Education Day @ Cinema Toast House Fest

Brought to you by the Creative Educators Network

Colorado Creative Careers — live panels for high school classrooms

Part art installation, part film school, part block party, Cinema Toast House Fest takes over Writer Square for four days of hands-on cinema, interactive experiences, workshops, filmmaker panels, and outdoor screenings.

Education Day kicks it all off on October 1st with a morning built for students. High school CTE and creative classrooms are invited to hear directly from Colorado professionals working in film, television, and recorded sound: how they got started, what the work really looks like, and where the opportunities are right here at home.

Bring your students to a live studio audience.

Students will watch Colorado creative professionals talk about their careers in a live panel format, then take part in an audience Q&A. All panels will be recorded, so classrooms can revisit them afterward.

Who it's for: High school CTE programs and creative classrooms
Cost: Free
To participate: Email Ashley at ashley@creativeeducatorsnetwork.org

Panel Info

Colorado Creative Careers: Cinematography & Film/Video Production @ 9:15 AM

  • Sophia Holt

    Writer/Director; Post Production Coordinator, Futuristic Films


    Sophia is an award-winning writer and director whose work ranges from nuanced social commentary to comedic film noir parodies. She works full-time as a Post Production Coordinator at Futuristic Films, part of Denver's advertising filmmaking scene. Representation has been a guiding force in the stories she creates and collaborates on.

  • Andrea Nordgren

    Director, Producer & Owner, Heroine Films


    Andrea is an award-winning director and producer who brings emotion and shared human truth to commercials, branded content, and film. Her visual style is visceral, intimate, and deeply human. She owns Heroine Films, a values-led production collective creating independent narrative and documentary work alongside brand stories for healthcare, agriculture, and purpose-driven companies.

  • Carlos Malache

    Director of Photography


    Carlos is a Denver-based DP with a decade on set and years in edit bays and color suites. He knows how to build the right team, solve problems fast, and carry a project from prep through post, and he loves helping directors turn ambitious ideas into reality. He takes the work seriously, not himself.

Made in Colorado: Rainbow Socks! @ 10:45 AM

  • Dia Savage

    Co-Creator & Executive Producer, Rainbow Socks


    Dia just wrapped production on Rainbow Socks, a new kids' series premiering on PBS in October 2026. She co-created and executive produced MTV's 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom, began her career working with Errol Morris on the Oscar-winning The Fog of War, Mr. Death, and First Person, and was a producer on the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy.

  • Paige Doughty

    CEO & Co-Founder, Rainbow Socks


    For more than twenty years, Paige has been one half of the beloved children's music duo Jeff & Paige, releasing seven albums of science- and nature-based music rooted in environmental education and play. Today she leads Rainbow Socks, a nonprofit making joyful, high-quality educational programming accessible to families while giving artists sustainable, living-wage work.

  • Aidan Ruth

    Production Assistant, Rainbow Socks


    Aidan recently graduated from CU Boulder with degrees in Film Production and Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Alongside his PA work on Rainbow Socks, he shoots music videos and is building toward independent documentaries on nature, science, and climate.

Colorado Creative Careers: Recording Arts Technology @ 12:15 PM

  • Jennie Armon

    Founder & Music Supervisor, Soundbloom


    Jennie blends creativity, strategy, and sound to craft music for ads, film, and branded content. She's worked at leading music production houses and ad agencies, collaborating with top composers and artists on campaigns for Apple, Nike, Google, BMW, L'Oréal, M&Ms, and more. Her work has earned AMP, D&AD, Cannes Lions, and Clio honors, including the Clio for Best Music Supervision.

  • Anna Frick

    Founder, Ally Sound


    Anna's career began with a lightbulb moment behind a mixing desk in high school. After studying at CU Denver, she found her passion in mastering and restoration, honing her craft for twelve years at Airshow Mastering before opening her own Boulder studio, Ally Sound.

  • Louisa Bisio

    Brand & Music Strategist


    Louisa Bisio is a brand and creative strategist with experience across the many ways companies use music and sound. Her background spans user research, music production, sync, song registration, live events, branded content, and audio strategy, including sonic branding and VO casting. Her perspective extends beyond traditional applications to less obvious uses of audio, from hardware sound levels to manufacturing environments. Across her work, she explores how sound can shape experiences, communicate identity, and connect with audiences. A native Coloradan, Louisa serves on the Board of Women in Music Denver.

Education Day is brought to you by the Creative Educators Network.

Creative Educators Network is a nonprofit that connects creative educators with the creative industries through innovative professional learning and development.