ABOUT FRENCH DOG
FrenchDog Films is an international production company passionate about creating authentic, original, and inspirational content.
Our Sports Division develops a range of sports documentaries captured through an international lens, to tell genuine, unfiltered stories that empower athletes and resonate on a human level.
Our Environmental Division develops global projects that explore the relationship between nature, wildlife, and the people connected to them, with the aim of celebrating the natural world thriving everywhere.
Our International Division focuses on stories of cultural exchange, identity and moving across borders. We support character driven projects that are bridge builders and help connect humanity across the globe.
French Dog Films aspires to create a different kind of filmmaking, one that offers documentary subjects more agency in the telling of their story and gives the crew a sense of community and co-operative participation in the projects they create together. French Dog Films wishes to create a non-extractive, non-exploitative environment that builds bridges between cultures and brings a sense of joy, laughter and humanity to a world audience.
OUR VALUES
A GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP
FRENCH DOG FILMS | EFFERVESCENCE CO-PRODUCTION
French Dog Films is proud to be collaborating on a production slate with the storied, award winning French production company Effervescence, founded by Simone Harare Baulieu in 2005. Effervescence have a long and well respected track record with divisions in both documentary as well as fiction. The documentary production team, headed by Cyril Pennec, thrives on innovation, creativity and discovering new talent from all walks of life.
OUR TEAM
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FOUNDER, CEO
Laura Carriker is a director and producer dedicated to telling intimate, global stories through the lens of social and gender equity. Since 2018, she has brought a respectful, sensitive and collaborative filmmaking style to projects with the US Deaf Women’s Soccer Team, the Jamaican Women’s National Team, Solo FC, and a decade-long documentary following five young female players from around the world. Her work is currently slated for global release with Warner Brothers Discovery. She founded French Dog Films to champion a more equitable approach to documentary storytelling—one rooted in agency, collaboration, and joy. Before turning to women’s football, Carriker spent five years documenting disaster-relief efforts worldwide, honing her fearless leadership under extreme conditions. Her acclaimed film work highlighting ecological conservation efforts in Colombia with ProAves and Rainforest Trust has led to the development of additional projects spotlighting the natural world. Carriker’s roots are in the United States, Colombia and France; giving her the desire to tell passionate stories from across the globe. A poet and screenwriter trained at NYU and the University of Pennsylvania, Carriker is developing her first narrative feature in France.
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CINEMATOGRAPHER
Chris Mosio is an Emmy Award winning cinematographer. He studied filmmaking at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and has worked as a cinematographer for three decades. In addition to commercials and documentaries, Mosio has worked on two dozen feature films. He’s had the good fortune to work with such talents as Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne (Akeelah and the Bee), Will Smith, Reba McEntire, Brad Dourif; and the experience of documenting some the most extraordinary people around the world. Mosio’ television work includes Baldwin Hills for BET and 1000 Places to See Before You Die, for the Travel Channel. Mosio received an Emmy Award for his cinematography on the documentary film, The Cultivated Life, and continues to find his voice and vision in documentary and narrative filmmaking. Mosio also teaches cinematic fundamentals at the DigiPen Institute of Technology.
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CFO, PRODUCER
A seasoned TV/ film producer and screenwriter with over a decade of indie documentary and Hollywood entertainment experience, Kyle is the CFO Development Executive at French Dog Films, managing the company’s financial growth through fiscal sponsorships, brand integrations, and corporate partnerships. With a background in content creation, Kyle has developed and produced projects for Sony Pictures, TLC, Tubi, and KDOC. His career includes pivotal roles at Jamie Kennedy Entertainment and Lighthearted Entertainment, making him an expert at navigating the intersection of finance and film development.
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EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Dorina Amina Abubakar is a producer, film programmer, consultant, and creative entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. She currently serves as Program Director for African Creative TV (ACTV), an initiative of the American Film Showcase produced in partnership with the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
In parallel, Dorina contributes her programming expertise to leading global festivals, including the Tribeca Film Festival, the BlackStar Film Festival, and the Brooklyn Horror Film Festival.
Beyond film and TV, she works as a casting director in the fashion industry, collaborating with brands such as Off-White, Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Rick Owens, and Prada.
Dorina holds degrees from New York University and the University of California, Los Angeles. Her work is informed by a global perspective shaped by lived experiences across Ghana, Germany, The Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. She is deeply committed to amplifying African narratives and producing socially engaged content that centers marginalized communities and addresses global human rights issues.
A strong advocate for sustainable creative ecosystems, Dorina is spearheading the development of state-of-the-art sound stages in Accra, positioning the city as a hub for next-generation media production. She is concurrently developing an episodic series, launching a pan-African micro-drama studio, and curating a slate of feature films and short-form projects. With deep expertise in grant writing and international financing strategy, she is committed to unlocking global opportunities for creatives on a global scale.
