At CCEA, we believe artists thrive with community support and the freedom to experiment. Communities, in turn, are enriched by being exposed to innovative works that reflect their culture. Our goal is to support authentic, creative voices in an artistic landscape that’s increasingly shaped by algorithms and banal repetition. We help artists access the resources they need to create compelling work—whether it's essay films, documentaries, horror movies, materialist films, community-based experimental art, slow cinema, niche festivals, publications, podcasts, or anything in between.
Mara LaFontaine is a filmmaker and the founder and executive director of CCEA, where she helps artists access to the resources they need to create.
Ricky Berrin is a Los Angeles-based lawyer, producer, and business affairs executive with a distinguished career in the entertainment industry. He has served as production counsel and executive on notable films, including How I Faked My Life with AI (Tribeca 2024), Defiant (Toronto International Film Festival 2023), and the Emmy-nominated film Flight Risk (Amazon 2022). His work also extends to television, where he served as production counsel for the critically acclaimed HBO series The Vow. In addition, Ricky produced the innovative mixed-reality project Persuasion Machines, which premiered at Sundance in 2020. Ricky received his MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, his JD from Duke University Law School, and his BA from the University of Pennsylvania.
Justin Streichman is a queer filmmaker and editor based in Los Angeles, CA. His work has screened at the Hammer Museum, Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, Ars Electronica, and dance film festivals. His short documentary DALE, featuring the recently retired principal violist of the LA Philharmonic, is beginning its run on the festival circuit in the fall of 2024. He recently edited an evening length opera film, Star Choir, scheduled to screen at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in late 2024. And he’s finishing post production on a psychological horror film to be released in 2025. Streichman received an MFA from UC Davis, and his BA from UCLA.