CFVA Mentorship Program

Each year the CFVA pairs mentees with industry-leading mentors as part of an effort to uplift and strengthen our community. Once matched, each pair schedules sessions between them. Depending on the needs of the mentee and availability of the mentor these sessions can be Q&A, show-and-tell, or even a job shadow. Participants will have two months to complete the mentorship process.

The Fall 2023 Mentorship Program will be open for signups from September 25, 2023 to October 9, 2023. Please fill out one of the below forms, if you’re interested in participating as a mentor or mentee.

Mentee Signup Form

Mentor Signup Form

All participants will receive an introductory email by October 16th and will have an opportunity to mingle with other mentors and mentees during our Mentorship Program Meet-up on November 16th.

Additional info For Mentors

As a mentor you will independently schedule a minimum of three one-hour sessions or one half-day job shadow with your assigned mentee. You may use your session time to talk one-on-one with your mentee, arrange a show-and-tell, or have them shadow you on the job. The mentorship is flexible and should align with both you and your mentee's interests and schedules.

Some mentors choose to use the first session for introductions, then dive in deeper in subsequent sections. Mentors may choose the focus of each session themselves, or rely on their mentee’s input. For example if your expertise is screenwriting you might provide notes on a sample of your mentee’s writing, if you are a director or producer you might invite your mentee to shadow you on set, if you are an entrepreneur you might offer an anecdote on how you began your business or advise your mentee about best practices. 

These are intended as guidelines and we encourage you to tailor the mentorship to fit both you and your mentee’s needs. Each mentor and mentee pair should find a unique version that works best for them.

Past Mentors

Jasper Gray - Futuristic Films

Jasper is a partner and director at Futuristic Films, a commercial film production company based in Denver. If you are an aspiring commercial director or cinematographer looking for some guidance in developing your career, Jasper will be happy to share all he knows.

Mike Slane - Practice Studios

Mike is an animation director, and a co-founder of Practice. He is equal parts creative and entrepreneur, as “all artists need to be.” Mike would love to help you get a better idea of what's behind the curtain!

Shawna Schultz - Mass FX Media

Shawna Schultz is the co-founder and executive producer at Mass FX Media, the motion design and visual effects studio that focuses on non-fiction forms of entertainment. She and her team have done graphics and visual effects for HBO Series, Netflix films and series, and Sundance premieres. She would be a good choice if you're looking to start your own production company, are working in documentary, or are interested in animation and visual effects.

Trai Cartwright, MFA - Craftwrite, Denver Screenwriters Meetup

Trai, is a 25-year entertainment industry veteran and creative writing specialist. She teaches, produces, and writes screenplays and novels, and can be found at www.craftwrite.com. While in LA, she was a screenwriter, independent film producer, and story consultant/development executive for HBO, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, New Lines Cinema, and 20th Century Fox. Trai currently teaches creative writing, screenwriting, and producing for two online master’s programs, writers groups, conferences and cons, and one-on-one as a development and story editor. She is the producer of docu-series Hidden Tigers, short film Sundown Road, and four independent films. She recently retired as President of Women in Film and Media Colorado, and just took over the Denver Screenwriters Meetup.

Jed Mortenson - Waypoint Films

Jed Mortenson is the owner of Waypoint Films, a commercial production company located in Boulder. He worked in film and television production in California for 15 years before moving to Boulder in 2007 and founding Waypoint Films. Waypoint Films focuses on short form content and works all over the United States, as well as internationally.

Patrick Hampton - Heart Moore Entertainment

Patrick “pH” Hampton is new to Colorado via Vancouver. He is a star of the historical NFB documentary, “Limit is the Sky”, an award-winning indie screenwriter with an endorsement by WriterDuet, and trained West Coast hip-hop artist. His advice has been used across the industry to make change for the real.

Adrian Bishop - Practice Studios

Adrian is a veteran Colorado filmmaker and animator. He’s worked on dozens of ad campaigns, numerous films, and digital media. Practice Studios does work for Sesame Street, Nick Jr. and others.

