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 socially impactful projects and BIPOC stories. She offers her unique lens as a Korean-American transnational, transracial adoptee raised in Wisconsin. Nicole was part of the producing and impact teams on the Peabody Award-winning THE JUDGE (TIFF 2017), Emmy and Anthem Award-winning  BELLY OF THE BEAST (HRWFF 2020), and duPont Award-winner THROUGH THE NIGHT (Tribeca 2021).

Not only does Nicole strive to improve outcomes for the communities in her films, she’s dedicated to enhancing the documentary industry. 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’s the Conversations Program Lead at the Asian American Documentary Network (A-Doc). Nicole also volunteers on the Documentary Producers Alliance’s (DPA) Equity & Inclusion Committee and the Utah Documentary Association Steering Committee. Nicole is a USC CPD NextGen Creative Fellow, PGA Create alum, DOC NYC 40 Under 40, a 2023 Sundance Producer Fellow, 2023 Impact Partners Producer Fellow, and 2025 Sundance Asian American 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.