About us

Board of Directors

President, John Forsen; Co-Founder, Fidget Films

Having lived in the PNW for 52 years, 15 time Emmy-award winning filmmaker John began producing documentaries over 3 decades ago at PBS, and CBS, where he made documentaries, commercials and TV shows, and ultimately founded MagicHour Films. After 15 years, he launched Fidget Films, with which he has earned the New York Film Festival Best of Show Award, and a Gold Lion from the Cannes Film Festival. 

Vice President, Gayle Podrabsky; Co-Founder, Fidget Films

An experienced filmmaker with more than 25 years of success in, producing, directing, writing, editing video, creative project management, client liaison, relationship building, team leadership and budget oversight. Founder of Epona Productions, she created marketing, branding, promotional, music, educational advertising and documentary films for diverse range of commercial and nonprofit clients. Her passion lies telling personal and nature films. She was born and raised in Everett.

Secretary, Joseph Pontecorvo; Founder PONTEfilms

Joe is an award-winning producer, writer, and cinematographer. His passion  for the natural world has taken him around the globe - tracking Siberian tigers in the Russian Far East, living among grizzlies in the wilds of Alaska, and following orangutans through Indonesia’s peat swamp forest. Over the past twenty years Joe has produced numerous wildlife documentaries for networks including: PBS, National Geographic, and the BBC. He was born and raised in the PNW.

Executive Committee

Tom Horton; Retired former Creative Director HL2

Tom is a writer and creative director for over 30 years, he was part of the creative team at Heckler Associates that developed the legendary Rainier Beer and Ivar’s commercials. He also did early development work for Starbucks and many others before founding his own agency, HL2, in 1995. Additional client work included Microsoft, Vail Resorts, Taco Del Mar, T-Mobile and New Balance. He was born and raised in Seattle.

 Tim Egan; Columnist, N.Y.T, Published National Author

Tim is a Pulitzer-Prize winning writer for the New York Times and the best-selling author of multiple works of fiction and non-fiction, including his recent best-seller Fever in the Heartland.  Other books include:Short Night of the Shadow Catcher; The Good Rain; The Big Burn; and A Pilgrimage to Eternity. In 2006 he won the National Book Award for The Worst Hard Times, which filmmaker Ken Burns turned into a PBS documentary. He lives in Seattle.

Lorraine McConaghy,Ph.D, Public Historian

Lorraine is public historian emeritus at the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI) and has devoted her career to researching and teaching Pacific Northwest history. She is a past recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching History, the DAR National Heritage Medal for Oral History, the AKCHO Charles Payton Award, and the Annual History Award from the Pacific Northwest.