Meet The Team
LLOYD BRYAN MOLANDER, J.D.
Managing Director / Founder
Raised in coastal South Orange County, (Laguna Niguel and Dana Point), Lloyd’s love for the ocean and film runs deep. Lloyd spent most of his youth either surfing or body surfing at Stands and Salt Creek. He would also skateboard, sail, or swim from cove to cove. Lloyd was fortunate to have a family home in Kauai, and that is where he learned to respect the power and magnificence of the ocean. Over the decades, Lloyd has parlayed his love of the ocean, with his education, and dedication by producing films and programs around the water. With over two decades of executive and production experience in television & film, Lloyd Bryan Molander has produced nearly two thousand hours of national and international television programming, earning accolades along the way including three Emmy award nominations, and one company win, multiple Telly awards, and received broad recognition at film festivals nationwide for his TV shows, Feature Films, and Documentaries, Including Banff, Hollywood International, Superfest: International Disability Film Festival, and Big Sky Film Festival, San Luis Obispo and more. Lloyd Film Festival experience has been as a participant, award-winner, judge, and member of the board of the Tahoe/Reno International Film Festival-Board of Directors (past). Lloyd has been a judge/screener for the Academy of TV Art and Science, Producer Guild of America, and Montclair Film Festival. Lloyd has held the positions of Executive Producer, Sr. Executive of Programming, Production, and Development for private and public companies, and is credited as the co-founder of the global Extreme Sports Channel. Lloyd is currently the Founder and CEO of Tenacity Entertainment and an adjunct professor of business and law. Lloyd holds his Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific (McGeorge School of Law), a master’s from National University, La Jolla, and his undergraduate degree from San Diego State University. Certificates include International Business from the University of Salzburg, Inns of Court pupilage from City University, London, and, medication from Pepperdine Law. Lloyd is married to Jennifer Ellis, a philanthropist, Sr. grants manager, and a director at the Leon Levy Foundation. Lloyd has one daughter Lauren, who is a recent SMU graduate, and fashion entrepreneur. “I could swim before I could walk, and being in the ocean is where I find peace and recreation. Protecting our ocean is paramount to our human existence, join us in celebrating and protecting this vast treasure”. Lloyd Bryan Molander
Maria Banks
Executive Director of Dana Point Entertainment & Arts Council
Maria Elena Banks is a resident of Dana Point for over 26 years. Born and raised in Venezuela, she was married to the late Roger W. Banks who designed and built the first Optical Printer for the movie industry. She is a natural for the film industry.
Maria Elena has two boys from her late husband who she has raised on her own for 18 mos. and 4 years old and loves her grandkids. Maria Elena is the Director of the Dana Point Entertainment & Arts Council. A 501 3C was established to support different charities and to bring the community together through the enjoyment of art and music. What better way than the First Annual Dana Point Film Festival to bring the Community together. *(DPEAC is not affiliated with the City of Dana Point), however, DPEAC is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization serving the South Coast communities).
Riki Kucheck
Co-festival director (Programming)
Riki is excited to join the Dana Point Film Festival Team. Although her career was as a Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science, her passion has always been the arts. She served on the Newport Beach Arts Commission, Laguna Playhouse Youth Productions, and for the past 20 years, has been with the Newport Beach Film Festival as their Festival Director. Over the years, her duties have included every position at the festival, including running the theaters. In addition, she works with numerous distributors worldwide, including Sony, Netflix, Universal, etc. She attends Cannes, Toronto, and Sundance, scouting for films.
RYAN ROSSELL
Co-festival director
As Tenacity Entertainment’s Co-Executive Producer, Ryan is an idea man who’s constantly writing and creating his next project. He wrote and directed the suspense thriller “Black Wine” out of college where it premiered at the Hollywood Film Festival. It had a great run on the festival circuit before securing distribution with Indican Pictures. He then ran a green screen studio for Razor Entertainment where he casted, wrote, directed, filmed, & edited four sports shows a day for the channel “Vegas Sports” which was on MobiTV. As a producer, he produced the TV show “Saving Heroes” on the American Heroes Channel. He produced the Emmy nominated documentary “Six Hours” and produced the Emmy nominated documentary “Rising Tides.” He has a love for the oceans, rivers, and lakes. He is an avid kayaker. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from NYU.
