BIFF - Staff

The Core Staff on stage at the Closing Night of BIFF 08.

Robin Beeck Executive Director	Robin is a critically acclaimed documentary filmmaker whose films have won awards in over a dozen major film festivals including Banff and Telluride Mountainfilm. Her films,“Grandpa's In The Tuffshed” and “Dead Last: A Tale of Triumph” went on world tours, traveling from Athens to Antigua. Robin traveled to festivals all over the country and overseas prior to founding the Boulder International Film Festival. Robin has also been a top salesperson for a wide arrange of high-technology firms.
Kathy Beeck Director	Kathy was a regional marketing director at Wild Oats Markets for seven years. At Wild Oats, she handled community relations and PR in addition to her marketing responsibilities, and managed a staff of 25 people. Prior to Wild Oats, Kathy worked for four years for the World Trade Center Alaska, opening new offices in the Russian Far East, and moving to Moscow and starting her own business in 1992. As a producer for her sister Robin’s films, Kathy traveled to film festivals all over the country and overseas before partnering with Robin to found the Boulder International Film Festival.
Ron Bostwick Executive Producer	Ron brings more than 25 years of experience to his role as Executive Producer of the Boulder International Film Festival. Most recently he served as Promotions Director and Morning Show Producer at the Festival's radio sponsor, KBCO-FM. Prior to that he was the live music booker for the nationally syndicated radio show E-town, worked in film/commercial production/post production in Boston for seven years and handled national/regional/local accounts for an international advertising agency. And as a true fan of cinema, he's run his own Academy Awards Oscar Pool for 18 years.
Scott Chavkin Sponsor Liaison
Joseph Cummins Events Coordinator	Joseph was an inaugural sponsor and has been an events volunteer for BIFF since its inception. He was fortunate to form a friendship with Kathy while they worked together at Wild Oats Markets. He participated in over 50 store openings, overseeing the majority as Director of New Store Operations. He currently is busy opening new stores for another local favorite, Sunflower Farmers Market. Prior to joining the retail industry, Joseph spent many years at premiere hotel locations in the Midwest, managing and planning events as Banquet Manager, Director of Catering and Director of Food and Beverage. Joseph now has over 15 years of diversified event planning experience, and delights in returning to BIFF for another season. Take Five.
Erica Czahor Co-Registration Coordinator
Carolyn Donadio Venue Manager Coordinator
Ryan Van Duzer Stage Manager (Boulder Theater), Moderator
Lorin Dytell Venue Manager (Boulder High)
Cameron Elmendorf Venue Manager (Boulder Library)
Kari Grant Venue Manager (Boulder Theater), Community Marketing
Becca Heaton Program Editor
Eric Hoffman Stage Manager	Eric is the co-founder of Evolve Biosciences, a consulting firm that specializes in helping start-ups and small businesses commercialize and transfer technologies from Colorado Universities. He is also active in Science, Technology, Education, and Math (STEM) programs, volunteering with the Broomfield Public Library as a member of their Science Task Force and running their after-school tutoring program. This is Eric's second year volunteering as a Stage Manager for BIFF and he enjoys the opportunity to celebrate the art of film.
Bodie Johnson Stage Manager	Bodie works at a local radio consulting firm specializing in music/programming consulting, research, licensing, and internet music streaming. He recently started a music supervision business, catering to independent and action/adventure films and documentaries.
Lois LaFond Events Coordinator	Singer/Songwriter and producer Lois LaFond has had over 30 years experience in creating musical, theater and special events in the Boulder-Denver area, including the multi-ethnic ArtSurround, the Sunday Afternoon Kids Klub, the Rocky Mountain Children's Festival and six nationally award-winning recordings. Lois has helped make BIFF an exceptional festival for the past four years by helping to bring in world class musicians, exceptional events, and community forums.
Arlene Lam Merchandising Coordinator	Arlene is an Emergency Trauma Registrar with six years of experience. She has been volunteering for film festivals for approximately three years and has several years of outdoor volunteer experiences with leadership roles. She is also a student of interior design with 12 years customer service experience and various management roles dealing with schedules, inventories and daily operations.
Catherine Lee Project Manager, Educational Outreach Coordinator	As the Festival's project manager, Catherine supports BIFF in its daily operations. Catherine comes to BIFF with many years as an executive assistant and most recently as the Director of Admissions at an independent school in California. In addition to her work as project manager, Catherine oversees and coordinates BIFF's Youth Advisory Council. Catherine is a current CU Boulder student.
Peter Lundskow Information Booth Coordinator, Community Marketing
Patrick McGriff Venue Manager (Boulder High)	Patrick has worked in the Boulder High Theater all four years he attended High School. While there he studied acting, set design, lighting design, and sound design. He has been volunteering with BIFF since 2005 and has worked his way from Stage Manager Assistant to Projectionist to Selection Committee Coordinator to Venue Manager. Patrick currently lives in New York pursuing a career in acting.
Keri Mullin Video Production Coordinator	Keri has over 25 years managing C-Level executives in business, marketing and community relations. The past 10 years she has pursued her true calling in film and video production. In her spare time, Keri freelances as a film and video media consultant and social media business consultant. Keri has produced and directed a live sports show, many corporate videos and worked on a number of films throughout the Colorado area.
