Who We Are

Founded by director and producer Andrea Kalin in 1989, Washington D.C.-based Spark Media strives to both entertain and inspire audiences - changing one family, one community, one struggle at a time. Team Spark is committed to combining ingenuity with integrity, intellectual rigor with strong narrative, vision with action. Excellence is our passion, and the standard that unites everyone at Spark to transform stories into impact.

Our Team

Andrea Kalin

Founder and Creative Director

James Mirabello

Production Manager/Producer

Ethan Oser

Director of Photography/Editor

Stephanie Wilson

Production Associate

Bright Djampa

Production Associate

Amelia Jarecke

Production Associate

Liz Linstrom

Production Associate

Allison Parshall

Production Associate

Consultants

Nick Ray

Lloyd “Raki” Jones

Karen Simon

Diana Moss

Nancy Camp

Barbara Cupisti

Dara Padwo-Audick

Paulo Soto

Wanakhavi Wakhisi

Honey Al Sayed

Inaugural Fellow

Awards

Spark Media has garnered nearly 100 prestigious international video awards for its productions. We believe that people connect with social messages that emerge from stories about people like themselves – with production values that display high quality, creativity, sincerity, and attention to detail. We are proud of the recognition that Spark has earned with the following awards:

  • Emmy Award
  • Golden Globe Nomination
  • Writers’ Guild of America Nomination
  • Erik Barnouw Award for Best History Documentary
  • National Endowment for the Humanities NEH 50 List
  • Paul Robeson Award
  • Best of DC TIVA-DC Peer Award
  • 22 TIVA-DC Peer Awards
  • 10 CINE Golden Eagles
  • 8 Accolade Awards
  • 4 IndieFEST Film Awards
  • 2 Telly Awards
  • 2 Communicator Awards of Excellence
  • Communicator Award of Distinction
  • Platinum Pixie Award
  • Gold Pixie Award
  • 4 Impact DOCS Awards of Excellence
  • Outstanding Achievement and Humanitarian Award, Global Film Awards
  • Spotlight Award
  • Grand Goldie Award
  • Chris Award
  • Gracie Allen Award
  • Aurora Platinum ‘Best of Category’ Medal
  • Aurora Gold Medal
  • EdPress Distinguished Achievement Award
  • Certificate of Excellence, The Lathan Foundation for the Promotion of Humane Education

Festival Awards:

  • Best Documentary, Boston International Film Festival
  • Platinum Remi Awards – Documentary Feature, WorldFest Houston
  • Hoka Award for Best Documentary, Oxford Mississippi Film Festival
  • Audience Award for Best Film, Dunedin International Film Festival
  • Audience Award for Best Alabama Film, Sidewalk Film Festival
  • Jury Award-Honorable Mention, Sidewalk Film Festival
  • Audience Choice Award, Fairhope Film Festival
  • Audience Award, Dunedin International Film Festival
  • Maverick Award for Best Documentary, Woodstock Film Festival
  • Madelyn’s Choice Award, Rocky Mountain Women’s Film Festival
  • Special Jury Award, Houston International Film Festival
  • Gold Jury Award, Houston International Film Festival
  • Best Director, StarDoc International Documentary Film Festival
  • Pioneer Award for Excellence in Leadership & Public Service, Richmond International Film Festival
  • Most Disturbing Film, Ramdam Film Festival
  • Humanitarian Award, Tiburon International Film Festival
  • Director’s Choice, Black Maria Film & Video Festival
  • Grand Jury Award, Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival
  • Gold Medal, World Media Festival
  • Best Documentary, American Black Film Festival
  • Best Cinematography, LET Networks #AMLatino Film Festival
  • Gold UNESCO NY Festivals
  • Silver Screen Award, U.S. International Film and Video Festival

In addition to our production work, we also work with clients to help realize their stories and have a bigger impact of their communities. We offer Digital, Commercial and Live Production services, and we encourage you to explore our work!

Digital Commercial Live Production

Spark Media is certified by the Women's Business Enterprise National Council.