors is Interim Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies, as well as Professor of photography, at MICA. Her work, which investigates race, class, education, and identity, has been widely exhibited. Her collaborative interest is in social and creative engagement with individuals and communities, particularly those that are underserved and underrepresented. In addition to her roles as partner in and advisor for Baltimore Youth Film Arts, she has been a regular instructor since the inaugural session in spring of 2016.
Chuofan Yu is an undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University studying molecular and cellular biology with a personal interest in visual arts. He is a program assistant for Baltimore Youth Film Arts
Marta Zeamanuel is a Toronto native and previously worked as a Film Department Assistant at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. She is Program Coordinator for Baltimore Youth Film Arts.