Agora Productions (www.thepowerofthepowerless.org or www.agoraproductions.org) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote humane values, enhance critical thinking skills and expose people, particularly young adults, to positive role models through film, art and educational materials.
Cory Taylor
Cory TaylorTaylor is a primetime Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with more than twenty years of experience in documentaries. His most recent independent film, THE POWER OF THE POWERLESS (2009), narrated by Jeremy Irons, documents the dissident struggle, which led to 1989’s Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. Through Taylor’s direct efforts, and in conjunction with several human rights organizations, the film was smuggled into various Arab-Spring countries, as well as Burma and Cuba, and shown to democracy advocates in underground screenings. POWERLESS was also broadcast in thirty countries and screened at twenty-four film festivals where it won multiple awards. Taylor’s short film ANOTHER WAY OF SEEING THINGS (2004), examines the subject of accurate reporting and tolerance in the media and won awards at the Columbus and Tiburon Film Festivals. In 2002, his award-winning film, A QUIET REVOLUTION, narrated by Meryl Streep and featuring Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, portrayed the successful efforts of ordinary citizens combating deforestation, draught and environmental poisoning in Africa, Europe and Asia. Screened in fifty countries, A QUIET REVOLUTION was also translated into multiple languages, and brought to remote villages on mobile movie screens. Taylor’s television work has been featured on PBS, the History Channel, Nat Geo, and the Discovery Channel. He received his BA from UCLA in Theater, Film and Television.
Darin Nellis
Nellis, Agora’s executive producer and business manager, has twenty five years of experience working in business and nonprofit management in the U.S. and Africa. Nellis produced THE POWER OF THE POWERLESS (2009) and also spearheaded the development of an associated curriculum for high school and college students, which is currently being utilized by many universities around the world, including Stanford, Harvard and Duke. His experience as a former Community Development Agent in Mauritania for the U.S. Peace Corps nurtured his appreciation for globalism, a sensitivity he brings to all the projects he produces for Agora. Nellis’ private sector positions have included Managing Director for the Eurasian distribution company Power Quality Holdings and Director of Marketing and Sales for Nanotech Industries and Hybrid Coating Technologies. Non-profit and public posts have included Community Development Officer at The United Way, Loyola Marymount Peace Corps Fellows and Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator for the American Oceans Campaign. Nellis received his BA from UCLA in International Relations and an MBA from Loyola Marymount University.
Nicole Corbin
Corbin’s first independent documentary, 13 FAMILIES: LIFE AFTER COLUMBINE (2010), was a personal look at the emotional road from loss and grief to healing, hope and inspiration for the thirteen families whose children were murdered at Columbine. Inspired in part by Corbin’s passion for children and the eradication of teen violence, the film enjoyed a long theatrical run in Colorado and was screened at multiple film festivals. After a decade of producing news for NBC, CBS, and ABC, Corbin went on to work in new media for Sony and Columbia Tri-Star Television division, where she developed interactive programming. With a commitment to journalistic integrity acquired through her years producing network news, Corbin currently produces television content, both long-form documentary and other non-scripted programming, for multiple networks, including Discovery, MSBNC, TLC, History Channel and A&E. She graduated with degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science.
James T. Sale
Composer
James T. Sale is an accomplished composer and orchestrator for Film and TV with 15 years of experience including scores for “The Haunting of Molly Hartley” and “Music Within.” He also orchestrates and conducts music for Mark Mothersbaugh (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Fanboys, Herbie: Fully Loaded), Bill Brown (CSI: NY), Lee Holdrige (Kindertransport) and for numerous award-winning video games.
Lionel Friedberg
Production Consultant
Recipient of a Primetime Emmy, a National Emmy, the American Association for the Advancement of Science ‘Westinghouse’ Award for Science Programming, three Columbus and three Golden Eagles for Best Documentaries. He has worked for over 30 years supervising, producing, writing and directing documentaries, reality, investigative and educational programs and has 18 feature film credits as Director of Photography.
Alex Ryan
Alexandra Ryan is two-time Emmy nominated producer who had been producing with Sopranos actor James Gandolfini until untimely passing in June. In 2012, HEMINGWAY AND GELLHORN (starring Academy Award Winner Nicole Kidman and Clive Owen) premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and earned a total of fifteen Emmy nominations. It was HBO’s most nominated show of 2012 and earned Golden Globe nominations as well as SAG, DGA and WGA.
Together James and Alex also produced HBO’s ALIVE DAY MEMORIES: Home from Iraq, which garnered several awards including an Emmy nomination and the very first TV Academy’s Television with a Conscience honor. In a follow up to ALIVE DAY, WARTORN 1861-2010 (earned another Academy Television with a Conscience Honor) examined the emotional cost of war and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Alex is currently developing a bio-pic comedy for HBO Films and Steve Carell’s Carousel Productions.