Barry Karsh
Student Film Coordinator
Barry Karsh is the Founder and CEO of InTune Technologies, Inc, a software and innovation company focused on bringing hospitality into the digital age. Barry is passionate about solving problems through thoughtful design and technology, and was the creator of Line-At-Sano.com in the early 2000s. On this website, you could get real-time information on the surf, weather, and the wait time to get into the famous San Onofre Surfing Beach, which can be 2hrs or more during the summer months. In addition, the company organized and sponsored beach clean-ups and worked alongside the San Onofre Foundation and San Clemente Green to ensure clean beaches for our community.
As a designer, he has worked as a Director of Creative & UX, as a drummer, toured with members of Janes Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and as a golfer, well, he is a work in progress. Barry gets his recreation on and around the coast of south Orange County, holds the ocean and surrounding environment in the highest regard, and is committed to the ongoing improvement of coastal environments, both local and global.
Sophia Grubert
Social Media Manager
Through volunteering with community theaters, local non-profits, and schools, Sophia has grown a passion for cultivating welcoming spaces for education and human connection. She is a traveler at heart, and her love for the ocean has prompted her excitement to be a part of the DPFF team.
BRet Johnson
Board of advisors
After obtaining a degree in Exercise Physiology, running sponsorship sales for two mountain bike teams, and appearing on MTV, Bret became a TV host and producer. He continued creating and pioneering outdoor lifestyle/action sports content while also a contracted fitness expert for Men’s Health Magazine and a talent agent for athletes. In 2003, Bret jumped into the beverage industry full-time with Rockstar Energy Drink (11th employee). He quickly moved from NorCal to Denver, opening the Midwest, then VP of Sales/Marketing PacNW until 2011 being the only VP with a regional marketing budget. Recruited to be VP of Field Marketing for Pabst Brewing Co., he created structure and accountability for all event partnerships and experiential activities. As a beverage consultant, he has established a notable client roster and provided sponsorship sales and marketing strategies for numerous event properties. Besides prioritizing spending time with friends and family, his passions involve the CUBAMERA project- supporting the musical connection between Cuba/USA- and his self-published novel, HEAVENLAND. He was also born in LA and raised in both LA and SF where his love of the ocean continued. Currently, Bret is a partner at BeyondBrands where an extensive and experienced CPG team offer fractional services to emerging and accelerating brands.
