Peter Mortimer
Peter Mortimer is a filmmaker who lives in Boulder, Colorado, and is the founder of the adventure film company Sender Films. Through Sender, Peter has produced and directed critically acclaimed rock-climbing documentaries, adventure television series, and commercials. His productions have won numerous film festival awards and a Sports Emmy. Peter is also co-founder, along with Josh Lowell of Big UP Productions, of the REEL ROCK Film Tour, coming up on in its 6th year and showing in over 250 locations across the world.
2011 has Peter and Sender working on a number of projects, including a feature documentary about the history of Yosemite rock climbing called Valley Uprising, and a new brand campaign with Mountain Hardwear centered around the exploits of Ueli Steck (The Swiss Machine) in the Himalaya. Other projects include a series of videos with Clif Bar, and of course, new productions for the 2011 REEL ROCK Tour..
Peter received his BA from Colorado College, and his MFA from USC Film School. He is an avid climber and surfer, who has reignited his childhood passion for soccer. He and partner Joss Corkin are proud to welcome their new daughter Pia to the world. She is a special person and the pride of their lives.
Nick Rosen
Nick Rosen is a partner, writer, and producer at Sender Films. He is co-creator of the Emmy-nominated National Geographic Television Series, 'First Ascent,' and co-director of the award-winning film, 'The Sharp End'.
Nick began working as a writer/producer/director with Sender Films in 2005, and since then has created feature films and TV programs for NBC, The Weather Channel, National Geographic Channels International and The New York Times Online.
Over the years, his writing work has covered a broad range of subjects; economic policy, civil war, yoga, professional wrestling, and the Esoterica of Welsh Corgis. Nick received his BA in political science from Colorado College, and his masters at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs.
Nick has also developed a career as on-screen talent, starring in the yoga documentary, 'Enlighten Up!' (2008), and providing the voice-overs for The Sharp End and the First Ascent series. Nick is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. He is an avid climber and outdoor enthusiast.
Jocelyn Corkin
Jocelyn Corkin is a producer who lives in Boulder, Colorado.
She is the founding director of the REEL ROCK Film Tour, overseeing its growth from a small operation to the biggest climbing film tour in the world with over 150 events in 2010.
Jocelyn is a graduate of the film program at the University of Colorado, and is also a certified Bikram Yoga Instructor. She and Pete proudly welcome their new daughter Pia into the world.
Rob Frost
Rob Frost (aka Frosty) grew up in New England, and has carved out a reputation for his ability to film in some of the world's most uninhabitable locations such as Alaska's Mount Saint Elias, the north face of Thalay Sagar in the Himalaya, and recently the famous 1,000 mile dogsled race, the Iditarod in Alaska. He has worked with some of the world's most gifted skiers and climbers and has been an associate producer for the Resort Sports Network's program "Reel Thrills". He has filmed / produced content for Nat Geo TV, American Adventure Productions, NBC Sports, ESPN2, Discovery Channel, and RedBull Productions. Rob has also been on the International Jury Committee for the Banff International Mountain Film Festival. Now teamed up with Sender Films, Frosty has been working on numerous projects ranging from filming climbing in Tasmania, Yosemite, and the high Sierras, to a bunch of commercial work for Clif Bar. He moved to Boulder at the beginning of 2010 and has never been busier since joining his old Colorado College buddies, Pete and Nick. Frosty works with Sender as a cinematographer, director and editor.
Barry Thompson
Barry Thompson is Founder of Barndance Inc., a creative motion design studio based out of Minnesota. Barndance produces compelling visual designs for high definition videos, independent films, documentaries, and entertainment.
Barry has been working with Sender Films to produce the main title sequences, trailers, and composites for Between Light and Shadow (2002), First Ascent (2006), King Lines (2007), The Sharp End (2008) and First Ascent:The Series (2010).
If Barry is not in the studio working, you can catch up to him and his family hiking or cross-country skiing in the Minnesotta outback. You can't miss him, he's the sweaty dad carrying the baby backpack desperately trying to keep up with his wife Melissa.
Kate Mason
Kate Mason is an Austin, TX native and graduate of Pitzer College in Claremont, CA where she majored in Media Studies with a focus in documentary film. She was introduced to Southern California's finest granite and sandstone while working at Hangar 18 climbing gym, and has since found her way to the Rocky Mountains. Kate began working at Sender Films in February 2010 after managing media projects for the Environmental Defense Fund's Climate and Air program. When not hard at work, she can be found sipping microbrews, hosting couchsurfers or planning her next trip abroad. Kate works at Sender as a producer, and she is the executive director of the REEL ROCK Film Tour.
Kindle Bason
Kindle is originally from Floyd, Virginia and graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville in 2007, with a BA in Foreign Affairs. After graduation she worked on campaigns and getting out the vote before landing in Boulder in the summer of 2009. Kindle is excited to work on a variety of projects at Sender Films as a producer, and in sales, shipping and finance.
