My name is Michael Mittelstaedt, I am a filmmaker, educator and father. For 15 years I've had the pleasure of serving as the Director of the Motion Picture Arts Division at Interlochen Center for the Arts, translating my career of producing and directing television and documentary in Chicago into the development of a film school for ambitious young artists. I am deeply invested in topics of community and identity as they relate to creative and personal development. As a result of my work in education, I was selected to present on the topics of creative identity, collaboration, and the arts, at SXSWEDU in 2019.