Director / Producer / Writer

KIRK WOLFINGER has been a filmmaker for 25 years. He has won two Emmys and a Peabody Award in addition to the American Film Festival Blue Ribbon and the Independent Documentary Association award. He has filmed around the world creating, directing and producing expedition specials for PBS, TBS, THC and National Geographic. Recently he executive produced Discovery Channel’s “Angels vs. Demons: Fact or Fiction?” Currently he is executive producing “Dirty Bomb” and “Living on the Moon” for National Geographic and “Underwater Universe” for History, where he also executive produced the popular series, “Deep Sea Detectives.” This fall, Kirk’s feature documentary film “The Rivals” will have its film festival premiere and air on the Smithsonian Channel. His films “Titanic’s Final Moments: Missing Pieces” and “Titanic’s Doomed Sister” are the basis for a soon-to-be-released book.

As President of Lone Wolf Documentary Group, Kirk Wolfinger has produced almost a hundred hours of high-quality non-fiction television in the past ten years. Founded by noted filmmakers Kirk and Lisa Wolfinger, Lone Wolf was recently named to RealScreen’s “Global 100” list of the world’s top factual production companies.

Director / Producer / Writer

Rush is an accomplished filmmaker who has written, produced, and directed numerous documentaries. His work includes “Failure Is Not An Option” and “Beyond the Moon,” which together document the 50-year history of NASA’s Mission Control and the engineers who control American spaceflight. “Failure” received the Columbus International Film Festival’s Silver Chris Award, and the NY Times hailed Beyond the Moon as a “startlingly frank depiction of the soul of an extraordinary human undertaking.” Rush also wrote and produced “Hitler's Lost Sub” for PBS, which was the genesis for the bestselling book Shadow Divers. The film received the Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding television documentary writing, and the International Documentary Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award. His work has also been honored with a George F. Peabody Award, several Emmy nominations, and numerous CINE Golden Eagles. Rush is also a musician, and with his partner Malcolm Brooks composed and produced much of the original music score for “The Rivals.”

Producer / Additional Directing / Assistant Editor

Daniel joined Lone Wolf Documentary Group in 2006 after graduating from the University of Southern Maine where he studied Video Production and Design as well as Media Writing. Daniel has numerous Production Assistant credits with Lone Wolf and has recently served as Associate Producer of the NOVA Science Now segment, “Finch Brains”. Production of the “The Rivals” has given Daniel the opportunity to exercise his skills in all phases of production and postproduction. In addition to his work with Lone Wolf Documentary Group, Daniel is producing his passion project “Hardwater: A Maine Ice Fishing Odyssey.”

Director of Photography

Joseph Brunette shoots principal photography for US network television and independent documentary feature films. Recent credits include several PBS NOVA episodes, The Underwater Universe for the History Channel, and Rivals, an independent documentary feature soon to be showing in film festivals across the U.S and the Smithsonian Channel . Currently he is directing photography for the Discovery Channel series: “American Logger,” and a feature length documentary about Autism and Down Syndrome.

Brunette has shot in many diverse areas of the world ranging from the barren Antarctic plains of snow and ice, to the deep interiors of Mayan caves in the jungles of Guatemala, and the vast open seas among the Greek isles.

Prior to filmmaking, Joseph spent two years teaching English in Japan and then traveled throughout remote areas of China, Tibet, Nepal, and India. There, he created an extensive body of still photography work that captures the relationships between different cultures and the land that defines them. After returning to the States, he spent several months at the Maine Media Workshops applying his photography skills to the art of cinematography. Joseph currently resides in Portland, Maine.

Editor

Editor Ryan Shepheard cut his teeth on several episodes of Deep Sea Detectives for The History Channel, beginning in 2004. Since then he's added to his reel work for American Public Television, the National Science Foundation, and PBS among others. His credits include NOVA: Sputnik Declassified, which received a CINE Golden Eagle; Lisa Wolfinger's narrative short "Walk On By," screening at festivals nationwide; and "Language Keepers" for the NSF, an interactive 7 DVD set documenting the endangered Passamaquoddy language. "The Rivals" marks his first feature documentary.

