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Panelists for the Stage 32 + Hollyshorts - 3-Day Weekend Film Conference Badge conference
Dino Day-Ramos
Associate Editor, Deadline
Dino-Ray Ramos is based in Los Angeles and is an Associate Editor at Deadline. His primarily writes about inclusion & diversity in the industry, genre film & TV, as well as pop culture and media. In addition, he covers events and awards shows such as the Oscars, Emmys, Comic-Con and the Television Critics Association press tour. He co-hosts the New Hollywood Podcast with Amanda N'Duka, which champions people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ community and other underrepresented voices in film and television.
A Texas native, Dino-Ray worked as film and television reporter in the San Francisco Bay Area, writing for the Oakland Tribune as well as the San Francisco Chronicle before moving to Los Angeles. Prior to Deadline, he was the chief film critic at the Tracking Board and wrote for Vogue, Entertainment Tonight, Bustle, Paste Magazine, Queerty, and NBC Asian America.
Dino-Ray Ramos is based in Los Angeles and is an Associate Editor at Deadline. His primarily writes about inclusion & diversity in the industry, genre film & TV, as well as pop culture and media. In addition, he covers events and awards shows such as the Oscars, Emmys, Comic-Con and the Television Critics Association press tour. He co-hosts the New Hollywood Podcast with Amanda N'Duka, which champions people of color, women, members of the LGBTQ community and other underrepresented voices in film and television.
A Texas native, Dino-Ray worked as film and television reporter in the San Francisco Bay Area, writing for the Oakland Tribune as well as the San Francisco Chronicle before moving to Los Angeles. Prior to Deadline, he was the chief film critic at the Tracking Board and wrote for Vogue, Entertainment Tonight, Bustle, Paste Magazine, Queerty, and NBC Asian America.
Christopher Doddy
Cinematographer
Over a span of the last 4 decades, Christopher Duddy has lent his diverse filmmaking skills to several of the biggest and most successfull movies in history and has become a sought after Producer, Director and Cinematographer. After studying photography in college, Christopher started his career at ILM, Industrial Light and Magic, George Lucas' visual effects studio. He amassed an impressive body of experience early in his career filming visual effects and action sequences on blockbuster movies such as The Abyss, Total Recall and Terminator 2 (which he was on the Academy Award winning teams for visual effects on all three movies.) Christopher continued working with James Cameron on his next three features; True Lies, T-2 3D, and the 2nd most successful movie of all time, Titanic, in which Mr. Cameron enlisted Christopher to shoot the climax of the ship sinking (again, Christopher was on that Academy Award winning team for visual effects) Starting the new millennium, Christopher was one of the three credited cinematographers, including Roger Deakins and Andrej Bartkowiak, that shot the acclaimed Kevin Costner feature film Thirteen Days for New Line, where he and director Roger Donaldson re-created the Cuban missile site in the Philippines, while also bringing Washington D.C. back to 1962. In 2001, Christopher made his directing debut with the award winning short film entitled Leaving Peoria, which won the coveted Best Comedy Short Award at the 2001 Houston WorldFest Film Festival and his lead actor won the Best Actor Award at the 2002 Sun Valley Film Festival. This hilarious and heartfelt film was also written and produced by Duddy. Christopher has been the Director of Photography on several independent features that have premiered on HBO, Showtime and the Fox Family Channel. In 2004' he shot two horror movies, a remake of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligary which he won best cinematography at Stan Winston's ScreamFest in 2005 and All Soul's Day which premiered to rave reviews at the 2005 Slamdance Film Festival. In 2005 to 2010, Christopher formed Open Sky Entertainment to develop and produce feature films which has produced 7 films, one being his feature film directorial debut on the successful R rated comedy Cougar Club which is being distributed by Universal/Vivendi. In 2012, Chris began a journey into documentary filmmaking by producing and directing a music documentary feature film about legendary Hall of Fame rock star Duff McKagan of Guns and Roses and Velvet Revolver entitled It's So Easy and Other Lies which got a theatrical release in June of 2016 and is now currently on Netflix. Currently, Christopher is producing and the cinematographer on a remake of the legendary horror film Nosferatu and is attached to direct and shoot another music documentary about the legendary music family the Porcaro's of the band TOTO entitled Porcaro: A Band of Brothers and he also is the 2nd unit Director of Photography on the hit CBS show Scorpion which has just started production on season 4.
Over a span of the last 4 decades, Christopher Duddy has lent his diverse filmmaking skills to several of the biggest and most successfull movies in history and has become a sought after Producer, Director and Cinematographer. After studying photography in college, Christopher started his career at ILM, Industrial Light and Magic, George Lucas' visual effects studio. He amassed an impressive body of experience early in his career filming visual effects and action sequences on blockbuster movies such as The Abyss, Total Recall and Terminator 2 (which he was on the Academy Award winning teams for visual effects on all three movies.) Christopher continued working with James Cameron on his next three features; True Lies, T-2 3D, and the 2nd most successful movie of all time, Titanic, in which Mr. Cameron enlisted Christopher to shoot the climax of the ship sinking (again, Christopher was on that Academy Award winning team for visual effects) Starting the new millennium, Christopher was one of the three credited cinematographers, including Roger Deakins and Andrej Bartkowiak, that shot the acclaimed Kevin Costner feature film Thirteen Days for New Line, where he and director Roger Donaldson re-created the Cuban missile site in the Philippines, while also bringing Washington D.C. back to 1962. In 2001, Christopher made his directing debut with the award winning short film entitled Leaving Peoria, which won the coveted Best Comedy Short Award at the 2001 Houston WorldFest Film Festival and his lead actor won the Best Actor Award at the 2002 Sun Valley Film Festival. This hilarious and heartfelt film was also written and produced by Duddy. Christopher has been the Director of Photography on several independent features that have premiered on HBO, Showtime and the Fox Family Channel. In 2004' he shot two horror movies, a remake of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligary which he won best cinematography at Stan Winston's ScreamFest in 2005 and All Soul's Day which premiered to rave reviews at the 2005 Slamdance Film Festival. In 2005 to 2010, Christopher formed Open Sky Entertainment to develop and produce feature films which has produced 7 films, one being his feature film directorial debut on the successful R rated comedy Cougar Club which is being distributed by Universal/Vivendi. In 2012, Chris began a journey into documentary filmmaking by producing and directing a music documentary feature film about legendary Hall of Fame rock star Duff McKagan of Guns and Roses and Velvet Revolver entitled It's So Easy and Other Lies which got a theatrical release in June of 2016 and is now currently on Netflix. Currently, Christopher is producing and the cinematographer on a remake of the legendary horror film Nosferatu and is attached to direct and shoot another music documentary about the legendary music family the Porcaro's of the band TOTO entitled Porcaro: A Band of Brothers and he also is the 2nd unit Director of Photography on the hit CBS show Scorpion which has just started production on season 4.
Nick Terry
Manager, Zero Gravity
Lauren Fash
Director (THROUGH THE GLASS DARKLY)
Lauren Fash began her film career under the mentorship of Producer Iain Smith, learning the ropes on such blockbuster films as WANTED, INCEPTION & THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. After working her way up the production ladder, she was accepted to the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, graduating in 2010. Her thesis film LITTLE SPOON (starring Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez) premiered at the Champs-Élysées Film Festival in Paris and received international distribution.
