Meet the Team
CHRISTINE LEUTHOLD
Director & Executive Producer
Based in LA & NY, Christine creates, produces, and disseminates impact-driven experiences for engagement and positive change.
In the 1980s, she created and produced brand-aligned social impact initiatives as Public Relations Director for Ralph Lauren Corporation. Ever since, she has integrated the greater good into her professional endeavors, including as:
- Executive Producer of SELLING SUPERMAN, the upcoming feature documentary by Adam Schomer
- Producer and host of over 45 online forums featuring film and other screened content, focusing on topics ranging from Diversity & Inclusion and Taking a Stand to Vulnerability, Connection & Belonging.
- Producer and moderator of panels and Q&As for the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, aTVfest, The Amelia Island Film Festival, and Women in Film & Television, etc.
- Co-Director of The Esalen Inspirational Film Festival
- Producer and host of her online streaming series, Comfort Living Club
- Author of Comfort Living: A Back-to-Basics Guide to a More Balanced Lifestyle, a how-to book about creating “home.”
An ongoing theme in her presentations, consulting, and writing is the importance of authentic connection. Her passion for In The Name Of Hope comes from her conviction that a high tide floats all boats, and that “home” is an essential requirement for living.
STEVEN ULLMAN
Producer & Executive Producer
Steven is an award-winning producer/ director based in Los Angeles. His mission is “to provoke thought, evoke feeling, and create community through inspired storytelling and creative entertainment.”
His professional goals are to improve the quality and profitability of productions by optimizing organizational performance along fiscal, operational, and creative metrics.
He strives to deliver the best possible productions including in his roles as:
- Producer, Miss Lillian: More Than a President’s Mother, a feature length documentary including interviews with President Jimmy Carter, Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, journalist Sam Donaldson, and LA Dodgers’ Manager Tommy Lasorda.
- Three-time winner, Los Angeles Ovation Award for Best Musical
- Producer, Hurlyburly, Los Angeles, starring Sean Penn, Danny Aiello, and Mare Winningham
- Former Producing Artistic Director, Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities and Hermosa Beach Playhouse
- Producer, Greater Tuna, San Francisco, with a 6-year run
He is devoted to projects that have a positive impact in our society.
LAURENT ELIE BADESSI
Photographer
Laurent is an award-winning photographer residing in New York. Coming from three generations of photographers, he has explored and appreciated the art of photography from an early age.
His university studies of language and communication sciences, blended with a masters degree in photography, laid the foundation for his creative vision and the intentional interaction he cultivates with his subjects during photo sessions.
Since the early 90s, Laurent has been focusing on fine art and social impact projects. With a keen eye for composition, Laurent explores critical issues while capturing the essence of his subjects. His work is characterized by the timeless quality and impact of the visuals he creates.
For his M.A. thesis, he spent several months with isolated tribes in Niger, Africa where cameras were virtually non-existent. This project received many prominent awards and grants including Fujicolor’s La Bourse de l’Aventure and UNESCO’s Humanity Photo Award.
Badessi’s photographs are in many important private and public collections. Solo and group exhibitions of his work have taken place in major cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Miami, London, Milan, Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Kuwait City, Beijing, Monaco, and Dubai.
TIMMY VATTEROTT
Director of Photography
Timmy is a documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles whose work focuses on creating compelling stories that engage the viewer with powerful imagery and empathetic characters.
His entry into film work began as composer and producer for the award winning short, “DIVE! Living Off America’s Waste” — a unique look at dumpster diving and hunger in America.
Following DIVE!, Timmy was an associate producer on the feature length documentary titled “GMO OMG”, which premiered at the 63rd annual Berlin International Film Festival.
Documentary filmmaking led Timmy to work for educational and non-profit organizations such as City Year LA, UCLA, and Los Angeles United School District, for whom he has shot, directed, and edited several short films.
Timmy’s passion is to capture the “privileged moments” that appear within the camera’s frame and incorporate those images into a narrative that explores something fundamental and essential about the human condition.