GOOD TALK WITH THE FIRST STEP SPEAKERS

Director, Producer & Featured Speakers of THE FIRST STEP

REQUEST A GOOD TALK WITH BRANDON KRAMER, LANCE KRAMER & LOUIS L. REED

Brandon Kramer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who has spent his career directing films that tackle complex social and political issues. As the Director of THE FIRST STEP (Tribeca), CITY OF TREES (Netflix, PBS), THE MESSY TRUTH (CNN) and SAABA (AFI DOCS), Brandon has an expertise in telling stories about the complex relationships that form between communities, advocates and policymakers, and sharing these narratives with broad and diverse publics. Brandon's nuanced and deeply personal films seek to advance a pillar of a functional democracy by helping the public understand and empathize with urgent social and political issues.

Lance Kramer is a seasoned independent filmmaker with 15 years of experience producing award-winning independent films and leading in-depth social impact distribution strategies, for projects including CITY OF TREES, THE FIRST STEP, THE MESSY TRUTH, and SAABA. Lance speaks about his experience in social justice storytelling; narratives that represent people impacted by the criminal justice system; bipartisan and bridge-building narratives; impact strategies that engage racially, culturally, politically and geographically diverse audiences; filmmaker sustainability; and the life and career of an independent filmmaker.

Louis L. Reed is a leading expert in criminal justice reform, policy advocacy, and public health. Having spent 14 years in federal prison and worked on supervision, his leadership led to the passage of over 30 state and federal level bills, including the historic First Step Act in 2018. As an an award-winning author, commentator on the Law & Crime Network, licensed and board-certified addictions practitioner, and producer of Hulu’s UnPrisoned series, he speaks with audiences about social impact and leadership.