Lauren’s first independent short film, QUIET, inspired by the true story of Presidential Medal recipient Janice Langbehn, screened at over 35 festivals across the United States, Europe, Latin America and China. In 2014, Lauren was flown to Hong Kong and received the Best Director award from 56.com for her work on QUIET.In 2015, Lauren’s feature length documentary OUT & AROUND, chronicling the global fight for equality and partnered with the It Gets Better Project, was purchased and distributed by Viacom, airing on Logo and MTV. It is now streaming on Amazon & Hulu.
In 2017, Lauren participated in the WIF / Sundance Finance Intensive with her psychological thriller, THROUGH THE GLASS DARKLY. She is currently in the depths of hell AKA post-production on the film.
Lauren Fash began her film career under the mentorship of Producer Iain Smith, learning the ropes on such blockbuster films as WANTED, INCEPTION & THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. After working her way up the production ladder, she was accepted to the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, graduating in 2010. Her thesis film LITTLE SPOON (starring Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez) premiered at the Champs-Élysées Film Festival in Paris and received international distribution.
Lauren’s first independent short film, QUIET, inspired by the true story of Presidential Medal recipient Janice Langbehn, screened at over 35 festivals across the United States, Europe, Latin America and China. In 2014, Lauren was flown to Hong Kong and received the Best Director award from 56.com for her work on QUIET.In 2015, Lauren’s feature length documentary OUT & AROUND, chronicling the global fight for equality and partnered with the It Gets Better Project, was purchased and distributed by Viacom, airing on Logo and MTV. It is now streaming on Amazon & Hulu.
In 2017, Lauren participated in the WIF / Sundance Finance Intensive with her psychological thriller, THROUGH THE GLASS DARKLY. She is currently in the depths of hell AKA post-production on the film.
Julianna Politsky
Production & Entertainment Finance, Legendary Entertainment
Julianna Politsky earned her Hollywood stripes coming up through the mail room of a reputable talent agency. Moving to a Feature desk, she worked closely with Talent, Casting Directors, Producers, and Writers in all facets of TV and Film.
Joining Legendary in 2011 she helped build its first Production department. From script to screen she has 14 films under her belt with budgets ranging from $10 to $200 million dollars. Projects such as 42, GODZILLA, PACIFIC RIM, WARCRAFT, SKULL ISLAND and Alejandro Iñárritu’s VR experience CARNE Y ARENA at LACMA to name a few.
Coming from a Hispanic background - working closely and helping diverse talent and strong female driven and created projects is a life’s mission. In 2016 she founded a Women in Entertainment Networking event - called Project PETRA. 100 plus women from all areas of the Industry attend to help educate each other and Promote Equality Through Real Action. In addition, she advises for International and State film commissions, Crowd Funding and Digital Entertainment companies and volunteers for organizations such as HIRED HEROS who help Vets enter the Entertainment world after their service.
more »Julianna Politsky earned her Hollywood stripes coming up through the mail room of a reputable talent agency. Moving to a Feature desk, she worked closely with Talent, Casting Directors, Producers, and Writers in all facets of TV and Film.
Joining Legendary in 2011 she helped build its first Production department. From script to screen she has 14 films under her belt with budgets ranging from $10 to $200 million dollars. Projects such as 42, GODZILLA, PACIFIC RIM, WARCRAFT, SKULL ISLAND and Alejandro Iñárritu’s VR experience CARNE Y ARENA at LACMA to name a few.
Coming from a Hispanic background - working closely and helping diverse talent and strong female driven and created projects is a life’s mission. In 2016 she founded a Women in Entertainment Networking event - called Project PETRA. 100 plus women from all areas of the Industry attend to help educate each other and Promote Equality Through Real Action. In addition, she advises for International and State film commissions, Crowd Funding and Digital Entertainment companies and volunteers for organizations such as HIRED HEROS who help Vets enter the Entertainment world after their service.
Ka Wai Ho
Studio Managment - SONY Crackle
Ka Wai Ho has extensive experience in growth strategies, business development and project financing in the fields of media, venture capital and strategy consulting.
As a strategy consultant, Ka Wai applied his expertise across a wide spectrum of industries from digital media to consumer goods. He has helped a technical equipment manufacturer launch and reposition a product line to effectively mitigate low-cost competitors. He also worked with managers of an international hotel chain to increase profits across the globe and devised the Pan-European market positioning strategy for a multinational advertising corporation.
With a predilection for projects with wide social impact, Ka Wai was a founding member of a start-up venture capital fund that helped to alleviate community issues, such as poor sanitation, that were caused by mining operations in Peru. He developed the business strategy for the fund, helped raise the initial round of capital and consolidated relationships with entrepreneurs, corporate executives, financiers and the Government.
Within media, Ka Wai assisted financing numerous film and TV projects with budgets up to $80MM. Such projects include Two Guns starring Mark Walberg and Denzel Washington, the Chinese/Canadian co-production Outcast starring Nicholas Cage and Hayden Christensen, and the television series True Justice starring Steven Segal. He previously worked with Lionsgate Entertainment where he helped to oversee one of the company's production & distribution subsidiaries, managing projects with budgets of $30MM+ and revenues of over $370MM. Ka Wai is currently an executive at Sony Pictures Entertainment where he manages the digital originals studio (Sony Crackle).
Being a native of Hong Kong, growing up in the United Kingdom, and having lived in various countries in Europe, Asia, and North and South America gives Ka Wai an incredibly rich cultural background and the knowledge of how to do business worldwide. He is fluent in English, Cantonese, and conversational in Mandarin.
Ka Wai is a graduate of Oxford University and holds a MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He has published papers on subjects such as technology transfer and the effectiveness of public policies, has been a speaker at various panels/festivals, and even guest lectured to film students on the topic of entertainment financing.
Finally, Ka Wai is an avid adventurer, having summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, trekked in the largest caves in the world (Son Doong, Vietnam), travelled solo across Latin America and backpacked to the four corners of Egypt.
Lionsgate Entertainment – Corporate Development / Finance (Los Angeles, US)
- Lead business development and financial strategy for Lionsgate’s TV distribution and production subsidiary.
- Cross-functional management of projects with budgets of $30MM and revenues of over $370MM per annum.
- Create models to support negotiations as well as assess investment, partnership and operational opportunities.
Pacific Mercantile Bank – Media & Entertainment Division (Los Angeles, US)
- Develop new business by building relationships with producers/directors and other media & entertainment professionals.
- Account management to enhance client value by offering innovative and integrated solutions.
- Analyze and identify attractive projects then negotiate with clients and internal team to lead them through deal process.
- Acquired 2nd largest content production relationship with $0.5MM deposits and a strong pipeline of projects to be financed.
- Responsible for reporting on a portfolio of $80MM+ Production, Tax Credit and Line of Credit financings that generated over 50% year-on-year growth and 10%+ of company revenue in 2013.
THE MILKEN INSTITUTE – Non-Profit Think-Tank (Los Angeles, US)
- Presented complex financial strategies, derived from data mining and other research, to garner support from industry experts.
- Liaised with C-Level executives and top policy makers to determine solutions to issues such as biotech research funding.
ALTIPLANO VENTURES – Private Equity Social Venture Fund (Lima, Perú / Los Angeles, US)
- Devised private placement memorandum and business plan, including sales & marketing strategy, comparables analysis and growth projections to demonstrate the value created by Altiplano Ventures that helped to raise $250M of funding.
