EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Chucha Barber

A member in good standing with the Producers Guild of America, filmmaker Chucha Barber has been creating documentary films for more than 30 years on topics as diverse as art, paleontology, high-profile murders and auto racing. She has produced more than 29 documentaries in partnership with network-owned stations including NBC, CBS, ABC, Univision and Telemundo.

Past chair and founder of the Tallahassee Film Festival, Chucha owns and operates Chucha Barber Productions, which creates television programs and documentary films. Chucha’s work as a producer has earned seven Suncoast Emmy Awards, a Girl Scouts of America Women of Distinction Award, and two Gracie Awards from the Alliance for Women in Media.

Chucha’s influence and interest extends beyond filmmaking. Appointed by a former Florida governor as a Commissioner of Volunteer Florida, Chucha is a past chair of the Volunteer Florida Foundation. She has served as a board member of the Leon County Tourist Development Council, instructed students as a guest lecturer at Florida State University, co-chaired the Tallahassee Heart Ball, and founded the Florida Wine Festival.

In addition to Unfiltered: The Truth About Oysters, she is currently working on her first television series and a documentary about the current and historical significance of Black churches to societal change.

Learn more about Chucha Barber Productions at www.chuchabarber.com.

DIRECTOR / EDITOR

Josh McLawhorn

Unfiltered: The Truth About Oysters is Josh’s debut feature-length documentary. A member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Josh’s work as a cinematographer and editor has earned eight Suncoast Emmy Awards. He operates Level Up Digital Media, a firm which produces commercials, corporate and nonprofit films, and television programs.

Josh’s 2014 short film Almost Ready won first place nationwide in Nikon’s Everyday Cinema Contest, and his commercial work has earned several Gold Addy Awards at the Tallahassee chapter of the American Advertising Federation, including a Judge’s Choice Award in 2016, and an FPRA Image Award in 2019.

The topics addressed in Unfiltered: The Truth About Oysters are close to home for the inhabitants of coastal communities around the world, and Josh is no exception. A native of Florida’s panhandle, he grew up eating oysters harvested from the Apalachicola Bay estuary and swimming in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. He hopes Unfiltered: The Truth About Oysters will attract public and political interest to the ecological crisis facing oysters, and help supercharge reef restoration efforts.

Learn more about Josh at www.levelup.media.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Mike Campbell

Southwest Florida marine biologist and environmental nonprofit director, Mike Campbell has over 20 years of experience studying and managing oyster habitats. He has worked from Louisiana to South Florida advocating for sustainable oyster harvesting and restoration of oyster populations throughout the Gulf Coast.

Mike’s marketing efforts highlighting the importance of coastal habitats has earned him Platinum and Gold HSMAI Adrian Awards in 2012, multiple Gold and many Addy Awards from the American Advertising Federation, including a Judge’s Choice Award in 2015, as well as a Suncoast Emmy Award.

Mike’s knowledge and dedication to the protection and restoration of coastal systems will ensure Unfiltered: The Truth About Oysters brings a historical and future perspective to the public, highlighting the immense need to be good stewards of our natural resources.

Learn more about marine and reef restoration efforts at www.swflreefs.com.

CONSULTANT

Mark Kurlansky

Award-winning author of The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, Salt: A World History, and Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World, Mark Kurlansky brings an expertise in the history and ecology of the oyster that enriches and helps guide topics explored in the documentary film Unfiltered: The Truth About Oysters.

Mark is a celebrated nonfiction writer who has published more than thirty books, among other literary contributions, and has won awards including the James A. Beard Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the Pluma Plata Award, the National Parenting Publication Gold Award, and Bon Appetit Food Writer of the Year.

Learn more about Mark and his work at www.markkurlansky.com.

PHOTOGRAPHER

Richard Bickel

Internationally acclaimed photographer Richard Bickel’s involvement with Unfiltered: The Truth About Oysters enriches the film and deepens its authenticity. After years photographing many of the world’s exotic waterways from Niger to Myanmar, Richard took residence in the famous oyster bay of Apalachicola, where he has spent the past quarter of a century photographing the renowned estuary and its inhabitants.

Richard has published the best-selling photo books The Last Great Bay and Apalachicola: An American Treasure. His work has earned him the Golden Quill award for photography and the New York Art Director’s Club Award. Richard has exhibited in galleries throughout the United States, and his work has appeared in The New York Times, Newsweek, Conde Naste Traveler, Travel and Leisure, and internationally in Die Zeit, The Times of London and Italian Public Television. Richard Bickel lives in Apalachicola where he maintains a gallery of his photography in the town's historic district.

Learn more about Richard and his work at www.richardbickelphotography.com.

EDITOR

Gabriela Rodeiro

Gaby is a scientist turned filmmaker. Her biochemistry education and former career as an analytical chemist have shaped the pragmatic approach she brings to video production and motion graphic design: disciplines which often lie at the intersection of problem solving and creativity. Her extensive scientific literacy and industry experience make her a valuable asset to Level Up Digital Media's science, tech, and healthcare clients.

Born in Cuba and having grown up in Canada and Florida, Gaby is fluent in both English and Spanish. She was an editor for Spirit of Miami, a 60-minute Spanish language television documentary for Telemundo about the founder of the Miami Grand Prix. Gaby has edited and produced many statewide PSA campaigns in multiple languages. She also starred in and co-produced Almost Ready, the first place winner of Nikon’s national short film contest. Gaby’s attention to detail shines in her roles as an editor, motion designer, and producer and she has earned two Suncoast Emmy Awards.

Learn more about Gaby at www.levelup.media.