The Filmmakers

Ricki Stern is a director, producer and writer whose films have shown on HBO and PBS. She is the co-director with Annie Sundberg and a producer of "The Devil Came on Horseback," a production of Break Thru Films (Sundance 2007, Gotham Award nominee), theatrically released by International Film Circuit, airing on National Geographic (February 2008). The film has won over seven festival awards, including Best International Film at Brit Docs. Ricki and Annie have been recognized with the Best Female Filmmakers Award- San Diego Film Festival, Adrienne Shelly Excellence in Filmmaking Award and Lena Sharpe/Women in Cinema Persistence of Vision Award – Seattle International Film Festival.

Ricki recently co-directed and co-produced with Annie Sundberg the award-winning documentary "The Trials of Darryl Hunt," a production of Break Thru Films, about a man who spent 20 years in prison for a brutal rape/murder he did not commit. “The Trials of Darryl Hunt” (Sundance 2006) was a 2007 Independent Spirit Award nominee for Best Documentary and has won more than twenty festival awards to date. The film premiered on HBO early 2007, followed by a theatrical and DVD release, October 2007 (THINKFilm).

Ricki is the director and co-producer of the award winning In My Corner, a documentary film on the world of amateur boxing and the lives of the young men who train in the South Bronx. The film was nationally broadcast as part of PBS’ award winning documentary series P.O.V. (Point of View). She directed and produced the EMMY nominated Neglect Not The Children, a documentary about a Harlem based youth program. Neglect Not The Children was hosted by Morgan Freeman and nationally aired on PBS. Ricki’s producing credits include the HBO’s series on forensic science “Autopsy I, II, III" and "Murder 9 to 5," on workplace violence. Ricki is the author of a children’s book series "Beryl Bean: Mighty Adventurer of the Planet" published by HarperCollins. She founded Break Thru Films, inc. in 1990. The company is currently working on the feature film version of Darryl Hunt’s story.

Annie Sundberg is a director, producer and writer of film and television. She is the co-director with Ricki Stern, and a producer of "The Devil Came on Horseback," a production of Break Thru Films, (Sundance 2007, Gotham Award nominee), theatrically released by International Film Circuit, airing on National Geographic (February 2008). The film has won over seven festival awards, including Best International Film at Brit Docs. Annie and Ricki Stern have been recognized with the Best Female Filmmakers Award- San Diego Film Festival, Adrienne Shelly Excellence in Filmmaking Award and Lena Sharpe/Women in Cinema Persistence of Vision Award – Seattle International Film Festival.

Annie recently co-directed and co-produced with Ricki Stern the award-winning documentary "The Trials of Darryl Hunt," a production of Break Thru Films, about a man who spent 20 years in prison for a brutal rape/murder he did not commit. "The Trials of Darryl Hunt" (Sundance 2006) was a 2007 Independent Spirit Award nominee for Best Documentary and has won more than twenty festival awards to date. The film premiered on HBO early 2007, followed by a theatrical and DVD release, October 2007 (THINKFilm).

Annie also produced the independent feature film "Tully," nominated for four 2003 IFP Spirit Awards (Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Debut Performance, Best Supporting Actor). Tully screened at Toronto and London Film Festivals, and received Best Film at eleven festivals, including the Los Angeles Film Festival. Recent television directing credits include "Trailer Fabulous" for MTV. Prior to that, she directed the pilot for the series "Behind the Bash with Giada DeLaurentiis" (Food Network). Annie was Series Producer on "Family Plots" (A&E) following a family run funeral parlor in San Diego. Additional producing credits include a four part series on the Mayo Clinic for Discovery Health (2004) and the 1996 Academy Award and Emmy winning One Survivor Remembers, a co-production of HBO and the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. She was co-producer of In My Corner, a feature documentary film on the world of amateur boxing and the lives of young men who train in the South Bronx, which premiered nationally as part of PBS’ award winning P.O.V. series (1999). She is currently at work on her first screenplay.