About Little Fort Environmental Film Festival Film Festival

Inspired by classically designed buildings and urban spaces, I thought architecture would be an exciting field to get into – blending beauty and function to enhance the spaces where we live, work, and play. I’ve always felt that it is important to successfully design and integrate buildings with their existing contexts – not only designing the interior and exterior spaces, but how the building fits on the site and within its community.

As principal of Melichar Architects, my team and I strive to provide an exceptional customer experience, beginning with an attitude of helpfulness, active listening, prompt responses, and timely delivery in order to make our clients genuinely pleased to work with us. We work together as a team to provide a collective benefit of our experiences, insights, ideas, and imagination.

I have always felt that transcending the ordinary into purposeful, vibrant, and uplifting spaces will provide enjoyment and comfort for those that live and work there. I respect time-honored principles of fine architecture, and I devote time and care to achieve them in all of the projects I work on.

Theophilus Jamal is a Chicago-based “Visual Raconteur” whose personal work is inspired by life's "complex absurdities”. He is a 2015 DVID Fellow with Kartemquin Films, has developed instructional programs at The Boys & Girls Club of Lake County and Waukegan Public Schools, and has managed for several prestigious film festivals including Sundance, SXSW, CIMMfest, Chicago International Film Festival. He is currently a Video Producer and Instructional Designer at Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University.

Local business and arts advocate Joanna Rolek has served as the executive director of the Lake Forest/Lake Bluff Chamber of Commerce for almost three decades. A trained singer and actress, her career transitioned from performance to both arts and non-profit administration and has included participation in two administrative boards at the College of Lake County as well as serving with local and national professional organizations. More recently she has proudly participated in the creation of ARTSLINK NORTH, an exciting, evolving project for promotion of Lake County, IL arts and culture that can be found at www.ArtsLinkNorth.com.

Ana Holland Krawec is a Yoga, Breathwork, and Mindfulness instructor based in Lake Forest, Illinois. 

Her professional life extends beyond teaching, encompassing creative pursuits and collaborative film projects.

Ana served as Assistant to Producer and Director Susan L. Kelsey on "Billy Caldwell: The Negotiator," which premiered in 2024. This film, the culmination of Susan’s thirty-year endeavor, chronicles the life and legacy of Billy Caldwell (Chief Sauganash) and his pivotal role in negotiating the treaty transferring Native American lands in Illinois to the U.S. Federal government during the 1880s.

Ana is currently contributing as a content editor and historical research assistant to a thirteen-episode documentary series, "Staff Rides with Colonel (Ret.) Keith Nightingale," produced by the Normandy Institute in Normandy, France. This series follows Colonel Nightingale as he visits the D-Day battlefields with active-duty service members, incorporating firsthand accounts from WWII veterans.

Ana is a Board Member of the Little Fort Film Festival, established by Susan L. Kelsey in the community of Waukegan, Illinois. 

Beyond her professional endeavors, most importantly, she mother of three remarkable young adults.