Founders circle

A critical
community
champion in
creating the long-
term legacy of
Sun Valley Film.

Members of the Founders Circle share their gifts in service to our mission by 

providing our organization with their professional expertise; their diverse knowledge 

of constituent perspectives; their connections to local, national, or international resources, 

colleagues, or peers; and their generous philanthropic support. They allow us to think big, 

because they believe, like we do, that the arts enhance the world around us.

2025

MEMBERS

Buffington-Headshot-web

Carla Buffington

Feli Funke Headshots_035 copy

Felicitas Funke

ali long

Tim Mott cropped

TIMothy MOTT

David Perdue headshot

David perdue

Krista Simor Headshot

krista simor

Jeff Steen headhsot

jeff steen

Customers Reviews

What people say?

At the festival I can tell people love filmmaking in every aspect – writing, acting, cinematography, and producing. So I’m really excited to be here and meet people who are just as excited about the process as I am.

Yahya Adbul Mateen II

Sun Valley’s intimate size snuffs egos and allows personalities, connections, and the zeal for filmmaking to flourish everywhere from get-togethers in cozy cafe’s to the lofty lifts of Bald Mountain.

Flaunt magazine

It’s wonderfully intimate and remains very high end in both the quality of films presented and the festival itself. Sun Valley has kept its integrity…the magic dust.

kate bosworth

There is an incredible creative energy at SVFF that I look forward to every year! The films, festivities, and people are amazing. I can’t wait to be there!

Austin von Johnson

Gallery

Previous
Honorees

Best Narrative Film

winner

Linoleum, Directed by Colin West

Best documentary feature Film

winner

Mama Bears, Directed by Daresha Kyi

Audience Award

winner

We Feed People, Directed by Ron Howard

The gem state award

The best short film made in Idaho. The films in the Idaho Shorts program are eligible for this award.

winner

Meridian, Directed by  Aidan Brezonick

one in a million - narrative award

winner

Karmalink, Directed by Jake Wachtel

one in a million - documentary award

winner

Sirens, Directed by Rita Baghdadi

The svshorty award

The best short film across all categories. All shorts are eligible for this award.

winner

Meridian, Directed by  Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck & Robert Machoian

hot shot award

The Future Filmmakers Forum (FFF) showcases student-made films and encourages students in their craft, storytelling, and self-expression. The Future Filmmakers Forum is made possible by the Nordstrom Brothers and an annual generous gift from the Steen Family Foundation.

winner

The First 280 Words of My Life, Directed by Ella JAnes

Carla Buffington

Carla Buffington is a lifelong film lover whose love for film started as a child after seeing Mary Poppins.  She is an avid traveler, a step mother to three amazing grown “kids’ and a guardian to two adorable parti poodles. Carla and her husband Jeff happily reside full time in Ketchum where small town life perfectly suits them as they enjoy their recent retirement. 

Felicitas Funke

Felicitas Funke, or “Feli” is a documentary film maker, author, publisher, feature writer and Pilates instructor.


She was educated in Germany, England and Canada and has called the Wood River Valley of Idaho home for almost thirty years.


Feli is the creative producer of “Cowboys – A Documentary Portrait”  (www.thecowboymovie.com) and a partner at 1922 Films.


She is currently working on her first international production, the true story of a German/American spy, and a partner at VEB Filmwerk.


Feli has served on the Board of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, NM, for the last ten years.


Her specialty are Western topics, and she has reported on the American and Canadian West for the last four decades.


Feli is a third-generation member of the Funke Media Group.


She is a passionate Equestrian, and loves to hike, bike, dance and cross-country ski.

Ali Long

Ali Long is a mother, conservationist, community activist, impact investor, and highly engaged philanthropist. Social mindedness, environmental awareness, and a systems approach underpin each endeavor. Ali has been committed professionally and personally to philanthropy education and promotion since 1996, and has served as President and Trustee of The Springcreek Foundation (TSF) since 1998.


As a sixth generation investor, Ali has implemented impact investment strategies for TSF and personally since 2006. She is a founding investor and charter client of Sonen Capital Management, a pioneer of the impact investment industry. Leveraging her ESG investment experience, as well as her understanding of philanthropic tools, trends and strategies, Ali catalyzes new community investors and supports existing ones, emphasizing the viability, effectiveness and necessity of an impact investment approach.