Scott Bradfield
Board of advisors
Scott Bradfield has an outstanding record of creating innovative media groups and delivering award-winning, high-revenue content. Scott was responsible for the initial conception and development of Red Bull’s Media House, and as Senior Vice President, Content he led an Emmy Award-winning team that has produced the highest-grossing action sports film ever made, the most-watched Livestream in history and the spectrum of Red Bull Media House productions across all U.S. platforms from sports, music, and entertainment. As a former mountain bike test rider and professional cyclist, Scott has always been deeply integrated in action sports and youth culture. His initial role for Red Bull North America encompassed managing content creation through all marketing departments, and he was quickly entrusted with leading Red Bull Media House Production initiatives. From developing and co-producing the Red Bull New Year’s No Limits broadcasts on ESPN to collaborating with the Sports group to produce the Red Bull Signature Series, one of the most-watched action sports series on broadcast television, Scott and his team have forged partnerships with leading entities such as HBO, Netflix, Twitch, ABC, CBS, ESPN, NBC, Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel – creating content and supporting marketing that raises the bar in coveted demographics. A case in point: Scott devoted five years to conceptualizing and realizing 2012’s live Red Bull Stratos broadcast, which smashed records for Livestream and television viewership and earned the National Sports Emmy for Outstanding New Approaches in Sports Event Coverage. He pioneered action sports documentaries that transcend the genre’s stereotypes by centering upon narrative, he was an Executive Producer for the documentary feature McConkey, an official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival that bridged the gap between core sports and mainstream audiences, as well as for The Art of Flight, the most successful snowboard film ever, which he developed with Brain Farm Digital Cinema and athlete Travis Rice. Recently won a National Documentary Emmy for Blood Road that chronicled extreme adventure athlete, Rebecca Rusch’s personal journey down the Ho Chi Minh trail to find her late father’s crashed jet fighter. Scott was pivotal in the deal that supplies over 20 hours of Red Bull Media House programming to Fox Sports; leads content development for Red Bull TV, films, and digital channels; and is responsible for the rollout of all the company’s made-for-web content development on YouTube, where Red Bull Media House has multiple channels. Scott’s most recent efforts have included serving as Executive Producer for Emmy Award-winning, Any One of Us, a Red Bull Media House feature film that brings an intimate look inside recovery from a spinal cord injury that was recently distributed by HBO. Additionally, The Alpinist was just nominated for 3 Emmys, which is available on Netflix and Dear Rider on HBO with winning the Emmy of Best Sports Documentary for The Alpinist. Prior to joining Red Bull Media House, Scott worked for sports and entertainment companies including Fox Sports, where he was in charge of 54321Weekly Update and helped launch The Daily Habit, and Fusion TV, where he produced a magazine-style sport and music program. He produced EXTV for Fox Sports and oversaw the U.S. web presence for Europe’s Extreme Group. The turnkey media department he built at 4Leaf Entertainment supplied top clients (e.g., Vans, Gravity Games) with video, web, CD and print development. Scott holds a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication, Multimedia, and Applied Computing from California State Monterey Bay, where he taught 3D Animation & Special Effects and Internet Fundamentals.
Alex(ander) Mecl
Board of advisors
After starting his professional career as a MCS consultant with Price Waterhouse in Silicon Valley in the early 90s, Alex went on to established The Content Agency, one of Japan’s first full-service creative agencies focused on developing and managing intellectual property programs for the lifestyle industry, including Fashion, Art, Music, and Entertainment. Since then Alex has focused on acquiring, managing and developing an extensive global film and licensing portfolio resulting in over 250+ global licensees and distributors while working with other like-minded entrepreneurs, film directors, and key influencers. He continues to be a driving force in the entertainment and tech industry, most recently in his role as executive producer on several award-winning documentaries and as former strategic global advisor for WeChat at Tencent Corporation. Alex is a native speaker and trilingual in English, German, Japanese, proficient in French, and a student of Mandarin Chinese.
Professional and industry experience:
- Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer, Bruce Brown Films, LLC (1999 – Current)
- Executive Producer of Crescent Moon Films, LLC (2021 – Current)
- Founder, Board of Directors, Tsunami Capital Group, Inc. & Subsidiaries (2003 – Current)
- Strategic Global Advisor, Tencent Corporation (2013 – 2017)
- Founder, Board of Directors, The Content Agency, Inc. (1994 – Current)
Russel Greene
Filmmaker Liaison and Outreach (Volunteer)
Marco Carralero
Co-Director of Operations
Marco supports planning and operations for the Dana Point Film Festival. He is a Capistrano Beach resident, a Dana Point Historical Society (DPHS) Board Member, and is involved in various Orange County organizations. Marco is a manager at a global consulting firm.