- Structured venture fund with external legal and financial advisory teams resulting in extra sources of revenue and tax savings.
SIMON-KUCHER & PARTNERS – Strategy & Marketing Consultants (London, UK / Germany and Hong Kong)
- Executed innovative competitive landscape analysis at a multinational organization enabling a repositioning strategy that revived a diminishing product resulting in sales growth of HK$400M to HK$40MM in 2 years.
- Gained diverse industry project experience e.g. Online Media, Digital/Mobile Platforms, I.T. Services, Tech. and Travel.
- Spearheaded adoption of organization-wide revenue growth training program for senior management of a multinational.
Ka Wai Ho has extensive experience in growth strategies, business development and project financing in the fields of media, venture capital and strategy consulting.
As a strategy consultant, Ka Wai applied his expertise across a wide spectrum of industries from digital media to consumer goods. He has helped a technical equipment manufacturer launch and reposition a product line to effectively mitigate low-cost competitors. He also worked with managers of an international hotel chain to increase profits across the globe and devised the Pan-European market positioning strategy for a multinational advertising corporation.
With a predilection for projects with wide social impact, Ka Wai was a founding member of a start-up venture capital fund that helped to alleviate community issues, such as poor sanitation, that were caused by mining operations in Peru. He developed the business strategy for the fund, helped raise the initial round of capital and consolidated relationships with entrepreneurs, corporate executives, financiers and the Government.
Within media, Ka Wai assisted financing numerous film and TV projects with budgets up to $80MM. Such projects include Two Guns starring Mark Walberg and Denzel Washington, the Chinese/Canadian co-production Outcast starring Nicholas Cage and Hayden Christensen, and the television series True Justice starring Steven Segal. He previously worked with Lionsgate Entertainment where he helped to oversee one of the company's production & distribution subsidiaries, managing projects with budgets of $30MM+ and revenues of over $370MM. Ka Wai is currently an executive at Sony Pictures Entertainment where he manages the digital originals studio (Sony Crackle).
Being a native of Hong Kong, growing up in the United Kingdom, and having lived in various countries in Europe, Asia, and North and South America gives Ka Wai an incredibly rich cultural background and the knowledge of how to do business worldwide. He is fluent in English, Cantonese, and conversational in Mandarin.
Ka Wai is a graduate of Oxford University and holds a MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He has published papers on subjects such as technology transfer and the effectiveness of public policies, has been a speaker at various panels/festivals, and even guest lectured to film students on the topic of entertainment financing.
Finally, Ka Wai is an avid adventurer, having summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, trekked in the largest caves in the world (Son Doong, Vietnam), travelled solo across Latin America and backpacked to the four corners of Egypt.
Lionsgate Entertainment – Corporate Development / Finance (Los Angeles, US)
- Lead business development and financial strategy for Lionsgate’s TV distribution and production subsidiary.
- Cross-functional management of projects with budgets of $30MM and revenues of over $370MM per annum.
- Create models to support negotiations as well as assess investment, partnership and operational opportunities.
Pacific Mercantile Bank – Media & Entertainment Division (Los Angeles, US)
- Develop new business by building relationships with producers/directors and other media & entertainment professionals.
- Account management to enhance client value by offering innovative and integrated solutions.
- Analyze and identify attractive projects then negotiate with clients and internal team to lead them through deal process.
- Acquired 2nd largest content production relationship with $0.5MM deposits and a strong pipeline of projects to be financed.
- Responsible for reporting on a portfolio of $80MM+ Production, Tax Credit and Line of Credit financings that generated over 50% year-on-year growth and 10%+ of company revenue in 2013.
THE MILKEN INSTITUTE – Non-Profit Think-Tank (Los Angeles, US)
- Presented complex financial strategies, derived from data mining and other research, to garner support from industry experts.
- Liaised with C-Level executives and top policy makers to determine solutions to issues such as biotech research funding.
ALTIPLANO VENTURES – Private Equity Social Venture Fund (Lima, Perú / Los Angeles, US)
- Devised private placement memorandum and business plan, including sales & marketing strategy, comparables analysis and growth projections to demonstrate the value created by Altiplano Ventures that helped to raise $250M of funding.
- Structured venture fund with external legal and financial advisory teams resulting in extra sources of revenue and tax savings.
SIMON-KUCHER & PARTNERS – Strategy & Marketing Consultants (London, UK / Germany and Hong Kong)
- Executed innovative competitive landscape analysis at a multinational organization enabling a repositioning strategy that revived a diminishing product resulting in sales growth of HK$400M to HK$40MM in 2 years.
- Gained diverse industry project experience e.g. Online Media, Digital/Mobile Platforms, I.T. Services, Tech. and Travel.
- Spearheaded adoption of organization-wide revenue growth training program for senior management of a multinational.
Rachel Goldberg
Director (American Horror Story, Transofrmation Awaits)
Rachel Goldberg is an award-winning filmmaker who has directed more than 30 productions for stage and screen, garnering over 20 awards for her work. She has been supported by the Sundance/Women in Film Financing Initiative for her feature, TRANSFORMATION AWAITS, based on the short film, NEIGHBORS,starring Kelli Garner (SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE) and Edi Gathegi (TWILIGHT). NEIGHBORS was created through AFI’s prestigious Directing Workshop for Women. Recently she was recognized by studio executives who included her on The Alice Initiative List, among directors Ava DuVernay and Katheryn Bigelow.
Rachel directed MUTED, a film about media discrepancy when a child of color goes missing, starring Chandra Wilson (GREY’S ANATOMY) and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (THE COSBY SHOW) which sold to HBO. This film was nominated for a Black Reel Award alongside DEAR WHITE PEOPLE and SELMA.
She was selected for the Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program, the We for She Direct Her Program, FOX Global Directors Initiative and the Ryan Murphy HALF Foundation. Through these programs which are designed to promote more women directors in television, Rachel was invited to shadow multi-talented Chandra Wilson on the hit show, THE FOSTERS, and was subsequently selected to shadow on the critically-acclaimed shows, HOMELAND under phenomenal director Tucker Gates, and AMERICAN HORROR STORY under the incomparable Jennifer Lynch.
Named one of “30 Emerging Filmmakers to Watch” by Film Independent, Rachel was selected for Film Independent’s Project: Involve as a Directing/Writing Fellow where she created ROSITA LOPEZ FOR PRESIDENT and was subsequently chosen to participate in the highly competitive Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, where she further developed TRANSFORMATION AWAITS.
As a writer, Rachel has been recognized by the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, Sundance, the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship, Cinestory Foundation, Rhode Island International Film Festival and more.
Currently, Rachel is attached to direct the feature films TRANSFORMATION AWAITS which is being produced by Triangle Road Entertainment, and WELCOME TO CAMELOT which is being produced by Sundance/Cannes alumnus, Todd Remis (MAGIC MAGIC) and TIFF veteran, Julie Snyder (TANNER HALL), as well as a thriller through Mar Vista Entertainment and CIRCUS CIRCUS based on the stage play by the same name.
She serves on the Board of the Unusual Suspects Theater Company and is a Board Member Emeritus for the Alliance of Women Directors.
