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Logline

When artist Tony Concep joins forces with collectors Bill and Michelle Lerach to repatriate African artifacts and launch a mobile museum, their mission becomes a direct challenge to cultural erasure, using history itself as a weapon against authoritarian attempts to rewrite the past.

Synopsis

Across the United States, a wave of authoritarianism is reshaping how history is taught, remembered, and shared. Books are being banned, school curricula are being rewritten, and museums face mounting pressure to present a sanitized version of the past. Unmasked confronts this growing threat by following an unlikely alliance dedicated to preserving cultural memory and ensuring that the full story of humanity is not erased.

At the heart of the film is artist Tony Concep, whose search for identity and ancestral connection is deeply personal. As a Black American whose lineage was fractured by centuries of displacement, encountering African art offered Tony a way to rebuild that lost history. His journey intertwines with that of Bill and Michelle Lerach, passionate collectors whose private collection of African masks and sculptures has inspired dialogue, scholarship, and activism. Together, they envision a project that transforms how people access and engage with history.

Their mission begins with a transformative journey across Africa, where encounters with living traditions, ancestral memory, and humanity’s earliest origins and the repatriation of a rare African mask profoundly reshape their understanding of history and their role in preserving it. Back home in California, the trio launches a mobile museum designed to bring ancient African art and stories directly to schools and neighborhoods that have long been excluded from cultural institutions.

Unmasked is a powerful reminder that history is not a static record but a living force that shapes identity, justice, and democracy. By sharing art that speaks to humanity’s shared past, Tony and the Lerachs show that truth, once made accessible, becomes a tool of resistance and a beacon of hope in a time when forgetting has become a political strategy.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Brett Hoffman — Director/Producer
Brett Hoffman is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer specializing in documentary and commercial work. He produced and directed SALTWATERx (2024), an acclaimed feature documentary celebrating human connection and environmental advocacy. In 2020, he founded Nautilus Studios, a San Diego-based production company dedicated to telling authentic stories that bridge divides and illuminate the common threads of our humanity.

Tarek Albaba — Producer
Tarek Albaba is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has been featured on major platforms such as Disney+, National Geographic, History, Discovery, NBC/Universal, PBS, TRT World and Apple TV+. Tarek’s independent work focuses on creating stories that explore human rights, historical injustices, and social issues.

His feature documentary debut, 36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime (2023), premiered at DOC NYC in 2023, where it won the Subject Matter award. He continues to develop and produce compelling stories that not only captivate audiences but also advocate for a more just and compassionate world.

Chris Patterson — Cinematographer
Chris Patterson is a cinematographer based in southern California. This pro snowboarder turned filmmaker has shot across the United States and around the world. He has worked extensively on documentary features like Ski Bum: The Warren Miller Story (2019) and the award-winning film 36 Seconds: Portrait of a Hate Crime (2023). Chris has also shot the historical epic, Why The Nativity (2022).

On the TV series side, Chris was the DP on Deadliest Catch The Bait (2018), Deadliest Catch “Captain Vs. Captain” (2018), and Bering Sea Gold for Discovery Channel. Chris has also worked in the lighting department on scripted series such as The Mandalorian for Disney+ and Grey’s Anatomy.

Austin Cooper — Sound Mixer
Austin Cooper is a passionate sound mixer and audio engineer who has been a key creative partner at Nautilus Studios since its founding. He mixed the sound for SALTWATERx (2024) and has helped define the studio’s signature style across dozens of projects. With a filmmaker’s eye and an audio engineer’s precision, Austin brings stories to life through powerful, immersive sound.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.