colin spoelman

***cast and crew bios were current as of 2004. They were part of the original press materials for Coming Down the Mountain. You can find current information about many of these artists in the links section.***

James Ponsoldt (Director) James Ponsoldt holds a BA from Yale and is currently pursuing an MFA at Columbia. His thesis film, Junebug and Hurricane, starring Janine Garofalo, has played at festivals worldwide. He was also a finalist for the Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker Award. He is currently working on several screenplays and a documentary project. James is originally from Athens, Georgia.

Joshua Newman (Producer / Executive Producer) has been called “A veritable Doogie Howser” by Forbes, and similarly praised by the New York Times and the Wall St. Journal. He studied neuroscience and computer science at Yale University, and has built and sold several technology companies, including Sharkbyte and Powedime.com. He served as Managing Partner of the Silicon Ivy Venture Fund before crossing over to the world of film to Associate Produce Porn n’ Chicken for TriBeCa and Comedy Central. Joshua currently serves as CEO of Cyan Pictures, as well as Director of the nonprofit Paradigm Blue. In his free time, he plays trumpet and makes photographs semi-professionally, and kickboxes competitively.

Ken Seng (Cinematographer) brings a uniquely visual storytelling style to Coming Down the Mountain. He has broad experience in narrative filmmaking, from acclaimed features such as Level Hearted and Martini Blues to award-winning shorts such as Terrapin and IFC’s Nightlight. He has shot a variety of music videos, and national TV commercials for clients such as Kellogg’s, McDonalds, Yahoo and NASCAR. He also produces and shoots documentaries, especially those involving wildlife and the outdoors, and he is a NOLS certified instructor of ski mountaineering, rock climbing, backpacking and desert backpacking.

Nadav Kurtz (Editor) was born in Israel and spent his early childhood in Europe before moving to the United States. While studying at the University of Chicago, Nadav became interested in film theory and soon devoted most of his time to running a filmmaking collective, Fire Escape Productions. He produced and collaborated on several documentary projects whose subjects ranged from troubled teens in Chicago to wine-makers in France. Hungry for a creative challenge beyond the academic, Nadav graduated a year early with a degree in English Literature to pursue a career in film editing. He worked at the commercial editing house Cutters before joining Outsider as an editor in 2001. The company's collaborative philosophy has suited Nadav well and since joining the fledgling boutique he has edited national spots for such clients as Coors, Michelob and Maytag. In the meantime, he has cut several independent shorts, including "Undisciplined," which was shown at the San Francisco IndieFest, Chicago Underground Film Festival, and is part of the traveling Independent Exposures festival. He awaits his first feature project with the eager appetite of a hungry wolf.

Caitlin Rinderer (Casting Director), a New Yorker by way of Boston, is a recent graduate of Columbia University with a B.A. in English and Human Rights. She began her casting career at Guiding Light and has since worked at the casting offices of CBS primetime, Bonnie Finnegan and the Manhattan Theatre Club. Prior to casting, she stinted in production on the films The Out-of-Towners and Made, and in development at the Roundabout Theatre Company. She currently works at the office of Hopkins, Smith and Barden Casting, where she helmed the upcoming feature films Second Born and Temptation and the Off-Broadway show Temporary Help.

Frank Hoyt Taylor (Paul) is one of the premiere regional Appalachian actors, having appeared in such films as Matewan, October Sky, Ghost of Mississippi, and A Lesson Before Dying. He has acted extensively with Kentucky’s Roadside Theater and Virginia’s Barter Theatre, and starred in PBS’s The Wilgus Stories, one of the few fiction short films made about Appalachia. His broader film credits include 28 Days and the upcoming Steven Spielberg film Catch Me if You Can.

Kett Turton (Joe) grew up in Vancouver, Canada, where he first discovered acting in the local theater at the age of four. In 1999, Kett earned international acclaim for his first film, Rollercoaster, helmed by Canadian director Scott Smith. Kett’s performance as Darrin earned him a nomination for the Canadian Leo and together with the all-adolescent cast of Rollercoaster was awarded the Copper Wing for Best Ensemble at the Phoenix Film Festival, 2001. Kett has worked on two television series, "Higher Ground" and "Dead Last" and has appeared on "Smallville," "Dark Angel," and "The X Files." Before working on Coming Down the Mountain, Kett appeared in Gypsy 88, directed by Todd Stephens.

Robin Mullins (Sarah), best recognized from her central role in Nell, has also appeared in such films as Paradise Falls, The Angel Doll and The Dream Catcher. She starred in PBS’s The Wilgus Stories, one of the few fiction films made about Appalachia, has acted with the Barden Theater, and appears in the upcoming Anthony Minghella film Cold Mountain. An accomplished singer and guitarist, she has recorded in a number of musical styles, and performs throughout Kentucky and Virginia.