About Us

We Bring World-Changing Stories Home.

Who We Are

Sidewinder Films seeks to inspire and educate audiences through films that make a lasting positive impact. We shed light on remarkable untold stories, one groundbreaking film at a time.

Our Mission

Sidewinder Films is a division of the Foundation for Global Sports Development, which delivers and supports initiatives that promote good sportsmanship, fair play, and bullying and abuse prevention. Sidewinder furthers this mission through groundbreaking documentaries that effect change in global sports culture, protecting and empowering the next generation of athletes.

Sidewinder Films is also in partnership with Courage First , an abuse awareness program that aims to educate adults & teens on sexual abuse and predatory behavior.

Our History

The Foundation for Global Sports Development founded Sidewinder Films, a 501(c)3 film production company, in furtherance of their mission to support initiatives that promote fair play, education, and the physical and developmental benefits of sports for youth around the world.

Our Values

Sports

We believe in the positive role of sports in the lives of children and adults around the world. In addition to the physical, mental, and emotional benefits, sports can be the key that unlocks the determination, resilience, and triumph of the human spirit.

Integrity

We seek to highlight the importance of ethics and high moral character in youth and professional sports culture, healthcare, and beyond.

Education

Knowledge is powerful. We use the tool of dynamic storytelling to inform, teach, and touch the hearts and minds of our audiences. We believe educating youth and adults about current issues in sports, health, and wellness is vital in improving the overall well-being of our world.

Impact

The purpose of our work is to effect positive change in worldwide culture. We tell stories that have social value, mentorship, and model a standard to the next generation. All our film projects promote understanding, cooperation, and respect among all people. 

Film Honors

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Our team

Melanie Raffle Armenti
Chief Operating Officer
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Melanie Raffle Armenti

As Chief Operating Officer for Sidewinder Films and The Foundation for Global Sports Development, Melanie oversees the organization’s strategic development and ensures operations run smoothly. In addition to her role leading the Foundation, Melanie is a member of the Angel City Sports Advisory Council and serves on the Wayne County SAFE Advisory Board. Melanie was an Associate Producer for At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal and executive produced Positive All the Way, our upcoming documentary short about Paralympic sport.

Dr. Steven Ungerleider
Co-Founder
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Dr. Steven Ungerleider

Dr. Steven Ungerleider was an accomplished author, sports psychologist, and advocate for sport. He wrote several books on Olympic topics, including the best-selling Faust’s Gold: Inside the East German Doping Machine which examined the 30-year doping activities of the late East German regime.

Dr. Ungerleider was a founding trustee of the Foundation for Global Sports Development, where he served as Vice-President for the Executive Board. During his tenure, the Foundation developed initiatives that support access to safe sport for youth, provide scholarships for higher education, and honor athletes who help make the world a better place.

He co-founded the Foundation’s non-profit production arm, Sidewinder Films, and received an Emmy nomination for his research on the 2016 documentary short Munich ’72 and Beyond. His film, At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal, debuted at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, aired on HBO, and was nominated for two Emmy awards: Best Documentary and Outstanding Investigative Documentary. It received a Television Academy Honor, the prestigious award that celebrates “television programming that inspires, informs, motivates and has the power to change lives.” Waterman, his film about Duke Kahanamoku, premiered at the 2021 Hawaiian International Film Festival and went on to screen at 38 more festivals. It was broadcast on PBS’ American Masters in May 2022 and was nominated for an Emmy in the Outstanding Historical Documentary category in July 2023.

Steven was a producer of End Game, which received an Oscar nomination for “Best Documentary Short Subject” in 2019.

Dr. Ungerleider also served on the Education and Ethics Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency and the National Advisory Panel of the American Psychological Association. In 2009, he co-founded the Texas Program in Sports and Media (TPSM) at the University of Texas, Austin.

Isabel Cathcart
Director of Operations
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Isabel Cathcart

After a career in finance and international wealth management at Merrill Lynch, UBS and Citibank, Ms. Cathcart joined the Foundation for Global Sports Development in 2019 to help further the organization’s vision of sport as a vehicle for social change. She holds degrees in Economics and Psychology from the Claremont Colleges and is a Certified Financial Planner. Fluent in Spanish and French, she has lived and traveled throughout Latin America and Europe.

Kelly Hansen
Program Coordinator
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Kelly Hansen

Kelly joined The Foundation for Global Sports Development in 2016 and assists Sidewinder Films in logistics for Academy screenings, film festival submissions and licensing. She feels it is a privilege to work for an organization committed to enriching lives through the power of sport.

Michael Cascio
Executive Producer
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Michael Cascio

With four Emmys, two Oscar nominations and a “Producer of the Year” award, Cascio has a noteworthy career in documentary TV programming. As National Geographic Channel’s EVP, Programming, he was the driving force behind many important and successful programs, including the record-breaking Inside 9/11, the award-winning Restrepo, and the recent mini-series, The ‘90s: The Last Great Decade? As EVP/GM at Animal Planet, Cascio delivered record ratings and hit shows.

He’s most recognized for his work at A&E, supervising the award-winning Biography series, as well as Investigative Reports, City Confidential and documentaries such as Titanic: Death of a Dream. He was VP at NBC News, creating a documentary strategy for MSNBC. Among his accolades, Cascio was cited in Entertainment Weekly’s “It List,” as one of the most creative people in the media. Cascio now advises selected media and production partners through his company, M&C Media LLC.

2024 Sidewinder Films
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