Gringo Shamans
TFI Suppport
TFI Network 2016
Logline
Ron’s life takes a turn when he moves to Peru to become a shaman. After years of training in the jungle, the Ayahuasca boom propels him from monk to superstar possibly threatening the integrity of an ancient tradition.
Micaela Saxer
DIRECTOR, WRITER, PRODUCER
Micaela Saxer was born in Iquitos, Peru on the legendary film set of Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo. In her 20's, she worked for casting director Shaila Rubin in Rome. She assisted Ms. Rubin on The Talented Mr. Ripley, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Titus, Hannibal, and The Passion of the Christ. After Ms. Rubin's death in 2006, Micaela decided to leave Rome and the film industry and take a sabbatical in her motherland; Peru. There she managed the Hotel La Casa Fitzcarraldo in the city of Iquitos from 2007 to 2010. During this time in the Amazon, Micaela not only tried ayahuasca and experienced its effects, but also was a witness to the touristic boom taking place in the city. There she had the idea to make the documentary Gringo Shamans. Micaela, currently lives in New York, where she works in production on independent films and frequently collaborates as an Associate Producer with the production company Cinema Imperfecta. is her directorial debut.
Quentin Andre
DIRECTOR, WRITER, EDITOR, COMPOSER
Quentin Andre was born and raised in New York City, where he majored in history and literature at the New School. Quentin grew up around filmmakers and was introduced to filming at an early age. At 15, he starred in Thievery, a short film directed by Nadia Szold. He later worked on Michel Gondry’s Be Kind Rewind. In 2012 Quentin shot, directed, and produced a music video for Don’t Break My Love, a song by Nicolas Jaar. In the summer of 2012, he started working with Micaela Saxer on Gringo Shamans. He has also worked for Christine Vachon’s Killer Films.
Izabella Tzenkova
PRODUCER
Izabella Tzenkova is an independent producer based in New York. In 2010 she founded Kotva Films, with a focus on developing projects by new and up and coming talent. Her first film, LILY, directed by Matt Creed, premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in 2013. She produced Crystal Moselle’s award-winning documentary, THE WOLFPACK, which took the Sundance Grand Jury Prize in 2015 and most recently her narrative debut SKATE KITCHEN (2018), both distributed by Magnolia Pictures. Her latest film is WALKING ON WATER directed by Andrey M Paunov, which comes out in theaters May 2019. It will be the first feature film by a Bulgarian director to receive international theatrical distribution. She is currently producing Aslihan Unaldi’s feature debut, AFLOAT. Izabella is also part of the European ACE Producers Network.
Trevor Tweeten
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Trevor Tweeten is a New York-based artist and cinematographer. He holds a BA in Film and Video Art and works at the crossroads between video, sculpture and installation. As a cinematographer, he has realized a number of feature films and video art projects, ranging from narrative to documentary to experimental. His work is often noted for its strong imagery and lyrical visual style and was recently presented at the 55th Venice Biennale (2013), as part of a critically acclaimed collaborative project exploring the conflict in Eastern Congo with artist Richard Mosse and composer Ben Frost. His credits also include "Bounce: How the ball taught the world to Play" which premiered in 2015 at the SXSW film festival and he is currently working on a feature documentary centered on Frank Serpico and police corruption in New York City. He has traveled extensively for his work including the Middle East, South America, Africa and South Asia.
Sam Pressman
PRODUCER
Samuel was raised in a vibrant independent film environment. His focus is on portraying the intense journey and untamable spirit of storytelling. He has directed and produced several films and documentaries that resonate worldwide.