Nicole Macdonald - Co-Director/Instructor
Nicole's interest in film arts stems from her background in painting, illustration and printmaking. In animation, she's able to play with the union between the two -- where the static image meets the moving image and one bleeds into the other. Macdonald is Co-Director of the DFC.

Brandon Walley - - Co-Director/Instructor
Brandon is Co-Director at the DFC and has taught a variety of film, video and motion graphics classes at the Detroit Film Center and the College for Creative Studies. He makes 16mm and Super 8 short films that have screened at film festivals and art galleries across the country. A few of Brandon's recent interests are testing the boundaries of sleep deprivation, the fenced in herd of white deer on Belle Isle, and daydreaming about opening a wine bar in Detroit called Kino-Eye.

Natasha Beste - Instructor
Natasha is a veteran intern and huge supporter of the DFC. She is just as enthusiastic about Detroit, and strengthening connections between the city's numerous artists. As a Wayne State University graduate of Media Arts, she has continued her career by working on projects independently and collaboratively. Natasha's work has been internationally received at film festivals and art galleries. When she is not immersed in creating video and film, she's busy writing music and performing with her electro-pop band Perfect Summer.

Julian Boyance - Instructor

Julian is a graduate of two Michigan universities with dynamic Communication Departments combined with a solid tradition of Film/TV/Video production and  recognized professors - GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY, B.S. in FILM AND VIDEO  and WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY, M.A. in MEDIA ARTS (radio-tv-film)

Julian Boyance is a filmmaker hailing from the Detroit, Michigan area whose cinematic journey traverses both academia and media arts?. A filmmaker who embraces the social-political elements within his work, and whose accusations of being didactic is worn proudly on his sleeve like a badge of honor. He is a philosopher with camera, Mont Blanc, and notebook.

Jeff Carlson - Instructor
Jeff Carlson began working in video production by creating scores and sound effects for short films.  His musical interests and audio production skills eventually translated into a love for video production and editing.  He is a recent Masters graduate of Wayne State University with a focus in media arts production.  He also teaches various production courses at Wayne State, and in his spare time works freelance in many capacities for locally produced films and commercials.  

Keith Faychak - Instructor
In 2001, Keith studied under a friend who had been doing special effects makeup for awhile. In 2003, Keith attended the Cinema Makeup School in Los Angeles, Ca. to learn more skills. In between 2001 and present Keith has been involved with about 10 independent films and shorts, working as assistant and department head, including the lead for the Special Effects Makeup Team for InZero (independent sci-fi series from Detroit), starting in June of 2006 with Episode 5.  

Sabine Gruffat - Instructor
Sabine Gruffat is a media artist based in Detroit, MI. Her film, video, photography and installation work has shown in venues nationwide and abroad including MoMA, The Gene Siskel Film Center, The Antimatter Festival of Underground Short Film and Video, Hull International Film Festival, The Chicago Underground Film Festival, Art in General in New York and several other galleries, satellite channels and alternative venues worldwide. Sabine Gruffat is currently Senior Lecturer in Digital Art at Wayne State University.

Amy Ingalls - Instructor
Raised a Jersey Girl, Amy left the overpopulated East coast and several years of retail management behind to pursue a degree at the Center College for Creative Studies in Detroit. Now an artist of the digital realm, she works freelance doing video editing and production, as well as graphics. When not on the computer, Amy works with photography, painting, and drawing that stems from creativity based on spontaneity of artistic expression. She currently resides in the Detroit-Metro area, is a Sagittarius, and her favorite color is purple.

Matthew Kelson - Instructor
Matthew Kelson is a fourth year Film Studies major at Wayne State University. He enjoys manipulating film just as much, if not more than, watching it. Matt has been with the DFC for some time now and has set up multiple screenings. He can usually be found lurking around Detroit.

Rick Maisano - Instructor
Rick is a third year Media Arts & Studies major at Wayne State University. Aside from interning at the DFC, he works at WSU's Media Lab. Rick is a media-renaissance man, and in his free time creates melodically inclined banjo ditties

Meredith Zielke - Instructor
Meredith Zielke is an independent documentary filmmaker, having worked on projects based in Israel/Palestine, Ecuador, New York, Ann Arbor, Ghana and Detroit. She is the Assisant Director at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. For almost two years, she taught film in Loja, Ecuador to eventually return to her beloved Detroit, where she participates actively.