Her work has been described as “poetry in motion” by the LA Weekly and “stunning” by the LA Stage Scene. Rachel earned her MFA in Directing for Film and Theater from the California Institute of the Arts and her BA in Theater and Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
more »Rachel Goldberg is an award-winning filmmaker who has directed more than 30 productions for stage and screen, garnering over 20 awards for her work. She has been supported by the Sundance/Women in Film Financing Initiative for her feature, TRANSFORMATION AWAITS, based on the short film, NEIGHBORS,starring Kelli Garner (SECRET LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE) and Edi Gathegi (TWILIGHT). NEIGHBORS was created through AFI’s prestigious Directing Workshop for Women. Recently she was recognized by studio executives who included her on The Alice Initiative List, among directors Ava DuVernay and Katheryn Bigelow.
Rachel directed MUTED, a film about media discrepancy when a child of color goes missing, starring Chandra Wilson (GREY’S ANATOMY) and Malcolm-Jamal Warner (THE COSBY SHOW) which sold to HBO. This film was nominated for a Black Reel Award alongside DEAR WHITE PEOPLE and SELMA.
She was selected for the Sony Pictures Television Diverse Directors Program, the We for She Direct Her Program, FOX Global Directors Initiative and the Ryan Murphy HALF Foundation. Through these programs which are designed to promote more women directors in television, Rachel was invited to shadow multi-talented Chandra Wilson on the hit show, THE FOSTERS, and was subsequently selected to shadow on the critically-acclaimed shows, HOMELAND under phenomenal director Tucker Gates, and AMERICAN HORROR STORY under the incomparable Jennifer Lynch.
Named one of “30 Emerging Filmmakers to Watch” by Film Independent, Rachel was selected for Film Independent’s Project: Involve as a Directing/Writing Fellow where she created ROSITA LOPEZ FOR PRESIDENT and was subsequently chosen to participate in the highly competitive Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, where she further developed TRANSFORMATION AWAITS.
As a writer, Rachel has been recognized by the Film Independent Screenwriting Lab, Sundance, the Academy’s Nicholl Fellowship, Cinestory Foundation, Rhode Island International Film Festival and more.
Currently, Rachel is attached to direct the feature films TRANSFORMATION AWAITS which is being produced by Triangle Road Entertainment, and WELCOME TO CAMELOT which is being produced by Sundance/Cannes alumnus, Todd Remis (MAGIC MAGIC) and TIFF veteran, Julie Snyder (TANNER HALL), as well as a thriller through Mar Vista Entertainment and CIRCUS CIRCUS based on the stage play by the same name.
She serves on the Board of the Unusual Suspects Theater Company and is a Board Member Emeritus for the Alliance of Women Directors.
Her work has been described as “poetry in motion” by the LA Weekly and “stunning” by the LA Stage Scene. Rachel earned her MFA in Directing for Film and Theater from the California Institute of the Arts and her BA in Theater and Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.
Karim Ahmad
Director of Outreach & Inclusion, Sundance Institute
Karim Ahmad is the Director of Outreach & Inclusion at the Sundance Institute, where he oversees cross-platform outreach initiatives, and diversity strategy and partnerships across the organization. Previously, he was Senior Digital Strategist for ITVS, where he headed digital content production and creative development for episodic and immersive media. He was the Creator and Senior Producer of Indie Lens Storycast, an Independent Lens branded YouTube channel on PBS’ Digital Studios MCN, and the Creator and Showrunner of the iconic sci-fi series, FUTURESTATES. Karim is also an independent cross-platform writer and producer and can be found on Twitter as @the_karachi_kid.
more »Karim Ahmad is the Director of Outreach & Inclusion at the Sundance Institute, where he oversees cross-platform outreach initiatives, and diversity strategy and partnerships across the organization. Previously, he was Senior Digital Strategist for ITVS, where he headed digital content production and creative development for episodic and immersive media. He was the Creator and Senior Producer of Indie Lens Storycast, an Independent Lens branded YouTube channel on PBS’ Digital Studios MCN, and the Creator and Showrunner of the iconic sci-fi series, FUTURESTATES. Karim is also an independent cross-platform writer and producer and can be found on Twitter as @the_karachi_kid.
Hasan Foster
Senior Manager, Inclusion & Discourse, Film Independent’s LA Film Festival
A Los Angeles native, Hasan is Senior Manager of Inclusion and Discourse at Film Independent’s LA Film Festival where he produces panels and conversations addressing the state of inclusion in entertainment, both on screen and behind the camera.
Hasan began his career in entertainment as the first intern of the United Paramount Network (UPN) while in high school. He went on to pursue a BFA in Film and Television Production from NYU, graduating as a Tisch Scholar. Post-graduation, he continued with television production, working on music documentaries with the BBC in London and several domestic network series in America. Branching into music, Hasan joined the newly formed independent music label Cartel Records as its A&R director in 2008 where he developed and promoted a handful of artists during his tenure.
Before joining Film Independent, Hasan served as production manager of director Joss Whedon’s super PAC, Save The Day, where he worked with a team creating politically conscious content encouraging voter turnout for the 2016 election and later went on to help produce Whedon’s PSA in support of federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Hasan remains passionate about content creation and the need accurate representation of the lived experience for underrepresented groups.
more »A Los Angeles native, Hasan is Senior Manager of Inclusion and Discourse at Film Independent’s LA Film Festival where he produces panels and conversations addressing the state of inclusion in entertainment, both on screen and behind the camera.
Hasan began his career in entertainment as the first intern of the United Paramount Network (UPN) while in high school. He went on to pursue a BFA in Film and Television Production from NYU, graduating as a Tisch Scholar. Post-graduation, he continued with television production, working on music documentaries with the BBC in London and several domestic network series in America. Branching into music, Hasan joined the newly formed independent music label Cartel Records as its A&R director in 2008 where he developed and promoted a handful of artists during his tenure.
Before joining Film Independent, Hasan served as production manager of director Joss Whedon’s super PAC, Save The Day, where he worked with a team creating politically conscious content encouraging voter turnout for the 2016 election and later went on to help produce Whedon’s PSA in support of federal funding for Planned Parenthood. Hasan remains passionate about content creation and the need accurate representation of the lived experience for underrepresented groups.
Nic Novicki
Actor, Producer & Founder of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge
Nic Novicki is an actor, comedian and producer who has performed on six continents.
His television credits include: Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, AXS Gotham Comedy Live, Jack and Triumph, The Neighbors, Austin and Alley, Private Practice and Drop Dead Diva. He has appeared in several movies, such as Life Happens, November Rule, The Last 5 Years, Boston Girls and Breaking Wind and Dead Ant.
Nic has produced several feature films, television pilots and web series for companies including Sony, CBS, Air China, Maxim and Universal and is an active member in the Producers Guild of America’s Diversity Committee. Nic wrote for the CBS Diversity Showcase and has also written and directed several short films including A Little Broke, which was acquired by the TV station Shorts HD.
As a stand up comedian, Nic has toured all over the world, including several tours for the troops overseas through Armed Forces Entertainment. He has performed stand up on AXS Gotham Comedy Live.
He is the founder and Director of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge and serves as an active Board Member for Easterseals Southern California.
more »Nic Novicki is an actor, comedian and producer who has performed on six continents.
His television credits include: Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos, AXS Gotham Comedy Live, Jack and Triumph, The Neighbors, Austin and Alley, Private Practice and Drop Dead Diva. He has appeared in several movies, such as Life Happens, November Rule, The Last 5 Years, Boston Girls and Breaking Wind and Dead Ant.
