Marci Darling, Director/Producer
Marci Darling is a writer, dancer, filmmaker, teacher, and MOM (Monarch of Merriment). She worked as a professional belly dancer, circus acrobat, contortionist-illusionist, and burlesque dancer for twenty years, dancing on tour with The Go-Go’s, the B-52’s, Paul McCartney, and many others. She has written 5 bestselling books and is Adjunct Faculty at Endicott College. With a Masters in Education from Harvard, a BA in English/Creative Writing from UCLA, and a Certificate in Writing from Stanford, her writing has appeared in multiple publications including the NYTimes, Boston Globe, Martha’s Vineyard Times, etc. She worked at Sundance Institute and Film Festival for 5 years and on the Short Film Selection Committees for the Big Apple Film Festival and Boston Film Festival.
The Nita Zita Project holds a special place in Ms. Darling's heart as a tribute to her soul mate and dance partner, Kim, who passed away in 2018. After experiencing an enormous amount of loss, Marci’s artistic endeavors are centered around grief, and specifically how creativity can ignite the kind of light that blasts through darkness.
Dr. Sharon Gillen, Producer
Sharon Gillen is a perfectly imperfect human who finds great joy in approaching life as an opportunity for learning. She is a medical doctor and was drawn to the profession as a way to help heal people. More recently she has realized the power of healing through storytelling and feels called to honor her ancestors by connecting more deeply to the divine feminine and her Jewish heritage. She is also from the Baia Mare area in Romania, the same area as Nita & Zita.
Her proudest accomplishment is raising 3 beautiful humans. She is also a lover of all things film and has served on the board of the New Orleans Film Society.
Alexandra Kern, Creative Consultant
Alexandra is a filmmaker whose work explores how we inform the next generation in our complex cultures. Growing up in New Orleans has taught her how crucial culture and art is in shaping future generations and how the family extends outside the home.
She graduated from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts with a Creative Producing in 2018. Since graduating she has produced commercial and independent acclaimed projects for artists such as Tyler the Creator, Dua Lipa, Lil Nas X, and Kendrick Lamar as well as line producing the 2022 Sundance Directing Award Winner feature Palm Trees and Power Lines.
Her creative directorial debut, short documentary Wild Magnolias, is currently on its festival circuit having screened at Oscar qualifying festivals. The short was honored by a special screening at the New Orleans Jazz Museum where it was offered a permanent stay in their historical archive.
Eva K. Morgan, Editor
Eva is a New Orleans based film editor working mainly with narrative and documentary projects. Her credits include television and independent feature films, short films, and recently a heartfelt documentary series chronicling the lives of young high school football stars and the trials and tribulations of growing up in New Orleans titled Algiers, America that aired on Hulu in April 2023.
Eva graduated from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 2015 with a degree in Moving Image Arts and immediately jumped into the film scene by being mentored by local film editor Misty Talley where together they rode the wave of sharksploitation films and she cut her teeth on assembling edits (puns absolutely intended).
Alison Gordon, Associate Producer
Alison is dedicated to empowering women, was Co-founder and EVP of Rethink Breast Cancer, and is credited with growing a new generation of young breast cancer advocates, a previously ignored demographic compelled by her groundbreaking communication and advocacy expertise. As the founder of 48North Cannabis Corp, Alison was the first female CEO of a public cannabis company.
Malaika Stambler, Intern
Mika is a senior at Tulane University with majors in Digital Media Practices and Communications, and a minor in Japanese. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, Malaika has been involved in and learned from many student productions at Tulane, including editing and acting in comedy narrative Forever Senior and editing a student capstone film this spring 2023 semester, Fatal Illustration by Cresin Williams-Quinn. Malaika has developed passions for documentary filmmaking, editing, and experimental art. She spent the summer of 2022 working under Professor Casey Beck and producer Mary Cardaras as a production assistant and assistant editor on their brainchild, The Climate Changemakers, and then later in the summer worked as a production assistant on season 2 of BET’s Sacrifice, and more recently ran sound for a series of short episodes on pregnancy education by the doula collective, Birthmark.
Faye Tobin, Intern
Faye is a digital media and business management student at Tulane University using her creative spirit and business knowledge to pursue a career in filmmaking and the digital arts. As an intern at Bearcat Tango productions, she assists on the Nita & Zita documentary doing research, digital design, and social media outreach.
Stefanie Naifeh, Music Supervisor
Stefanie Naifeh’s professional stage career began when she was 15 with the San Francisco Opera production of Carmen, with Placido Domingo as Don Jose. She fronted the L.A. neo-cabaret band, The Underthings, in the late 80s and early 90s. The Underthings have begun performing again and have a show booked at the 1642 club in Los Angeles on August 19, 2023. In 1995 Naifeh surprised everyone by literally running away with the circus. She performed as an aerialist with the L.A. Circus, Circo Osorio, Hnos Caballers, El Gran Circo De Mexico, and the Fern Street Circus. She also performed her aerial acts in films, television, and special events. In 2001 she debuted her signature aerial act La Mariposa, in which she danced and flew with 15-foot butterfly wings. Naifeh’s music and circus performances have taken her from L.A. to San Francisco, New York, Berlin, Japan, Mexico, Colombia, Thailand, and the Paris Metro.
Tony Braunagel, Music Supervisor
Tony Braunagel is an American drummer, producer, and songwriter from Houston, Texas, United States, who is based in Los Angeles, California. Braunagel has played on many film scores and television shows as well as numerous albums as a musician, composer and producer. He is best known as a session drummer and/or percussionist of over 200 albums including those of Otis Rush, Eric Burdon, Johnny Nash, Coco Montoya, Lucky Peterson, as well as Grammy winning albums of Bonnie Raitt, Taj Mahal, Buddy Guy (percussion) and for performing live with dozens of music icons including Bonnie Raitt, Rickie Lee Jones, BB King, Lightnin’ Hopkins, John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray, Bette Midler, Lyle Lovett, and Taj Mahal to name just a few. Braunagel's recording and performing career encompasses numerous and diverse rhythms and drum styles, but he is most known for Rhythm and Blues, Blues, Americana Rock ‘n’ Roll, Blues shuffle, Back Beat, as well as his own blend of Reggae and West African rhythms.
JP Borreondo, Music Supervisor
JP is an accomplished producer, studio engineer, sound designer, and mix master from Guatemala with a degree from Berklee School of Music. Partnering with Stefanie Naifeh on the Nita Zita Project, and lives in Los Angeles, CA.