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WRITER, DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Christina Salam Wren graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. She currently recurs as Caroline on ABC's Will Trent and recently guest starred on Cross with Aldis Hodge. If you're a superhero fan, you may remember her from Man of Steel and Batman v Superman.
Wren produced the documentary, Streetball, following South Africa's Homeless World Cup team, which received international distribution. She has written and produced the indie film, Saudade? and the comedy series, Hicksters, among others.
Wren is the Vice President of Women of Color Filmmakers where she co-founded and chairs the annual WOCF Film Lab, a six month intensive training program that provides workshops and mentorship from leaders in the industry, guiding budding writer/directors in the creation of their first original film. She is currently in development on a film inspired by her quirky upbringing.
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PRODUCER
Ashley is a veteran of award-winning creative agencies and production houses with experience spanning across many industries. Having worked with notable companies like Netflix, Fox, Hulu, Nike, and more, Ashley is passionate about sharing stories that bring communities together. Additionally, as a member of the 2023 Deaf World Champions U.S. Deaf Women’s National Soccer team, Ashley truly believes in the power of sports amongst women.
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CINEMATOGRAPHER
Designer, photographer, and multi-disciplinary visual artist from Denver, Colorado. A former Division I soccer player at Georgia Southern University, who earned his BFA in Graphic Design in 2009. After college, Julian launched his first brand, Geniuz Ink, and later co-founded BE A GOOD PERSON, where he served as Chief of Design. He helped shape the brand’s visual identity and led creative campaigns with partners like the Denver Broncos, Lululemon, Topo Chico, and Make-A-Wish. His creative work extends into photography and film. He has worked as a camera operator with French Dog Films on projects including Cleats, Unheard, and the Reggae Girlz documentary. In addition, he has collaborated on independent projects with Red Bull, Blazy Susan, and other creative partners. At the core of everything he does is a drive to create authentic, meaningful and soul filled visuals that inspire connection and unique artistry.
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CINEMATOGRAPHER
Mohamed Ali Essaghraoui is a Moroccan filmmaker and director of photography, holding a Master’s degree in Documentary Film. He has collaborated on numerous projects with renowned professionals in the film industry. He is best known for his work as Director of Photography (D.O.P.) on several films, including, Mel Jour et Jour de El Haj Edmand, Woman and SUSPENDED WIVES.
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DIRECTOR, CINEMATOGRAPHER
Nyasha Kadandara is an award-winning pan-African director and cinematographer who tells stories that traverse the continent and reflect alternative voices. Her earlier works, Through the Fire (2015), earned the Audience Choice Award at Atlanta Doc Fest, and Le Lac (2019) was awarded the Digital Narrative award. At present, with her love for all things sports, Nyasha has been following the Copper Queens, who recently debuted at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Closer to her roots, she is on the festival circuit with her debut feature documentary 'Matabeleland', which recently premiered at CPH: DOX in March 2025. She is a Brown Girls Doc Mafia Fellow, a Sundance Documentary Fund Grantee, and a TIFF Filmmakers Lab alumna.
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WRITER, DIRECTOR
Debarati Gupta is an independent filmmaker and screenwriter based in Kolkata, India. Over the past decade, she has directed five fiction feature films, all streaming on platforms like Amazon Prime and Zee5 Premium. Since 2019, she has been developing her latest project, Hashnouhana (The Strange Story of a Divorce), which has received international recognition. The project was selected for Produire au Sud – India (2021), the NFDC Film Bazaar Co-Production Market (2021), and the Torino Film Lab (2022) as the only Indian entry. It was also chosen for the West Meets East Screenwriters’ Lab at the Dhaka International Film Festival. In 2025, Debarati has been selected for the prestigious Global Media Makers program by Film Independent. Earlier in her career, she worked as an assistant director on Chatrak (dir. Vimukthi Jayasundara), which premiered at the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes in 2011. She is currently completing a short film in post-production. Alongside her filmmaking, Debarati contributes regularly to Outlook India on cinema and culture and teaches Film Studies and Media Culture & Society as a guest faculty member at the University of Calcutta.
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DIRECTOR, PRODUCER
Charlotte Sawyer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and photographer who creates cinematic stories that cross cultures and borders. With a First Class degree in Law and Community Theatre, Charlotte combines community advocacy and facilitation skills with filmmaking to convey deeply human-centred journeys.
For the past thirteen years, Charlotte has built long-term trust with contributors in conflict zones and regions vulnerable to climate change, most notably in Iraq, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, working with Oxfam. As a Shooting Producer-Director, she has created feature-length documentaries used for advocacy campaigns with organisations including Oxfam Iraq and Surfers Against Sewage.
