David Binder | Director, Writer, Producer
David Binder, an award-winning photojournalist, brings his talent and eye for story-telling to his first documentary film. His intimate and involved approach has earned him a reputation for illuminating his subjects and their lives with perception and compassion. His debut as a filmmaker, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken”, came about directly from his photo essay of Gail Farrow and her family and their struggle with AIDS and its aftermath, a work that has spanned 15 years. Some of his most noted work has been the chronicling of people caught up in the AIDS vortex, including activist Jon Parker’s illegal underground needle exchange program, Playboy Covergirl Rebekka Armstrong’s life with the disease, and Camp Sunburst, the summer camp in California for families affected by AIDS. His deep engagement with this ongoing story is evident in every frame of this film.
David’s work has been published extensively by magazines throughout the world. He has twice been recognized by the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Awards for Excellence in Journalism, The National Press Photographers “Best of Photojournalism,” as well as other national and regional awards. David received a Massachusetts Cultural Council Artist Fellowship Grant in 2001.
Exhibitions of David’s work have been presented at the United States Senate, the Harvard AIDS Institute, the Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA, the National Museum of Health and Science in Washington, D.C., the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA, and the Wilson Hicks International Conference on Visual Communications in Miami, Florida. His work on AIDS is currently the centerpiece of a touring exhibition sponsored by the United States Centers for Disease Control. Entitled “What About AIDS?”, this educational exhibit has been displayed in more than 40 cities throughout North America.
John Mercer | Editor
Jon Mercer is a highly regarded film editor in demand for both independent films and commercial work.
Jay Sweet | Music Supervisor
Jay Sweet has become a staple in the independent film scene. He has worked in production with the Farrelly Brothers on Outside Providence and Me, Myself, and Irene, and has done music supervision for Lift, Ropewalk, Gentleman B., The Year That Trembled, In the Weeds, Transcendence and Orphan. His first script, West Of Here, starring Mary Stuart Masterson, Tate Donovan, and Josh Hamilton with original music by platinum-selling artist, Big Head Todd, was shot last April and will be premiering this summer. His next project, Yoga and Ecstasy, which he developed with Adam McCarthy, begins shooting this June in New York City. Since then he has been busy writing on a work-for-hire basis for other production companies. Multi-talented, Jay is also a principal in the new venture Sugarfoot Productions, which is producing a music TV show with Berklee College of Music called The Chord. The first episode featured folk phenom Dar Williams and venerable siren Margo Timmins of The Cowboy Junkies. Prior to joining Sugarfoot, Jay has been a marketing and music consultant at The Planetary Group working on numerous feature films, advertising campaigns, and television shows. He is a frequent keynote speaker at film and music festivals around the country, and has been a recurring guest on NPR’s The Connection.
Jay is editor at large at Paste Magazine and runs his own music consulting company, Sweet & Doggett. Jay is also the producer of the Newport Folk Festival.
Mike Pecci | Director of Photography
Dark, Strange, Emotional, and Edgy are just a few ways to describe the work of Boston Filmmaker and Photographer Mike Pecci. His short films have won numerous awards including the 2003 Emerging Filmmaker Award and the awards for “Best Acting” and the “Audience Award” at the 2003 48-Hour Film Festival.
Mike’s still photography has been featured on numerous websites and in Boston magazines and his skills as a Director of Photography have been utilized by some of Boston and New York’s hottest independent filmmakers. This year Mike has shot over five short films and several music videos, which caught the eye of famed music video director, Mark Romanek.