J. Carlos Peinado (Producer/Director/Writer/Editor)

Mr. Peinado is a registered member of the Three Affiliated Tribes of North Dakota or the Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara Nation. He left the Fort Berthold Reservation in 1980 to attend Phillips Exeter Academy in New Hampshire and stayed east to complete his undergraduate degree in filmmaking and cultural anthropology at Dartmouth College. During this time, he completed his first documentary, Harry's House, a film about the Hopi and Navajo land dispute in northern Arizona, as seen through the eyes of a struggling Navajo family. In 1992, Mr. Peinado moved to New York City and pursued careers as a filmmaker and an actor. He had a leading role in the TNT production of, The Broken Chain (1994), and was also featured in the TNT film, Crazy Horse (1996). Before moving west to Arizona in 1995, Mr. Peinado worked as a field producer for WNBC, NYC.

Mr. Peinado's professional resume has kept him actively involved in the Native American community. He was the Public Relations Coordinator for the American Indian Community House in New York; an award winning creative director for Native Peoples Magazine, in Phoenix, AZ; and the MIS Director for NDNS4Wellness, a non-profit, health center for at-risk, Native American youth in Phoenix, AZ. Through the production of Waterbuster, Mr. Peinado hopes to tell the stories of his ancestors and honor his Hidatsa/Mandan heritage.

Daphne Ross (Producer/Writer/Editor)

Daphne Ross is new to filmmaking. Her participation as co-producer/writer/editor of the documentary film Waterbuster is her first time behind the camera.  She grew up in New York City, graduated from Bard College with a BA in cultural anthropology and then went on to obtain a MS in environmental studies.  Her professional career includes many years as an environmental educator and activist with non-profit organizations such as the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.  She has taught marine ecology and environmental ethics to a variety of age groups on tall ships throughout the United States.  It was over sailboats that she met the producer/director of Waterbuster, J. Carlos Peinado.  It was while living together on a 35-foot sloop in Ventura, California that the two decided to collaborate on a documentary film about Mr. Peinado’s family and community on the Fort Berthold Reservation of North Dakota.  She and Mr. Peinado reside in Santa Fe, NM…wondering where the ocean is.

Hillary Abe (Production and Editorial Assistant)

Hillary Abe is the project's research and production assistant. He is currently attending Dartmouth College and has just completed his freshman year. He is also a member of the Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara Nation and brings enthusiasm and hard work to the project.