DIRECTOR AND WRITER

Chris Michael Fretwell 
​Chris Michael Fretwell launched his career with his award-winning boxing short film “The Pugilist’s Son,” Which Starred Gary Stretch and Paul Barber and was Executive Produced by Hollywood Producer Mark Stewart. 

After writing and developing a slate of shorts and feature film scripts, he went on to take the helm as Writer and Co-Director on “Taming the Beast”, a feature sports documentary about former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall, with appearances from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sly Stallone. 

​His latest short film, The “Turn of the Screw”, received multiple awards from around the world and was viewed at BAFTA & Oscar qualifying festivals & is available on Amazon Prime. Chris is now gearing up to Write & Direct ‘The Turn of the Screw’, an upcoming feature film based on his award-winning short.

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Eddie Hall and Chris Michael Fretwell - Director

DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER

Josias Tschanz 
Josias Tschanz is a Swiss-Canadian director and producer based in Vancouver. A graduate of the University of British Columbia with a degree in Film & Theatre, he has built an international career spanning feature films, television series, and documentaries filmed across Japan, Argentina, India, Europe, and North America.

His work has been broadcast on CBC, IFC, WDR, and Netflix, and screened at festivals worldwide. His debut feature Neutral Territory received critical attention and was presented in New York as part of the New York Film Festival, followed by his international breakthrough with a television series produced for WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk).

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Josias Tschanz with Eddie Hall

Josias has directed and produced projects focused on elite athletes and global sports culture, including Beyond Adventure, featuring renowned mountain climbers, and Flags to Riches, developed by Sonar Entertainment and spotlighting football clubs such as Manchester United, Inter Milan, and Juventus.

He is currently directing The Belonging, a SKY documentary series exploring identity through the lives of professional football stars Ivan Rakitić, Breel Embolo, and Manuel Akanji. His latest feature documentary, The Fire In Our Hearts, which follows a Northern British Columbia community confronting devastating wildfires, was selected for the Whistler Film Festival’s First Look program and will premiere this April at The Sundar Prize Film Festival.

Most recently, Josias co-directed and produced Taming the Beast, featuring Eddie Hall alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone.

EDITOR

Mike Jackson 
Mike Jackson is an Emmy-nominated editor, as well as an award-winning director. Mike has cut features and broadcast television programs for Disney, Legendary Pictures, CBS, The History Channel, and other networks and studios. 
Shows he has worked on include the award-winning documentary feature ‘Eco-Pirate: The Story of Paul Watson’, zombie feature ‘Dead Rising: Watchtower’, and the multi-award-winning gay coming-of-age feature ‘Golden Delicious’, as well as the pilot for Disney XD’s ‘Mech-X4’, and episodes of ‘Glutton for Punishment’ and ‘Dan Rather Reports’. 
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His editing on the CBS / History Channel documentary ‘Beyond Top Secret’ was nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy. Mike has also directed a number of award-winning shorts and began his film career as a concept artist on the classic animated series ‘Reboot’. He lives in Vancouver with his partner Lesley and their two black cats. He recently wrote, directed, and edited his Award winning Adult-Sci-Fi Comedy "Time Helmet", which will release in spring 2026.

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Mike Jackson, Editor

THE COMPOSERS

Sandra Stadler, a composer and pianist, honed her craft at the Zurich University of the Arts, studying piano and composition (BA), followed by composition for film, theatre and media (MA). Beyond film music, her musical prowess extends to composing concert music for diverse ensembles, and engaging as a versatile pianist, singer, and songwriter.

​Bänz Isler, a composer and guitarist, expanded his musical expertise at the Bern University of the Arts where he earned his BA in music and media art. Advancing his studies, he completed an MA in composition for film, theatre, and media at the Zurich University of the Arts. Beyond film music, Bänz is active as a guitarist, songwriter, and sound designer. Meeting at the Zurich University of the Arts sparked a fruitful collaboration between Sandra and Bänz, which has been ongoing since 2012.

​Their joint belief in the power of collective creativity led to the establishment of SONDER Film Music in 2016. From their studio in Bern, they continue to create and produce compelling film music, underlining the power of synergy in art.

PRODUCER - LINE PRODUCER - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Guido Baechler has a background in business administration and has spent his career bridging entrepreneurship with storytelling. After building and selling an audio-video wholesale business, he moved to the United States, where he managed a Swiss pharmaceutical company in Florida before transitioning fully into film and media.

He went on to found Jeridoo, a production company that developed into a long-term media venture, and later launched one of the first online film barter platforms in the US. He also worked in television technology, helping introduce non-linear editing solutions into broadcast environments.

A major milestone came with the success of his arthouse documentary Bodmer’s Journey, which deepened his commitment to filmmaking and led to further work in writing and production. He has since developed scripts, produced films, and authored his first novel, Magentar – re.EVOLUTION – Book 1.
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In 2017, Guido expanded Jeridoo Productions into the Jeridoo Universe, bringing multiple companies and projects under one umbrella. Jeridoo has since been involved in notable productions including Iron Sky 2: The Coming Race and the animated feature Bilal: A New Breed of Hero, which received international recognition and was shortlisted for the Oscars.

Guido Baechler, Executive Producer