In 2011 Ali co-authored, Promoting Sustainable Food Systems Through Impact Investing (available at www.thespringcreekfoundation.org). She then founded Local Food Alliance in 2013, now a charter program at Sun Valley Institute for Resilience. Most recently, Ali raised $3MM of the $9MM needed to purchase and secure the Warm Springs Preserve, 56 acres of public riverfront open space in Ketchum, Idaho established in April of 2022.

Timothy Mott

Tim is a serial entrepreneur, has been an independent private investor since 1994, and is also the managing partner of Blue Farm Wines. His vision, energy and stewardship led to the recent founding of the Argyros Performing Arts center in Ketchum/Sun Valley, Idaho, where he currently serves as Board Treasurer.

 

In the 1970’s Tim was a member of research staff at the famed Xerox PARC. He subsequently co-founded Electronic Arts where he was a senior vice president from 1982 to 1990 and a Board Director from 1990 to 2007. Tim was co-founder, CEO and Chairman of Macromedia from 1990 to 1994 and then he co-founded Audible where he was Chairman from 1994 to 1999. After that, Tim was the founding investor and Chairman of several other technology companies including All Covered, Flixlab and Futr. In addition to Electronic Arts, Macromedia and Audible, he has served on other public company boards including Edmark and Globant.

 

Tim is currently Board Secretary of the Sun Valley Community School where he was Board Chair from 2002-2003, he was a trustee of the California College of the Arts from 2004 to 2018, and has served on many other non-profit boards.

 

Tim earned his Bachelor of Science degree (with Honours) from Manchester University in England and now lives in Ketchum, ID.

David Perdue headshot

David Perdue

David lives with his wife, Elizabeth, on a small farm in Somerset, Virginia.  He is the father of three children ages 20,22 and 24, three horses and three dogs.  The family also owns a house in Ketchum, Idaho.

David grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and attended The Westminster Schools before receiving a B.A. from Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia.  David has spent his entire working career in commercial real estate.  Brokerage, development, asset management and investment.  Areas of specific interest have been historic rehabilitation and adaptive use projects.

 

Civic and service endeavors include service on several non-profit Boards.

  • A.G. Rhodes Homes, Atlanta GA – Board Chair
  • American Climate Partners, Rapidan, VA – Board Vice Chair
  • Montpelier Steeplechase Foundation, Montpelier Station, VA – Board Chair
  • Grymes Memorial School, Orange VA – Former Board Chair
  • Atlanta Preservation Center, Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, Piedmont Environmental Council, Keswick Hunt Club – Current of former Trustee or Board Member

David enjoys fishing and hunting, especially mounted fox hunting, along with tennis, skiing, hiking and travel. 

Krista Simor Headshot

Krista Simor

Krista Simor is a philanthropist, traveler and lifelong learner.  She opts to take the scenic route while navigating life’s journey. Krista calls Ketchum Idaho home.

Jeff Steen headhsot

Jeff Steen

Jeff graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Economics and went on to earn a Juris Doctorate from the South Texas College of Law. 

A native of Cuero, Texas, he has been involved in the energy business in various capacities since 1978, starting his career as a petroleum landman. Jeff spent over 33 years in various executive leadership positions with four publicly traded energy service companies, Oil States International, Schlumberger, Grant Prideco and Camco International.

Currently, Jeff manages Steen Interests, a family office enterprise that includes real estate, ranching and oil and gas assets in Texas and New Mexico.
To reflect his creative endeavors, he has participated in the development and production of 22 feature films and documentaries, as well as the theatrical stage production of “Rear Window.”

In the community, Jeff has been active in serving on numerous philanthropic and charitable boards. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Chisholm Trail Heritage Museum Endowment, as the Managing Trustee for the Steen Family Foundation, a Trustee for the Houston Museum of Natural Science and is on the board of Harris County Improvement District #3 in Houston.

Previous board service includes Girls Inc., The Diaper Foundation, The Juvenile Diabetes Association, South Texas College of Law and Cancer Counseling, Inc.
Steen and his wife Barbara are proud to have sons Jake and Fletcher.