Ojai Film Festival Directors
Meet the leaders guiding the 2026 Ojai Film Festival.
2026 Board of Directors
Sven Shelgren
President Festival Director
Richard Sven Shelgren is the current President of the Ojai Film Festival in Ojai, California. He is an accomplished Executive Producer and Line Producer whose decades of global industry experience bring honesty and integrity to every project he leads. Sven has served as an EP for top production and postproduction companies, working on A-level commercials for clients including Samsung, LG, and Epson, as well as Stiefel, Jon Francis, and Dektor Films. He has produced feature-length films including Vikes, A Single Woman, and Not Her. He also served as Post Executive and VFX Producer for Crash+Sues in Minneapolis and as Head of Operations and Production for the Conscious Good streaming platform.
His work has earned honors at Cannes, the Clios, the Emmys, and MoMA. His feature film A Single Woman premiered in the U.S. Congress and screened at the Smithsonian Institution and the United Nations, where it received the highest award from the National Women’s Political Caucus.
Theodore Melfi
Artistic Director
Theodore Melfi is the writer/director/producer of the Academy Award nominated film Hidden Figures (Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress.) Based on the incredible true story of three brilliant, black female mathematicians whose work was integral to the Mercury 7 Space Program, the film was an international blockbuster, while garnering over one hundred award nominations, including winning the Screen Actor’s Guild’s top prize: Best Cast in a Motion Picture. Prior to that, Melfi wrote directed and produced the critically acclaimed comedy, St. Vincent, starring Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts & Chris O’Dowd. The film, about an unlikely friendship between a young boy and a misunderstood man, was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards (Best Comedy, Best Leading Actor,) four Critics Choice Awards (Best Comedy, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Young Performer,) and one SAG Award (Best Supporting Actress.) His most recent film, The Starling, starring Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd & Kevin Kline, was the number one film on Netflix, garnering over 60 million views on opening weekend. The film was recently honored with the Wilbur Award for best feature and the Humanitas Prize for best film.
In addition to his feature work, Melfi has directed more than one hundred commercials and has been recognized by the Clio Awards, SHOOT Magazine, Cannes, London International Awards, and the AICP. As a screenwriter and producer, he has developed projects for major studios including Universal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, Fox and DreamWorks. Alongside his wife, Kimberly Quinn, he co-founded Goldenlight Films, a production company dedicated to telling stories with social relevance.
Joe Sciarrotta
Executive Creative Director
Joining the Ojai Film Festival leadership team in 2026, Joe Sciarrotta brings decades of world-class creative leadership in storytelling, branding, and audience engagement. He began his career with Ogilvy in 2000 as Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer of the Chicago office, later serving as Co-Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy USA and Deputy Worldwide Chief Creative Officer.
Under Joe’s creative leadership, Ogilvy Chicago was named the 2018 Clio Awards Agency of the Year. He was also part of the creative team behind Dove’s landmark “Campaign for Real Beauty,” which earned the 2006 Grand EFFIE. Across his career, his work has received numerous Cannes Lions, One Show Pencils, Clios, Communication Arts, London International Awards, and D&AD honors.
Joe has been recognized among the world’s most awarded chief creative officers, has been named twice to Adweek’s Creative All-Star team, and was included in Crain’s “40 Under 40.” With deep experience shaping meaningful creative work and championing bold ideas, he joins the Ojai Film Festival this year to help elevate the festival’s artistic identity, audience experience, and future growth.
Kimberly Quinn
Co-Artistic Director
Kimberly Quinn is an actress, writer, producer, and director whose work spans both film and television. She stars in the upcoming film American Dreamer opposite Peter Dinklage and Shirley MacLaine, and can also be seen in Hidden Figures, Saint Vincent, El Camino Christmas, and the Humanitas Award-winning film The Starling, which she also produced.
Quinn produces her films through Goldenlight Films alongside her husband, writer-director Ted Melfi. Her producing work includes The Goat for Netflix, starring Melissa McCarthy and Kevin Hart. In television, she has appeared in Terriers and Gypsy, continuing a career defined by both on-screen presence and behind-the-camera storytelling. As Co-Artistic Director, she brings a broad creative perspective and a deep commitment to championing meaningful, filmmaker-driven work.
Paul Dektor
Co-Artistic Director
Paul Dektor is an award-winning director and producer with a long career in commercial filmmaking and independently driven creative projects. He has directed acclaimed commercial work, including campaigns supporting organizations such as Amnesty International and Drug Free America, and has built a reputation for combining strong visual storytelling with purpose-driven production. His work has been honored at Cannes, the Clios, London and New York Festival advertising awards.
