Spark Filmmakers Collaborative is guided by a volunteer board committed to equity, community empowerment, and creative support.

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BOARD PRESIDENT

Lukia Costello (She/Her) 

s a Ukrainian-American artist, filmmaker, editor/VFX artist, and social entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience fostering artistic collaboration and producing public events across Western New York. As Founder and Executive Director of Spark Filmmakers Collaborative, she has built platforms that connect and uplift creative voices while advancing community-based storytelling. Lukia has served as a judge for the Buffalo 48 Hour Film Project, Kinofilm Festival UK, and Buffalo International Film Festival, and has contributed her time and leadership to organizations including Artspace Buffalo Alliance, the Ukrainian American Civic Center, Buffalo International Film Festival, University Heights Arts Association, and Frontline Arts Buffalo. Learn more about her documentary film work at LukiaCostello.com.

BOARD TREASURER 

Steve Rosenthal (He/Him) 

founded the video/digital film production company Caramax Studio, which produces documentaries, narrative films, industrials, and commercials for broadcast and the internet. Steve is a Director of Photography, Editor, Digital Colorist, and FAA licensed Remote Pilot. His documentary Go Gentle has been viewed over 50K times on Amazon Prime. Steve is also a musician and was a founding member of the Amherst Saxophone Quartet. He’s been a board member of Chamber Music America, the American Composers Forum, and a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. 

BOARD MEMBERS

Tracey B. Wilson (She/Her) is a versatile actor, writer, director, and performance artist whose career spans New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. She has appeared in dramatic theatre, soap operas, independent films, and sketch comedy, and has created award-winning short films as both actor and filmmaker. As a performance art photographer, she toured North America four times with Lady Gaga, an experience that inspired her book *Heal This Way—A Love Story with Lady Gaga’s Little Monsters*, supporting LGBTQ+ and bullied teens. Tracey stars in the feature *Trew’s Calling* and its spin-off series *Diary of a Lunatic*, and gained wide attention for her pandemic-era solo series *Characters of the Quarantine*. Her upcoming documentary feature, *Breeding Awesome*, draws from 15 years of personal video journals. In addition to her film work, Tracey is a sought-after live event host known for her dynamic presence at major sporting and charity events nationwide.

Kaitlyn Lowe (She/Her) is a multi-disciplinary freelance artist and arts educator from Brooklyn, NY. An editor, filmmaker, photographer, painter and sewist, Kaitlyn fell in love with filmmaking at Buffalo State College pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Production. Her mostly documentary-based work is informed by her 12 year background in poetry. She refers to herself as The Galactic Griot, a poet who uses their work to tell stories that transcends time and space.

COMMUNITY ADVISORS

Dorothea Braemer (She/Her) 

has dedicated her career to expanding access to media education and production for historically underserved communities. As former Media Center Manager and Program Director at Scribe Video Center and former Director of Squeaky Wheel Film & Media Arts Center, she championed inclusive storytelling and community media. Currently the Co-Director and longtime member of Termite TV Collective, Braemer has produced numerous award-winning half-hour television programs exploring cultural, social, and political themes. Her personal media work has aired nationally on PBS and been exhibited internationally at the Museum of Modern Art and the Paley Center for Media. A recipient of grants from the Sprague Foundation, Bread and Roses Community Fund, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Puffin Foundation, and Samuel S. Fels Fund, Braemer has taught film and video at Villanova University and now serves as an Assistant Professor in the Communication Department at SUNY Buffalo State. She is also a board member of Locust Street Art in Buffalo, NY.

David Cloyd (He/Him) 

has led what could only be called an eclectic musical life. He began as a pianist at the age of 4 and spent the next 20 years adamantly pursuing classical music as a pianist and woodwind multi-instrumentalist, completing his Bachelor of Music Performance at the University of Texas at Austin. He began teaching music and performing live—everything from chamber music and pit orchestras to local rockabilly bands, while also teaching himself how to play bass and guitar and as many instruments as possible in various original bands, eventually writing and singing his songs in some of them. While completing college, he won an internship through the Joni Abbott Music Foundation to move to NYC and work at EMI Music Publishing. Soon after, he left it all to pursue his passion: writing songs and making records.

Chris Gallant  (He/Him) 

is an authority on visual journalism, documentary and broadcast production. In 2007 he graduated from the University at Buffalo’s Department of Media Study where he received a Master of Fine Arts degree in media arts production. He currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Digital Media and Communication Department at Hilbert College. Previously, Gallant served at the University at Buffalo as an adjunct professor for three years. He is also involved in the media arts community andserved on the Board of Directors at Squeaky Wheel, Buffalo’s Media Arts Center for several years. Chris Gallant’s full-time professional career spans over 17 years of Industry work.

Veronica Manning (She/Her) 

is a writer, filmmaker, and playwright based in Newark, New Jersey. Her silent micro-short film *The Key* was a finalist in the 2021 Micromania Short Film Festival, showcasing her distinctive voice in visual storytelling. In 2010, she founded the NuArk Theater Collective, revitalizing Newark’s independent theater scene, and later produced and directed *The Color Blue: Three Short Stories of Love, Lust and Loss*, which premiered in 2011. Veronica holds a BA in Organizational Behavior and Communication from NYU’s School of Professional Studies and an MPA in Public and Nonprofit Management from NYU Wagner, where she now serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Public Service.

Terry Jones , Curator and Co-Founder of Haudenosaunee Micro-Short Film Program (He/Him)  

is a member of the Seneca Nation of Indians in western New York and an Indigenous filmmaker dedicated to sharing Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) history and culture through film. Balancing education and entertainment, his work amplifies Native perspectives and stories with authenticity and care. Terry is the founder of TornJersey Media, an independent Indigenous production company, and is currently pursuing his MFA in Film t York University in Toronto, Ontario. He serves as Secretary on the Board of Trustees for the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum and has held leadership and advisory roles with the American Indian Community House, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the Smithsonian’s Native American Film + Video Festival. 

Anastasiia Kirii , Curator Believe in Ukraine Film Program (She, Her) 

Anastasia Kirii is a Ukrainian filmmaker, screenwriter, and advertising copywriter whose work bridges storytelling and social impact. Educated in film direction and marketing strategy in Kyiv, she has contributed to numerous film, production, and advertising projects. Her latest short film, inspired by her experience fleeing the war in Ukraine, has been screened internationally—serving as a powerful reminder of resilience and the ongoing need to support Ukraine.