Heather Boyle-Noland Venue Manager (Boulder Theater), Program Distribution Coordinator	Heather is a film festival fanatic. In addition to working for BIFF, she is a veteran of the Starz Denver Film Festival, the Vail Film Festival and the Big Freakin’ Deal Film Festival. As if that isn’t enough exposure to independent film for one person, she is also the Sponsorship & Marketing Coordinator for the Boulder Outdoor Cinema, and Development Director for the Fascinating Learning Factory (an educational non-profit that produces programs and DVDs on a variety of subjects). A resident of Boulder since 1985, she has a B.S. in Advertising with a minor in Film Studies from CU, and excels in organizing the thousands of tiny details that make great film festivals (like BIFF) such wonderful experiences for both film goers and volunteers. In a previous lifetime, long long ago, she spent several years waitressing at the Boulder Theater and is very grateful that the walls of the beloved Boulder Theater CAN’T talk, or someone would have burned it down by now.
Christine Northrup Co-registrations coordinator, Community Marketing
Michael Puldy Volunteer Coordinator	As the volunteer coordinator, Michael managed the solicitation, the review and the coordination of the 200+ volunteers who applied and worked as part of the 2008 festival. During his tenure, Michael has focused on improving database and automation systems associated with managing our volunteers, plus communication and training events associated with coordinating all volunteers. Currently, Michael works for International Business Machines (IBM) in Boulder, Colorado, and holds a BS in Computer Science from Clemson University and a MBA from the University of North Florida.
Sue Raab Community Forums	An Ohio native, Sue is a graduate of Ohio University with a degree in Psychology. She worked for the Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities with disabled adults, doing job procurement and vocational placement in the community. After moving to the Chicago area, she did similar work for Spectrum Industries. She has been active in equine activities for many years, owning and showing Arabian horses, working as a handicapped riding instructor, and most recently serving as volunteer coordinator for the Medicine Horse Program in Boulder where she was also active in fundraising. New to Colorado, Sue has lived in Boulder for two years, and is involved in volunteer work for the Community Foundation’s Community Trust Grants program, is a member of Social Venture Partners, and is happy to join the BIFF team for the 2009 Festival.
Dave Riepe Technical Director	Dave is the owner of Space Farmer Productions, a Denver based audio/video, staging and events company that specializes in film presentation. He's also the founder of the Outdoor Cinema Network, which includes the Boulder Outdoor Cinema and two dozen other outdoor movie programs around Colorado. His company provides professional technical support and screening equipment for a variety of film festivals including the Boulder International Film Festival, Boulder Adventure Film Festival, Vail Film Festival and MountainFilm in Telluride. Adding to this a long history in the computer technology industry, he is the ultimate super geek who loves jammin' on his drums!
Kevin Smith Stage Manager	Eighteen years producing sales meetings around the country and you begin to see the place as a sterile landscape of early morning marketspeak delivered in an endless array of mostly beige ballrooms. Once you stop, if you decide to stop, and the endless supply of little hotel soaps and shampoos begins to deplete itself, it seems you’re rewarded with an opportunity to work on something more meaningful. I highly recommend it.
Geoff Thompson Web Site Development, Program Assistant, Computer Support	Geoff has been with the festival since its second year. He was the filmmaker liaison coordinator for two years and designed the schedule grid for the program. Currently Geoff assists in a wide range of tasks including hardware and software support, web site development and assistance with the printed program. Geoff is president of Bear Peak Software LLC and has a Masters degree in Computer Science. He has been standing in queues at the Telluride Film Festival since 1982.
Kate Turcotte Venue Manager (Boulder Library)
Brad Weismann Workshops and Panels Coordinator	Brad is an editor, journalist, freelance writer and playwright. He spent many years as a standup and improvisational comedian, working in television and radio as well. After covering the Boulder International Film Festival as a reporter in its first year, he was inspired to volunteer -- and has ever since. In addition to his work at BIFF with visiting screenwriters, directors and producers, he has served on the festival's Selection Committee, hosted programs, conducted interviews, torn tickets and just about everything else. He loves BIFF and would like to marry it.
Mary Ann Williamson Manager of Community Marketing	Mary Ann has been the Manager of Community Marketing for BIFF since the 2006 festival. In this role, she has been responsible for marketing specific films to appropriate groups throughout the Colorado Front Range, as well as supervising the Community Marketing Team. Mary Ann has worked in the communications industry for over 25 years. She has worked as a scriptwriter, video producer, and college professor, in addition to owning and marketing her own successful small business. She holds a BS in Mass Communication from Illinois State University and an MS in Applied Communications from the University of Denver.
Nicky Wolman Educational Outreach Coordinator	Nicky has worked with students in the public school system for almost 30 years. She handled Program Development and Coordination for programs addressing the needs of students and youth in high risk situations. She acted as Student Assistance Program Coordinator for Adams Twelve Schools, in Northglenn, CO for 17 years from 1985 - 2002, she handled Program Coordination and Educational Training at the Colorado Prevention Center for six years from 1979-1985, and she was a Counselor at the Youth Service Bureau from 1975-1979. Nicky is instrumental in identifying films for BIFF’s free student programs, and coordinating student involvement for BIFF’s educational outreach component throughout the year.