team
Writer | Director
DAVID PERGOLINI is an award-winning filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA.
His career began as a documentarian in Tanzania, where he captured the first-ever summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro by a quad-amputee — a story that earned an ESPY Award in 2013. He returned to Kilimanjaro in 2022 to direct his first feature documentary, Courage Rising, which followed eight burn survivors to the summit.
David’s background as an editor includes award-winning work across shorts and features, including Souls of Totality, which premiered at Tribeca in 2018 and won top prizes at HollyShorts, Raindance, and the Hiroshima International Film Festival. His feature Only premiered at Tribeca in 2019 and later reached #2 on Netflix’s U.S. Top 10.
In 2021, his scripted podcast Dark Woods became the #1 Fiction Podcast on iTunes and was picked up by Universal TV and Wolf Entertainment for television adaptation.
David is currently the lead writer at Wolf Games, where he develops serialized murder-mysteries for interactive crime games.
executive Producer
TAKASHI DOSCHER is an award-winning writer and director from Atlanta, GA. He is currently in post for the film, KAROSHI, an action thriller set in the corporate world of Japan. Starring Cynthia Erivo, Teo Yoo, Isabel May and Takehiro Hira, it is being produced by Lionsgate Studios and 87Eleven Entertainment.
His previous film, ONLY, starring Freida Pinto and Leslie Odom Jr. premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and quickly climbed Netflix US to be the #2 most-streamed film in the country. In 2021, his first scripted podcast, DARK WOODS, became the #1 Fiction Podcast on iTunes, and within a week, was picked up by UniversalTV and Wolf Entertainment for television adaptation. Takashi has several projects in development:
He is writing and directing a survival monster film called BLUE. It is being produced by the Russo Brothers’ AGBO with Anthony Mackie set to star.
He is writing the film adaptation for the Playstation blockbuster video game, GHOST OF TSUSHIMA. It is being produced by Sony’s Columbia Pictures with Chad Stahelski directing.
producer
GIA McLAUGHLIN is a producer with over a decade of industry experience. A SAG member for over ten years, Gia has held roles on major television series for Nickelodeon, FOX and CBS, before expanding her career into production.
She has worked across many departments on sets for leading studios including HBO, Warner Brothers, and Disney — with hands-on experience in assistant directing, production design, camera, and performance.
Gia’s producing journey began with an international short film shot in Busan, South Korea. Since then, she has produced a wide range of short films and music videos, and is currently developing and producing multiple feature films with RayMac Studios.
A graduate of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Gia brings a sharp eye for detail, strong creative instincts, and a commitment to authentic, impactful storytelling.
Producer
TANNER BRANDT is a seasoned production manager with extensive experience in both studio and independent filmmaking.
At The Third Floor, Tanner helped oversee production operations on high-profile projects including Dune: Part One, Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire, Ms. Marvel, The Mandalorian & Grogu, and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
He has led large, cross-functional teams and developed production strategies that deliver under tight deadlines and budgets. With deep experience in crew management, scheduling, and high-pressure workflows, Tanner brings a balance of precision and creative adaptability to the team.
cinematographer
EVAN WEIDENKELLER is an esteemed, award-winning cinematographer based in the vibrant city of Los Angeles, California.
His passion for capturing stunning visuals is evident through his extensive training, having studied film at San Francisco State University and obtained his MFA in Cinematography from the AFI Conservatory.
Evan's impressive body of work has been recognized and exhibited at some of the world's most prestigious film festivals, including Cannes Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival, Slamdance, Palm Springs International, and TIFF.
Evan's exceptional creative collaboration and ability to use light sensitively have made him a renowned freelance DP in the industry, skillfully bringing directors' visions to life in commercials, documentaries, and narrative projects.
co-composer
MICHAEL DEAN PARSONS is a Primetime Emmy-nominated composer whose work spans film, television, and contemporary classical music.
He co-composed Pain Hustlers (dir. David Yates, starring Emily Blunt and Chris Evans) alongside nine-time Oscar nominee James Newton Howard, and co-wrote the main title theme for Bridgerton, earning an Emmy nomination with Kris Bowers.
His credits include Gold & Greed (Netflix), Light & Magic (Disney+), and Stan Lee (Marvel Studios), with additional music on The Wild Robot, King Richard, Chevalier, and The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
A frequent collaborator of James Newton Howard, Michael’s work has been featured in projects for Lucasfilm, Marvel, Netflix, and Disney.
His concert music has been performed by the New York Philharmonic and New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, and he is a graduate of The Juilliard School.
Co-composer
JOHN KAEFER is an award-winning composer whose music has elevated acclaimed projects across film, television, and interactive media.
He co-scored Amazon’s The Wilds alongside Cliff Martinez and composed music for A Score to Settle (starring Nicolas Cage), Only (Leslie Odom Jr., Freida Pinto), and Netflix’s Gold & Greed: The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure.
His work appears in Emmy-winning series like Could You Survive the Movies? and across major networks including ABC’s Good Morning America and 20/20.
In interactive media, he scored Microsoft’s groundbreaking Quantum Break and collaborated with Netflix on Netflix Stories.
A Juilliard DMA graduate with degrees from Yale and Eastman, John’s concert music has been performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and internationally.
He currently serves on the NYU Screen Scoring faculty and the Board of Advisors for Composers Now.
fotokem
FOTOKEM is a premier post-production studio whose work spans some of the most acclaimed films in modern cinema.
Forgive or Forget will be colored through The Lodge, FotoKem’s prestigious finishing program that supports independent filmmakers.
Our team has partnered with FotoKem on over five previous projects, all in collaboration with senior colorist Alastor Arnold, who recently colored Anora — winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best Picture.
melodygun
MELODYGUN SOUND STUDIOS is a boutique post-production sound house based in Los Angeles, with work spanning film, television, commercial, and interactive media.
Led by co-founders Hamed Hokamzadeh (Sound Supervisor, Studio Manager) and Thomas Ouziel (Supervising Sound Editor), the studio has contributed to acclaimed films such as Arctic (starring Mads Mikkelsen) and numerous festival favorites.
MelodyGun will handle the full sound post on Forgive or Forget, continuing a trusted creative partnership.