Charlotte’s recent feature-length documentary Rave On For The Avon premiered at Kendal Mountain Festival. The film went on to win Wildscreen Festival’s Sustainability Merit Award and the Feature Documentary Audience Award at WOW Film Festival, Wales’ longest-running film festival.
Her wider portfolio includes short films for brands such as LUSH and Netflix, music documentaries commissioned by Taiwan's premier streamer TaiwanPlus, as well as live shows and music videos.
Charlotte co-founded Eighty Sita Productions with producer Aggie Nyagari and is currently based in Bristol, UK.
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Director
Sofia Fischer is a French filmmaker dedicated to exploring environmental and women’s issues. In 2015, she co-directed "Ijen, from Sulfur to Selfie" with Charlotte Cieslinski, a multi-platform feature for Arte, delving into a sulfur mine in Indonesia. Following this, in 2016, she reported on the Nice attacks for The Guardian, honing her skills in gathering testimonies from those experiencing traumatic events. Since then, Sofia has authored numerous articles on environmental and social issues for the French newspaper Le Monde. In 2024, she will release her debut film, "Mothers without Parole" (78’, co-produced by Arte and the Belgian channel RTBF). This documentary explores the experiences of mothers who committed filicide due to depression stemming from traumas such as family, marital or sexual violence. Through this project, Sofia aims to shed light on the complex and sensitive issues surrounding motherhood, violence against women, and mental health.
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EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in Art History, Jennifer spent two decades raising philanthropic support for leading cultural institutions across the United States, including serving on the boards of the Henry Art Gallery and the Seattle Art Museum. During that time, she also founded Landhaus on Vashon Island, Washington—an artist retreat and working farm centered on creative practice and land stewardship.
Her work at the intersection of culture, creativity, and environmental care led her to French Dog Films, where she works within the Environment Division and serves as Executive Producer on projects including Gladis and Her Sisters. The division is focused on building a slate of films with fresh and impactful storytelling regarding how humans inhabit our natural world.
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PRODUCER
Beth brings over two decades of corporate planning to FDF and functions as the frame keeping the paint contained within the canvas on filming days. She retired from the USDWNT in 2025, having contributed to the team's undefeated record, earning Gold in 2022 and a World Cup Championship in 2024. Her leadership role as the always-eldest player for nearly a decade fuels her passion to continue to contribute in sharing her team's story with the world.
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ASL INTERPRETER
Meghan Cowin is a nationally certified sign language interpreter, educator, and accessibility advocate with over 20 years of experience. She serves as Accessibility Coordinator at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf and mentors emerging interpreters. Meghan was the onsite interpreter for French Dog Films at the 2025 Deaflympics in Japan. She has provided interpreting for historic broadcasts of the U.S. Women’s and Men’s Deaf National Soccer Teams. She has held leadership roles with GaRID, contributes to RID initiatives, and is the Founder and Board President of ACCESS ATL. Outside of work, she enjoys soccer, pickleball, and long-distance cycling.
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PRODUCER
Sarah Halls is a Dubai-based journalist, podcaster, and TV and documentary producer whose work explores business, human ambition and compelling global stories.
With more than 16 years of experience across international broadcasting, business journalism and political communication, Sarah brings deep expertise to her storytelling. Her documentary work focuses on sports, the environment, business and travel, creating accessible narratives for global audiences. Her freelance work is featured on CNN and her clients include both corporate and media organisations. She also hosts Pivot 2 Progress, a podcast exploring the practical steps behind career transitions, entrepreneurship in the UAE, and leadership.
Earlier in her career, she wrote the Financial Times’ inaugural Top 50 Women in Businessfeature, worked on the production of CNN’s Quest Means Business and held political communications roles in Brussels at the European Parliament and the German Marshall Fund of the United States.
She later joined Bloomberg TV as a producer on Daybreak Europe before transferring to Dubai to work on Horizons Middle East and Africa, producing interviews with CEOs and senior business and political leaders. Among the high-profile interviews she produced, one contributed to the accelerated collapse of Credit Suisse, after the bank’s largest shareholder publicly ruled out increasing its stake during a Bloomberg TV broadcast, triggering a share price crash and a final loss of confidence.
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EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Kristin Lane is a writer, visual artist, and producer with an instinct for stories that are emotionally honest, visually singular, and difficult to reduce to a neat pitch. She created and wrote the feature project Exit Strategy and served as an executive producer on the short films Eve and Balloon Boy. Her current development work spans scripted film and character-driven documentary, with a particular interest in artists, outsiders, complicated women, and the human truths hiding beneath a public story. An award-winning contemporary portrait artist, Kristin brings a painter’s eye to filmmaking: attentive to composition, contradiction, and the revealing detail that changes how we see a person.
PARTNERS