Nic has produced several feature films, television pilots and web series for companies including Sony, CBS, Air China, Maxim and Universal and is an active member in the Producers Guild of America’s Diversity Committee. Nic wrote for the CBS Diversity Showcase and has also written and directed several short films including A Little Broke, which was acquired by the TV station Shorts HD.
As a stand up comedian, Nic has toured all over the world, including several tours for the troops overseas through Armed Forces Entertainment. He has performed stand up on AXS Gotham Comedy Live.
He is the founder and Director of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge and serves as an active Board Member for Easterseals Southern California.
Kaitlyn Yang
Visual Effects Supervisor & Founder of Alpha Studios
A graduate of USC's animation program, Yang founded her own post-production company, Alpha Studios, in 2013 and has more than 40 credits to her name, including "Robot Chicken" and "Falling Skies."
more »A graduate of USC's animation program, Yang founded her own post-production company, Alpha Studios, in 2013 and has more than 40 credits to her name, including "Robot Chicken" and "Falling Skies."
Kathleen McInnis
(Toronto, Aspen, Palm Springs, SIFF)
A festival strategist/publicist with morethan 25 years experience, KATHLEEN McINNIS employs long-range strategicplanning and targeted publicity to help emerging world-cinema filmmakerscultivate new audiences and launch careers from the global film festivalcircuit platform.
Under her company banner See-Through Films, Kathleen and her team design premiere publicity campaigns to ensure the films, and filmmakers, reach their goals.
Previously Director of Programming at Aspen Shortsfest, International Short Cuts Programmer at Toronto Int'l Film Festival and Festival Director at Palm Springs ShortsFest, Kathleen is currently the Curator of Seattle International Film Festival’s New Works-in-Progress Forum for Documentary and Narrative Features.
Kathleen also has served as a festival strategist and project development mentor at BAL Labs (Buenos Aries Labs), HotDocs International Film Festival (Canada), Koszalin FilmFestival for Debut Filmmakers (Poland), CineMart (InternationalFilm Festival Rotterdam), Galway Film Fleadh (Ireland), and at Berlinale Talents during the Berlin Film Festival. Kathleen has presented keynotes at Winterthur International ShortFilm Festival (Switzerland)and Kreativni Evropa-Media’s Intelligent Audience Design (Czech),and has been on been on festival juries at the Norwegian Short FilmFestival, Galway Film Fleadh, Seattle International Film Festival, Winterthur Film Festival, SXSW, Indie Lisboa and Tel Aviv InternationalStudent Film Festival.
more »A festival strategist/publicist with morethan 25 years experience, KATHLEEN McINNIS employs long-range strategicplanning and targeted publicity to help emerging world-cinema filmmakerscultivate new audiences and launch careers from the global film festivalcircuit platform.
Under her company banner See-Through Films, Kathleen and her team design premiere publicity campaigns to ensure the films, and filmmakers, reach their goals.
Previously Director of Programming at Aspen Shortsfest, International Short Cuts Programmer at Toronto Int'l Film Festival and Festival Director at Palm Springs ShortsFest, Kathleen is currently the Curator of Seattle International Film Festival’s New Works-in-Progress Forum for Documentary and Narrative Features.
Kathleen also has served as a festival strategist and project development mentor at BAL Labs (Buenos Aries Labs), HotDocs International Film Festival (Canada), Koszalin FilmFestival for Debut Filmmakers (Poland), CineMart (InternationalFilm Festival Rotterdam), Galway Film Fleadh (Ireland), and at Berlinale Talents during the Berlin Film Festival. Kathleen has presented keynotes at Winterthur International ShortFilm Festival (Switzerland)and Kreativni Evropa-Media’s Intelligent Audience Design (Czech),and has been on been on festival juries at the Norwegian Short FilmFestival, Galway Film Fleadh, Seattle International Film Festival, Winterthur Film Festival, SXSW, Indie Lisboa and Tel Aviv InternationalStudent Film Festival.
Pam Dixon
Casting Director
Pam was hired by CBS Television as an intern and became Assistant to the VP of Casting.
She went on to become Senior VP Talent at ABC Television. She left ABC to become a
Production Vice President for Paramount Pictures. After Paramount, she was VP Series
Development for Lorimar Television.
Several years later, Pam opened her own casting company. During this time, she has cast
numerous features: Zorro, City Slickers, Baby Boom, The Craft, Tremors, Waterdance,
Gosford Park, Angels in the Outfield, Barney’s Version and Goldeneye. She has worked with
Robert Altman and Alan Rudolph.
She is currently casting Song of Names directed by Francois Girard and working with
Martin Campbell and Brandon Cronenberg on their new films. She just recently completed
casting on An Ideal Home directed by Andy Fleming and starring Paul Rudd and Steve
Coogan and Destination Wedding starring Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves.
Pam is a past President of CSA and a member of both the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts &
Sciences and the Television Academy. She is Vice-President of the Western Council of the
Actors Fund and co-chairs The Media Access Awards. She has served as a mentor for the
Easterseals Disability Film Challenge and teaches at UCLA.
more »Pam was hired by CBS Television as an intern and became Assistant to the VP of Casting.
She went on to become Senior VP Talent at ABC Television. She left ABC to become a
Production Vice President for Paramount Pictures. After Paramount, she was VP Series
Development for Lorimar Television.
Several years later, Pam opened her own casting company. During this time, she has cast
numerous features: Zorro, City Slickers, Baby Boom, The Craft, Tremors, Waterdance,
Gosford Park, Angels in the Outfield, Barney’s Version and Goldeneye. She has worked with
Robert Altman and Alan Rudolph.
She is currently casting Song of Names directed by Francois Girard and working with
Martin Campbell and Brandon Cronenberg on their new films. She just recently completed
casting on An Ideal Home directed by Andy Fleming and starring Paul Rudd and Steve
Coogan and Destination Wedding starring Winona Ryder and Keanu Reeves.
Pam is a past President of CSA and a member of both the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts &
Sciences and the Television Academy. She is Vice-President of the Western Council of the
Actors Fund and co-chairs The Media Access Awards. She has served as a mentor for the
Easterseals Disability Film Challenge and teaches at UCLA.
Tim Gray
SVP & Awards Editor, Variety
Tim Gray is the Awards Editor and Senior Vice President of Variety. He writes about awards contenders (Oscar, Emmy, Tony, et al.) for both print and online, including a twice-weekly Gray’s Gold analysis. Tim started at Variety in 1981 and has held numerous posts over the years. Tim oversaw January 2013’s 80-page special report on entertainment and violence, which featured more than 40 representatives of various fields weighing in on the many aspects of violence. Tim counts this as one of the hardest, and most rewarding, things he’s ever done in his 33 years at Variety.
He also is the author of the new book published by Rizzoli, “Variety: An Illustrated History of the World From the Most Important Magazine in Hollywood,” which looks at world events—ranging from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through Arab Spring—through the prism of Variety. He is also the author of “Hollywood Dictionary,” which defines such slanguage as boffo, ankle and honcho, and is a co-author of “Cannes: 50 Years of Sun, Sex & Celluloid.” In addition, he was co-producer of the HBO documentary “Boffo.”
Since joining the media organization in 1981, Tim has served in a number of posts and has regularly contributed news stories, reviews, and photos to the paper.
more »Tim Gray is the Awards Editor and Senior Vice President of Variety. He writes about awards contenders (Oscar, Emmy, Tony, et al.) for both print and online, including a twice-weekly Gray’s Gold analysis. Tim started at Variety in 1981 and has held numerous posts over the years. Tim oversaw January 2013’s 80-page special report on entertainment and violence, which featured more than 40 representatives of various fields weighing in on the many aspects of violence. Tim counts this as one of the hardest, and most rewarding, things he’s ever done in his 33 years at Variety.
