Dance Film SF/SF Dance Film Festival Staff

Meet the team! To learn about each staff member, click the arrow icons.

Leadership

 Headshot of Judy Flannery, a Eurasian woman with a gray bob. She is wearing a grey and white shirt.Judy Flannery (she/her) chairs the Dance Film SF board of directors. She joined founder, Greta Schoenberg, in 2012 and served as managing and executive director of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival for 10 years. Prior to DFSF, Judy worked as a media consultant and produced 16 full-length film productions for San Francisco Ballet, Opera and Symphony.

During her 7-year tenure as the Director of Cultural Programming at KQED, she managed over a hundred productions featuring works by Bay Area artists and all the major SF arts organizations. Many of her productions garnered local and national Emmy awards and a Peabody. Judy also worked as a producer in Los Angeles on the PBS series, COSMOS, with Carl Sagan.

As an independent producer, Judy also produced films and staged theatrical concerts in Europe, the UK and in the U.S. She enjoys attending dance performances, seeing films, traveling and discovering new people and adventures.

Fun Fact: The first dance film Judy saw was Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire.

staff email  Email Judy

Headshot of Randall Heath, a white man with short blondish hair and blue eyes who smiles at the camera against a simple gray background. He wears a collared button-up shirt and a dark vest.Randall Heath (he/him) oversees the strategic vision and day to day operations of Dance Film SF. Now in his third year as Executive Director, Randall has been with the organization since the founding in 2010 serving in multiple roles throughout the organization.

With over 25 years of experience in creative direction, branding, visual art, and non-profit arts management, Randall is a passionate leader driven by the mission of bringing art, culture, and wellness to diverse audiences through collaboration, creativity, and impact.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Randall graduated from University of Michigan and University of Minnesota with degrees in Fine Art and English Literature. After founding the influential literary arts journal Rain Taxi, he went on to expand his career as a visual artist showing with Mark Wolf Contemporary Art in San Francisco and 55 Mercer Gallery in New York, while developing his creative direction skills through collaborations with clients ranging from San Francisco Giants, UCSF, Henry Holt and Company, San Francisco Ballet, NY Times bestselling authors Chris and Janet Atwood, Marci Schimoff, and noted children’s author Eric Carle. 

Fun Fact: Randall’s all-time favorite dance film scene is the shoe cam opening to Saturday Night Fever. Street strutting never looked so good.

Photo credit: Robert Donald

staff email  Email Randall

Headshot of Garen Scribner, a white male with brown hair and green eyes. He is smiling and wearing a black jacket in front of a white background.Artistic Director Garen Scribner (he/him) supports the Executive Director and Board Chair by overseeing programming, marketing, operations, development, education, and special projects. Prior to joining DFSF in 2024, Garen produced and hosted the broadcast TV series Broadway Sandwich (6x NY Emmy Nominee) and produced And The Nominees Are, both for New York Public Media (PBS/WNET/ALL ARTS). On stage, Garen starred as Jerry in the Broadway and National Tour productions of An American in Paris after a decade as a soloist with the San Francisco Ballet and artist of Nederlands Dans Theater. In addition to DFSF, Garen is the founder and managing director of Pilot MGMT, a creative management and production company representing many of the world’s most extraordinary dance-based artists. He holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and lives in Santa Monica, CA with his husband Geoff and their rescue dog Maya.

Fun Fact: Garen’s favorite dance film is Showgirls.

staff email  Email Garen

Operations & Development

Chris is an Asian/Caucasian mixed male with short black hair, tan skin, and a black five o'clock shadow. He smiles in front of a white background and is wearing a dark dress shirt with a Chevron patterned knit sweater.Christopher Ouellette (he/him) is the Managing Director at Dance Film SF. A San Francisco native, his dance journey began at age two when he first saw the San Francisco Ballet’s Cinderella on KQED. Chris trained professionally with a full scholarship at San Francisco Ballet School, and furthered his education at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, ODC/Dance, the School of American Ballet, and North Carolina Dance Theater. He joined Pittsburgh Ballet Theater in 2008 and later moved to New York, becoming an inaugural cast member on Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. In 2012, Chris danced with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo for several years, and was the lead male dancer in Netflix’s The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience in 2022.

Recently, he was the Company Manager for AXIS Dance Company, the Bay Area’s integrated dance company of disabled and non-disabled artists. Chris also art directs for Second Cast Productions and has worked with the Dance Film SF co-hosting the podcast Dancing Through the Lens. His interests include costume design, screenwriting, and community advocacy.

Fun Fact: If a dance film were made about Chris’ life, it would be choreographed by Matthew Bourne.

staff email  Email Chris

Kelsey, a white woman with shoulder-length brown hair, bangs, and green eyes, smiles warmly at the camera. She stands in front of a textured wall wearing a dark top.

