The Art of the Pitch Workshop

Erika Cohn is a Peabody, Emmy and DGA Award-winning filmmaker who Variety recognized as one of 2017’s top documentary filmmakers to watch and was featured in DOC NYC’s 2019 “40 Under 40.” Most recently, Erika directed/produced the New York Times Critic’s Pick and Peabody and Emmy Award nominated BELLY OF THE BEAST, featuring the 2021 Oscar shortlisted original song, “See What You’ve Done” by Mary J. Blige. This powerful exposé of human rights abuses in women’s prisons opened in theatres and was broadcast on PBS’ Independent Lens series last fall. Her current releases also include The New York Times Op-Docs short film, WHAT YOU’LL REMEMBER, a beautiful portrait of a family who reframes their experience of homelessness, now playing in theatres and major film festivals. Previously, Erika directed/produced THE JUDGE, a Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated film about the first woman judge appointed to the Middle East’s Shari’a courts, which premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival and was broadcast on PBS’ 2018 Independent Lens series. She co-directed/produced, IN FOOTBALL WE TRUST, an Emmy award-winning, feature documentary about young Pacific Islander men pursuing their dreams of playing professional football, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was broadcast on PBS’ 2016 Independent Lens series.

Erika grew up attending the Sundance Film Festival as a native Utahn, where she first began her career. She studied at Chapman University (California) and Hebrew University (Jerusalem) and has degrees in Film Production, Middle East Studies, and Acting Performance. In 2013, Erika founded Idle Wild Films, Inc., which has released 3 feature documentaries, 2 short films, and produced numerous branded content and commercial spots, including Gatorade’s “Win from Within” series, for which she received a 2016 Webby award nomination. In her spare time, Erika is an avid documentary photographer, music editor and performing artist. Erika is currently in development with her fiction feature debut and is represented by APA. Erika is represented by APA.

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.