Meet the Team
Founder and DirectorSara Lopez
Originally from the US/Mexico border, Sara Lopez is a filmmaker, storyteller, and conservation educator whose work explores the enduring relationship between people and the landscapes they call home.
She is the creator and producer of Our Land, Our Future, a documentary series currently in production that follows Indigenous communities, conservation leaders, and local stewards working to protect the world's remaining wild places. Alongside the series, Sara collaborates with organizations and foundations dedicated to safeguarding biodiversity, preserving cultural heritage, and inspiring a deeper connection to the natural world.
Through her previous project, The Jungle Journal, Sara spent more than seven years documenting stories across the Americas and beyond, working alongside Indigenous families, conservation leaders, and local communities committed to protecting the landscapes they call home. These relationships form the ethical and narrative foundation of Our Land, Our Future, shaping a body of work grounded in trust, collaboration, and the belief that the stories we choose to tell can influence the future we choose to build.
CinematographerDanila Iliushchenko
Based in Mexico City and originally from Khabarovsk, Russia, Danila is a professional observer and cinematographer who served as one of the Directors of Photography for the pilot episode of Our Land, Our Future. He continues in the role of Director of Photography for the Costa Rica episode.
Sound ProducerAndrew Smetek
Andrew Smetek is a sound designer and re-recording mixer with more than two decades of experience in post-production audio. His work spans feature films, documentaries, and independent cinema, where he specializes in crafting immersive soundscapes that deepen story and atmosphere. At Atlas Storyworks, Andrew helps lead the sonic design of our films, bringing each story to life through thoughtful, cinematic sound.
Researcher and Assistant ProducerGabrielle Roman
Gabrielle Roman is a Mexican-American historical researcher from Phoenix, Arizona. She earned her B.A. in Environmental Studies from Yale, where her senior thesis used archival research at the Beinecke Library to study Vine Deloria Jr.'s God Is Red.
Gabrielle leads historical and legal research for episode two, centered on the San Carlos Apache's sacred Oak Flat site.
WriterPaul Soto
Paul Soto is a Venezuelan-American writer from the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. He has been published in n+1 and received the 2026 Anthony Veasana So Award Fiction Prize. He lives in Lisbon, where he is finishing his debut novel.
Paul served as the script editor for the Pilot episode of Season One of Our Land, Our Future. Paul now works closely with Sara to shape the narrative, refine the editorial vision, and develop the structure of each episode, currently developing Episode two, featuring Oak Flat.
Aerial Cinematographer & Unit Stills PhotographerIsaiah Lopez Duran
Isaiah has documented concert tours, live album recordings, and professional boxing events across the US, Mexico, and Canada including work with artists like Grupo Frontera and Uncle Lucius.
Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, he is a visual storyteller whose cinematic work explores the intersection of music and culture creating intimate, timeless imagery rooted in authenticity and human connection.