Robert Koenig, Producer & Director
Robert Koenig is an Emmy Award nominated producer and writer; he is truly passionate and excels in the field of documentary filmmaking. Koenig has completed several documentaries whose focus is specifically on human rights in Mongolia and Nepal. His work has been seen on PBS, ABC, CBS, and NBC stations throughout the country. As President of
Adventure Production Pictures, Koenig's visionary, artistic and resourceful nature facilitates his ability to adapt and thrive in any environment. Whether he is stranded in the Gobi Desert, or interviewing leaders of a vigilante group in the Himalayas, Koenig is able to keep his composure and adjust quickly to changes. His talent and skill has been rewarded with several national and regional awards for outstanding achievement.
Brandon Kohrt, Writer & Research Consultant
Brandon Kohrt, a medical anthropologist from Emory University (Atlanta, GA), has worked in Nepal since 1996 researching and aiding victims of war. Since 2006 he has directed Transcultural Psychosocial Organization-Nepal's assistance program for former child soldiers. Kohrt is a leading international scholar in the field of child soldiers with recent research publications in Journal of the American Medical Academy (JAMA). In 2005 Kohrt was awarded the Physicians for Human Rights Navin Narayan Award for leadership in health and human rights.
As research consultant and writer on RETURNED, Kohrt has been instrumental in helping Robert Koenig establish relationships to his many contacts in Nepal. This includes government officials, United Nations representatives, rehabilitation program directors, outreach program directors, teachers, former child soldiers and their families.
After the historic elections in April of 2008, Kohrt is re-interviewing some these contacts on camera to get an update on the current political situation.
Scott Ippolito, Director of Photography
After spending several years in Los Angeles rising through the ranks of the camera department, Ippolito's insight and creative energy ultimately led him to be a full time Cinematographer. Ippolito's freelance commercial work has won him several ADDY awards over the last decade and his short film "Moved" won Best Film at the 2004 International 48 Hour Film Festival.
As director of photography on RETURNED, Ippolito is in charge of the main camera operation and dealing with the production equipment throughout the course of the project on location. Ippolito has an extensive background in photography, cinematography and videography; he has worked on several feature films and documentaries in Asia and North America. Ippolito is a graduate of Emory University where he pursued his love of photography and writing.
Gordon Ray, Story Consultant
Gordon Ray is the Senior Producer at Public Broadcasting Atlanta. Ray brings an insider's knowledge of Public Broadcasting to the project; he serves as the project's story consultant.
Ray is the Emmy nominated producer of the television show "This is Atlanta". He's also a 5 time Telly award winner for "Atlanta Road Trip - A Day Away" and "This is Atlanta" as well as several documentaries including "Atlanta Voices: The Civil Rights Movement" and "Atlanta Voices: Memories of World War II".
Ray has degree in photography and has also studied video production at Golden West College in Huntington Beach, CA.
Prachanda Shrestha, Associate Producer
Prachanda Shrestha is a native Nepali filmmaker who is serving as the Associate Producer on RETURNED. Shrestha skills as a writer and translator were invaluable during the course of production. He contributes to the organization of the shooting schedule, hiring support staff and acting as our cultural advisor. Shrestha is currently the head writer and Director for Nepal's Kantipur TV's "Café Kantipur" and served as the Chief Assistant Director on the documentary "Sanjeevani".
Dan Diehl, Art Director
Dan Diehl is an Emmy Award winning designer who is serving as the Art Director on RETURNED. Diehl has spent much of his career as a graphic designer in television, designing for broadcast and cable networks such as The Weather Channel, HGTV and many more. Diehl is a graduate of West Virginia University and holds a BFA in Graphic Design. He is currently the Art Director for the NBC affiliate (WXIA) in the Atlanta, GA.
Web Team
Harris Bierhoff, Web Developer
Harris has developed and maintains
www.nepaldocumentary.com. He has helped to promote and encourage support for
RETURNED. Harris brings vast technical expertise in web development, a rich background in business consultation for a broad range of client industries, a keen eye for detail as well as a unique artistic vision all of which have shaped our online presence. Harris' inquisitive nature and his enthusiasm to support the work of
Adventure Production Pictures have made him an invaluable asset. Harris has served as Lead Applications Engineer for Beehive Media and is currently a Web Developer for Pixel Bridge, Inc. Harris is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.
Matt Woolhouse, Web Designer
Matt has conceptualized and designed the artwork that has been implemented on both
www.nepaldocumentary.com as well as the
RETURN blog. He brings a finely-honed artistic sensibility as well as rich marketing expertise, both of which have made the websites a compelling and distinctive user experience. Matt has served as Creative Director for Beehive Media and is currently Art Director for Digitas. Matt is a graduate of the Massachusetts College of Art.