When he's not editing, Ryan puts his new media background to use as a media designer and illustrator. He lives in Portland with his fiancée Amanda.

Jim Aylward grew up in Rumford, Maine, and went away to college to earn a teaching degree, determined to avoid working in the mill like his father and grandfather did. A high school football quarterback, Aylward retained his love for football and began coaching in some capacity until he earned the head-coaching job at Mountain Valley High School. After nearly 20 years he has amassed an impressive record and hung a few championship banners in the gymnasium. Most importantly, Coach Aylward does his best to prepare his players to be successful in life by excelling on the field. When Cape Elizabeth showed up in 2006 and challenged Mountain Valley’s supremacy, Coach Aylward knew the Capers would be a thorn in his side for years to come, and nobody wanted to lose to the Capers.

Aaron Filieo grew up in South Portland, Maine, located between the state’s biggest city, Portland, and one of its wealthiest suburbs, Cape Elizabeth. At 5’ 7”, Filieo led his high school football team to a state championship in his playing days as an All-State offensive lineman. Filieo was heavily influenced by his high school coach who helped mold him into the hard working man he is today. Earning his teaching degree allowed him to coach football and so he returned to South Portland to apprentice under his old high school coach. Filieo was working for the Cape Elizabeth school district when the head coaching football position was born and he seized the reins in hopes of building a program like the one he came from. A brand new football team in a “soccer town” provides enough challenges without having to contend with the likes of a powerhouse like Mountain Valley every year. But, Coach Filieo’s tenacity was contagious and his team soon became as tough and hungry as he was and in three short years they found themselves competing with the best, much to the dismay of Mountain Valley.

Quarterback

If there is a kid whose personality and desire mirrors that of the young Cape program, it is Jimmy Bump. He was the program’s first QB and other than two injuries, it’s only QB for 4 years. Jimmy is not the typical Cape kid. His parents live way off the beach and away from the mansions on the rocky coast. The 2007 season is last chance Jimmy will have for exacting his revenge against the only team that stands in his way of achieving his goal; being the first football state champion for Cape Elizabeth High School.

Tight-End

“Deano” is a quiet leader for the Falcons, working hard on every play in practice and during a game. As a tight end for a strictly running team, Deano isn’t showered with praise like the frequently scoring Staires, so he prides himself by blocking for his best friends, and sacking opposing QB’s as a lethal outside linebacker. The model of humble hard work follows him off the field where his talent as a sketch artist goes unmatched in Mountain Valley. Dean hopes this talent will take him to art school but that dream will cost he and his father their comic book collection his father started 45 years ago.

Tight-End

If desire and determination could be bottled, this kid would be a deep reservoir from which to draw. He runs, lifts weights and trains every single day. An honor role student who plays the trumpet in addition to baseball and ice hockey, A-bomb is the kid any parent would be proud of, and his own are not an exception.

Running Back

A true football phenomena in Maine. Every time Justin Staires touches the ball, he seems to score. The Cape crowd (ever clever) brandished signs reading “Justin Stair-oids”, a backhanded compliment to his ability.

Running Back / Linebacker

Big and gifted. A punishing running back and a bruising linebacker. This kids whole life is ‘football’ and his father is determined to make that life a reality. An incredibly successful entrepreneur (founded a payroll company that was purchased by Paychecks) he spares no expense to promote Sean’s dream.  Big Irish has had a personal trainer for the last couple of years, guiding his weight training and his diet.  David (dad) has paid for all of Sean’s games to be video taped, focusing on Sean’s play, as a means to promote Sean to interested colleges.

A Senior Captain

He has been a member of two State championship teams. He is disciplined, polite and hoping against the odds that an athletic scholarship will be his ticket out of MV.  On the field we watch him become a leader; a man among boys. He sets the tone by throwing himself into each play as if it were his last. Opposing teams fear his hard hitting style but it has taken it’s toll on Derek. He has had a couple concussions sever enough that some have said he should give the sport up.  Derek has a great soul and passion, he will make it beyond the ‘Valley’.