The White House Effect

Bonni Cohen has produced and directed many award-winning films. Most recently, she produced the Oscar nominated film LEAD ME HOME, which premiered at the 2021 Telluride Film Festival and is a Netflix Original. She also recently co-directed ATHLETE A, which won an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Documentary and received four nominations from the Critics’ Choice Awards. Bonni co-directed AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL, the opening night film of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival which was shortlisted for the Oscars and nominated for a BAFTA. In 2016, Bonni co-directed the Peabody Award winning film AUDRIE & DAISY, which premiered at Sundance and was picked up as a Netflix Original. In 2011, Bonni produced THE ISLAND PRESIDENT, winner of the 2011 TIFF Best Documentary. Her work as producer and director on THE RAPE OF EUROPA (Oscar shortlist, 2004) earned her a PGA and WGA nomination. Bonni produced Jon Else’s Sundance film, WONDERS ARE MANY and, with Else, co-directed INSIDE GUANTANAMO, an Emmy nominee in 2009. In 2015, Bonni executive produced 3.5 MINUTES and ART AND CRAFT. With Lisa Chanoff, Bonni is the co-founder of the Catapult Film Fund.

Jon Shenk recently co-directed the Oscar-nominated film, LEAD ME HOME (Netflix). Previously, he co-directed ATHLETE A (Netflix) with his film partner, Bonni Cohen, which was selected for the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival. Jon co-directed and photographed AN INCONVENIENT SEQUEL: TRUTH TO POWER (Participant Media/Paramount) which premiered on opening night of the Sundance Film Festival in 2017, was shortlisted for the 2018 Oscars, and was nominated for a 2018 BAFTA for Best Documentary. In 2016, Jon co-directed and photographed the Peabody Award-winning film AUDRIE & DAISY (Netflix), which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2011, Jon directed THE ISLAND PRESIDENT (Goldwyn Films), winner of the 2011 TIFF’s People’s Choice Award and IDA’s Pare Lorentz Award. Jon was awarded the 2004 Independent Spirit Award for directing LOST BOYS OF SUDAN (Shadow Distribution/PBS), served as the DP for the 2008 Academy Award-winning SMILE PINKI, and won an Emmy for BLAME SOMEBODY ELSE (PBS), 2007.

Pedro Kos’s latest documentary short film LEAD ME HOME, co-directed with Jon Shenk, was nominated for a 2022 Academy Award. His most recent documentary feature film REBEL HEARTS, which he directed, wrote, and edited premiered in U.S. Documentary Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was released worldwide by Discovery+. Prior to that he wrote and produced Jehane Noujaim and Karim Amer’s Netflix Original Documentary THE GREAT HACK which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for a BAFTA award. His feature directorial debut BENDING THE ARC (co-directed with Kief Davidson) premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Previously, he edited Jehane Noujaim’s Academy Award nominee THE SQUARE which earned Pedro an Emmy Award for Best Editing for a Non-Fiction program, Lucy Walker’s Academy Award nominee WASTE LAND and THE CRASH REEL (2013 SXSW Film Festival Audience Award winner), Jon Shenk’s THE ISLAND PRESIDENT (2011 TIFF Documentary People’s Choice Award winner) among others. Pedro is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and received his B.A. in Theater Directing from Yale University.

Josh Penn is a producer with the Department of Motion Pictures. He produced BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, the Caméra d'Or at Cannes, and was nominated for four Academy Awards (including Best Picture). He has also held producing roles on features and series including PHILLY D.A. (2022 Gothams and Columbia duPont award winner), MONSTERS AND MEN (Sundance Special Jury award), PATTI CAKE$, WESTERN (Sundance Special Jury award), THE GREAT INVISIBLE (SXSW Grandy Jury award), A THOUSAND THOUGHTS, BLOODY NOSE EMPTY POCKETS (Sundance Special Jury award), USERS (Sundance Best Director award), WENDY and 32 SOUNDS among others. Outside of his work in film, Josh has worked in politics including lead roles on the digital teams for both Obama Presidential campaigns.

Noah Stahl is a producer based in Brooklyn. From 2019 to 2021 he was VP of development and production at Nine Stories (headed by Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker). He produced Daniel Hymanson’s 2021 debut SO LATE SO SOON (True/False, DOC NYC), was executive producer on Reinaldo Marcus Green's MONSTERS AND MEN (Sundance Special Jury Prize 2018) and produced Geremy Jasper's PATTI CAKE$ (Sundance, Cannes 2017). In 2015, he produced NEW ORLEANS HERE & NOW, a six-part documentary series for Time Inc.; co-produced Laurie Anderson's HEART OF A DOG (Oscar shortlist); and co-produced the Ross Brothers' WESTERN (Sundance Special Jury Prize). He was previously a researcher/associate producer for Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s San Francisco-based Telling Pictures.

Justine Nagan is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning documentary producer and creative media executive. She recently relocated to California and joined Actual Films as their Head of Production. Prior to this role, Justine was the Executive Director of American Documentary, Inc., and an Executive Producer on its two signature series, POV (PBS) and America Reframed (World Channel). During her tenure at the organization, AmDoc launched POV Shorts, created several Artist Emergency Funds, and showed continued excellence in its programming including several Oscar nominations, and Emmy, Peabody and DuPont wins. Before AmDoc, Justine led Kartemquin Films as Executive Director for seven years, as well as being an Emmy Award-winning Executive Producer on films including MINDING THE GAP; LIFE ITSELF, THE INTERRUPTERS, and THE TRIALS OF MUHAMMAD ALI.