THE FILMMAKERS

​ John Davies Executive Producer ​Writer/Director

John Davies is an Emmy® Award winning writer/producer/director who spent the first decade of his career on documentaries (TOP GUNS OF ’43, THE FIRST JETLINER) and National series (SNEAK PREVIEWS) at WTTW-Chicago. Moving to Los Angeles in the 90’s, John created series and specials for almost every network and cable outlet including NBC, ABC, FOX, AMC, TRU-TV, BRAVO and COMEDY CENTRAL. He’s also produced episodes of BIOGRAPHY for A&E, INTIMATE PORTRAIT for LIFETIME, and documentary specials for SHOWTIME, COURT TV and ESPN. His reality series RUN’S HOUSE was an MTV hit and his feature length documentary PHUNNY BUSINESS, about Chicago’s first black owned comedy club, was hailed as “one of the best documentaries of 2012” by film critic Roger Ebert. John’s most recent documentary, THE 25,000 MILE LOVE STORY, has won film festivals around the world and premiered on Public Television in 2015. His latest Emmy Award winning documentary, HEROES ON DECK: WWII ON LAKE MICHIGAN was called "catnip for aviation nerds" by the New York Times. He is currently developing CARSON THE MAGNIFICENT, an NBC mini-series about the life of Johnny Carson.

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Brian Kallies Co-Executive Producer | Editor/Cinematographer

Brian Kallies is an Emmy© Award-winning documentary filmmaker. He began his career at WTTW as an associate producer for the documentary anthology series CHICAGO STORIES. Brian then co-produced and edited the SHOWTIME documentary, PHUNNY BUSINESS, which received critical acclaim from Roger Ebert, Richard Roeper, the New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Onion. He directed and produced the environmental documentary EVERGLADES OF THE NORTH, which inspired a national wildlife preserve and water trail. He has produced and edited docu-series and feature docs for Netflix, HBO Max, Nat Geo, Discovery+, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon, and other networks and streamers. Brian is currently producing the documentary, HOLDING PATTERN, about a proposed airport project that has held communities in limbo for more than thirty years.

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Bill Kurtis Narrator

BILL KURTIS (Narrator)  is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He was also the host of a number of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files.  Previously, he anchored CBS Morning News, and was the longtime anchor at WBBM-TV, the CBS-owned and -operated TV station in Chicago. Kurtis is currently the scorekeeper/announcer for NPR's news quiz show Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!