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Dear Filmmakers, We are pleased to welcome you to the fourth annual Filmmaker’s Summit and the tenth annual Berkshire International Film Festival! The BIFF aims to foster a community-wide attitude that will allow filmmakers, directors, writers and actors an encouraging environment to collaborate, present their work, and interact with each other and with film audiences. It is in support of this aim that the Filmmakers Summit was developed as a nurturing, creative space for filmmakers on both sides of the camera to come together in the spirit of collaboration, discussion, and continued growth.� We appreciate you taking time out of your busy lives to join us. Your participation, along with the diverse perspective each of you brings, will ensure success and another great year! We hope that in these few wonderful days in the bucolic and cultural surroundings of the Berkshire hills, you will find the Summit and the BIFF a place to collaborate, engage and be inspired. BIFF celebrates and congratulates you...thank you for participating! Cheers, Kelley R. Vickery
BIFF FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR
Sponsored by
Carolyn Lancaster
CL PRODUCTIONS NYC FILMMAKERS SUMMIT PRODUCER
BIFF thanks Marco and Zhana Londoner, Carolyn Lancaster, Mary Mott and the industry professionals for their time and participation. Congratulations to the 2015 Filmmakers!
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WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 2015
11:45am Shuttle to Yale Hill
4:00pm - 5:30pm A Conversation about Cinematography and Your Camera Choices Alex Kurze from Abel Cine & Director of Photography, John Inwood
12:00pm - 1:00pm Introductions & Lunch
6:45pm Shuttle to Yale Hill for the evening
1:00pm Depart to Doug Trumbull’s Approx 25 min ride
7pm Cocktail and Dinner Party at Mary Mott and Gordon Simmering’s Home
1:30pm - 3:00pm Doug Trumbull Presentation
9:30pm Return to hotel(s); After Party at The Lions Den - Red Lion Inn
11:00am Hotel Check in
3:00pm Shuttle to the Red Lion Inn - Hitchcock Room Approx 25 min ride
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THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2015 9:30am Shuttle to Yale Hill for the day 9:45am - 10:30am Breakfast 10:30am - 11:30am Risk Management for Filmmakers Peter Marshall 11:30am - 12:30pm Ethical Limits and Dramatic Conceits Greg Rhem, Douglas Tirola, & Nancy Novack Moderated by Harry Chotiner 12:30pm - 1:30pm Lunch
1:30pm - 2:30pm How to Market Your Film: Is Theatrical Distro Necessary, or Desirable? Maureen Masters 2:30pm - 3:30pm Understanding the Machine: Running a Multifaceted Entertainment Company Nick Quested 3:30pm Closing Remarks & Celebratory Toast 4:30pm Off to Opening Night 5:00pm Opening night begins; Cocktails & Hor D’eourves under the BIFF Tent 6:00 PM Opening Night Film MERU at the Mahaiwe
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FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2015 9:30am Meet outside of hotel(s) for pick up 10am Triplex What New Media and It’s New Outlets Mean to Filmmakers Daniel Battsek, Marc Simon and Greg Rhem PANEL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC 5:00pm Hotel pick up available for Cocktail Party
5:30 PM Cocktail and Hor D’eourves catered by EAT AND DRINK at The Beacon Cinema 7:00 PM Berkshire Bank Presentation of the 6th Annual “Next Great Filmmaker Award” Followed by a screening of THE END OF THE TOUR at the Beacon Cinema* Shuttle to Hotels
*Head of Transpo, John Clarke: 413-717-0068/BIFF Transpo: 413-528-8030 *Please be outside at requested time for all pick-ups, and be on the look out for transportation.
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MARCO LONDONER PRODUCER/PRINCIPAL MOMENTARY PICTURES
Marco Londoner has worked in film and television for over twentyfive years. As a Producer, Mr. Londoner most recently completed the production ON THE ICE, which was filmed entirely within the Arctic Circle. The film premiered in dramatic competition at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the Best First Feature and Crystal Bear awards at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival. Prior to this, he produced the film LOVELY BY SURPRISE (New American Cinema Special Jury Prize) and was both a producer and AD on THE PHOTOGRAPHER (New York Film Festival Vision Award). His varied experience includes work as a 1st AD on such titles as the television series, BLUE BLOODS, PERSON OF INTEREST, GLEE, and DAMAGES. In feature films Mr. Londoner has worked on titles such as the Academy Award nominated THE CONTENDER, as well as PROZAC NATION, and THE WENDELL BAKER STORY. In the reality television field, Mr. Londoner has worked as both Field Producer and Production Manager on such popular shows as AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL and PROJECT RUNWAY. Mr. Londoner continues to develop and produce both television and feature film projects and moderates The Filmmakers Summit at the Berkshire International Film Festival, Sponsored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
ZHANA LONDONER PRODUCER/EXECUTIVE MOMENTARY PICTURES
Attending NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts gave Zhana her entry into film, television, and theatre performance and production. She started her career appearing on TV shows LAW & ORDER, LAW & ORDER: SVU, LAW & ORDER: CI while working in the development office of Universal Pictures. After working for an entertainment law firm in Los Angeles, Zhana moved into production with the award winning films THE STATION AGENT and LOVELY BY SURPRISE, and show as NBC’s THE APPRENTICE, THE RESTAURANT, and MTV’s BOILING POINTS and BATTLEGROUNDS: KING OF THE WORLD, amongst others. She later opened and ran the production and development arm of Vanguard Management, a talent management company, where she also lead the east coast office. In 2010, Zhana started Momentary Pictures, a film and television production and finance company based in New York City. That same year, the company produced its first film ON THE ICE. The film premiered in Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival, won both the Best First Feature Prize and the Crystal Bear at Berlinale, the FIPRESCI Prize at the Seattle International Film Festival, and Best Narrative Film Award and Best Cinematography Award at the Woodstock Film Festival, amongst others.
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DANIEL BATTSEK
PRESIDENT OF COHEN MEDIA GROUP In his role as President of Cohen Media Group, Battsek plays a key role in overseeing CMG’s production slate, which includes Hitchcock/Truffaut, Double Cross, Operation Mincemeat and the remake of the French film You Will Be My Son, as well as distributing much lauded releases such as 2015 Academy Award nominee, Timbuktu. Prior to joining CMG, Battsek was President of National Geographic Films, where he acquired projects for development/production, operated a boutique theatrical domestic distribution arm for art-house titles and documentaries, and oversaw National Geographic large-screen and IMAX projects. Battsek also served as President of Miramax Films, where he was instrumental in acquiring, green-lighting or distributing such renowned and award winning films as Tsotsi (Best Foreign Language Oscar), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, The Queen, No Country for Old Men (Best Feature Film Oscar) and There Will Be Blood. In his time at Buena Vista International, he oversaw the distribution of hit films, including international smash Calendar Girls. Before joining Disney, Battsek was managing director of Palace Pictures where he was involved in all aspects of marketing, distribution and acquisitions in the UK and Ireland for such films as Cinema Paradiso, When Harry Met Sally and The Crying Game. Battsek began his industry career at The Hoyts Film Corporation in Sydney, Australia.
HARRY CHOTNIER NEW YORK UNIVERSITY FILM HISTORY PROFESSOR
Born and bred in Los Angeles, and grew up around the film industry. After graduating from Wesleyan University, went to Rabbinical school for a year, dropped out, and went on to get a doctorate in history from University of California at Santa Cruz. Then worked at various jobs in the film industry, as everything from a reader for Francis Coppola’s Zoetrope Studio to an executive at 20th Century Fox and then Interscope Communications. Then fatherhood and teaching history. For the past dozen years have been teaching film criticism at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies.
PANELISTS
JOHN INWOOD
CINEMATOGRAPHER & DIRECTOR John Inwood is an Emmy nominated cinematographer based in New York and Los Angeles. With over 20 years as a cinematographer, Inwood has photographed a wide range of projects including documentaries, concert films, television promos, commercials, music videos, before moving on to television and feature films. He has worked in nearly all formats: super 16, 35mm, Super 8, The Red, The Arri Alexa, The Sony F65 and various video and HD mediums. His passion lies in the art of effective story telling in narrative films and television. He first made his mark in independent films in New York, on such films as: THE DAYTRIPPERS, FACE and SIX WAYS TO SUNDAY. His most recent film, THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST, starring Neil Patrick Harris was released in 2011. Inwood has worked much of his career on television shows, especially notable comedies such as Nickelodeon’s “The Adventures of Pete and Pete”, NBC/ABCs “Scrubs”, where
he spent 6 full season and parts of 2 others for a total of over 160 episodes, “Strangers with Candy” on Comedy Central, a full season of NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” and most recently, 2 Pilots for Fox and a Fox show called “The Goodwin Games” with Beau Bridges, Becky Newton, Scott Foley, and T.J. Miller, and directed by Peyton Reed (YES MAN, DOWN WITH LOVE, BRING IT ON). The Goodwin Games will air starting May20th. After a dozen years shooting television shows in Los Angeles, Inwood returned to New Work to photograph the first season of “Michael J. Fox Show”. He is currently prepping Tina Fey’s new show “Tooken” for NBC. Inwood’s career to date includes nearly 250 episodes of television, 10 Pilots for most of the major networks, and 8 Feature Films. He was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Best Cinematography for his work on “Scrubs” in 2008.
ALEX KURZE
ABEL CINE/NEW YORK RENTAL AGENT Alex is a freelance producer and camera rental agent at Abel Cine in New York. As a producer he has put together numerous highly decorated films that have screened at festivals all over the world and been selected at venues such as Cannes, Tribeca, Austin and many more. Most recently he had a short film on the Academy Awards short list that in the end unfortunately did not get nominated. As a member of the Abel Cine family he has provided camera equipment and consulted the commercial, TV and feature market for over 3 years now with such staple shows like SNL, Louis CK, Broad City and various other. With a wide range from slow motion cameras, high end cinema, broadcast, compact HD down to DSLR and GoPros he has covered a little bit of everything and supported pretty much any nature of a show which has only helped Alex grow in his understanding of the needs of productions of any scope. He continues to produce and create content while supplying the market with gear and his expertise.
PETER MARSHALL
MANAGING DIRECTOR DEWITT STERN GROUP Peter specializes in insurance programs and risk management for film and television productions as well as electronic games including production insurances, intellectual property insurance, and Cyber Risks. He coordinates DeWitt Stern’s national practice in these media. Before joining DeWitt Stern in 2005, Peter produced feature films and television. During his many years of experience in the film industry, he was the Senior Vice President of Film Production at Lionsgate, head of television production at Trimark Pictures, and served as an executive at Warner Bros. as well as at several prominent independents. He started his career in the New York and LORT A theater worlds. Peter holds degrees from Yale University and The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, and an M.F.A. from the Yale School of Drama. He is a licensed Property and Casualty broker in New York, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, and California.
PANELISTS
NANCY NOVACK EDITOR
MAUREEN MASTERS
DIR OF REGIONAL PUBLICITY & FILM FESTIVAL BOOKINGS FOR MAGNOLIA PICTURES Maureen is currently director of regional publicity and film festival bookings for Magnolia Pictures where she oversees regional marketing efforts for Magnolia’s theatrical slate. She began her film career in college writing indie film reviews, eventually earning a BA in Journalism from the University of North Texas. After graduation, she was hired by Moroch, Dallas, TX, doing film publicity. Continuing her career in film publicity, she moved to Philadelphia accepting a position with Allied Advertising and PR. While in Philadelphia, she earned her Masters in Communications from Villanova University. In 2010, Maureen moved to New York to work for Magnolia Pictures where she has overseen successful regional campaigns for MELANCHOLIA, PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES, JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI, QUEEN OF VERSAILLES, BLACKFISH and more recently LIFE ITSELF and IRIS.
Nancy Novack has been editing documentary and feature films for over 20 years. Her work has appeared on HBO, PBS, ABC, The Sundance Channel, The History Channel, The National Geographic Channel and The Discovery Channel; and has been featured at the Sundance, Venice, Tribeca, and New York film festivals. Her films have received numerous EMMY and Peabody awards, the Dupont award, and the George Polk award for Journalism. Recent credits include - For PBS: KEN BURNS PRESENTS - CANCER:THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES, THE AFRICAN AMERICANS: MANY RIVERS TO CROSS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR., CLINTON, FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, MY LAI, Broadway: THE AMERICAN MUSICAL; for ABC: FINAL WITNESS; for HBO: SOUTHERN RITES, DEAR TALULA, and Spike Lee’s WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE, which earned Ms. Novack an Emmy award for Outstanding Picture Editing of a Non-Fiction Program. Currently, she is editing a PBS series about the history of recorded music. Ms. Novack received her BA from The University of Pennsylvania where she is also a Professor, teaching editing in the School of Fine Arts.
NICK QUESTED
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GOLDCREST FILM Nick is Executive Director of Goldcrest Films, where he has been key to the financing of projects such as TWILIGHT, TROPIC THUNDER, EAGLE EYE, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, 2012’s Academy Award winning, THE IRON LADY, and ELVIS & ANABELLE (2007), starring Blake Lively, on which Nick also served as s producer. His most recent producing effort, WHICH WAY IS THE FRONT LINE FROM HERE? THE LIFE AND TIME OF TIM HETHERINGTON premiered at Sundance this year and aired in April on HBO. Nick’s credits as an executive producer include, PUSSY RIOT: A PUNK PRAYER (Sundance Special Jury Prize Documentary Winner, 2013), THE WINNING SEASON (starring Sam Rockwell and Emma Roberts, 2009); RESTREPO (Sundance Grand Jury Documentary Winner, 2010); HOMEWORK (Sundance Narrative Selection 2011, starring Emma Roberts and Freddie Highmore); ON THE ICE (Berlinale Crystal Bear Generation 14Plus and Best First Feature Winner, 2011); CHEERFUL WEATHER FOR THE WEDDING (starring Felicity Jones and Elizabeth McGovern, 2012); THE GIRL (starring Abbie Cornish, 2011), and DARK HORSE (starring Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow 2011). Nick is currently directing CON ARTISTES, a documentary about the theatre program in Sing Sing Prison.
GREG RHEM
HBO DOCUMENTARY FILMS Greg Rhem is Director of Documentary Programming for Home Box Office. For the past eighteen years, he’s been involved in discovering new and distinctive documentary programming for HBO Documentary Films. Some of his finds have been: the Oscar®- winning FREEHELD, BORN INTO BROTHELS, THOTH, and BREATHING LESSON: THE LIFE AND WORK OF MARK O’BRIEN; and Oscar®-nominated MONDAYS AT RACINE, THE LAST CAMPAIGN OF GOVERNOR BOOTH GARDNER and SPELLBOUND. Mr. Rhem holds a M.A. in Media Studies from the New School University, and a B.A. degree in English and Film Studies from the University of Rochester.
PANELISTS
MARC SIMON
COWAN, DEBAETS, ABRAHAMS & SHEPPARD Marc Simon is an experienced entertainment attorney who represents film and television companies, financiers, producers, directors, writers, talent and other content providers, in addition to representing clients in the digital, gaming and new media spaces. He has served as production counsel on numerous films, handled complex negotiating and transactional matters on behalf of his diverse clientele, and has functioned as a producer’s sales representative. Mr. Simon advises clients on financing, copyright clearance (including fair use matters), intellectual property acquisitions, start-up ventures, all above-the-line agreements, coproduction and sales and distribution agreements. Notable projects include handling all legal matters for the spyaction thriller November Man, the financing, production and/ or distribution negotiations for the Best Picture Academy Award nominees Winter’s Bone and The Kids Are All Right, as well as all distribution matters for Werner Herzog’s Caves of Forgotten Dreams
and Into The Abyss, as well as for Muscle Shoals and Upstream Color and all matters for God’s Pocket, Robot and Frank, First Position and Side By Side. His practice is uniquely informed by his personal involvement in the entertainment industry. Mr. Simon developed, wrote and produced the award-winning feature-length documentary film After Innocence, which profiles the courageous stories of the exonerated, innocent men, wrongfully-convicted, who are now fighting to succeed in society after DNA evidence cleared them of crimes for which they spent decades in prison. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and was a semi-finalist for the Best Feature Documentary at the 78th Academy Awards. Mr. Simon also directed and produced the acclaimed and award-winning feature documentaries Nursery University which was released in Spring of 2009, and Unraveled which was released in 2012.
DOUGLAS TRUMBULL
ACADEMY AWARD WINNING, SPECIAL EFFECTS ICON AND VISIONARY
DOUGLAS TIROLA
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR, 4TH ROW FILMS; SCRIPTED AND NON-SCRIPTED FILM Douglas Tirola had his directorial debut with AN OMAR BROADWAY FILM (Tribeca Film Festival, HBO Documentary Films) followed by the Award-Winning ALL IN - THE POKER MOVIE (Cinevegas, Showtime Networks). His most recent film was HEY BARTENDER (SXSW, Showtime Networks, Netflix). Tirola’s producing credits include NY Times Critic’s Pick MAKING THE BOYS (Berlin Film Festival, First Run Features), and the critically acclaimed ACTRESS (True / False, Cinema Guild). His first job was as a PA on WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.
Legendary filmmaker and visual effects pioneer, Douglas Trumbull, was one of the Special Photographic Effects Supervisors for 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968). He went on to become the Visual Effects Supervisor for such classics as CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977), STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE (1979), and BLADE RUNNER (1982), each of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Visual Effects. Mr. Trumbull directed SILENT RUNNING (1972), BRAINSTORM (1983), BACK TO THE FUTURE... THE RIDE (1991) and numerous other special format films. He is the recent recipient of an Academy Award in the area of Scientific and Technical Achievement as well as the International Monitor Award and American Society of Cinematographers’ Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions in the field of filmmaking. Douglas is currently involved in the evolution of visual effects using virtual digital sets and electronic cinematography.
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STEPHEN GLANTZ SCREENWRITER AUF DAS LEBEN
For the past 25 years, Mr. Glantz has enjoyed a wide-ranging career as a writer for film, television and books. His 2011film, WUNDERKINDER, has won over 13 awards, including Best Screenplay at Copenhagen and three awards at Giffoni. THE LAST TRAIN (2007), was considered “The most important film of the fall and was universally honored by the German press and placed in many German schools for 10 years. Harper Collins published CLARA’S WAR. Translation rights have been sold to 21 countries. Mr. Glantz has written over 10 feature films for Warner’s, Disney, Paramount, Tri-Star, MGM, Universal, HBO and New Line Cinema. His current projects include two more scripts about the Holocaust. A JEWISH GIRL IN SHANGHAI and THE BEST OF ALL POSSIBLE WORLDS. He is also writing a script based on the life Elizabeth “Mumbet” Freeman for director Alethea Root, a Great Barrington native and director of PART TIME FABULOUS. He currently teaches screenwriting and a course on Genocide and the Media at Emerson College. His Holocaust films are part of the permanent collection of the new Visual Hall at Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem and are shown worldwide by the Goethe Society.
MARK KEMBLE
PRODUCER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER BAD HURT Mark Kemble is an award-winning writer/director from Providence, Rhode island. He has directed stage productions over the years in Providence, Los Angeles and New York. ! Mark’s film, BAD HURT, starring Karen Allen, Michael Harney, Theo Rossi and Iris Gilad had its world premiere recently at the Tribeca Film Festival. Mark and Tom Musca (STAND AND DELIVER, TORTILLA SOUP) co-wrote and produced the HBO film, RACE, with Cliff Robertson, C.C.H. Pounder and Paul Rodriguez which was nominated for the Imagen Award. Another collaboration, FLIGHT OF FANCY, starred Dean Cain and Miguel Sandoval and won Best Family Feature at the 2000 Hollywood Film Festival. In 1995, his world premiere play about the Hollywood blacklist, the multi-award winning show NAMES, played to sold out audiences in Los Angeles. Mark also directed the production. NAMES was critic’s choice in every major newspaper, and was named one of the Top Ten Plays of 1995, by NPR. In the spring of 1997, Kemble directed NAMES off-broadway, prompting notable New York critic, Clive Barnes to call NAMES “a better play than Odets’ “The Big knife.” Mark has lectured at U.C.L.A. and Rhode Island School of Design. He has also moderated the Actors Studio Playwright/Directors Unit.
FILMMAKERS
DIEGO ONGARO DIRECTOR BOB AND THE TREES
Diego Ongaro is a French director living in rural western Massachusetts. In 2005, he wrote and directed ME MY BAG and MY BALL, a short film that won the Canal+ Award at the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival. He has since directed three other short films: RETURN TO LABRADORIA (Clermont Ferrand & Aspen Shortfest 2008), RICE AND MEAT (Winner of Milano Film Fest. 2009 in the section “Short, Yet Good”) and BOB AND THE TREES (Boston Independent Film Fest, Maryland Film Festival 2011), the latest being the inspiration for the feature film bearing the same name. Diego likes carpentry, sausages, playmobils and raking leaves. DiegoOngaro.com
TODD KIPP
WRITER/DIRECTOR/PRODUCER CONSOLATION PRIZE My name is Todd Kipp and I’m a writer/director/producer with five short films most recently COMPUTER POTATO and CONSOLATION PRIZE currently on the festival circuit. I also have three spec commercials and two web series pilots under my belt. I am working on a feature documentary called SOME OTHER GUYS. This feature-length documentary focuses on the early 1960s music scene in Liverpool and Hamburg, concentrating on Cavern Club favourites the Big Three.
STACEY REISS
NICK SHORE
Stacey Reiss, Producer, is an Emmy award-winning filmmaker who has written, directed and produced documentaries and long form programs for HBO, NBC, WNET, CNBC and National Geographic. Her films include IT’S ME, HILARY: THE MAN WHO DREW ELOISE (2015 Sundance Film Festival), THE DIPLOMAT (2015 Tribeca Film Festival) and I KNEW IT WAS YOU (2009 Sundance Film Festival): all were broadcast on HBO. For more than a decade at Dateline NBC, Stacey produced breaking news reports, network specials and documentaries. She also produces documentary style campaigns for corporate clients including KKR, Comcast, the Reebok Foundation and Diageo. Stacey holds a journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Nick Shore is an independent producer based in Los Angeles. Originally from New York’s Hudson Valley, Nick graduated from Bard College with a BA in Film & Video production and studies. After graduation, Nick worked in the motion picture literary department at Creative Artists Agency. He left in 2012 to produce independently. Since then he has produced numerous commercial works for clients such as Shady Records, Innovative Leisure, and Conde Nast Entertainment. He produced the independent feature film UP THE RIVER (dir. Ben Greenblatt), starring Lindsay Burge and Will Brill, which just had its world premiere at the Sun Valley Film Festival. DON’T WORRY BABY is Nick’s second feature and had its world premiere at the Sarasota Film Festival.
PRODUCER THE DIPLOMAT IT’S ME, HILARY: THE MAN WHO DREW ELOISE
PRODUCER DON’T WORRY BABY
FILMMAKERS
JULIAN BRANCIFORTE WRITER/DIRECTOR DON’T WORRY BABY
Julian Branciforte is a writer and director currently living in New York’s Chinatown. He attended SVA where he held prestigious internships with Darren Aronofsky and Sam Mendes. Julian wrote and directed his senior thesis, then after graduating in 2011, Julian concentrated on writing and directing feature films. DON’T WORRY BABY is Julian’s first feature film. Julian has also done commercial directing for OPENING CEREMONY, DEER DANA and 3X1 Denim.
THOMAS KAIER PRODUCER DON’T WORRY BABY
Thomas Kaier is an independent film producer living in Venice, California. Entering the industry as a Creative Executive Assistant at New Regency in 2008, Thomas has since worked on a variety of projects from student to studio films, shorts to indie features. More recently, Thomas has focused his efforts on producing commercial content for internet and social media platforms. When not pursing movies you can find him surfing at one of Southern LA county’s beautiful surf spots.
SUSAN BEDUSA
PRODUCER DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT & DEAD Susan is currently Senior Vice President of Production & Development at 4th Row Films where she sets up development and distribution deals with various networks and studios, and collaborates with writers and directors on new ideas for TV and film, working with them from development thru distribution. Over the past 7 years, Susan has produced 9 feature-length theatrical documentaries. AN OMAR BROADWAY FILM (Tribeca Film Festival, HBO Documentary Films), OWNING THE WEATHER (Full Frame Film Festival, IFC International), MAKING THE BOYS (Berlin International Film Festival, First Run Features) KATI WITH AN I (DOC NYC, Nominee IFP Gotham Awards), FAKE IT SO REAL (True / False Film Festival, New Yorker Magazine’s Best Films of 2012) ALL IN – THE POKER MOVIE (Cinevegas Film Festival Best Documentary Award, Showtime Networks), HEY BARTENDER (Showtime Networks, Netflix)
and ACTRESS (Nominee IFP Gotham Award for Best Documentary, and Nominee Cinema Eye Awards). Most recently, Susan optioned the rights to the story and archive of the National Lampoon, which was turned into a feature documentary directed by 4th Row President, Douglas Tirola. Called DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: THE STORY OF THE NATIONAL LAMPOON. The film had its World Premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. She is also in production on a film about a former heavy metal rockstar turned classical composer. Susan also served as Producer of the television series “The X Effect,” for MTV, which ran on the network for three seasons. Susan is a graduate of Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI where she earned degrees in Journalism and Creative Writing. She graduated from Staples High School in Westport, CT.
FILMMAKERS
DOUGLAS TIROLA
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT & DEAD Douglas Tirola had his directorial debut with AN OMAR BROADWAY FILM (Tribeca Film Festival, HBO Documentary Films) followed by the Award-Winning ALL IN - THE POKER MOVIE (Cinevegas, Showtime Networks). His most recent film was HEY BARTENDER (SXSW, Showtime Networks, Netflix). Tirola’s producing credits include NY Times Critic’s Pick MAKING THE BOYS (Berlin Film Festival, First Run Features), and the critically acclaimed ACTRESS (True / False, Cinema Guild). His first job was as a PA on WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.
TODD KRUGER
PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/WRITER/EDITOR EXPOSURE Bio: A native of Los Angeles, Todd Kruger took his love for movies to the University of Colorado where he immersed himself into the art of filmmaking and also dabbled in the world of stand up comedy. Since graduating in 2004 and moving back to LA, Todd has made his living working on set, while simultaneously pursuing his directing career. His short film EXPOSURE has been accepted to 12 film festivals(and counting). Currently, Todd has many projects in the works, including a commercial for a start-up company, several spec commercials, and comedy shorts. Hugs are available upon request.
MO SCARPELLI
CO-DIRECTOR/PRODUCER FRAME BY FRAME Mo Scarpelli is a non-fiction filmmaker and multimedia journalist. Her curiosity of humans and her compulsion to expose the underexposed has led her to shoot in more than 15 countries around the world.
ALEXANDRIA BOMBACH CO-DIRECTOR/PRODUCER/EDITOR FRAME BY FRAME
Alexandria Bombach is an Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker who lives on the road. Founding her production company RED REEL in 2009, Alexandria is known to sell all of her belongings to tell a story she believes in.
Mo is the Founder and Director of Rake Films, which produces character-rich films and multimedia stories for news and non-profits. Rake’s award-winning short films with non-profits have screened at the World Health Organization, the United Nations and in global health events across Africa, Asia, Europe and the U.S.
In 2010, Alexandria set out to film 23 FEET, a 30-minute documentary about people living a simple life in order to do what they love in the outdoors. 23 FEET takes an in-depth look at what it means to live for your passions. The film screened at festivals in 15 countries and across the U.S. in a rogue distribution outlet: her 1970 Airstream with an outdoor theatre attached to it.
As a journalist, Mo has published work with the BBC, The Wall Street Journal, Africa Review, The Huffington Post and Narrative.ly. She holds a Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Missouri, nearly 10 years of experience filming in unfamiliar territories, and that bottle opener on her at all times doubles as a tripod key.
Her Emmy award-winning 2012 film series, MOVESHAKE, features real life stories and lessons of people dedicating their lives to environmental and social issues. Focusing on character-driven films, Alexandria’s work is defined by her ability to get to the core of what drives passionate people to do what they do.
FILMMAKERS
CLARE SACKLER TODD SLAWSBY DIRECTOR/WRITER HEEBIE JEEBIES
Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Todd attended Occidental College, sight-unseen, simply because it was in Los Angeles. A veteran screenwriter, he has written projects for New Line Cinema, 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures, among others. Todd lives in Boston with his wife, Amelia, and their children, Liam and Lyla. Having retired from playing rugby, he now spends his time encouraging his children to pursue safer hobbies, like skateboarding and filmmaking. THE HEEBIE-JEEBIES is his first directorial effort.
DIRECTOR, WRITER HUMPTY
Clare is a director, writer, and producer currently based in San Francisco. After graduating from Duke University, she spent several years working in the film industry in Los Angeles for a number of inspiring individuals on projects ranging from music videos and commercials to feature films and television shows. She moved to New York City to pursue an MFA in directing and writing from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is now developing her first feature as her thesis film. Her short films have screened at festivals around the world including Aspen Shortsfest, Cleveland International Film Festival, Napa Valley Film Festival, and Cannes Short Film Corner. She directed and wrote her latest short film GREGORY AND JANE with the support of the Sloan Foundation. Her short film HUMPTY will be airing on PBS later this year as part of KQED’s Film School Shorts program.
ANDREW BERENDS SADYK SHER NIYAZ DIRECTOR KURMANJAN DATKA QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAINS
Sadyk Sher Niyaz is the writer and director of KURMANJAN DATKA QUEEN OF THE MOUNTAINS as well as being one of the producers. The film is his directorial debut. In 2006 he founded the film production company Aitysh Film and between 2007 and 2009 undertook a Postgraduate course for scriptwriters and directors in Moscow.] He was the co-writer and producer for PARZ (2007) and the producer of SOL (2011), CHAYKA (2012) and AKU (2014) During 2010 he was Minister of Culture and Information for Kyrgyzstan and in 2011 he became the Chairman and a member of the Union of Cinematographers in Kyrgyzstan. He also founded a short film festival in Kyrgyzstan for Central Asian and Eastern Europe countries.
DIRECTOR/WRITER MADINA’S DREAM
Andrew Berends’ most recent film, DELTA BOYS, explores the militancy in the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria. DELTA BOYS has received funding and support from the Sundance Documentary Film Fund, the Gucci/Tribeca Documentary Film Fund, and Cinereach. While filming in Nigeria, Berends was arrested, detained for 10 days, and expelled from the country by the Nigerian government in a bid to suppress media coverage of the Niger Delta conflict. Berends was awarded the International Documentary Association “Courage Under Fire” award for his film THE BLOOD OF MY BROTHER, about an Iraqi family whose oldest son was killed by an American patrol. Also filmed in Iraq, WHEN ADNAN COMES HOME was awarded Best Documentary at the 2007 Vail Film Festival. Berends’ previous documentary film, URK, about Dutch fishermen on the perilous North Sea, was nominated for the International Documentary Association’s Pare Lorentz Award. Berends’ most recent photographic work involved documenting six weeks in Haiti in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake for which he was featured in an episode of the Independent Film Channel’s “IFC Media Project.”
FILMMAKERS
CHRISTIAN D. BRUUN
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD Christian D. Bruun is an international film director and producer, architect, and curator with over 15 years of experience. His films have had international theatrical and television distribution and been in official selection at Sundance, Tribeca, Berlin, and HotDocs film festivals. Christian produced the first Real-D 3D feature film in 2006; a film that was the #1 at the box office in several countries. His feature Directorial debut BLUE GOLD premiered at the Berkshire International Film Festival in 2014. As the owner and co-founder of Light Cone Pictures, he is the executive producer on the feature documentary: THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD. Currently he is in post production on a feature documentary filmed in Vienna (TBA) and is directing a
new feature documentary about fashion icon and 95 year old trailblazer and entrepreneur Ruth Finley and in pre-production on a feature documentary on the musician Sylvester – the first openly gay and transgendered pop music icon. Christian’s video work has been shown at – among other places – MoMA, Centre Pompidou, Cooper- Hewitt, and the Venice Biennale. He has directed and produced national commercial campaigns. In 2004 and 2006 Christian curated and designed the US Pavilion at the Venice Biennale and he is a board member of the A+D Museum in Los Angeles. Christian studied at SCIArc in California and holds a Master of Architecture from AAA in Denmark.
