Meet the Team
Elaine Epstein is a South African-born documentary filmmaker who splits her time between Brooklyn and Cape Town. Over the past two decades, she’s built a career telling intimate, socially engaged stories that challenge dominant narratives and center underrepresented voices.
Her first feature documentary, State of Denial, examined AIDS denialism during South Africa’s Mbeki administration. The film premiered at Sundance, aired on PBS’s POV, and contributed to broader conversations around global health equity and access to treatment.
Elaine’s work has explored a wide range of subjects—from reproductive justice and public health to LGBTQ+ activism and community-led resistance—always with an eye toward the personal stories that reveal deeper systemic issues.
In 2008, she founded Underdog Films, a creative studio focused on documentaries, branded content, and social impact campaigns. Through Underdog, she has directed and produced content for both nonprofit and commercial clients, blending storytelling and advocacy across platforms.
She returned to feature filmmaking with Arrest the Midwife, which premiered at SXSW in 2025. Elaine is currently expanding the film’s reach through an impact campaign focused on reproductive and birth justice, while developing a follow-up project that builds on these themes through a more personal and sharply observational lens.
Robin Hessman | Producer
Robin Hessman is an award-winning documentary filmmaker/creative producer. She recently produced SIMPLE AS WATER, (Tribeca, HBOMax)-shortlisted for an Oscar for Best Documentary 2022, nominated for Emmy, Peabody, IDA, PGA Awards. Her films, including the critically acclaimed MY PERESTROIKA have been NY Times Critics Picks, released theatrically, and broadcast in over 30 countries. She co-produced several PBS films including the Peabody Award-winning TUPPERWARE! During a decade living in Russia, she produced ULITSA SEZAM, the Russian co-production of SESAME STREET and was the Documentary Director of AMFEST MOSCOW. She is a member of AMPAS, the PGA, the Television Academy, and Vice President/Founding board member of the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship.
Rachel Shuman | Editor
Rachel Shuman: Editor Rachel Shuman is a documentary editor and director based in the greater New York City area. Recent editing credits include Storm Lake (Full Frame 2021; AFI DOCS Audience Award), Omara (2021), True Believer (Ashland Independent Film Festival 2019), Five Seasons (DOC NYC 2017) and One October (Full Frame 2017). Rachel has also worked as an editor on nonfiction programming for A&E, History, and MTV, and she is proud to be a founding board member of the Karen Schmeer Film Editing Fellowship. Originally from Boston, Rachel received a BFA from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco and an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York.
Naiti Gámez | Cinematographer
Naiti Gámez has worked as a cinematographer and director on multiple award-winning films and television series. Her film, LOVE, SADIE, screened in the Short Film Corner at the Festival de Cannes and was a Student Academy Awards semi-finalist. As a cinematographer, her film credits have screened at dozens of festivals worldwide, including Festival de Cannes, Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festival, Clermont-Ferrand, and SXSW. Naiti’s most recent film credits include Ailey which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, Hail Satan (Sundance Film Festival, 2019, Hulu, 2019) and Kiki (Sundance Film Festival, 2016, Berlinale, 2016 – WINNER of the Teddy Award for Best Documentary and Essay Film, Full Frame, Hulu, 2017) and Newtown (Independent Lens, PBS, 2017).
Allyson Newman | Composer
Allyson Newman is an Emmy nominated composer whose work can be heard on The L Word Generation Q (Showtime), Partner Track (Netflix) and First Day (Hulu). In 2024 she was nominated for two Society of Composers and Lyricists awards for her work on The L Word Generation Q and for the documentary Commitment to Life. Allyson was selected as one of twelve participants for the Spot the Composer program at the Marché du Film in Cannes 2024. Allyson’s past work includes the multi award winning documentary feature Limited Partnership that premiered on PBS Independent Lens in 2015. Allyson then went on to score the Emmy nominated (2016) series Her Story, and in 2017 participated in the BMI Conducting Workshop. Following this Allyson scored Kusama-Infinity which premiered at Sundance 2018 and was released theatrically around the world. In 2019 Allyson collaborated with Oscar Winning directors Jeffrey Friedman and Rob Epstein to score State of Pride which opened the SXSW Film Festival. Also, that year Allyson scored A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem which had its premiere at Tribeca, as well as Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound which premiered at Cannes. Allyson scored the HULU film Diane Von Furstenberg: Women in Charge for which she was nominated a Hollywood Music in Media Award, and most recently Allyson scored Arrest the Midwife which premiered at SXSW 2025. Allyson is the co-president of the Alliance for Woman Film Composer.