OUR TEAM
BILL HARRIS
Co-Owner & CEO
Bill Harris is CEO and co-owner of Pyewackitt Productions and a television programming executive with 30 years broadcast and cable experience with ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS, his last 16 years as head of production for the A&E Television Networks, which includes A&E, History, Lifetime and Biography channels, among others. Bill joined A&E in 1994 overseeing Documentary Programming, including the development, launch and unprecedented success of the Emmy Award-winning BIOGRAPHY® series. As VP of Production, he managed the launch of THE HISTORY CHANNEL before becoming SVP of Production and Broadcast Operations. A multiple Emmy, Telly, Ace, Cine, and Vision Award winner, Bill has been inducted into the National Association of Minorities in Cable (NAMIC) Hall of Fame and was named a Cable Maverick by the Cable Center in October, 2008.
More recently, Bill was executive producer on two Oscar® qualifying documentaries, including DIGITAL DHARMA and TRIAL BY FIRE: LIVES RE-FORGED He also directed and produced THE TACKLE GIRLS: ONE TEAM, ONE MISSION, a feature documentary on the world champion gold-medal women's football team from the USA. Bill was both Producer-in-Residence and an adjunct professor in Film and Media Arts at Sacred Heart University.
Megan’s career encompasses documentary, television, film, theater, and radio both in Canada and the United States. She is the president and co-owner of Pyewackitt Productions, an independent production company with a commitment to create high quality, socially relevant programs with a unique perspective. Megan produced, directed and co-wrote the critically acclaimed documentary TRIAL BY FIRE: Lives Re-forged. The film has aired on PBS, been dubbed, "a must-see" by Real Screen, "emotionally potent” by the Los Angeles Times, and “a truly important film” by PBS International. TRIAL BY FIRE has aired across the country on PBS and has been broadcast in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. It continues to stream on AmazonPrime. Megan also produced and directed THE BUDDY SYSTEM, a long-form documentary about the positive impact of autism assistance dogs on the lives of children on the spectrum. She also helmed three documentaries for the Women’s Entertainment Network: SURROGATE STORIES, CHILD BRIDES and POLYGAMY.
For six years, Megan was the award-winning editor of Wilton Magazine, part of the Town Vibe Media Group. She Is currently the Managing Editor of OUR HOMES, a home-centric magazine under OUR HOMES Media with a combined annual circulation of two million readers.She is currently adapting her play KILLING MOM for the big screen and shopping her screenplay THE GHOST OF YOU.
More at MeganSmithHarris.com
MEGAN SMITH-HARRIS
Co-Owner & President
SARA ALLEN
Co- Executive Producer
Sara Allen is a career songwriter/lyricist best known for countless recordings with partners Daryl Hall and John Oates including the hits PRIVATE EYES, MAN EATER and I CAN'T GO FOR THAT (No Can Do) Along the way, she has worked in research and production for television documentaries and music videos that have aired on PBS, Lifetime, and MTV.
Sara first partnered with Pyewackitt Productions as an Associate Producer on the critically acclaimed feature documentary, TRIAL BY FIRE: LIVES RE-FORGED, which screened at film festivals and special events across the country and aired across the country on PBS. TRIAL BY FIRE has also been broadcast in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Most recently, she was Special Guest producer of an episode of Daryl Hall's television show LIVE FROM DARYL'S HOUSE with Daryl Hallwhich featured the legendary band 'Cheap Trick'.
JEFF REILLY
Editor
Jeff Reilly is a two-time Emmy award-winning editor whose credits include the PRISM award winning documentary THE ANONYMOUS PEOPLE which he also co-wrote & co-produced. Jeff also edited the Emmy awarding- winning RAND UNIVERSITY for ESPN’s 30 for 30. Recently, he co-edited DIANE, a feature length narrative for Director Mike Mongillo and BELIEVELAND for ESPN Films. He is the editor and co-director of the soon-to-be-released documentary, GENERATION FOUND. Some clients include Sony Pictures, ESPN, HBO, and NBC. Previously, Jeff collaborated with Pyewackitt Productions on SURROGATE STORIES which aired on WEtv, and TRIAL BY FIRE: Lives Re-Forged which aired on PBS. In addition to film and television, Jeff has also produced and edited several campaigns for non-profit companies.
More at facefirstfilms.com
LAELA KILBOURN
Director of Photography
Director of Photography Laela Kilbourn was recently chosen byIndiewire as one of "8 More Female Cinematographers You Should Know About". Her documentary feature credits include five Sundance Film Festival hits: HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO, award-winningAMERICAN TEEN, Emmy-nominated WORD WARS, and her additional camera work on HOT COFFEE and Oscar-winning 20 FEET FROM STARDOM.
Laela also filmed MAGIC CAMP, winner of the Outstanding Achievement in Family Filmmaking Award at the Newport Beach Film Festival; SYNC OR SWIM, winner of the Billie Award for Journalismfrom the Women’s Sports Foundation; and History’s eleven part docu-series SANDHOGS. She has worked on projects for HBO, NBC, AMC, A&E, Nick Jr., ESPN, MTV, VH1, WeTV, Trio, TruTV, and TV One. Laela also collaborated with Pyewackitt Productions on the two-hour television special, SURROGATE STORIES (WEtv) and TRIAL BY FIRE: Lives Re-Forged which aired domestically (PBS) and abroad. She has a degree in social anthropology from Harvard University
More at LaelaKilbourn.com.
DYLAN LEWIS
Research & Development
Dylan has been involved with Pyewackitt Productions for years. After interning for the Ridgefield Independent Film Festival for two seasons as a screener and program assistant, Dylan followed the key team members to the Fairfield Film Festival and was promoted to the position of programmer, specializing in Music, Documentary, and Animation films. Currently, he does research for documentary and television projects in development. Dylan is a graduate of Quinnipiac University, with a BA in Communications and a minor in Journalism. Aside from film, Dylan's other passions include finding and sharing up-and-coming musicians, competitive gaming, and cheering for the New York Knicks.
