TONI STANIEWICZ
Founder, Creator & Executive Producer
Toni Staniewicz is an award winning 15 year expert as a filmmaker of film, television, commercials, music videos and documentaries. Outside of being a real western multi-discipline cowgirl/equestrian she is a Hollywood film Director, Casting Director, Executive Producer, Producer, Member of the Screen Actors Guild, Served a 2 year term as an elected Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild, Member of the (Emmys) Academy Of Television and Arts. Awarded and presented a Proclamation by the State of California by Senator Dodd for my contribution to film arts in 2024. Awarded the Vanguard Award from the Sacramento Film Foundation in 2022, El Dorado Film Commission Award in 2018. She has worked on several Golden Globe and Oscar nominated films such as LadyBird in 2017 and many others to her credits. After her invitation and experience to attend the world famous Cannes Film Festival her passion for documentaries was lit. Loving old westerns and the cowboy way she then decided she would find untold stories of the Wild West. After Directing and Producing her first documentary called the Black Cowboy in 2018 soon realized there was not a film festival dedicated to the Western Genre to show it so she decided to create a first ever platform for western filmmakers. A film festival to screen and compete in the spirit of the Wild West and just like that, and the first $500 Grant from the Napa Solano Cattlemen's Association, guidance from Ron Turner, President of the Napa/Solano 100 Club and the Wild West Film Festival was born in 2019. In tribute to the great pioneers and trailblazers the Wild West Film Festival has also founded and nominates the unsung heroes who embody the true cowboy spirit of volunteerism to award them with the "True Grit" Award every year. The festival has now grown to add a Wild West Family Festival with a Wild West Weekend. Kids and family day with many activities of the old fashioned pie eating contest, Buffalo Soldier exhibits, Pena Adobe, Cowboy reenactors live theater shows, Azteca American Indigenous, Chilli Cook Off competition, live music, comedy, and cowboy poetry. There are so many activities for everyone to enjoy at this festival. Her most recent accomplishment is producing a film that is inclusive of the hearing and visually impaired by offering adaptive work of documentary art about the World Famous - Notorious One Arm Bandit "John Payne" the living legend of our time. There may never be another rodeo performer of his talent with his ability and lives to bring a smile to all that knows him and keep the Wild West alive. Stay tuned to see this film in 2025 at the next festival to premier.
Matthew David
Co-Creator & Producer
Matthew Moores is an award winning Producer, Director and Filmmaker with over 15 years of experience in documentary, commercial, music video and feature films. Matthew started his artistic career as a Graphic Designer working in the industry before discovering the amazing world of film and he fell head over heels in love and never looked back. Matthew is also an award winning cartoonist. In addition to the Wild West Film Festival Matthew is helping Toni produce the highly acclaimed Comedy Cash Cow Competition.