MARK ROMEO
PRODUCER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD Mark is a Marketing and Media Executive with over a decade of experience in consumer products, technology and e-commerce. In 2006, he began working for National Geographic Entertainment to help market the academy award win of “March of the Penguins” internationally and in home entertainment. “March of the Penguins” became the most commercially successful documentary feature film ever released. He was an assistant to the director on “American Hardcore which debuted at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was purchased for distribution by Sony Pictures Classics. In 2009, he teamed up with his producing partner writer/ director Christian Bruun on the film BLUE GOLD: AMERICAN JEANS a seven year endeavor which will see its release in the fall of 2015. In 2013, Mark and Christian became producers of the danish production THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WORLD, the true story of Stanislav Petrov featuring Kevin Costner, Robert De
Niro, Matt Damon and Ashton Kutcher. Currently with Bruun and Light Cone Pictures they are in production on THE RUTH FINLEY DOCUMENTARY and have just begun pre-production on the music documentary on the life of the first openly gay black musician “Sylvester” which will be Executive Produced by Spike Lee. Mark holds an MBA from the Babcock School of Management at Wake Forest University. He has lectured and taught classes in Entertainment and Experiential Marketing at Columbia University School of Business, The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania, The Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University and at the Stern School for Business at New York University.
FILMMAKERS
BRUCE SMOLANOFF DIRECTOR/WRITER/PRODUCER MUCK
SARAH ADINA SMITH DIRECTOR THE MIDNIGHT SWIM
Before THE MIDNIGHT SWIM, Sarah wrote and directed the awardwinning short, THE SIRENS as well as co-wrote and produced GOODBYE WORLD,released by Samuel Goldwyn Films & Phase 4. Her latest script, THE COLONY, was a Nicholl’s Fellowship semifinalist and is being produced by Night & Day Pictures.
Bruce directed, co-wrote, and produced the short films MUCK and MY ELENA and has directed productions at HERE, Surf Reality, Collective Unconscious, The Actors Studio, and the Bowery Poetry Club. He was also a consultant on Stephen Lang’s BEYOND GLORY, which ran on Broadway at the Roundabout. Bruce’s one-man show MY NEW YORK had a long run in both NYC and Los Angeles, and was an L.A. Weekly Pick of the Week. He has worked as an actor with directors ranging from Robert Wise to Alan Rudolph, and most recently appeared in Nathan Silver’s SOFT IN THE HEAD. He currently works in development at Brooklyn Academy of Music.
EMILIE MCDONALD WRITER/PRODUCER MUCK
HENRY CHAISSON
Emilie is a director and writer with several shorts under her belt, including MUCK (DP Sean Price Williams; starring Tallie Medel; award from Ted Hope’s Hammer to Nail), CROSSING THE RIVER (Best Short, NUHO FF; Best Ensemble Cast, NYC Downtown Short FF), OTHER PEOPLE’S HOUSES (2010) and MY ELENA (2009). She’s in development on several feature films, including GUN CLUB ROAD and BUCKLE MY SOUL (semifinalist Tribeca All Access/ Creative Capital; participant Indie Film Clinic). www.emiliemcdonald.com
HENRY CHAISSON (Open 24 Hours) is an undergraduate at Brown University studying music and literature. He has been making films in some form or another since he was ten years old. He is also a composer and pianist, and was the recipient of an ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Award. He co-wrote, scored, edited and directed OPEN 24 HOURS in collaboration with Slater Hall, an LAbased production company.
DIRECTOR/WRITER OPEN 24 HOURS
FILMMAKERS
KELLY CARTY CREATOR THE PAPER TRAIL
Kelly has spent over twenty years in broadcast media, working in both domestic and international news (CNNI, CNN, Reuters, CNBC, Dow Jones, Fox, BBC), broadcast public relations (Microsoft), and media affairs (Clinton White House). She worked on start up teams for Dow Jones news channels in London and Singapore and managed interviews with newsmakers and influentials from Bill Gates to Bill Clinton, setting up breaking news coverage, large scale global launches and evening news broadcasts. She has run 6 marathons and is based in New York City. She is working on a memoir documentary with her identical twin Kate.
JONATHAN BEE CREATOR THE PAPER TRAIL
Jonathan has done multi-media fiber art installations across the US and in London. He edited and published DV-8--a music art and fashion magazine distributed nationally. He created the first printed yoga mat which sold all over the world and was Oprah’s favorite! He and his husband Kent own Hunter Bee in Millerton. Jonathan has done social work around HIV/AIDS for over twenty years.
NILOU SAFINYA PRODUCER PIONEER HIGH
SUHA ARAJ PRODUCER PIONEER HIGH
Suha Araj is a Palestinian- American filmmaker and educator. Her work explores the displacement of immigrant communities and her passion lies in bridging cultures. THE CUP READER, shot in Palestine premiered at the TriBeCa Film Festival 2013 and won the Next Great Filmmaker Award at the Berkshire International Film Festival and the Baghdad International Film Festival. She is in development on a feature film, THE KHSARA CLUB which has been supported by the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, Torino Film Lab, IFP No Borders, Emerging Visions and the Berlinale Talent Campus and Talent Market. She just completed a new short film PIONEER HIGH, based on the true story of her mother’s first days in the U.S. after immigration.
