Our Collaborative Community
TELLING STORIES THAT MATTER
Mission
We co-create film and arts projects with communities around the world working for social change.
Vision
We're reimagining how production companies tell and share stories through our dedication to inclusion, equity, justice, and ethics.
Values
Co-Creation
We honor the deep wisdom and unparalleled expertise of the communities we work with, and we develop transparent and authentic approaches to collaboration that center the vision and goals of our partners and program participants.
Depth
We invest time, research, and thoughtful attention to the multiple perspectives, truths, lived experiences, rich histories, and shared humanity that we know exists in every story.
Quality
In addition to producing stories with poetic imagery, robust sound, and rich, multilayered story angles, we give thoughtful attention to ensuring the highest possible impact at every stage of our project lifecycles.
Collective Learning
We humbly embrace our individual and collective knowledge, awareness, skills, and abilities, and proactively seek ways to continue learning and growing alongside one another as colleagues, peers, and community members who care about contributing to a better world.
Community
We create welcoming and inclusive spaces and warmly embrace diverse ways of creating, thinking, questioning, and existing in the world—not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because we know our work is better because of it.
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Our commitment to racial justice: Black Lives Matter. We are committed to continuously improving all aspects of our work to ensure we stay on the path toward being a just, equitable, anti-racist, and thriving multicultural community that values the many contributions of BIack, Indigenous, and People of Color.
Team
Rachel Stevens
Co-founder and Senior Producer
Rachel (she/her) loves how filmmaking and creative expression helps people connect with our world, cultivate empathy, and find inspiration. She discovered the power of storytelling while designing new ways to approach her former work in public health and social work.
Rachel graduated from The University of Colorado with a BA in Spanish and Linguistics, and The New School's Graduate Program in International Affairs with an MA in Media and Culture. She grew up in Colorado and has lived in Zambia. Costa Rica, and New York City. She currently calls Denver home and in her free time loves getting away to the mountains, practicing mindful meditation, and hanging out with her adopted cat Dolly (Parton).
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Emma Whitehead
Co-founder and Senior Producer
Emma (she/her) has worked in more than 20 countries documenting politics, language, identity, religion and more. She is a writer, humorist, producer, and activist, having worked on music videos, documentaries, and television shows. Emma's background also includes Spanish-language legal interpreting, higher education administration, global leadership development consulting, and social justice advocacy and training.
She is a graduate of Emerge Colorado, an organization that trains progressive women to run for public office. Emma holds a BA in Political Science from Colorado College, and a MS in Social Psychology from the London School of Economics. She believes deeply in a collaborative and participatory approach to sharing stories and inspiring action through film.
Gayle Nosal
Founder and Board Chair
Gayle (she/her) believes in collaboration with people and communities featured in her films, and letting stories unfold organically. Her passion is making documentaries that illuminate the complex lives of underrepresented people and issues in our world today.
Before entering filmmaking in 2012, Gayle worked in advertising, sales, writing, and teaching. Gayle’s work in advertising in New York City spanned ten years and she understands the art of branding, publicity, and new product development. She later spent twelve years working and capacity-building within local, national, and international non-profit organizations. Gayle has taught at the secondary and university levels and is based in Denver, CO and holds a BA in Psychology and an MA in Creative Writing.
Andrea González Maroto
Founding Board Member
Andrea (she/her) is drawn to the significant role that art and media play in open spaces for advocacy and reflection. Her work has focused on exalting narratives, translating research into art installations, and collaborating in projects concerning visual representation, education, and social justice.
Andrea has a background in architecture. Her interests in theory and photography led her to pursue a BA in Critical and Visual Studies at Pratt Institute. She also graduated from The New School with an MA in International Affairs, concentrating in Media and Culture.
She was born and raised in Costa Rica and has lived in Italy, New York, Rio de Janeiro, and most recently Barcelona, where she works together with her partner at their architecture studio FITA. She also enjoys journal writing.
Sloane Kohnstamm
Founding Board Member
Sloane (she/her) serves as the Director of Advancement and Communications at the Domestic Abuse Project in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has ten years of development experience, specifically in growing grassroots, mid-level, and major giving programs. Previously, she was the Executive Director of Kapadia Education Foundation, an international scholarship fund. There, she specialized in increasing income from individual donors, expanding the funds 20x in seven years.
Sloane graduated with a Master of Science in Philanthropic Leadership and Nonprofit Management from the University of Denver in 2018. She serves on the board of directors of Kapadia Education Foundation, Needle + Frame, and Jewish Family Services. She is on the Development Committees at National Council of Jewish Women MN, and Jewish Family Services Saint Paul, and on the Executive Committee at Jewish Family Services Saint Paul. Sloane has worked in many countries around the world, including Cambodia, Haiti, India, Uganda, Kenya, Colombia, and the United States. Sloane received her B.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Sociology in 2012.
Future Board Member
Could it be you?
Are you interested in:
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Joining a creative community?
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Working for social change through film and the arts?
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Contributing your skills to a dynamic & justice-oriented non-profit?
If yes, then we want you on our Board of Directors! Email us at info [at] needleandframe.org with a few sentences about yourself and we'll get back to you with next steps.
Join Us
We are co-creators and collaborators at heart. If you have a story to share, are seeking support with multimedia consulting, or would like to discuss collaborating in some other capacity, please reach out at info [at] needleandframe.org.