Who we are!
Toni Bell, Creator & Host
Toni Bell is the creator and host of the What's Up with Docs Podcast. She was the Impact Producer for Abigal Disney’s The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales and Fruits of Labor. She is the Impact Producer for Re-Present Media’s “The Power of Personal Documentary Films,” and the award-winning documentary film, A Woman on the Outside, and the Impact Partnerships Strategist for Odyssey Impact. She serves on the advisory board of the Southeast European Film Festival. Her foray into documentary film began when she wrote and edited the Black Association of Documentary Filmmakers – West newsletter. This led to her first gig as a production assistant and then an archival researcher for the film, Bridging the Divide: Tom Bradley and the Politics of Race, which aired nationally on PBS. Since then, she has researched archival for several films and television shows, including Centric's "Being" and “Behind the Music.” She has worked as an Impact Strategist for Looky Looky Pictures and the Hartley Media Impact Initiative. She has been a speaker, panelist, mentor, and juror at documentary film festivals and labs such as EBS in Korea, NALIP, Dok Leipzig, HotDocs, IFPWeek, European Film Market, Outfest, Docs by the Sea, and the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival. She teaches courses on impact and media at Saybrook University. Toni was part of the inaugural cohort of Art Equity's BIPOC Leadership Circle. She is the former Filmmaker Services Manager at the International Documentary Association, where she was responsible for handling the day-to-day operations of the fiscal sponsorship program. Toni also curated the DocuClub work-in-progress screening series. She holds a MAT-TESOL and an MA in Visual Anthropology from USC, an MFA in Creative Writing from Naropa University, and a certificate in professional screenwriting from UCLA.
Brianna Jovahn, Producer
Meet Brianna Jovahn, founder of What's Good Productions and the What's Good Podcast platform. She's passionate about connecting with business owners and creatives, inspiring and empowering entrepreneurs nationwide to achieve their deepest goals and dreams. Brianna motivates and supports individuals to pursue their passions through her podcast and production agency and positively impact the world. Join her on this journey of inspiration and empowerment as we create a community of dream-chasers and achievers!
Ranell Shubert, Former Producer
Ranell Shubert is the Nonfiction Access Initiative Funds Program Manager at the International Documentary Association, a movement aimed at narrative change through building power and community, and increasing opportunities for nonfiction media-makers who identify as disabled. She also teaches Podcast Production at the University of Southern California. Before joining IDA and NAI, she produced the Whats Up With Docs Podcast and worked with the 1IN4 Coalition to create artist development programs for creatives with disabilities. Ranell has 10 years of experience in artist support programs and education, film festivals and industry programming, production, pitching, funding, advocacy, and distribution, and she provides creative and professional consultation to nonfiction storytellers of various forms, from film, series, podcasts, and immersive content.
Ceaira Thomas, Composer
Ceaira Thomas is a musician, activist, and health fitness specialist. Specializing as a vocalist, Ceaira also plays piano, guitar, harmonica, and violin. Ceaira graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, receiving two honorary plaques. She is currently completing a master’s degree in Arts Leadership at the University of Southern California. Ceaira has worked in human rights with the NAACP, Amnesty International, PIRG, and the International Documentary Association. A fitness professional, Ceaira is certified in fitness instruction by the American Aerobic Association International and International Sports Medicine Association; and she is Certified by Yoga Alliance in Holistic Yoga Flow. To book here, email bookings@ceairathomas.com.