drew belz is an executive leader,
producer and creative director
based out of Asheville, NC.

a place for all of us

Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union (2018-24)

Our job was to grow membership. Over six years working hand-in-hand, we helped grow assets from $1.35 to $2.7 billion.

We blanketed the region with campaigns – stop-motion and cel-animated Super Bowl commercials, music videos, social campaigns, radio, print, out-of-home and physical programming in neighborhoods. Thoughtful strategy allowed big creative to connect.

Media Strategist, Producer, Creative Director, Editor

mama bear studios

With ad accounts for Air Jordan, Disney and SAP expanding at Fancy Rhino in 2015, we leveraged our growth into a $2 million investment fund for feature films – and called it Mama Bear. We started reading scripts and looking for hungry filmmakers to support.

Our lead financing brought to life 2015’s Hunter Gatherer (Andre Royo, “The Wire”) and 2016’s Dayveon. Both played to critical acclaim at SXSW. Dayveon played Sundance and Berlinale. Both sold to Netflix.

Founder, Executive Producer

a day in the life

Serge Missions (2024)

When a band of missionaries are passionate and nuanced about their work, marketing has a needle to thread. My first step here was to gather Serge's leadership and run some group exercises.

We found a heartbeat. Then I jumped on a plane to 4 countries in 12 days to find it on the ground. Sometimes showing up in person is the only way. But the results resonated – with every stakeholder.

Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Editor

pocket passages
& daily prayer guide

One on One (2025)

A new nonprofit wants to facilitate lives of meditative prayer. I developed two prototypes that were quickly green-lit for production.

Pocket Passages hires new illustrators each month to bring passages of scripture to life as pocketable art books. Daily Prayer Guide presents a refreshingly simple prayer service from a diversity of traditions and set to natural white noise.

Creative Director, Producer, Editor

fight like nate

Original Short Doc (2016)

What do you do when you learn you have end-stage cancer? Our friend Nate started running marathons.

The urgency of Nate's voice moved me. Soon I found myself overwhelmed by the privilege of pulling our community together to tell his story. It had to be told.

Director, Producer

teachers change lives

Office Depot (2014)

Our first documentary series is still my favorite. I developed our approach to the client and headed our creative department – but my biggest contribution here was building our internal team of brilliant directors, cinematographers and editors. By learning what made them tick, I helped them discover what made our characters tick too.

CCO, Executive Producer

teachers change lives

Office Depot (2014)

Our first documentary series is still my favorite. I developed our approach to the client and headed our creative department – but my biggest contribution here was building our internal team of brilliant directors, cinematographers and editors. By learning what made them tick, I helped them discover what made our characters tick too.

CCO, Executive Producer

build me a world

Original Feature Doc (2011) 

To document a watershed year at the Howard School, we first had to agree to teach a class.

A year later, we found ourselves with a gold mine of footage that allowed the students to speak for themselves. The screening of our feature doc filled a 1,500 seat theater downtown and kickstarted a movement to revive the school.

We built a recording studio so students could keep telling their stories. Funding arrived to build a new magnet school too, inspired by the film.

Producer, Editor

build me a world

Original Feature Doc (2012) 

One of the first black schools in the country, the Howard School nearly closed its doors in 2011. To capture this watershed year, we first had to earn the school's trust. So we offered to teach a class on documentary filmmaking.

A year later, our students had found their voices. They were owning their stories and the community was listening. The screening of our feature-length doc filled a 1,500 seat theater downtown, and kickstarted a movement to revive the school.

We built a recording studio so students could keep telling stories. Funding arrived to build a new magnet school too, inspired by the film.

Producer, Editor