His feature work includes directing American Dreamer, starring Peter Dinklage, Shirley MacLaine, Matt Dillon and Danny Glover. Paul is currently developing several independently funded feature-length projects. Based nearby in Montecito with his wife and two daughters, he maintains close ties to Ojai and brings both industry experience and strong local relationships to the Ojai Film Festival as Artistic Director.
David Ginsberg
Director of Development
David Ginsberg is a film and television producer whose career spans more than 30 years in the entertainment industry across talent representation, film finance, and production. After earning his MBA from Pepperdine University, he began his career in talent management before transitioning into producing.
A member of the Producers Guild of America, he partnered with longtime client Peter Dinklage to create Estuary Films, a film and television production company that continues to develop and produce projects for leading studios including Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Warner Bros., Legendary, and Sony. Estuary’s projects have featured talent such as Peter Dinklage, Bill Murray, Robert Duvall, Sissy Spacek, Shirley MacLaine, Josh Brolin, Brendan Fraser, Glenn Close, and Matt Dillon.
His films have screened and premiered at major international festivals including Sundance, Toronto, Berlin, Tribeca, SXSW, Deauville, Santa Barbara, Calgary, and the Ojai Film Festival.
Tisha Morris
Vice-President Director of Governance
Tisha Morris, Esq. is an entertainment attorney and founder of Legacy Arts Law PC, dedicated to helping creative entrepreneurs build and protect their legacies in business and entertainment. She is the bestselling author of five nonfiction books and the upcoming release, The Screen Playbook: A Writer’s Guide to Negotiating Creative Rights Like a Pro, and host of The Entertainment Business Podcast.
Tisha's legal work spans entertainment law, publishing and literary, content creator representation, business law, intellectual property, and succession planning for artists and family offices. Her clients include independent filmmakers, authors, publishers, production companies, and creative entrepreneurs building careers meant to last.
Tisha’s work has been featured on Netflix, Law & Crime, ABC's Live with Kelly and Ryan, KTLA, KCAL, Today.com, and Elle Decor. Tisha frequently presents on legal topics and serves on panels at film festivals and industry events. She serves on the board of the Ojai Film Festival and is an active member of the Beverly Hills Bar Association, California Lawyers for the Arts, LGBTQ+ Lawyers LA, and Women in Film. Tisha is licensed in both California and Tennessee, and lives in Ojai, CA with her wife, poodle, and stepcat.
Simon Balderas
Board Member
Simon Balderas is a Native American filmmaker who was raised in Ojai. Seasoned and self-directed, creative with the ability to bring complex stories to life with a unique and highly visual affection. He is able to communicate sophisticated concepts into beautiful and consistent visual poetry that utilizes lyrical and emotional conventions.
At a very young age, Simon became an adept photographer eventually leading him to pursue a degree in critical film studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara. His immersive approach has gained him an impressive array of skills that few creatives possess, becoming an accomplished Director/Producer/Writer/Editor/D.O.P. Over the past 30 plus years, he has demonstrated the ability to deliver projects with extraordinary cinematic results.
Greg Ptacek
Board Member
Greg Ptacek is a film industry veteran whose career spans entertainment journalism, major studio publicity, and more than two decades directing some of Los Angeles’ most celebrated film festivals.
Ptacek is the founder and Festival Director of the Silver Lake Film Festival, the Downtown Los Angeles Film Festival, and the Hollywood Park Film Festival, making him one of the most prolific independent film festival builders in Southern California. He also served as Managing Director of the Artivist Film Festival, which spotlights human rights and environmental advocacy through cinema. Collectively, these festivals have screened thousands of films, championed underrepresented voices, and introduced international and independent cinema to audiences across Southern California.
His studio publicity career includes leadership roles with The Walt Disney Company, Universal’s Gramercy Pictures, and New Line Cinema. He has also served as Director of Motion Picture Publicity at Rogers & Cowan and as Head of Communications for the American Film Market. A published author as well, Ptacek’s six books have appeared under major imprints including Simon & Schuster, Random House, and HarperCollins.
Bonnie Bartling
Secretary
Bonnie moved to California in 1988 from Washington State. In 2002 the community of Ojai became her home and in 2008 she started volunteering at the Ojai Film Festival. Recently she became the Recording Secretary for the Board. Bonnie believes in supporting the local community and shops the Ojai Farmers Market every Sunday. Her other past volunteer work includes the Ojai Valley Green Coalition, the Ojai Music Festival, and the Ojai Storytelling Festival.
Bonnie retired at the end of 2019 from the National Weather Service, leading the Cooperative Weather Observers Program. She is an avid supporter of independent films.