Kelsey McFalls (she/her) became Development Manager at Dance Film SF in 2024, where she supports grant writing and fundraising efforts. She is also a freelance dancer who has performed with Amy Seiwert’s Imagery, PARA.MAR Dance Theatre, Sacramento Ballet, Ballare Carmel, and American Repertory Ballet, among others. Previously the Chief Operating Officer of an ed-tech startup, Kelsey now collaborates with arts nonprofits on fundraising and program development. In addition to Dance Film SF, she works with Golden Egg, Experimental Sound Studio, Homeroom, Heidi Duckler Dance, and Dark Circles Contemporary Dance. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, camping, and is currently training for her first marathon.

Fun Fact: Kelsey’s favorite dance scene in a movie is Leslie Caron’s introductory scene in An American In Paris (1951).

Photo credit: Bridget Badore

staff email  Email Kelsey

Bio and headshot coming soon.

staff email  Email Marilyn

Bio and headshot coming soon.

staff email  Email Lacy

Programming & Events

Headsho of Linda Schaller, a white woman with medium length brown hair who is in a room smiling at the camera. Her eyes are green and she is wearing a solid turquoise, V neck shirt with collar and button-up front.Director of Programming, Linda Schaller (she/her), oversees the programming of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival, special events, and the production of SFDFF video projects. When joining SFDFF in 2018, she brought 25+ years of producing/directing experience of arts documentaries and performance specials for local and national PBS and arts organizations such as American Ballet Theater (50th gala), SF Ballet, and SF Opera. Linda has garnered four Emmy Awards and a Grand Prix Video Dance International Documentary Award. Her love of dance solidified when she was of the of PBS directors selected to train with the “Dance in America” staff at the American Dance Festival. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Visual Communication (Television concentration). History research, water aerobics, and house restoration also keep her busy.

Fun Fact: If a dance film were made about Linda’s life, it would be choreographed by Twyla Tharp.

staff email  Email Linda

 Headshot of Greta, a white woman with long red hair who smiles at the camera. She is wearing a black shirt and stands against a white background.Festival Founder / Associate Director of Programming Greta Schoenberg (she/her) leads the shorts committee, curates shorts programs and builds artist relationships. Greta founded the festival in 2010, a concept that evolved through her own exploration of filmmaking after dancing professionally in Europe and San Francisco. Greta earned a BFA in Ballet from the University of Utah and danced with the Norwegian National Ballet as well as in many independent productions. She has presented guest lectures on dance film at SF State University, SF Public Library, UC Berkeley’s Osher Center for Lifelong Learning, and sat on the jury of Cinedanse Québec. As a movement educator for over 25 years, Greta has served on the faculty of ODC San Francisco’s Youth and Teen Program and now runs her own practice, Movewell Healdsburg, where she teaches Pilates and dance to students of all ages. She is a co-founder of the Healdsburg Dance Collective where she recently launched a youth dance program, and dances with UPside Dance Company. Greta now lives in the beautiful wine country north of SF where she enjoys outdoor adventures with her husband and two children.
 
Fun Fact: Greta’s favorite dance scene in a movie is the final ballet of American in Paris with Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron.
 

staff email  Email Greta

Headshot of Laura Elaine Ellis, a black woman wearing black rimmed glasses. She wears a black shirt that has a geometric pattern around the collar and smiles in front of a white wall.

As the Programming/Community Outreach Coordinator at SFDFF, Laura Elaine Ellis co-curates the annual Raising Voices program. Ellis’ work has been recognized by the State of California and the Alameda Arts Commission for preserving African American art and culture. She is co-founder and Director of the African & African American Performing Arts Coalition, co-presenters of the Black Choreographers Festival: Here & Now (BCF). Ellis performs and choreographers with Dimensions Dance Theater and Flyaway Productions. She has served over 25 years on faculty for the Dance Departments at the Athenian School and CSU Eastbay. 

staff email Email Laura

Ben, a white man with short brown hair and a beard, leans against a wall to pose for the camera. He has three silver hoop earrings: one in his right ear and two in his left. He is wearing a white button-up shirt with vertical light blue and dark green stripes. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Ben Estabrook (he/him) sees his role as technical director of the San Francisco Dance Film Festival as the guardian of the image, where he has been pixel peeping since its founding in 2010.

He has directed and shot dance films that have screened at festivals across the globe. During the pandemic, he brought ballet to the screens of dance lovers as the digital content producer at San Francisco Ballet. Ben has taught screendance at UC Berkeley, Saint Mary’s College, and the University of Utah.

