Devon Baur – Director
Devon recently completed an MPhil in Theatre and Performance at Trinity College, Dublin with a special focus on performance in virtual space and in digital culture. Prior to this she worked for the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland as the Event Producer and Programmer, delivering educational content and networking opportunities to the elite community of filmmakers.
In early 2015 she became the Assistant Producer of Live Collision International Live Art Festival in which she collaborated with founder Lynnette Moran and multimedia artists to deliver a programme of never-before-seen-in-Ireland content to a diverse audience.
Devon has a unique relationship with the Topanga Film Festival/Institute because they grew up together. She began selling popcorn in her garden at the inaugural festival, was eventually promoted to carrying a walkie-talkie, and the two have grown from there. She looks forwarding to implementing her internationally developed experiences and skills into the further development and growth of the institute.
Miranda Robin – Producer / Events
Miranda is working with the Topanga Film Institute ACTION youth program, inspiring young creators and film makers to become storytellers using any media or technology. The TFI ACTION program brings together young people by encouraging and inspiring creativity, communication, innovation, collaboration, education and a passion for storytelling.
Miranda has been working with children and youths in the Los Angeles area for many years. A true Los Angeles native, she is a teacher, artist and an actor. She earned her BA at UCLA in Women’s Studies, and an MA at LMU in Early Childhood Education.
Miranda has been producing for the Topanga Film Festival since 2011, creating the beloved Charlie Chaplin Showcase, the 45th Anniversary of the original Broadway musical Hair, the TFI Women in Film panels and much more.
Shauna Farrell – Producer / Programming
Shauna joined the Topanga Film Institute as Producer and Programmer in 2016, focusing on film and short film showcases. A lifelong fan of great film she believes that cinema has a unique power to generate conversations of self reflection in society; to entertain and to empower.
She hails from Ireland, where she previously worked as Event Coordinator for the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland. She has worked in film production and development in Los Angeles for the past two years, and continues to stay involved with international film programming, promotion and event curation.
William Preston Bowling – Director A/V
William Preston Bowling has been the Tech “Guy” since the beginning of the festival over s decade ago. He continues to make room in his schedule for the Institute and Festival as he loves Topanga and feels there are so many interesting stories to be shared.
He continues selling Topanga real estate to make a buck and the rest of his time is spent on the Los Angeles River managing biologists who study fish toxicity and giving lectures advocating for a proper cleanup of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory.
FOUNDERS
Urs Baur – Founder and President
Urs and his wife Sara Baur-Harding founded the Topanga Film Festival in 2004 and the Topanga Film Institute, the 501[c]3 parent, in 2011. With the move into TFI’s permanent space and the opening of CoLAB, the creative co-working space in the heart of Topanga, Urs is thrilled to see a long-time vision coming into being.
Since then the annual festival has expanded into a multi venue event that draws hundreds of entries every year and connects a global community of filmmakers and content creators with a deeply appreciative and knowledgeable audience.
A serial entrepreneur, Urs has 20 year of experience from brand development and communications, developing and leading international brand initiatives for global companies such as Volkswagen, Singapore Airlines, Logitech and B/S/H, and is also the co-founder of several companies and organizations, most recently Energizing Co., an international company providing sustainable, community driven improvements to energy infrastructure in cities across North America.
He trusts in the combined power of technology and storytelling to inform, empower, and inspire better communities.
Sara Baur-Harding – Founder
Sara and her husband Urs founded the Topanga Film Festival in 2004 and the Topanga Film Institute, the 501[c]3 parent, in 2011.
Sara is an award winning filmmaker and artist, engaged in the white space of new content creation and considering unprecedented ways of getting relevant stories out into the world.
Sara is engaged in multiple creative endeavors, and is currently in production with several film and media projects. Together with Urs she has produced and directed several short films which have been shown in festivals across the US and Europe. Beyond Grace is her first feature documentary film.