Meet the team
Alece Oxendine
Executive Director
Durham native Alece Oxendine is a celebrated speaker, strategist, and writer in the film and media industry. She has made an impact on hundreds of emerging filmmakers in the areas of marketing and distribution at Film at Lincoln Center, BAMcinema, Rooftop Films, Athena Film Festival, Fandor, Good Deed Entertainment, and most recently at Columbia University's graduate film program and Color Congress.
Alece is an alumna of Columbia University where she serves on their alumni board, and is a proud HBCU graduate from Winston-Salem State University. She enjoys telling stories in her free time and is currently trying to learn French.
Penelope Bartlett
Artistic Director
Since relocating to Durham in 2022, Penelope’s extensive background in film curation and distribution has ignited a desire to cultivate the city's vibrant film scene. Durham's welcoming, creative spirit, and deep love for the arts immediately resonated deeply with her. She has worked across streaming platforms, festivals, and art-house theaters, for organizations including the Criterion Collection, Metrograph, Vimeo, Tribeca Film Festival, Full Frame Film Festival, Palm Springs Film Festival and more.