Dawn Mikkelson (Producer/Director/Writer): Mikkelson is both an award-winning media producer and documentary filmmaker. From National PBS broadcasts to being selected as a Featured Video Podcast by iTunes, Mikkelson’s work in film and video has received international acclaim across broad delivery platforms. Mikkelson has completed three award-winning feature documentaries prior to The Red Tail. Her second film, THIS obedience, won numerous festival awards and was distributed for national PBS broadcast by American Public Television.  Mikkelson’s third documentary, Green Green Water (www.greengreenwater.com) is currently touring festivals and conferences around the world and has broadcast on PBS affiliates and Free Speech TV.  A former television news reporter at an ABC affiliate, and current adjunct faculty at Ottawa University teaching “Filmmaking for Social Change”, Mikkelson has spoken at numerous festival panels on documentary filmmaking, GLBT and environmental issues, as well as speaking at colleges and universities across the country.

Melissa Koch (Producer/Director/Writer): Koch is an emerging filmmaker introducing her feature-length documentary debut, “The Red Tail.” She is a multi-disciplinary media-artist who has directed narrative short films and works in documentary video, photography, and radio. Koch studied cultural theory, media arts, and social change at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and the University of Tasmania, Australia. She has worked with community organizations for ten years primarily focusing on work with youth, LGBTQ communities, and the arts. In addition to working as a free-lance video producer, Koch currently serves as the Community Programs Director for In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre.