Agora Productions is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote humane values, enhance critical thinking skills and expose people, particularly young adults, to positive role models through film, art and educational materials.

Visit the Agora Productions website at agoraproductions.org 

Cory Taylor

Cory TaylorTaylor is a primetime Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with more than twenty years of experience in documentaries. His most recent independent film, THE POWER OF THE POWERLESS (2009), narrated by Jeremy Irons, documents the dissident struggle, which led to 1989’s Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia. Through Taylor’s direct efforts, and in conjunction with several human rights organizations, the film was smuggled into various Arab-Spring countries, as well as Burma and Cuba, and shown to democracy advocates in underground screenings. POWERLESS was also broadcast in thirty countries and screened at twenty-four film festivals where it won multiple awards. Taylor’s short film ANOTHER WAY OF SEEING THINGS (2004), examines the subject of accurate reporting and tolerance in the media and won awards at the Columbus and Tiburon Film Festivals. In 2002, his award-winning film, A QUIET REVOLUTION, narrated by Meryl Streep and featuring Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, portrayed the successful efforts of ordinary citizens combating deforestation, draught and environmental poisoning in Africa, Europe and Asia. Screened in fifty countries, A QUIET REVOLUTION was also translated into multiple languages, and brought to remote villages on mobile movie screens. Taylor’s television work has been featured on PBS, the History Channel, Nat Geo, and the Discovery Channel. He received his BA from UCLA in Theater, Film and Television.

Darin Nellis
Producer/Executive Producer

Twenty years of experience working in business management and community relations for private, public and non-profit entities in the U.S. and Africa. Positions in the private sector include Managing Director for the Eurasian distribution company, Power Quality Holdings, and Director of Corporate Planning for the nanotech company, NanoTech Industries. Non-profit and public positions included Community Development Officer at The United Way of Greater LA, Loyola Marymount Peace Corps Fellow, Community Development Agent for the U.S. Peace Corps and Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator for the American Oceans Campaign. Darin received his BA from UCLA in International Relations and his MBA from Loyola Marymount.

Jonathan Terra
Producer/Researcher

Over 20 years of experience as a scholar and educator focusing on democratization and political change; Senior Lecturer at the Anglo-American College in Prague, advisor to the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights in Brussels; former Adjunct Professor at the Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education-Economics Institute (CERGE-EI) in Prague. Terra holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Stanford University.

James T. Sale
Composer

James T. Sale is an accomplished composer and orchestrator for Film and TV with 15 years of experience including scores for “The Haunting of Molly Hartley” and “Music Within.” He also orchestrates and conducts music for Mark Mothersbaugh (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Fanboys, Herbie: Fully Loaded), Bill Brown (CSI: NY), Lee Holdrige (Kindertransport) and for numerous award-winning video games.

Lionel Friedberg
Production Consultant

Recipient of a Primetime Emmy, a National Emmy, the American Association for the Advancement of Science ‘Westinghouse’ Award for Science Programming, three Columbus and three Golden Eagles for Best Documentaries. He has worked for over 30 years supervising, producing, writing and directing documentaries, reality, investigative and educational programs and has 18 feature film credits as Director of Photography.

Alex Ryan
Production Consultant

Nominated for an Emmy for HBO’s “Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq,” Alexandra Ryan continues to produce films for HBO through her partnership with Sopranos actor James Gandolfini as well as a newly signed development deal with HBO. Ryan, a former Paramount creative executive, currently has in development “Hemingway and Gellhorn,” directed by Philip Kaufman (“The Right Stuff,” “Quills”), which chronicles Hemingway’s life; “Sacco and Vanzetti” – a film about the unjust execution of Italian immigrants in 1920’s Boston directed by Rod Lurie (“The Contender,” “Commander in Chief”) and “Sonny” – the story of the notorious Nike shoe executive and basketball scout Sonny Vacarro.

Jill Shively

Jill Shively SJP_6256 – V2.1_ppJill has spent the past 21 years working with the general public and in local communities, first as an insurance sales executive and then as director of a non-profit. As a top sales executive for Bancsure Brokerage Firm for 12 years Ms. Shively refined her natural talent for working with the general public. She then studied law at the Northrop University School of Law in order to assist mostly urban American Indian communities in the areas of adoption, domestic violence and other legal issues. She eventually started her own nonprofit, the American Indian Legal Assistance Program, where she served as the Executive Director for 9 years. Ms. Shively also holds a BA degree in Business Administration from CSULA.