Steve James' affiliation with Kartemquin began in 1987 with the start of production of Hoop Dreams, for which he served as director, producer, and co-editor. The film won every major critics award as well as a Peabody and Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in 1995. The film earned James the Directors Guild of America Award and the MTV Movie Award’s "Best New Filmmaker." Recently, Hoop Dreams was selected for the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry, signifying the film’s enduring importance to American film history, and hailed by critic Roger Ebert as "the great American documentary."

Alex Kotlowitz is perhaps best known for the bestselling There Are No Children Here: The Story of Two Boys Growing Up in the Other America. The book, which was published in 1991 and has since sold over half-a-million copies, was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Helen B. Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism, the Carl Sandburg Award and a Christopher Award. The New York Public Library selected There Are No Children Here as one of the 150 most important books of the century. In the fall of 1993, it was adapted for television as an ABC Movie-of-the-Week starring Oprah Winfrey.

Zak is an independent Producer, Director, and Sound Recordist who, until 2013, served as Kartemquin's Director of Production and was on staff for more than 10 years. Most recently he co-produced the critically acclaimed film The Interrupters, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Currently, Zak is producing Life Itself, a film based in large part on renowned film critic Roger Ebert’s acclaimed memoir of the same name.

Aaron Wickenden is a filmmaker with extensive professional experience as a freelance editor and cinematographer. He is regarded for bringing a tireless work ethic and playful spirit to each of his creative collaborations. His recent accomplishments include: Co-Editor and Post Supervisor for Kartemquin’s The Interrupters, Documentary Cinematographer and Post Supervisor for the concert documentary Andrew Bird: Fever Year, and Producer and Cinematographer for multi-media content on The New Yorker website.

Artistic Director and founding member of Kartemquin Films, Gordon Quinn has been making documentaries for over 45 years. Roger Ebert, of the Chicago Sun Times, called his first film Home for Life (1966) "an extraordinarily moving documentary." With Home for Life Gordon established the direction he would take for the next four decades, making cinéma vérité films that investigate and critique society by documenting the unfolding lives of real people. 

Since 2008, Justine has led Kartemquin Films as our Executive Director as well as being an Executive Producer on each new film. She is responsible, in concert with the Board of Directors, for creating and implementing the strategic vision for Kartemquin. Justine successfully transitioned to the ED role in a historic founder-led organization, and has made major strides in building a foundation for long-term sustainability.