Cyndi Ortiz

Cyndi is an award-winning Writer/Producer/Director, whose skills run the gamut of film, unscripted TV, commercial, web, and documentary film production. After film school, she started her career at the network level - Nickelodeon in NYC - then moved to unscripted TV shows, corporate short-form, feature documentary, post production/editorial/animation. For the last 3 years, her focus has been commercial and branded content production (mostly as a Line Producer or Production Supervisor/PM). Cyndi can offer you a well-rounded view of the industry (except feature film), offer advice on staff vs freelance, what producers are looking for in the people they hire, and how to move up the ladder quickly. “I did not have a traditional career path so if you're adventurous and willing to do things your own way, we'll probably get along juuuuuust fiiiiine.”

Renee Miller - Screenwriter

Renee is a screenwriter working on her fourth feature length horror script. She has taken numerous online screenwriting classes through ScreenwritingU. She can offer her accumulated knowledge from these classes, and help flesh out stories to create a screenplay that has a chance of being sold. Renee can also give advice on how to reach out to producers, directors, and actors to try and sell a script.

Michael Wheeler - Editor

Michael is a freelance video editor with experience in the broadcast world on news documentary style programming and reality. He hopes to pass on the passion of editing, as well as the path from getting in the door with a company and how to logically move up in the ranks of editing.

Melanie McLean Brooks - Flying Giant Productions

Melanie studied journalism and learned the ropes of cinematography and directing on set in NYC. She did not attend film school (until much later). She is now a Cinematogarpher working on culinary shows, documentary features & series for channels such as PBS, Discovery & A&E. Melanie is also currently directing her dream project, a doc mini series on local chefs who are evolving the Denver culinary landscape. As a mentor, she hopes to help someone that feels like they need to unlock the ways of getting their dream shoots and someone who is excited to work hard to get there. “Production days are not for the faint of heart!”

Angela B. Forster - tiny studio llc

Art director, designer, production designer, Angela Forster has years of solving visuals for television, film, print, and web. Her clients range from major government agencies and corporations to independently owned small businesses and nonprofit organizations. She has art directed multiple Emmy Award winning PBS Documentary programs and was the production designer on many Award and Festival winning short narrative film. Angela's strength is in being able to see the whole picture from withing the camera frame as well as on the printed poster.

Maureen Lee Maloney - Wild Air Films

Maureen has been on her filmmaker journey for about 13 years, trying out many different things. She’s worked mostly on documentaries, but has also done commercials and narrative films. Though she has many interests, and a wide range of goals, her mentorship will mostly focus on documentary films.

Robert Berg - Berg Imaging

Robert has been in the motion picture industry in Colorado since 1987. He has produced 7 short and feature length projects since 2003. President of CFVA From 2008 to 2010.

Jenny Napier - Freelance Producer

Jenny is a freelance producer and works in film and commercials. She can give advice about getting started in the industry and how to find where you want to focus your talents.

James King - Gaffer / Corporate Video Extraordinaire

James is a proud Colorado native and CU Boulder graduate. He came up working in a documentary background and eventually pivoted into set lighting. James is a permit member of IATSE 728 Lighting union, currently working in mostly film and television. He’s also maintained clients over the years and produce a handful of corporate videos. He is happy to help support and answer any and all questions.

Katy Daily - Mass FX Media

Katy is an Emmy-winning director and producer who specializes in short-form documentary and promotional content. Over the past decade, she has worked as a freelancer for PBS, National Geographic, and small but mighty nonprofits. She is currently a producer with the talented folks at Mass FX Media, specializing in storytelling through motion graphics.

As a mentor, Katy will offer insights on balancing the creative sides of the industry (storytelling, directing, editing) and the nuts-and-bolts of working with major clients and building a freelance and/or small production company career.

Thank you to all of our 2023 mentors and mentees! Subscribe to CFVA emails to get up-to-date info about the next CVFA Mentorship program.