executive producer & idea
Andy
Andy H., ESQ, is an attorney with over 30 years of experience in civil rights and commercial litigation matters. He and his co-founder, Brian T. Monico, joined forces in 2019 to create Hale & Monico - America’s Justice Attorneys - where they specialize in civil rights, commercial litigation, personal injury, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases. Andy began his career as a litigator in Orlando, Florida, and later worked in the Chicago and Los Angeles office of a large national law firm, focusing his practice on a variety of commercial litigation and entertainment litigation matters. Since moving back to his hometown Chicago over twenty years ago, Andy has focused his trial practice on civil rights cases.
Andy has produced short documentary films regarding social justice issues, including “Bullets Have No Names,” which addresses gun violence in Chicago, as well as “98 Seconds,” which sheds light on the issue of sexual assault. Andy also hosted an Emmy-nominated television show in Chicago for several years - “Case Files Chicago” - which highlighted and attempted to solve many of Chicago’s most well-known “cold cases.” It was in Chicago where he began his career as a filmmaker and producer, shining a light on the issue of wrongful convictions. His Netflix documentary entitled “A Murder In The Park” lead to the exoneration of Alstory Simon after 16 years of wrongful incarceration. His documentary “Wrong Cat” follows his client Cleve Heidelberg Jr.'s struggle to prove his innocence after 47 years of wrongful incarceration. Andy was also an executive producer of the documentary “White Boy” which chronicled the case of Rick Wershe, a 17-year-old from Detroit who was sentenced to life in prison for a non-violent drug offense.
In addition to "Bullets Have No Names” and “Shattered Hearts", Andy has made it his mission to help memorialize many of Chicago’s young gun violence victims in partnership with artist Shirien Damra, a local social justice artist who uses design and art to showcase civil rights and social issues.
executive producer & family advocate
Lisette
In 2012, Lisette began producing "Case Files: Chicago". This television show works as a tool to help law enforcement agencies solve homicide cases and bring justice to families who have lost loved ones to violence. The show aired on Fox Television affiliate "The CW", every Saturday at 11 p.m. The show successfully ran for 6 seasons with high ratings. In 2018, "Case Files: Chicago" was nominated for an Emmy. Currently, the show is being revamped to get out more cases in a shorter amount of time using social and online media. In between the show's seasons, Lisette worked with Hale Media on true crime documentaries. The most notable is "Porter" which was named one of the top 15 true crime stories by TIME Magazine and can be seen on Netflix. And, "Bullets have no names". This short film has gained popularity due to its ability to tell the stories of people who live, work, and survive in some of the City's most violent neighborhoods.
Most notably, and most endearing to Lisette, is the close relationships she establishes with the families of the cases she works. Seeing them as “not just another statistic”, but a family destroyed by Chicago’s crisis. Lisette believes staying connected to the families is part of the work she is doing. “I cannot dive into a tragedy so deep and hurtful, and not stay part of their lives”, she says. Lisette presently serves on the Multicultural Advisory Board for the Indianapolis FBI Field Office. The FBI has awarded her one of the highest awards given by the Bureau - The Directors Leadership Award. She has also received awards and recognitions from The Chicago Police Department, The City of Hobart, and others for her work.
photographer
Chiara
Chiara is a German documentary and portrait photographer. She is based in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from Film School in Germany, she was more intrigued by still images and the power behind the medium.
As part of the LGBTQ community, it is important to Chiara to shine a light on underrepresented stories, topics, and people, and make sure that her work acts as a voice for those. Listening, observing, and learning are three of her key aspects in generating the essence of a story. Due to her own experience, Chiara knows how trauma impacts oneself and a family and comes in different forms. With a cinematic touch to her photographs, her work focuses on everyday life - the challenges, the ups and downs that human nature faces, and impactful individual stories - through honest and unbiased storytelling.
Her very first project "Hello Dad, are you there?" is a deep, personal dive into the internal emptiness that settled for Chiara after her father's death, and the start into photography as a medium that transports much more than a single moment. Primarily, Chiara wanted to express with this series the deep-seated emptiness that now clouds her life; she wanted to give these emotions a face. A visualization of how utterly useless the most basic of things surrounding her now felt. His loss has become a figure-less shadow silently strolling beside her and causing indescribable pain. "Hello Dad, are you there?" was published in three German online magazines and an Austrian print paper.
Today her clients in the US include the Los Angeles Times, The LA Girl, Hanz de Fuko, Tiny Apples NYC, and Ferrero Europe, 1. FSV Mainz 05, Powerbar Europe, Baulig Consulting in Europe.