Melissa Godoy [Director/Camera] Melissa Godoy is an award-winning director and producer of television and independent film. Over her 26-year career, her programs have been seen on PBS stations nationwide, and locally at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Cincinnati Ballet, and other arts, business, and educational venues. Recently, she created Do Not Go Gently, narrated by Walter Cronkite, about creative aging. Gently earned the 2008 National Electronic Media Award from the American Society on Aging, a Gold Medal in Humanities at the New York Festivals, and the Motivational/Inspirational Award of Excellence from Accolade. Godoy also recently served as Line Producer for the 2010 Oscar-nominated documentary short, The Last Truck by Steven Bognar & Julia Reichert (HBO) about the closing of a General Motors plant in Moraine, Ohio; and for the national Prime Time Emmy Award-winning documentary about children with cancer, A Lion in the House, by Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert (Independent Lens / PBS). She has two Regional Emmys — one for Classical Quest, a half-hour public television documentary featuring the Starling Chamber Orchestra. The other is for a cool motorcycle spot for the American Red Cross. Godoy was a field producer and cinematographer for Election Day, by Katy Chevigny, which aired on the national PBS series, POV, in July 2008 and has been screening at national and international festivals. She shares her love of filmmaking as an Artist-in-Residence with the Ohio Arts Council’s Arts Learning Program. Godoy studied Theatre and Creative Writing for the Media at Northwestern University, a pursuit that has taken her into many interesting parts of the world, and into even more fascinating frontiers of the human mind and spirit.

Michael Jones [Associate Producer/Sound] Mike Jones has been following the OTR story and recording its lively dialogue, interviews, and sound for three years. Jones also serves as AP/Sound on narrative projects that involve improvisation and storytelling with people with Alzheimer’s disease, including Runaway Train and a new film, Until Sadie Blotz. Other recent production includes sound and grip work for short documentaries, such as this piece about redevelopment of a part of Avondale for senior apartments.

Steve Dorst [Co-Producer/Editor] is an independent filmmaker based in Washington, DC. He directs, produces, edits, and shoots for TV, film, and corporate clients. Shattered Sky: The Battle for Energy, Economy, and Environment is his second independent documentary feature. Steve also directed and produced the award-winning documentary Volcanic Sprint (2008), which played in festivals worldwide and is currently repped globally by American Public Television. Steve has a lot of experience filming in international locations, having led field production teams and shot on five continents. Check out Steve's blog.

Joe Brinker [Co-Producer] Joseph “Joe” Brinker was born in Cincinnati in 1969 and graduated from Saint Xavier High School in 1987. Brinker has worked on conflict resolution and civil society development in senior management positions for some of the world’s leading global institutions, including USAID, the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Currently, Joe is the head of the Office of Political Affairs for the OSCE Mission in Kosovo and just completed 18 months serving as a foreign policy advisor to Barack Obama's presidential campaign. Previously, Joe managed the UN election office in Jalalabad, Afghanistan during the parliamentary elections in 2005, where he oversaw a multi-million dollar election operation that culminated with 12,000 staff on election day. In 2004, he coordinated logistics for the Afghan Presidential Out-of-Country Registration and Voting, which at the time was the largest refugee vote ever attempted. Brinker earned an MA in International Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and a BA in English Literature from Georgetown University. Rebirth of Over-the-Rhine is his first film.

ADVISORS

The producers continue to assemble an advisory team of local and national experts on Cincinnati's history, politics, architecture, and aspects of social life; as well as subject experts in historic preservation, urban revitalization, and economic development.

Jack Dominic has worked in public broadcasting for more than 30 years and currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at CET in Cincinnati, the nation's first licensed non-commercial TV station.CET is a pioneer in traditional television production and distribution as well as an innovator in an array of new media, such as its broadband video service called "CETconnect." Jack was one of the earliest believers in Rebirth of Over-the-Rhine and remains one of the strongest supporters. CET's support has meant important in-kind resources. CET's local and national distribution channels will also help engage communities near and far in discussions about the issues that the film brings to light.

The Rebirth of Over-the-Rhine website was produced by Dorst MediaWorks, Inc. Photographs by Steve Dorst and Joe Brinker.