He also is the author of the new book published by Rizzoli, “Variety: An Illustrated History of the World From the Most Important Magazine in Hollywood,” which looks at world events—ranging from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through Arab Spring—through the prism of Variety. He is also the author of “Hollywood Dictionary,” which defines such slanguage as boffo, ankle and honcho, and is a co-author of “Cannes: 50 Years of Sun, Sex & Celluloid.” In addition, he was co-producer of the HBO documentary “Boffo.”
Since joining the media organization in 1981, Tim has served in a number of posts and has regularly contributed news stories, reviews, and photos to the paper.
Victoria De Mare
Actress
Victoria De Mare is one of Hollywood's reigning "Hottest Horror Scream Queens" for over a decade according to the cover feature editorial article of the January 2017 issue of Hustler Magazine. She has appeared in over 110 Film & TV productions & counting. She is best known for her creation & portrayal of the sexy demon succubus clown, "Batty Boop" from the horror/comedy feature series, 'Killjoy', which is now available as a resin doll statue/action figure courtesy of Full Moon Collectables worldwide November 2017.
Victoria is a graduate of New York University with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Broadcast Journalism. In addition to being a prolific character actor, she is also a published writer, published poet, professional model, live talk show host & producer, as well as a professional dancer. She is a former member of the Hart Pulse Dance Company, Wilmington Ballet Company, & Joffrey Ballet Company with guest artist performances at the St. Croix Ballet Company in the Virgin Islands. Victoria currently hosts/DJs "Groove Time with Victoria De Mare" on the largest online radio station worldwide in 18 countries - RockRageRadio.com on Friday nights at 6pE/5pC/3pP.
Victoria is also a professional lead, back-up, & harmony vocalist as well as a songwriter, composer, arranger, producer, music publisher(ASCAP), & catalog artist with over 50 songs on the Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing catalogs. Her 2016 pop/rock album, 'CanUNotTell' & latest 2017 singles are available to download or stream on iTunes, AppleMusic, AmazonMP3, Spotify & everywhere online with ringtones available exclusively on the iPhone worldwide.
more »Victoria De Mare is one of Hollywood's reigning "Hottest Horror Scream Queens" for over a decade according to the cover feature editorial article of the January 2017 issue of Hustler Magazine. She has appeared in over 110 Film & TV productions & counting. She is best known for her creation & portrayal of the sexy demon succubus clown, "Batty Boop" from the horror/comedy feature series, 'Killjoy', which is now available as a resin doll statue/action figure courtesy of Full Moon Collectables worldwide November 2017.
Victoria is a graduate of New York University with a B.A. in Theatre Arts and Broadcast Journalism. In addition to being a prolific character actor, she is also a published writer, published poet, professional model, live talk show host & producer, as well as a professional dancer. She is a former member of the Hart Pulse Dance Company, Wilmington Ballet Company, & Joffrey Ballet Company with guest artist performances at the St. Croix Ballet Company in the Virgin Islands. Victoria currently hosts/DJs "Groove Time with Victoria De Mare" on the largest online radio station worldwide in 18 countries - RockRageRadio.com on Friday nights at 6pE/5pC/3pP.
Victoria is also a professional lead, back-up, & harmony vocalist as well as a songwriter, composer, arranger, producer, music publisher(ASCAP), & catalog artist with over 50 songs on the Warner Music Group Film & TV Licensing catalogs. Her 2016 pop/rock album, 'CanUNotTell' & latest 2017 singles are available to download or stream on iTunes, AppleMusic, AmazonMP3, Spotify & everywhere online with ringtones available exclusively on the iPhone worldwide.
Denise Acosta
Producer/Director
Denise Acosta has an extensive background in media production, marketing, and design, and is a proud member of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers and Women in Media.
Ms. Acosta began her production career working in TV entertainment as part of the commercial production team for a CBS station, in Arizona. It was at CBS, where she produced, directed, and edited several commercials, as well as assisted in the production of multiple news segments.
After leaving CBS to study film at the Los Angeles Film School, Denise Acosta was quickly recruited to work for the multi-media production and marketing company Smart Media. While at Smart Media, Ms. Acosta produced and edited all training and development videos for a major fortune 500 client before starting her own production company, Turtle Dog Productions.
Denise worked as Co-Producer to help complete production on “Sticky: A (Self) Love Story,” while simultaneously finishing her first feature film “Hell’s Kitty” based on an award winning web-series she produced. The “Hell’s Kitty” feature boasts more horror icons than any movie in history.
more »Denise Acosta has an extensive background in media production, marketing, and design, and is a proud member of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers and Women in Media.
Ms. Acosta began her production career working in TV entertainment as part of the commercial production team for a CBS station, in Arizona. It was at CBS, where she produced, directed, and edited several commercials, as well as assisted in the production of multiple news segments.
After leaving CBS to study film at the Los Angeles Film School, Denise Acosta was quickly recruited to work for the multi-media production and marketing company Smart Media. While at Smart Media, Ms. Acosta produced and edited all training and development videos for a major fortune 500 client before starting her own production company, Turtle Dog Productions.
Denise worked as Co-Producer to help complete production on “Sticky: A (Self) Love Story,” while simultaneously finishing her first feature film “Hell’s Kitty” based on an award winning web-series she produced. The “Hell’s Kitty” feature boasts more horror icons than any movie in history.
Nicholas Tana
Writer, Director, and Musician
Nicholas Tana got his start as a writer, producer, and director working as a P.A. for KAET Channel 8 in Arizona before serving as Associate Director for ESPN International, where he used his abilities to speak Spanish and Italian to direct sports programming. After leaving ESPN in 2001, he started his own production company SMART MEDIA. As a creative, Tana has experience pitching to Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network having created a kids animation show distributed by Bejuba Entertainment in 2006. He is writer/director and star of the supernatural comedy HELL’S KITTY, which stars more horror icons than any movie in history. HELL’S KITTY is currently available on most major platforms including AMAZON PRIME, and has screened internationally around the world. His debut feature STICKY: A (SELF) LOVE STORY was distributed by Vision Films, Inc., a partner of SONY ENTERTAINMENT. STICKY stars Janeane Garofalo, Larry Flynt, and Nina Hartley, and was both a top seller and Amazon award winner in 2016. His films have screened around the world and been sold to television internationally. Tana has spoken on panels at THE SEDONA FILM FESTIVAL, PHOENIX COMICON, HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL, and the INDEPENDENT WRITERS ASSOCIATION (I.S.A.). He has served as a consultant for THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, and TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX, and will be a special guest at the San Diego COMICON, HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL, and SCARE L.A. this summer.
more »Nicholas Tana got his start as a writer, producer, and director working as a P.A. for KAET Channel 8 in Arizona before serving as Associate Director for ESPN International, where he used his abilities to speak Spanish and Italian to direct sports programming. After leaving ESPN in 2001, he started his own production company SMART MEDIA. As a creative, Tana has experience pitching to Disney, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network having created a kids animation show distributed by Bejuba Entertainment in 2006. He is writer/director and star of the supernatural comedy HELL’S KITTY, which stars more horror icons than any movie in history. HELL’S KITTY is currently available on most major platforms including AMAZON PRIME, and has screened internationally around the world. His debut feature STICKY: A (SELF) LOVE STORY was distributed by Vision Films, Inc., a partner of SONY ENTERTAINMENT. STICKY stars Janeane Garofalo, Larry Flynt, and Nina Hartley, and was both a top seller and Amazon award winner in 2016. His films have screened around the world and been sold to television internationally. Tana has spoken on panels at THE SEDONA FILM FESTIVAL, PHOENIX COMICON, HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL, and the INDEPENDENT WRITERS ASSOCIATION (I.S.A.). He has served as a consultant for THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY, and TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX, and will be a special guest at the San Diego COMICON, HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL, and SCARE L.A. this summer.
