The Crew

Project Happiness, our feature length documentary film, is being created by a team of award-winning filmmakers. They've traveled to Africa, India, and all over the US making this film. You can hear audio interviews, and see photos of the students and crew at our Behind the Scenes page.

PRODUCER/DIRECTOR: John Sorensen

John Sorensen is a documentary filmmaker working in Washington, DC. He wrote and produced the independent documentary The Road to Yucca Mountain, a journey through fear and nuclear waste, as well as the PBS specials The Giving Boom: How the New Philanthropy Will Change America and the three-hour documentary The First Measured Century. He was coordinating producer for the three-hour PBS documentary Heaven on Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism and senior producer of the weekly PBS series Think Tank. He was a writer, producer and editor on the A&E television series American Justice as well as the two-hour Biography special J. Edgar Hoover: Personal and Confidential. He received an MFA from Columbia College Chicago and attended FAMU, the Czech National Film School in Prague. Prior to working in film, John taught English to Junior High School students in rural Japan.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Randy Taran

Randy Taran, Founder and President of Spring Communications, is a social entrepreneur committed to producing media to affect social change. Recent projects include The Peace Wall, and the short film series Focused on Peace in collaboration with the Dalai Lama Foundation and Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots. Currently, through her non-profit 501(c)3 foundation Project Happiness, Randy is stewarding a global initiative which integrates the message of the Project Happiness film with an educational curriculum inspired by young people for young people around the world. Randy received her BA in communications from Concordia University and her MBA in Marketing and International Business from New York University.

CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Andrew Walworth

Andrew Walworth, the president of Washington based production company Grace Creek Media, has developed, written and produced numerous award-winning projects for broadcast, cable and new media distribution. In 2004 he served as a member of the Arab Media Working Group of the US Institute for Peace, examining issues related to journalism and public diplomacy. He has twice served on the Editorial Committee of the PBS project POV. In 2002-2003, he was in charge of primetime scheduling for PBS YOU, the PBS digital channel for lifelong learners.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Dave Goulding

Dave Goulding has over 25 years of experience in film and television cinematography. Over his career, he has traveled throughout the world, working on a variety of films for major networks, independent production companies and corporate and commercial clients. He is currently specializing in filming high definition independent feature documentaries. He is owner and Director of Photography of his own company, Emotion Pictures, and has received numerous awards for his work. 12 Emmy Awards and several White House Awards are just a few of the recognitions he has received for his creativity, lighting and sharp eye for composition.

EDITOR: Andrew Fetchko

Andrew Fetchko is an editor, producer, director, and screenwriter with over ten years of experience in film and television production.  He has worked on a variety of commercials, network television, documentary, feature and short films. Recently he has edited varied series for Discovery, TLC, A&E and H&G as well as directing both national and regional commercials.