Darian Boyle
Board of advisors
Darian Boyle is currently the President of Marina Management in Jersey City, New Jersey. She recently sold Typhoon Boat Works, where she was the CEO and COO of this Sportfishing boat manufacturer. She has always, both personally and professionally, been involved in either water/marine activities or snow pursuits. Darian is a decorated World Champion skier and has been recognized as one of the top female athletes in the world with a specialty in big mountain riding and Skiercross. In 2000, she won the World Extreme Sports Awards for best female freeskier. Darian dominated in Skiercross and was crowned World Skiercross Champion in 1999; at the 1999 X Games she placed 2nd for Skiercross; 1998 US Open Skiercross Champion; in 1993 she placed 2nd overall on the World Pro Mogul Tour. Darian routinely appeared in extreme skiing movies, sports programs, commercials, and print advertisements, representing a wide range of sponsors for various sports. In 2003, a broken neck in 6 places in Squaw Valley, California ultimately slowed her down, but could not stop her. Darian’s skills go far beyond the slopes. In 2008, she was introduced to Stand up Paddling and never looked back. Her first SUP event was the Sea Paddle NYC- a 28 Mile paddle around NYC to raise money for Autism and the environment. Shortly after that event, she was asked to become a board member. A few more SUP highlights include 2015 Sea Paddle NYC 3rd place Elite Race, 2011 2nd place Sea Paddle NYC Elite division; 2009 2nd place at the Battle of the Paddle in the relay and 5th place in the battle; 1st place in the Florida State SUP Championships. Darian is a World Paddle Association -WPA- Level 2 instructor. When the seasons change, she is off paddleboarding, surfing, and playing tennis. She was a Lifeguard National Champion and an avid member of the National Lifeguard-Ocean Rescue Team. Darian’s years as a professional athlete opened the door to her television career. She has experience ranging from live reporting from the field to studio anchoring to hosting post produced magazine shows. Her work has appeared on ESPN, ESPN2, ABC Sports, Fox Sports Net and Outdoor Life Network. These programs allowed her to showcase her athletic knowledge of sports. Her passion for sports is reflected in her attitude. Darian’s philanthropic efforts have focused on adaptive athletes as they recover/rehabilitate via surfing and skiing. She is continually active in Operation Beachhead which utilizes surfing as therapy for the disabled. She also remains very involved in The High Fives Foundation, which supports athletes affected by spinal cord injuries. Darian is a proud Sugarbush Vermont’s Wall of Fame member, a recent recipient of the Bruce Boyle Waterman Award and an active Board member of Surfers Environmental Alliance (SEA). Darian splits her time seasonally between Sea Girt, NJ, and Warren, Vermont with her husband and her 7-Year-old daughter Darian Mary aka DeeDee.
TODD WALLIN
DANA POINT FILM FESTIVAL CO-FOUNDER & DPFF Sponsorships Volunteer
Todd Wallin is the Founder of the Dana Point Entertainment and Art Council and a volunteer advisor. (DPEAC is not affiliated with the City of Dana Point), however, DPEAC is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit organization serving the South Coast communities). Todd has been a successful entrepreneur for over 40 years, with his focus on the entertainment industry. Todd was President of Wallin Enterprises based in Dana Point, CA where he had been consulting for various global and domestic companies that are seeking funding, strategic planning, acquisitions, joint ventures, and business development initiatives. Currently, Todd has dedicated himself to serving the Dana Point community via DPEAC. Formerly, Todd was appointed to serve as a commissioner for the Dana Point Arts and Cultural Commission before founding DPEAC. Todd enjoys the ocean, golfing at El Niguel Country Club, tennis, and mountain biking, and paddle tennis. Todd has lived in Dana Point for 24 years. He attended UCSB on a full-ride tennis scholarship. Outside of work, his time is dedicated to his wife and two sons, both Dana Hills High School graduates who now attend UCLA and NYU.
ELiot Lincoln
Social Media & Website Developer
Eliot Lincoln has always loved the ocean and felt a deep passion and responsibility for it due to growing up on Fort Myers Beach, a small island in Florida. Eliot is in charge of all the social media and website upkeep. He has worked with Tenacity Entertainment in the past and currently manages a podcast website.