Carolyn Wiley
Originally from the East Coast Carolyn graduated from Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications in 2008 and moved to Colorado shortly thereafter. Before starting at Sender Films Carolyn worked the freelance and indie documentary circuit which lead her around the world and back again to Boulder via South Korea, Thailand, Peru and the wilds of South Dakota, Miami and beyond. At Sender Films she serves as an editor and point person for music licensing and festival submission. When not at Sender Carolyn is most likely somewhere in the mountains or teaching filmmaking and science to local middle school students through Earth Explorers, a non-profit program that she helped to found.
Kyle Berkompas
Kyle Berkompas is a native of Seattle, WA and graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan where he earned his BA in Media Production. An Eagle Scout at the age of 14 and college graduate at the age of 21, Kyle's hard work and determination led him to Sender Films upon graduation in June 2010. Kyle has worked on various freelance, live event, and documentary projects over the years and is psyched to be a part of the team at Sender, where he assists on shoots, edits and produces.
Summer Simpson
Summer Simpson is an editor of non-fiction television and film. Her work over the past six years has explored topics ranging from immigration to photography to environmental issues, and has garnered several professional honors, including two News & Documentary Emmy nominations, a Webby Honorable Mention and an Ellie Award. Summer is passionate about creating productions with dynamic storytelling illustrated by outstanding visuals. When away from her edit station, Summer can be found outside running, hiking, biking and exploring. She has lived in Virginia, California, Alaska, New Mexico and Costa Rica. Her latest adventure brings her to Boulder, Colorado, where she is editing the Sender film "Valley Uprising" and getting better acquainted with the Rockies.
Juliana Schatz
Juliana Schatz is Sender Films' newest producer. She is producing Valley Uprising, Sender Films' feature documentary about Yosemite rock climbing. Juliana started her career at PBS’s award-winning series FRONTLINE, where she contributed to 11 public affairs documentaries that covered both foreign and domestic policy, including the Iraq War, the financial crisis, and health care reform in America. She received her bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University and recently graduated from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Juliana spent the summer writing for The Philadelphia Inquirer as a Kaiser Media Fellow and most recently traveled to Cairo as one of 16 journalists chosen to report on Egypt’s fledgling democracy, part of the "Covering a Revolution" Fellowship with GlobalPost and the Open Hands Initiative. Climbing has always paralleled Juliana’s interest in hard news, and she looks forward to mastering the outdoors as a resident of Colorado.
Ryan Gaal
Ryan Gaal is originally from Berryville, Virginia. He spent the first 25 years of his life enjoying the outdoors and playing music in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. After receiving a BS degree in Psychology from James Madison University, he found himself in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Ryan then began working as the Shipping Manager at Sender Films in October of 2011. If he isn't shipping you a crazy awesome Sender film, you can probably find him climbing the Flatirons or picking his mandolin.
Victoria Bisharat
Victoria Bisharat is the newest addition to Sender Films. Victoria studied Philosophy with a focus on Eastern Philosophy at SUNY Purchase, a small liberal arts school just north of Manhattan. After her collegiate years (while not pondering the meaning of life or reading Tao Te Ching), her curiosity about rock climbing began to grow after an experience visiting her brother in Rifle Mountain Park, Colorado. She spent two years as a climbing gym rat until making the pilgrimage west to Boulder, where she was instantly drawn to the active lifestyle and opportunities to develop her skills on real rock. Victoria has been a long time fan of Sender Film's work and is excited to be working as the new director of the REEL ROCK Film Tour.
Brett Forrest
Brett Forrest was born and raised in Colorado Springs, CO and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. He received his B.A. in Film Studies and Anthropology graduating in May 2011. He has been making films since 5th grade with his two brothers. He produced the CU Class of 2011 commencement video and recently worked post-production for the non-profit documentary, Growthbusters: Hooked on Growth. In his free time, Brett likes to run half-marathons, obstacle course races, snowboard, hike, and read.
Wade Johnson
Wade Johnson, a star producer, director, editor and cameraman at Sender Films, was lost to an avalanche on Mt Edgar in China in May, 2009, along with friends Micah Dash and Jonny Copp. At the time, Wade was filming Jonny and Micah's adventures in China for our Nat Geo series First Ascent. After three weeks of waiting through bad weather at base camp, the team was hiking up a gulley near camp when they were hit by an avalanche that came from thousands of feet above their heads, and all were killed instantly.
Wade was a graduate of Carlton College in Minnesota, where he excelled in chemistry. He was primed for an illustrious career in the sciences, having been offered scholarships to the finest grad school programs in the country. Encouraged by his mother Susan, he deferred for one year to pursue his climbing and filming passions as an intern at Sender. Recognizing his prowess, we turned his internship into a full-time job after one week, and convinced him to defer for a second year. His trip to China was his to be his swan song at Sender before returning to grad school.
Wade's relationship with his long-time beloved Erin Addison was an inspiration to us all at Sender. His tireless work-effort and his cool under pressure lead us through heavy work periods, and his sense of humor and friendship made him a part of our family. We remain forever inspired by Wade, and think of him when we need that extra encouragement to make our work as good as it can possibly be.