Carmen Cabana
Director of Photography of NARCOS and VIDA
Carmen Cabana is cinematographer of Afro-Hispanic descent based in Los Angeles and Savannah, USA. An active cinematographer, Carmen has filmed several features in 14 US states and international locations like Mexico, Cuba and Colombia.
Her versatile body of work includes the entire first season of Starz New drama series “VIDA”; TNT short comedy “FRENCH FRIES directed by “CLAWS” NAACP IMAGE AWARDS nominated show runner Janine Sherman Barrois; ten episodes of the Netflix's show "NARCOS S2".
She has shot over 25 independent features including ABFF Award Winning drama "DESTINED"; action films "BULLET" starring Danny and Jonathan Banks and "ASSASSIN X" distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; horror "THE PACT 2" distributed by IFC Midnight; Christopher Guest style comedy "ALL STARS" with Fred Willard and John Goodman; theatrically released War film "RIDE THE THUNDER". She also worked as Additional Cinematographer on the film "YELLOW" directed by Nick Cassavetes (The Other Woman, Notebook).
Her first film "CARTAS A ELENA" had a Wide Theatrical release in Mexico, Spain and Costa Rica, and a Limited Theatrical release in the US. Carmen earned a "Diosa De Plata" nomination for Best Cinematography. Her work has screened at renowned film festivals including; Toronto International Film Festival, ABFF, LA Film Festival, Cleveland International FF, Palm Springs FF, Newport Beach FF, Bel Air FF, Carmel FF, Pan African FF, La Femme FF, Acapulco FF, Guadalajara FF, San Diego Latino FF, NY HBO Latino FF, Asian Pacific FF, Lakino Berlin FF and Comicon among many others.
Carmen is a Film Independent Project Involve Fellow (2010), A Sundance Director's Lab Crew Participant (2008) and a member of the Friends of the ASC educational program. Her unique vision and focus on complementing a director's vision through semiotic methods of visual storytelling has earned her a solid reputation among other filmmakers.
Carmen is also a proficient Davinci Resolve colorist and a VR content creator and cinematographer.
more »
Carmen Cabana is cinematographer of Afro-Hispanic descent based in Los Angeles and Savannah, USA. An active cinematographer, Carmen has filmed several features in 14 US states and international locations like Mexico, Cuba and Colombia.
Her versatile body of work includes the entire first season of Starz New drama series “VIDA”; TNT short comedy “FRENCH FRIES directed by “CLAWS” NAACP IMAGE AWARDS nominated show runner Janine Sherman Barrois; ten episodes of the Netflix's show "NARCOS S2".
She has shot over 25 independent features including ABFF Award Winning drama "DESTINED"; action films "BULLET" starring Danny and Jonathan Banks and "ASSASSIN X" distributed by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment; horror "THE PACT 2" distributed by IFC Midnight; Christopher Guest style comedy "ALL STARS" with Fred Willard and John Goodman; theatrically released War film "RIDE THE THUNDER". She also worked as Additional Cinematographer on the film "YELLOW" directed by Nick Cassavetes (The Other Woman, Notebook).
Her first film "CARTAS A ELENA" had a Wide Theatrical release in Mexico, Spain and Costa Rica, and a Limited Theatrical release in the US. Carmen earned a "Diosa De Plata" nomination for Best Cinematography. Her work has screened at renowned film festivals including; Toronto International Film Festival, ABFF, LA Film Festival, Cleveland International FF, Palm Springs FF, Newport Beach FF, Bel Air FF, Carmel FF, Pan African FF, La Femme FF, Acapulco FF, Guadalajara FF, San Diego Latino FF, NY HBO Latino FF, Asian Pacific FF, Lakino Berlin FF and Comicon among many others.
Carmen is a Film Independent Project Involve Fellow (2010), A Sundance Director's Lab Crew Participant (2008) and a member of the Friends of the ASC educational program. Her unique vision and focus on complementing a director's vision through semiotic methods of visual storytelling has earned her a solid reputation among other filmmakers.
Carmen is also a proficient Davinci Resolve colorist and a VR content creator and cinematographer.
Zoe Kevork
Entertainment Attorney, Kevork Law
Richard Botto
Producer, Screenwriter and Founder & CEO, Stage 32
Richard "RB" Botto is the Founder and CEO of Stage 32 (www.stage32.com), the world's largest social media site and educational hub for film, television and theater creatives.
Botto is a screenwriter (represented by David Greenblatt of Greenlit Creative), producer, actor and author. He served as associate producer on Sam Levinson’s debut Another Happy Day, which starred Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore, Thomas Hayden Church, Kate Bosworth and Ellen Burstyn and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, winning Best Screenplay. In 2014, Botto executive produced All Things Hidden. Botto’s own latest script, The End Game, is currently in development.
A pioneer of the early stages of the Internet boom, Botto developed Stage 32 so creatives across the globe would have a dedicated network to find work and representation, launch projects, secure funding, further their education and make life and career altering connections. In just over 3 years, Stage 32 has organically reached over 500,000 members from every country on the planet and has been described by Forbes Magazine as "Lynda meets LinkedIn meets Facebook for film, television and theater creatives."
Botto has spoken all over the world at industry conferences including American Film Market, SXSW, TriBeCa Film Festival, Entertainment Finance Forum by Winston Baker, Columba University, Cinequest, Screenwriters World West and East, Great American Pitchfest, STN Convention and many more.
Prior to creating Stage 32, Botto was the Founder, Publisher and Editor of RAZOR magazine, a national men’s lifestyle magazine which boasted a readership of 1.5 million at its peak. A former radio host on ESPN and FOX Sports affiliates, Botto has appeared on such networks as CNBC, MSNBC, NBC News, FOX News, CBS News and VH1, riffing about the entertainment business and social media.
In the 90’s, Botto was an integral part of the team responsible for creating the vendor tracking system used by many of today’s top e-commerce companies. Botto headed the development, design and commercial implementation for several of the top 50 most visited sites on the web during that period.
Botto also serves on the Advisory Board for Old Town Music Hall, a classic film theater in El Segundo, built in 1921.
Botto's book on crowdsourcing for film will be published by Focal Press in 2015.
Richard "RB" Botto is the Founder and CEO of Stage 32 (www.stage32.com), the world's largest social media site and educational hub for film, television and theater creatives.
Botto is a screenwriter (represented by David Greenblatt of Greenlit Creative), producer, actor and author. He served as associate producer on Sam Levinson’s debut Another Happy Day, which starred Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore, Thomas Hayden Church, Kate Bosworth and Ellen Burstyn and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, winning Best Screenplay. In 2014, Botto executive produced All Things Hidden. Botto’s own latest script, The End Game, is currently in development.