At the University of Utah, he studied under Ellen Bromberg and graduated with an MFA in Film & Media Arts and a Graduate Certificate in Screendance in 2014. He is thrilled to be living in San Francisco where he cheers on the Warriors with his wife and immerses himself in VR in his spare time.

Fun Fact: The first dance film Ben saw was La La La Human Sex by La La La Humans Steps as an undergrad in the World Arts & Cultures department at UCLA. 

Photo by Sandy Lee.

staff email  Email Ben

Marketing

Headshot of Katherine Disenhof, a woman in her mid-30s of Eurasian descent. She has long dark hair and stands in front of a blurry grassy landscape. Katherine Disenhof (she/her) serves as SFDFF’s Marketing Director and Graphic Designer, handling a wide range of marketing-related areas including asset production, brand development, website management, and general marketing operations.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Katherine graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Human Biology, a minor in Dance, and Stanford’s 2012 Louis Sudler Prize in the Performing and Creative Arts. While pursuing a fruitful career as a contemporary dancer, she rather serendipitously found her way into the fields of graphic design and marketing. She’s spent the past decade building a repertoire of arts marketing skills through collaborations with clients including Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Brava Theater Center, Destiny Arts Center, Bear Yuba Land Trust, and Robert Moses’ KIN, to name a few. When she’s not preoccupied with designing something, Katherine can usually be found reading, cooking, or watching Survivor with her husband, Alan.

Fun Fact: a song that’s guaranteed to get Katherine dancing is The Jackson’s “Blame It on the Boogie“

Headshot of Clare Schweitzer, a Caucasian person with wispy grey/brown hair who smiles toward the camera. They are wearing a black shirt with a square neckline and are sitting in front of a dark background.A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Clare Schweitzer (she/they) is a wearer of many hats at the intersection of dance and film. Clare graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Dance and Mathematics, then moved to London and completed an M.A in contemporary dance in 2015, focusing her dissertation research on screendance festivals and the cultural production of screendance through its presentation. Now based in Oakland, Clare has performed as a dancer around the SF Bay Area and her films have screened at festivals worldwide. She has also presented research at events such as the Light Moves Festival of Screendance and the Screendance State of the Art Symposium. She currently works as a Programming Assistant with Dance Film SF (which presents the annual San Francisco Dance Film Festival), as a videographer/editor for Rapt Productions and as a co-host on the podcast Frameform, a podcast that discusses the intersections of dance and film.

Fun Fact: If Clare were a genre of dance film, she’d be expanded analog Screendance, ideally with plenty of reflective/refractive elements (disco balls, crystals, etc).

staff email  Email Clare

Headshot of Maddy Leitner, a white person with short brown hair, standing in front of two large fountains with a wide smile. They are wearing a white button-down and silver earrings.Maddy Leitner (they/she) is the Editor/Content Manager for SFDFF, tag teaming the social media management and video editing with Clare Schweitzer, and managing print trafficking and occasional filmmaker communications. Maddy is also the Content Manager for the Portland Dance Film Fest, and Program Assistant for the Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival. They are passionate about bringing screendance and films that address social issues to wider audiences.

Maddy grew up in a small town in New York and graduated from Ithaca College with a B.S. in Cinema and Photography, and now lives in Columbus, OH with their partner as he pursues a PhD in Cognitive Psychology. They enjoy attending dance classes, watching anime with said partner, and (attempting to) play one Sudoku puzzle every day.

Fun Fact: Maddy’s favorite dance scene in a movie is the “Come Together” sequence in their favorite film, Across the Universe.

Additional Team Members

Margaret Karl, Events Director
Delphine Lai, Development Consultant
Sarah Cecilia Bukowski, Writer

Richard J. Lee Law Group, Legal Services
Regina Bustillos, Consultant

Board Members

Roxane Bal
Katja Björner
Leah Edwards
Judy Flannery (Board President)
Jenny Goldie-Scot
Randall Heath
Jeff Nemy (Treasurer)
Sharman Ordoyne
Diedre Shaw
LaLene Shepherd
Catherine Slavonia
Marilyn Yuan (Secretary)

Dance Advisory Board

Christy Bolingbroke (Executive/Artistic Director, National Center for Choreography)
Wayne Hazzard (Executive Director, Dancers’ Group)
Babatunji Johnson (Dancer, Alonzo King LINES Ballet)
Sarah Van Patten (Former Principal Dancer, San Francisco Ballet)

 

Film Advisory Board

Kate Duhamel (Director and Producer, CandyBomber)
Dan Geller (Director and Producer, Geller/Goldfine Productions)
Dayna Goldfine (Director and Producer, Geller/Goldfine Productions)
Kristine Samuelson (Independent Filmmaker)