Composer Filmmaker Accelerator

The CFA program is curated by three-time Emmy-nominated, award-winning film and television composer Miriam Cutler, based on her vast experience mentoring and leading workshops for both filmmakers and composers with Sundance Institute, International Documentary Association, Film Independent, US State Department / USC American Film Showcase (international), and more. She is known for her scores for RBG, Love Gilda, Shari Lewis and Lambchop, Dark Money, Ethel, Ghosts of Abu Ghraib, The Hunting Ground, Lost in La Mancha, and more. Her passion for documentaries has also led her to co-produce and score One Lucky Elephant, Dark Money, and currently in production, Loving Laura Nyro.

She is a two term Exec Committee Member Motion Picture Academy Documentary Branch, Past TV Academy Music Branch Exec committee member, and long-time former SCL Board Member and Co-Founder Alliance for Women Film Composers. She serves on the board of Reel Change Film Fund – New Music USA and is a strong believer in building an artist to artist community.

Damon Tedesco is the Recording Engineer and Scoring Mixer for the Amp Composer Filmmaker Accelerator. For the last 25 years, Damon has specialized in recording music for film and television. A member of the Television Academy, he has recorded and mixed music for hundreds of commercials, TV shows, films, and documentaries. He is currently the scoring mixer for Family Guy and American Dad, and recently worked on Final Destination and Inside Out 2.

Michelle Sudduth is the Scoring Session Producer for the VIFF Amp Composer Filmmaker Accelerator. Michelle is a composer, songwriter and classically-trained pianist, and has worked in the booth on many film and TV recording sessions in Los Angeles. She called Vancouver home while in graduate school (UBC) and credits UCLA’s Film Scoring program with equipping her to create music for media. Michelle is the resident composer at Magic Dog Productions (NYC) and has most recently been working on a variety of projects including feature films, audio dramas, video games and writing and producing a record with the innovators of Good Story Guild (LA/NYC).

With a composition degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and over a decade as an orchestra librarian, Alex Clark has spent most of his professional career behind the scenes of large classical music productions preparing music for musicians or leading the digital video production teams. In recent years Alex has gained experience in sound design, cinematography, directing cameras for live orchestral concerts and recordings, arranging for orchestra and rock band as well as composing for chamber ensembles, full symphony orchestra and electronic music for a short film.

Aside from writing, Alex has remained active as a viola player and conductor during his time in Arts Administration. His career philosophy has been to continue to learn and understand as much about the music industry as a whole as possible while maneuvering in and around it. This has naturally led to a strong interest in the film and television industry as well. Alex is always looking for projects that will help him learn new skills, collaborate with other creative individuals and grow his music creation studio and business. Most of Alex’s music publishing and production business is run through his company AseosA.