The Filmmaking Team

John Handem Piette

Director/Cinematographer/Editor

Brooklyn based filmmaker, founder of Assemble Studios and member of the Writers Guild East, John has been working on LIB: A Festival Story  for the better part of 2 years. After graduating from The University of Texas at Austin film school, he premiered his first feature film, Power Trip, in '09. While living in LA for 8 years, John worked as a director and editor on a multitude of projects including films, music videos and commercials. Now in New York, John's work has been recognized by the Telly Awards and many publications including The Hollywood Reporter, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker with his videos reaching audiences of tens of millions.

Bradford Hunter Wray

Producer/ Photographer

Our Producer extraordinaire also served as an LIB 2016 festival photographer, his epic and intimate photos are featured throughout the film and our posters. Bradford is a Producer and Creative Operations Expert with over a decade of experience in bringing ideas and projects to life, founding his own consulting firm in 2022, Broadwater. Having produced dozens of highly viewed YouTube comedy shorts and was the Producer & Operations Director at Times10 Creative Marketing Agency.

Emerson Boergadine

Cinematographer

An incredibly gifted Director of Photography, Emerson has spent decades working on award winning films, music videos, hit television shows and web series. With a keen eye for beauty and vulnerability, his cinematography throughout the documentary is truly a sight to behold. A long time collaborator of John, their working relationship translated seamlessly to the festival where their goal was to capture a raw, real and personal perspective of the experience.

Thomas J Ireton

Writer

A filmmaker and writer, Thomas penned a 10 page essay about his experience as an Avocado camper at his first ever LIB just days after it ended in 2016. Naming his essay, I Know There's Gonna Be Good Times, Thomas beautifully and intricately outlines the 10 most important and seminal details of the festival, which serve as chapters in the film helping guide the narrative.

Christina Cardona

Interview Cinematography

With a masters in journalism along with photography and editing, Christina has spent years creating videos viewed by millions as a Producer/Editor for The Dodo. Adding her unique visual touch to the documentary, Christina shot all the interview footage over the course of a year. Christina and John also share their Brooklyn apartment with their sweet and semi-famous rescue-pup, Bean, who lends his handsome mug as on-screen talent during the interviews.   

Bean

On-Screen Talent

Bean plays himself during the interview sections of the film, featured in another one of John's Telly awarding winning videos, he lends true star power to the film.