2019 Fellow

Ryan Mayers

Ryan is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker with over 20 years of experience in both television and film. Through his career, Ryan’s work has been seen on CBS, MTV, A&E Biography, ESPN, BET, DIY, PBS, and The Disney Channel. While working at Harpo Studios in Chicago, he edited the documentary series Oprah’s Next Chapter, among other shows for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). As a documentary filmmaker, Ryan had both directed and edited several award winning films, including his first feature, Bounce Back: The Story of Ronnie Fields. His most recent short, Jmaxx and the Universal Language is currently on the film festival circuit.

Fellowship Project: Hustle and Harmony: The Battle for Wilkes-Barre takes us to the coal region of Northeastern Pennsylvania where life is defined by hard work, family and football. In the rust belt town of Wilkes-Barre, financial struggles have led to the decision to merge the neighborhood schools, and end a football rivalry which goes back almost a century. As the Mohawks and Grenadiers prepare for their final gridiron battle, the fight to save the schools has only begun, and the residents come to understand that these traditions run much deeper than football.