About the Filmmakers
Brin-Jonathan Butler, Director
Brin-Jonathan Butler is a New York based author and boxing trainer who won the 2009 Eric Hoffer Award for his debut novel, Sic (And/Or Press). His writing has appeared in The Toronto Quarterly, The Rumpus, Annalemma Magazine, and The New York Times.
Brin first traveled to Havana in 2000 during the Elian Gonzalez controversy and has repeatedly returned to train under the tutelage of Cuban Olympic boxing coaching while reporting on the Cuban National Boxing Championships and life in Havana for various magazine publications and news organizations, including Newsday, Maxboxing.com, Israel Sports Radio and the documentary film Boxeo.
Split Decision (formerly Hero Traitor Madness) is Brin’s first foray into the world of filmmaking. Academy Award winning director Leon Gast has called Brin-Jonathan Butler's forthcoming documentary on the life of Guillermo Rigondeaux, Split Decision, "Something very special."
The winter of 2007, during the Cuban National Boxing Championships of that year, brought Brin into contact with Guillermo Rigondeaux after his failed attempt at defecting and turning professional. With Castro refusing to allow Rigondeaux to continue his fighting career, Rigondeaux was left to drift or plot another defection while the Cuban public eagerly followed his situation. With unique access to a vast contact network of boxing coaches and former Olympic Champion fighters who choose to remain despite the lure of millions, Split Decision is Brin-Jonathan Butler's film seeking to explore the complicated heart of both the Cuban and American dream through the lens of Rigondeaux losing everything to risk his life stepping on a smuggler's boat for a chance at success in America while so many great boxers before him proudly remained.
With Rigondeaux's story the example that Fidel always said his athletes represented to the Cuban people has suddenly taken on a profoundly different meaning.
Michael Collins, Producer
Michael Collins is an independent film producer living in Vancouver Canada. Michael has spent the last decade working as an assistant director in the Vancouver film industry on films such as I Robot, Underworld 2 & 4, Night at the Museum. Split Decision (formerly Hero Traitor Madness) is his 3rd film as a producer.
Ronan Reinart, Producer
Ronan is a Vancouver-based lawyer, who balances a busy law practice with a very active creative role in Vancouver's independent film community.
Ronan is also a cinematographer, with a keen eye for composition, lighting, and film production workflow management, and has experience using a wide array of the industry's cutting-edge film editing, processing, and visual effects compositing computer software, including Final Cut Studio Pro, Adobe After Effects, Side Effects Software’s Houdini, and the Foundry’s Nuke (to name a few).
As an attorney, Ronan practices with the Vancouver firm Bell Alliance in the areas of commercial, entertainment, and estate planning law.
Brent Crowell, Producer
Brent is a twenty year veteran of the film industry. He's written, produced and directed the short film Mary Did a Bad, Bad Thing and, more recently, the full length feature, Traveling at the Speed of Life with Split Decision producer Michael Collins. He's currently writing a new feature film effort as well as developing a half-hour comedy series and a dramatic series.