2010 Panelists

Robyne Robinson: Anchor – Reporter, FOX9 News

Robyne has the distinction of being the first African-American to anchor a local prime-time newscast, and the first black appointed senior anchor at a Twin Cities news organization.

Regarded as one of the Twin Cities’ top broadcasters, Robyne’s been the recipient of the Upper Midwest Emmy for Best Anchor. Her work on live team coverage of both the funeral of a slain St. Paul police officer and a suburban gas explosion helped Fox 9 not only win an Emmy, but also the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio and Television News Directors Association.

Robyne’s numerous honors also include awards from the Associated Press and the Minnesota Broadcasters’ Association; She’s won the St. Paul Companies’ Pan-African Council Legacy Award; the Media Allies Award by the Minnesota Council of Non-Profits; and Humanitarian of the Year by Minneapolis Community and Technical College.

Robyne’s received the Minneapolis NAACP Television Industry Award for Outstanding Contributions to Broadcasting, and the Mass Media Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews. She was named a Hubert H. Humphrey Public Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota and has been lauded by the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota for her involvement in creating awareness about the disease she’s lived with for over 20 years.

For eight years at Fox 9, Robyne received numerous awards for “The Buzz”, an arts and entertainment segment that interviewed everyone from Angelina Jolie to Prince, and won critical reviews from local and national arts critics. She’s been voted Best Celebrity by Skyway News, and Best Local Female Anchor on Television five years in a row by readers of the Minnesota Women’s Press. Broadcast news colleagues named Robyne Best Female Anchor in Mpls-St. Paul Magazine and named Best TV Newscaster by writers at City Pages newspaper.

Jack Anderson: Youth Filmmaker, Animator

A native of Hopkins, Minnesota, Jack’s short films and animations have screened in the .EDU Film Fest every year since its inception, in addition to a long list of  local and national competitions. Last winter, he worked in collaboration with teens from across the country and five-time Grammy award winner Usher on a music video in Hollywood, California.

Currently, he is directing an all-student initiated feature film as well as mentoring with the Pixel Farm–a post production facility in the Twin Cities. This fall, Jack will attend Chapman University in Orange, California where he will pursue a degree in Digital Arts.

Bobby Marsden-Producer/Filmmaker:

After working for the very reputable and well established ad agency known as Fallon, Bobby migrated to the young and up-and coming agency of Mojo Solo in April of 2008. During his stint at Fallon, Marsden worked as a producer on award winning campaigns which included Traveler’s Insurance, Holiday Inn Express, and the critically acclaimed and risque’ “Happily Ever” for Equinox.

Upon accepting his new role as Senior Producer at Mojo, Bobby has had the pleasure of working with corporate clients which include 3M, Thomson Reuters, Ecolab, Land O’Lakes, WestLaw and Findlaw. In his free time at Mojo Solo, Mr. Marsden entertains his enjoyment of his own corporate culture by creating internal contests such as The Annual Mustache Growing Contest – and soon to be named others.

Prior to his agency life, Marsden worked regularly in the world film. He directed the critically acclaimed documentary Left Behind Without a Choice. He also produced the award winning short films Revolver, and Paper Hearts.

Bobby is still an avid supporter of the indie film world. He is a festival director for the Twin Cities Film Festival, for the last four years he has been a festival director for the Minneapolis/St Paul International Film festival, and is a past director for The Filmanthropist Project.

Each year, Bobby volunteers to work with students of the MTS Digital Media Academy; brings them together with his colleagues from the film world; and mentors them in the production of the .EDU Film Festival Trailer.

Andrew Hatling: Youth Filmmaker, Festival Director, Community Organizer

As a sophomore in high school, Andrew developed a plan to start the Watertown Film Festival. It was his dream that this would bring the filmmaking community of the Twin Cities into the rest of the state of Minnesota. The film festival has grown over the past four years, and the most recent event drew hundreds of people from all over the region.

Andrew has also been involved with community organizing in the Watertown area. As a Commissioner for the Watertown Parks and Recreation Committee, he spearheaded the youth commission known as “Splatter.” Through this, his community has been able to offer youth alternative recreational programming. This has helped reach out to many troubled youth in the community; while also giving youth an active role in the political process.

Andrew will be graduating high school in May, and then plans to attend Biola University to major in film studies with an emphasis on production. His passion for filmmaking has inspired him in many ways, allowing him to take part in a professional mentorship program, along with leading film camps and clinics. His overriding goal is to someday write and direct feature-length films.

He was the recipient of the Minnesota State High School League “Excel Award” for 2009, the winner of the “Voice of Democracy” contest in 2009, the “Student of Integrity” recipient from the Minnesota Better Business Bureau in 2009,  a  ”Spirit of Community Award” winner in 2010, and he was a finalist in the National Leadership Conference for Video Production through Business Professionals of America in 2010.

Jesse Roesler, Filmmaker

Emmy award-winning filmmaker Jesse Roesler has a storytelling addiction. From comedies, to documentaries, to robotic love stories – you’ll find him ever exploring the humor, lightness and depth of the human experience through the use of cinematic expression. His mini-movies have found homes in international film festivals, on national television, and in your Web browser.

Tim Pearson: Owner, Perfect Storm Productions

Perfect Storm Productions is a product of the fertile imaginations of Tim Pearson and Richard Hovel. Together they create original entertainment concepts that combine unique assets with compelling ideas. Their first show, ADFIGHT, was produced with Ben Silverman at Reveille and premiered on the Oxygen network.

Brooke Martin: Youth Director, Producer

Brooke Martin is a nineteen-year-old director and producer. In 2008, she wrote, directed, and produced her first film “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall” in Minnesota. This film has been shown at 7 film festivals across North America (taking “Best of Fest” for narratives in the 2009 .EDU Film Fest)

Afterward, Brooke established her film company Pietà Pictures with the goal of making more compelling and thought-provoking films. She has also worked on many independent features across the U.S. and Minnesota in various positions, but she especially enjoys working in the art department.

Jon Springer, Filmmaker

Jon Springer is an award-winning indie film producer, director, and cinematographer with regional and national acclaim. His films have garnered rave reviews from some of the top film sites in the world, including Ain’t it Cool News, Film Threat, and Fangoria. Springer’s cinematography credits include a long list of feature films, narrative shorts, documentaries, and over 700 commercials. His latest feature film,The Hagstone Demon, starring indie film icon Mark Borchardt, premiered at the 2009 Tromadance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Along with numerous awards for his direction and cinematography, Springer won the IFP/McKnight Artist Fellowship for Filmmaking in 2007.