Meet the
Advisory Board

Meet the committed team of leaders guiding the REEL WILD™ New York Film Festival’s mission of impact storytelling.

Jesse Dylan

CEO, Wondros

Jesse works across the globe on a wide range of projects—from health, science, and education to social justice and human rights. He founded Wondros to inspire, engage, and motivate people to take action in areas where people are working toward positive change.

John F. Calvelli

WCS Executive Vice President of Public Affairs

John F. Calvelli is the WCS Executive Vice President of Public Affairs. John serves on WCS's Executive Management team that manages the overall organization and is leading their effort to build a conservation movement that will inspire and engage the public in support of its mission.

Nancy Rosenthal

Founder, New York WILD Film Festival

Nancy founded the New York WILD Film Festival to create a platform for films that celebrated our relationship to the natural world and highlighted critical issues facing the planet. A member of The Explorers Club, she has produced award-winning films for National Geographic.

Patrick Michaels

Executive Producer, FOX

An Emmy Award-winning producer with extensive experience in tv production, creative direction, and editorial oversight. He previously led ABC’s The View for 15 years and held senior roles in syndication and development, earning recognition for his work across major networks and events.

Mark Sitley

Founder, Naked City Films

Mark is a veteran agency and production-side executive producer who founded Naked City in late 2019. His Brooklyn-based production company boasts a vast and unique understanding of content creation for agencies, brands, documentaries, and social media, from inception to execution and final delivery.

David Schmidt

Principal, Naked City Films

David is a documentary director and co-founder of New York production company Naked City. He has worked on behalf of international advocacy organizations like Amnesty International and Global Citizen and brands such as Barclays Bank, Nike, Volkswagen, and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Steve Papageorge

Founder & CEO, Genuine Overkill

A creative strategist and cultural connector, Steve crafts immersive brand experiences and builds meaningful collaborations. As the founder of Genuine Overkill, he has developed high-impact campaigns for top global brands, earning multiple awards.

Deirdre Brennan

Filmmaker, Production Designer

Deirdre is an Emmy award-winning decorator for television, film and theatre. Recent work includes Only Murders in the Building, The Penguin and The Diplomat. Her passion for wildlife and conservation led her to form Castletown Productions to make films about rare and endangered wildlife.

Monica Brady & Evelyn Brady

Founders, The Golden Trailer Awards

Evelyn and Monica co-founded The Golden Trailer Awards in 1999, establishing a prestigious platform for film trailer production. Now in its 25th year, the awards have become a global institution. The sisters also produce high-impact campaigns for top brands.