Nilou is a NY-based Iranian-American producer working in film, TV and theatre. After graduating from Columbia University, Nilou pursued a mission to work on global and culturally diverse issues, helping to bring people together through the arts. She worked for three years in TV and film development and production at Levantine Entertainment (Associate Producer for AMREEKA, 2009) before turning freelance. Nilou is a partner of Regional Emmy award-winning GRANDMA’S CHICKEN PANTS (GCP), a high-end creative & content development production company that has worked all over the US and in twenty-two countries around the world. Recently she has produced two short films, RUNNING WITH SHARKS and PIONEER HIGH and line produced for the feature, Eugenia and John. Nilou concurrently has two feature films in development and sits as the President of the Board of Directors for Noor Theatre. She has many credits in NY theatre, including work at Juilliard and most recently producing the world premiere SHESH YAK at the award-winning off-Broadway Rattlestick Playwrights Theater.
FILMMAKERS
JASON ZELDES DIRECTOR/WRITER ROMEO IS BLEEDING
Jason is a documentary director and editor, best known for editing the 2013 Academy Award® winning film, TWENTY FEET FROM STARDOM. The film earned Zeldes an ACE Award for Best Edited Documentary Feature, and led to other exciting collaborations, including work with the Oceanic Preservation Society on RACING EXTINCTION which premiered at Sundance 2015. Prior to his editing career, Jason worked as an assistant to acclaimed filmmakers such as Doug Blush, Kirby Dick, and Patrick Creadon. ROMEO IS BLEEDING is Jason’s directorial debut.
MICHAEL KLEIN PRODUCER ROMEO IS BLEEDING
Michael recently produced a short film titled DOG FOOD which premiered at the 2014 SXSW film festival, directed by Brian Crano and starring Amanda Seyfried, Cory Michael Smith, and David Craig. Michael received a BA in Cinema-Television Production from the University of Southern California. He has produced music videos for notable artists such as The Stone Temple Pilots and Ice Water. Michael has produced and directed commercials for clients such as AT&T and American Express. He has also worked in docu-reality television on the ABC series “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution” and most recently as a production coordinator for BBC America on the series “Richard Hammond’s Crash Course”.
PAMELA TANNER BOLL
DIRECTOR/WRITER/EXECUTIVE PRODUCER A SMALL GOOD THING Pamela Tanner Boll, an artist, filmmaker, writer, and activist, is the Director of A SMALL GOOD THING, a film that asks how can we live in a better way, and WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?, a film about five artists who are mothers. She is the Co-Executive Producer of Academy Award-winning Born into Brothels, and the Executive Producer of eight documentaries: CONNECTED, IN A DREAM, OUR SUMMER IN TEHRAN, STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS, LIVING IN EMERGENCY: STORIES OF DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDER, SHE’S BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE’S ANGRY, CLOSE TO THE FIRE, and E-TEAM.
PAULA KIRK
PRODUCER A SMALL GOOD THING Paula Kirk is the Producer of A SMALL GOOD THING, MYSTIC ARTISTS’ current production. She is also the Marketing & Outreach Coordinator for Mystic Artists’ 2008 film WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS? Paula has collaborated with Director Pamela Tanner Boll on various projects for more than 18 years.
FILMMAKERS
REINALDO MARCUS GREEN WRITER/DIRECTOR STOP
T.C. JOHNSTONE
EDITOR/POST PRODUCTION SUPERVISOR A SMALL GOOD THING T.C. began making films in Steamboat Springs 13 years ago. After producing his first feature he moved to Santa Monica, California and began working as a DP and documentary director on a wide variety of projects ranging from television to independent films. T.C. has traveled to over 40 countries and has a deep desire to see people live out their purpose and contribute to the common good. With a passion for redemptive story and world issues, T.C. began writing and directing films with redemptive themes 7 years ago. The vision was simple… allow audiences to dream and be a catalyst for change.
New York native Reinaldo Marcus Green is a writer, director, and producer. His latest short film STOP, which he wrote, produced, and directed, premiered as an official selection at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2015 where it was acquired by Condé Nast and named as one of IndieWIRE’s ‘must see shorts at Sundance’, as well as one of five ‘Unexpected Film Highlights at Sundance’ by Vogue Magazine. His previous short film, STONE CARS, shot on a micro-budget in South Africa, had its international premier as an official Cinefondation selection at the Festival de Cannes 2014, as well as winning the Grand Jury Prize at Le Temps Presse Festival (juried by Jane Campion, Gus Van Sant, Gael Garcia Bernal, Gaspar Noe, Mira Nair, and Wim Wenders). Having its network premier on HBO in 2014, it went on to screen at numerous film festivals around the world including Telluride and the Los Angeles Film Festival; it is currently available on HBO GO. As a graduate student at the NYU Tisch School of the Arts film program, Reinaldo worked as an assistant to directors Kasi Lemmons and Todd Solondz and was recognized as a Wasserman Finalist. In addition to being selected to the Emerging Storytellers Program at the the 2014 Independent Film Week (IFP), Reinaldo earned some of the highest awards in the NYU film program, including the 2014 Media Services Producing Award and the 2014 Honorarium Award from the Princess Grace Foundation.
CHIARA BERNASCONI PRODUCER STOP
Chiara Bernasconi is Assistant Director in the Digital Media department at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC, working with a team of ten on the design and production for the museum’s website, MoMA.org, as well as interpretative kiosks, digital displays, and mobile applications. Chiara has an MA in Arts administration from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a BS in Economics for arts from Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. When not at MoMA, she has collaborated in participatory events with the collectives linearossa and electric cabbage, has conducted artist walks with the NYC-based organization, Elastic City, and has curated an artists residency in her native Italy. After attending SXSW she got inspired to venture into the independent film space. She has since produced two narrative shorts, STONE CARS and STOP which have screened at festivals around the world including Festival de Cannes, Sundance,Telluride, and Los Angeles Film Festival and have garnered distribution and been televised by popular networks such as CondÊ Nast and HBO.
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