Robert Sickels has been obsessed with movies since he saw Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at a Seattle drive-in when he was three years old. This fixation with all things cinematic ultimately led to his earning a PhD in film studies at the University of Nevada. He is a father, an independent filmmaker, a prolific writer & editor, a baseball junkie, a foodie, a semi-professional mixologist, hopelessly addicted to pop culture, and the founder of Big Whiskey Studios, which specializes in micro-documentary projects that emphasize engaging personal narratives.

Sickels' films have screened widely in the US and abroad, including on PBS and at the Ann Arbor, Cinequest, BFI London International, St. Louis International, Chicago International, New Orleans, and Sidewalk Film Festivals. He is also a Professor and the Director of the Film & Media Studies Program at Whitman College, where he teaches Film History and Filmmaking classes.