Meet the Team
Florian LeDoux
Main Character & Cinematographer
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Florian Ledoux Florian is a French cinematographer and photographer with a deep obsession with the Arctic region which has led him to create some of the most compelling images of this fragile and awe-inspiring region. With a profound dedication to capturing the raw beauty and resilience of Arctic landscapes and wildlife, Florian’s work has gained international acclaim, gracing the pages of renowned publications around the world. His skill in portraying the essence of the Arctic, a place of both stunning beauty and vulnerability, has made him a sought-after artist in the realm of nature storytelling.
Florian’s expertise has brought him to work on major productions, including Disney Nature’s feature film Polar Bear and the BBC’s celebrated series Frozen Planet II.
Through his lens, he invites viewers to step into a world few get to see firsthand, fostering a deep respect and awareness for the critical need to protect these extraordinary places and the life they sustain.
Kerry Koepping
Producer
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Kerry is an internationally acclaimed environmental photographer, visionary, and communicator dedicated to the stewardship of the environment and the Arctic. He is the founder of the non-profit Arctic Arts Project and is dedicated to strengthening environmental sustainability by illuminating environmental problems and issues through the use of science and visual literacy.
His work has been published in prestigious media channels throughout the world including; Smithsonian, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), ECO, National Academy of Science, AMAP, Arctic Today, CAFF, The Arctic Council and the U. S. Arctic Research Commission. Kerry has also been a speaker and panelist at international forums and conferences on climate change including: the Arctic Circle Assembly in Reykjavik, Iceland , The Visual Climate Change Forum at The University of Indonesia, Jakarta, AREDAY Conference, Aspen, and the “Engaging Climate through the Arts” speaker series in the U.S.. Kerry’s unique vision for the Arctic Arts Project evolved while shooting in Denali, Alaska where he captured rarely seen permafrost polygon hummock imagery that to this day has evoked a passionate global response from naturalists, scientists and artists alike.
David Byars
Writer & Director
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David Byars is a documentary filmmaker who approaches nonfiction as both observation and craft, with a strong emphasis on visual storytelling.
His work ranges from traditional, character-driven documentaries to formally inventive films to more, united by a belief that images carry emotional and narrative weight.
His work often reshapes familiar stories through unexpected narrative choices, creating films that move between wonder, humor, and mourning. He believes audience connection is not something to be engineered, but something that emerges in the amplitude between joy and grief.
David Byars made his directorial debut in 2017 with the award-winning NO MAN’S LAND, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and aired on Independent Lens.
He also produced and shot MASSACRE RIVER, which premiered at Hot Docs in 2019 and broadcast on ITVS and PBS.
Byars later turned his focus to large-scale systems and policy, producing, directing, and shooting PUBLIC TRUST (2020), an award-winning feature documentary about America’s public lands. He followed this with WE THE POWER (2022), a film about energy mavericks across Europe that has since been widely adopted as a model for community-led transformation of the European energy grid.
In 2024, Byars shifted toward comedy with THE SHIT-THROPOCENE, a mock-anthropological investigation into why everything has gone to shit.
His most recent film is INACCESSIBLE (2025), a backcountry adventure following professional skier Griffin Post as he navigates the byzantine checkerboard of public and private land ownership in Montana’s Crazy Mountains. His film GLADICE is premiering at Mountainfilm in Telluride in 2026 and has additional documentaries in production slated for release in 2027.
Andrea Sparrow
Executive Producer
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Andrea is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker with a life-long passion and dedication for documenting and protecting the natural world. She has worked as Executive Producer for the Arctic Arts Project, a non-profit organization seeking to bring awareness of a changing world, for 9 years. Her work has been recognized internationally with her film THE TEMPTATION OF TREES winning multiple awards and her photography in prestigious competitions. As Executive Producer on GLADICE, the latest AAP film production, Andrea is excited to share a new and different way of connecting people to the Arctic landscape as it is dramatically altered by warming.
Michael Cain
Executive Producer
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Michael Cain is a Fort Collins-based executive creative strategist, institutional communications advisor, and large-scale festival and experiential producer. He is also a Sundance Film Festival award-winning director and holds an M.F.A. from the American Film Institute. Cain’s work spans cultural programming, event production, documentary and media projects, stakeholder communications, and strategic partnerships. He is a member of the Visit Fort Collins board, Roots For Peace and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation US Board of Trustees.
Lyman Smith
Editor
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After 5 years producing and editing for CNN, National Geographic, HBO and many other brands in the television space, Lyman turned to editing independent feature films. His second film Racing Extinction directed by Louie Psihoyos premiered at the Sundance film festival, went on to be viewed by over 36 million people worldwide, won numerous awards including Best Editing and was honored with a special screening at the United Nations. “Maurizio Cattelan: Be Right Back” Directed by Maura Axelrod about Italian artist and trickster Maurizio Cattelan, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and continued on to festivals worldwide. “YOUTHvGOV” which follows the story of 21 youth plaintiffs and their lawsuit against the federal government over its role in contributing to climate change, won numerous awards including Best Editing and had a highly successful launch on Netflix. His film “Justice” directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow, Road House) premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. The Holly, Executive Produced by Adam McKay won a national Emmy in 2025. With over 20 films to his name, numerous high-profile festival premiers and successful distribution launches, Lyman continues to push the boundaries of the art form.
Gina Papadeis
Impact Campaign
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Gina Papabeis is an impact-driven documentary producer with a specialty in socially conscious, world-changing projects, skilled in both making films and ensuring they have their intended impact. Her work has reached hundreds of millions of people, creating tangible systemic and individual behavior change for environmental and social justice.
She was Co-Producer of the documentary The Game Changers (2019), directed by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Louie Psihoyos and executive produced by James Cameron. She was Co-Producer of the Emmy-nominated film Racing Extinction (2015), spearheading the film’s outreach and impact campaign in partnership with Paul G. Allen’s Vulcan Productions. Gina was also a Producer of the unprecedented large-scale architectural projections onto the United Nations Headquarters, the Empire State Building, and St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican in connection with the movement to protect endangered species. She began her career working as a campaign coordinator on The Cove (Oscar-winner, 2009).
Gina’s unique approach to producing and impact producing is informed by her breadth and depth of experience in every phase of content creation, including creative development, production, post, impact strategy, distribution, audience engagement, and campaign execution. She is the founder of Hearts & Minds, a strategic partner to filmmakers and organizations working to move audiences from story to meaningful change. Through Hearts & Minds and her independent consulting work, she has provided impact services for clients and projects including Your Attention Please (dir. Sara Robin, Jack Lemay), SeaLegacy, Paul Nicklen Photography, Unearth (dir. John Hunter Nolan), My Sister Liv (dir. Al Hicks), Minderoo Foundation, Only One, and Sound Off Films.
Rae Meyers
Impact Campaign
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Rae Meyers is an Impact Producer with experience across documentary, branded, and social impact campaigns. She combines strong production and project management skills with a storyteller’s sensibility, supporting projects from development through delivery while helping shape campaigns that resonate beyond the screen.
Her work focuses on climate, conservation, and social impact storytelling, translating films into purpose-driven opportunities that drive audience participation and measurable change. She has contributed to impact campaigns for documentary films including Embers and The Chaplain & The Doctor, and Your Attention Please, as well as nonprofit and advocacy initiatives connected to organizations such as Movember.