Holly Stadtler, Executive Producer - dreamcat@gmavt.net
Today's technology allows us to glimpse events happening in real time continents away - to hear missiles firing, to see the devastation of nature, to watch in horror as we stand at ground zero. And as powerful images and sounds fill our living rooms, now more than ever, it is important that journalists and documentarians provide an accurate portrayal and proper context for events. Since the 1980s, reporting standards have changed. Journalists and newsrooms are now hostage to their owners who are scrutinizing the bottom line as news and public affairs programming competes with the entertainment divisions, placing more pressure to get the story out rather than get the story out accurately, and fully confirmed. It is critical that independent voices shout through the masses and find a platform for discussion which is why I'm dedicated to making FINDING OUR VOICES with or without the support of a broadcaster. As a journalist who has worked in news and documentaries for two decades, I have learned to appreciate the power of television and film. It is my goal to harness that power, to share important stories with the public - stories with courageous individuals fighting to be heard, stories of passion, truth and honor - to bring depth and understanding to concepts to a public that's hungry for truth. FINDING OUR VOICES encompasses the stories of some very courageous and faithful people who are committed to democracy and the freedom to express their beliefs.

Vicki Hughes, Director/Writer - vic1823@aol.com
On March 17, 2003 two women led a group of peaceful protesters across a police line on the grounds of the Capitol of the United States. Less than two years before they had each lost a child in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I wasn't at the protest; I saw them take those courageous steps against the potential onset of a deadly war, on video shot by my friend Laurel Jensen. And when I saw the images of their tearful and heroic acts of dissent, I knew I had to learn and tell their stories. For Filmmakers are storytellers - we're privileged to get up every morning and attempt to craft in images, words, and music a record of the events and lives of those who can move and often inspire us. Few people who define themselves as progressives (and many who do not) would deny that we're all in need of some inspiration… we're living in a time of crisis with environmental, political, and economic situations that threaten our survival. In an era when most media outlets fail to adequately report the dissent against the policies which create the crisis, and the political groups in power who define such dissent as disloyalty, it is essential to share the stories of dissenters who take risks, both great and small, to create a more peaceful and healthy world. It is also essential to remind us all that dissent is at the core of our democratic process and to celebrate the act of voicing dissent, and the people brave enough to undertake it. FINDING OUR VOICES is their story, and I hope a way of taking their courage as our own and inspiring to action so many who have yet to find a voice.

Laurel Jensen, Coordinating Producer - laurel.jensen@comcast.net
As a Senior Security Analyst for the U.S. Navy from 1991 to 2003 I was privy to America's post-Cold War national security strategy and defense planning. At the same time, I studied public health at Columbia University preparing to work on international development and foreign policy issues. September 11, 2001 brought these two divergent world views into sharp conflict creating an internal dissonance that wouldn't let go. Personally I had to ask myself, "Am I a warrior? If so, is that defensive in nature alone or should I be compelled to act offensively when called to? Or, am I a progressive health professional linking cause and effect in an effort to intervene in destructive processes?" Professionally I asked, "How can America prevent terrorism and improve relations in the world?" My answers were at stark odds with the Bush Doctrine. Having few colleagues in the military environment willing to oppose the Administration I sought out venues where my reasoning and conscience had free voice. Thus my journey into contemporary dissent and activism began. Unable to be effective in the workplace, with conviction and camera in hand, I joined thousands of individuals passionately dissenting government policy. In short order I got an education far beyond the issue of war. People of conscience filled the streets of Washington, D.C. day after day in the build up to the Iraqi invasion. Some were activists by vocation having worked tirelessly for years as advocates for the environment, economic justice, and peaceful conflict resolution. Others were protesting for the first time with a sense of disbelief that America would preemptively strike a country that posed neither a tangible threat nor had any links to 9-11. Many sacrificed jobs, friends, family and future security to stand in their truth with integrity, compassion and a deeply held hope for the future. They have given me great faith in humanity and inspired me to speak truth to power. I want to tell their story. When I showed some footage to Vicki Hughes, a good friend in the filmmaking business, FINDING OUR VOICES was born.

Barr Weissman, Editor - BarrW1@netscape.net
In more than 20 years of producing and editing documentary films and television I have fallen in love with telling the stories of real people. On every project I work on, it is my goal to open the viewer's heart to the nobility of human struggle and conflict, no matter how large or small. Like many of us, I feel we are approaching a watershed moment in our history as Americans and citizens of the World. Those who are making the commitment to act their conscience are truly the heroes of our time, and their stories must be told. They need to be told again and again, and they need to be told with heart and intelligence. FINDING OUR VOICES is our opportunity to do just that. I pledge my creative spirit to its successful completion.