Artist Foundry Pitch Competition

In 2015 James partnered with Todd Slater to form Blue Fox Entertainment. Today, the company is a full service distribution, international sales and financing company handling approximately 25 movies a year of all genres, both narratives and documentaries. James also occasionally produces including the recent horror trilogy BUTCHERS, the WW1 horror thriller BUNKER and the upcoming documentary THE CONQUEROR: HOLLYWOOD FALLOUT. Prior to working in the film industry, James spend over 2 decades working in the family business his father started.

Dr. Jenny Mackenzie’s films have aired on top broadcast and VOD channels such as HBO, HULU, PBS, and Amazon, and have received praise in the New York Times, The LA Times and The Hollywood Reporter. Her films include KICK LIKE A GIRL, SUGAR BABIES,  LEAD WITH LOVE, DYING IN VEIN, QUIET HEROES and THE RIGHT TO READ. Jenny has a bachelor’s degree from Brown University, a Ph.D. from the University of Utah and is an assistant professor in documentary film production at Utah Valley University.

Nicole Docta (she/her) is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has focused her career on producing socially provoking BIPOC stories and managing their impact campaigns. Nicole was part of the producing teams on Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated THE JUDGE (TIFF 2017) and Emmy Award-winning BELLY OF THE BEAST (HRWFF 2020) with Director Erika Cohn, and duPont Award-winner THROUGH THE NIGHT (Tribeca 2020) with Director Loira Limbal. Nicole worked as the Special Initiatives Producer at Firelight Media for three years co-curating the Beyond Resilience Series and helping to implement new artist programs to support BIPOC filmmakers. She volunteers on the DPA Equity & Inclusion Committee and for Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc) and is an active member of Brown Girls Doc Mafia (BGDM). Nicole is also a USC CPD NextGen Creative Fellow, one of DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40, a PGA Create alum, Sundance Producer Fellow, and Impact Partners Producer Fellow.

Sohrab Mirmont embarked on his filmmaking journey in war-torn Iran, nurtured by his uncle, the acclaimed Director Abbas Kiarostami. Their basement sessions ignited Sohrab’s passion for storytelling, which only intensified when his family relocated to America to escape the tumultuous political landscape.

Enrolling in Full Sail University at 19, Sohrab’s talent blossomed with his debut short film, “The Beautiful Wind,” winning the Audience Choice Award at the New York Int’l Film Festival. This success catapulted him into Hollywood’s spotlight, earning recognition as a “Filmmaker to Watch” by Digital Filmmaker Magazine UK.

With “The Freemason,” starring Sean Astin, Sohrab solidified his position in the industry, clinching multiple awards at the Comic Con Film Festival and achieving theatrical distribution with over 300% profits.

Beyond the silver screen, Sohrab’s collaboration with the BBC on impactful documentaries, alongside his philanthropic efforts with Vision Cambodia, showcases his commitment to meaningful storytelling and global change.

As the founder of Mirmont Pictures, he’s produced dozens of commercials driving tens of millions of dollars in sales. His recent feature film, “Riddle of Fire,” shot on 16mm Kodak Film, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and is set for a theatrical release in March 2024.

Additionally, his film “Green Flake” sparked a movement, contributing to the creation of monuments honoring its true-life characters.

Currently, Sohrab is expanding his horizons with a slate of international coproduction projects, continuing his mission to inspire through cinema.