Free to Care

Chris is a film director and the founder of Optimist, a non-profit studio in Los Angeles. He’s best known for directing the feature documentaries Living On One Dollar, Salam Neighbor, and Five Years North. His films have been released globally by Netflix, HBO, Hulu, and PBS, and have premiered at Tribeca, DOCNYC, Full Frame, AFI Docs, & MountainFilm. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Variety, and The Atlantic, and has helped raise over $91 million dollars for poverty alleviation and refugee support efforts.
He’s been honored with the 2016 Muslim Public Affairs Council Annual Media Award; recognized alongside Bill Gates and Angelina Jolie as one of the top 100 visionary leaders of 2015 by YPO’s Real Leaders Magazine; and accepted by the U.S. State Department into the American Film Showcase. On the branded side, his work at Optimist has won 4 Shorty Awards, 2 ADDY Awards, 1 Webby Award, and 2 AVA Digital Awards. Chris is currently co-directing two feature films about cryptocurrency and the future of finance, titled The Meme Economy & Ethereum: The Infinite Garden.

Owen is a documentary film director, specializing in telling stories that catalyze lasting social change. His mini-documentary series on local heros has been viewed 30 million+ times across social media and been featured by GoFundMe, TEDMED, and Chipotle. As a freelance director and photographer, Owen has shot the cover of NY Times Magazine and worked with leading brands like Conservation International, Nikon, and many others.

Outside of filmmaking, Owen is a founding member of The Farmlink Project, a grassroots initiative that has provided over 50 million fresh meals to Americans struggling to put food on the table. The non-profit has been awarded the congressional medal of honor and will continue to make a positive impact for years to come.