A pioneer of the early stages of the Internet boom, Botto developed Stage 32 so creatives across the globe would have a dedicated network to find work and representation, launch projects, secure funding, further their education and make life and career altering connections. In just over 3 years, Stage 32 has organically reached over 500,000 members from every country on the planet and has been described by Forbes Magazine as "Lynda meets LinkedIn meets Facebook for film, television and theater creatives."
Botto has spoken all over the world at industry conferences including American Film Market, SXSW, TriBeCa Film Festival, Entertainment Finance Forum by Winston Baker, Columba University, Cinequest, Screenwriters World West and East, Great American Pitchfest, STN Convention and many more.
Prior to creating Stage 32, Botto was the Founder, Publisher and Editor of RAZOR magazine, a national men’s lifestyle magazine which boasted a readership of 1.5 million at its peak. A former radio host on ESPN and FOX Sports affiliates, Botto has appeared on such networks as CNBC, MSNBC, NBC News, FOX News, CBS News and VH1, riffing about the entertainment business and social media.
In the 90’s, Botto was an integral part of the team responsible for creating the vendor tracking system used by many of today’s top e-commerce companies. Botto headed the development, design and commercial implementation for several of the top 50 most visited sites on the web during that period.
Botto also serves on the Advisory Board for Old Town Music Hall, a classic film theater in El Segundo, built in 1921.
Botto's book on crowdsourcing for film will be published by Focal Press in 2015.
Zahida Kazar
Director of Operations, Gravitas Ventures
Zahida works as Director of Operations with independent film distributor, Gravitas Ventures, working with Karia Brown and Mark Lyons to help deliver Gravitas films to a variety of internet and cable platforms. An LA native, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Film from UCLA and has since worked behind the scenes on various shorts, indie features and a web series. Zahida’s passion for all things film-related also led her to various roles at Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox before joining the Gravitas team in the fall of 2014.
Zahida helps guide indie filmmakers through the delivery process and helps to ensure the release of these movies on the ever-growing VOD space. She loves meeting new filmmakers and helping them through the final step in the movie making process. She continues to produce short films, watch copious amounts of movies, and expand her knowledge of independent distribution.
more »Zahida works as Director of Operations with independent film distributor, Gravitas Ventures, working with Karia Brown and Mark Lyons to help deliver Gravitas films to a variety of internet and cable platforms. An LA native, she received her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Film from UCLA and has since worked behind the scenes on various shorts, indie features and a web series. Zahida’s passion for all things film-related also led her to various roles at Warner Bros. and Twentieth Century Fox before joining the Gravitas team in the fall of 2014.
Zahida helps guide indie filmmakers through the delivery process and helps to ensure the release of these movies on the ever-growing VOD space. She loves meeting new filmmakers and helping them through the final step in the movie making process. She continues to produce short films, watch copious amounts of movies, and expand her knowledge of independent distribution.
Spencer Robinson
Manager, Art/Work Entertainment (ARRIVAL)
Spencer Robinson has been in the industry for nearly a decade and is a literary and talent manager at Art/Work Entertainment. Spencer began his career in production and moved into talent management at MBST Entertainment. For the past 6 years Spencer has been with Art/Work and continues managers both writers and actors for television and film.
Art/Work is a management company headed by Cindy Ambers and Julie Bloom. Art/Work merged with Verve in 2010 and represents writers and actors throughout the industry. They represent writers like Eric Heisserer, writer of 2016's Oscar-winning film ARRIVAL which grossed $200 million worldwide.
more »Spencer Robinson has been in the industry for nearly a decade and is a literary and talent manager at Art/Work Entertainment. Spencer began his career in production and moved into talent management at MBST Entertainment. For the past 6 years Spencer has been with Art/Work and continues managers both writers and actors for television and film.
Art/Work is a management company headed by Cindy Ambers and Julie Bloom. Art/Work merged with Verve in 2010 and represents writers and actors throughout the industry. They represent writers like Eric Heisserer, writer of 2016's Oscar-winning film ARRIVAL which grossed $200 million worldwide.
James Kicklighter
Filmmaker
James Kicklighter is a multi-award winning writer/director whose work has been recognized by the world’s press, including The Hollywood Reporter, The Times of India, Film Courage and FilmInk Australia.
His first feature film, Desires of the Heart, was released theatrically across India in November 2015. The film was an official selection of numerous festivals across the United States and around the world, including the Cannes Marché du Film and was the winner of Best Foreign Film at the Los Angeles Femme Film Festival.
In May 2016, James completed Digital Edition, a documentary about the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s transition from print to digital as they operate in a new media environment. Additionally, he is revising his first book, the biography of famed entertainment publicist Bobby Zarem, and shopping the coming-of-age screenplay Escaping Bellview, featured on The Black List, SpecScout, Slated and most recently, named to the Top 50 in the 2016 International Screenwriters’ Association Fast Track Fellowship.
James is developing several films with a southern voice for producers Richard Saperstein (The Mist, Se7en), M. Elizabeth Hughes (Short Term 12, Girlfriend’s Day) and Beau Turpin (Beneath the Leaves, Counterpunch), including The Perpetual State of Georgia from Casey Nelson and Kate Murdoch (The Last Treasure Hunt) and Erk, a biopic about legendary college football coach Erk Russell.
He serves on the Advisory Board for the Department of Communication Arts at Georgia Southern University, his alma mater, where he was recently chosen out of over 30,000 living graduates to be listed on the inaugural “40 Under 40 Alumni” for “impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors.”
DAY 2: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017
11:00AM – 12:30PM
Raising Financing for Microbudget Features (Under $100K)
more »James Kicklighter is a multi-award winning writer/director whose work has been recognized by the world’s press, including The Hollywood Reporter, The Times of India, Film Courage and FilmInk Australia.
His first feature film, Desires of the Heart, was released theatrically across India in November 2015. The film was an official selection of numerous festivals across the United States and around the world, including the Cannes Marché du Film and was the winner of Best Foreign Film at the Los Angeles Femme Film Festival.
In May 2016, James completed Digital Edition, a documentary about the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s transition from print to digital as they operate in a new media environment. Additionally, he is revising his first book, the biography of famed entertainment publicist Bobby Zarem, and shopping the coming-of-age screenplay Escaping Bellview, featured on The Black List, SpecScout, Slated and most recently, named to the Top 50 in the 2016 International Screenwriters’ Association Fast Track Fellowship.
James is developing several films with a southern voice for producers Richard Saperstein (The Mist, Se7en), M. Elizabeth Hughes (Short Term 12, Girlfriend’s Day) and Beau Turpin (Beneath the Leaves, Counterpunch), including The Perpetual State of Georgia from Casey Nelson and Kate Murdoch (The Last Treasure Hunt) and Erk, a biopic about legendary college football coach Erk Russell.
He serves on the Advisory Board for the Department of Communication Arts at Georgia Southern University, his alma mater, where he was recently chosen out of over 30,000 living graduates to be listed on the inaugural “40 Under 40 Alumni” for “impact in business, leadership, community, educational and/or philanthropic endeavors.”
DAY 2: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2017
11:00AM – 12:30PM
Raising Financing for Microbudget Features (Under $100K)
Alexia Melocchi
Producer, Little Studio Films
Alexia Melocchi is a Producer at Little Studio Films, a multilingual boutique representation, consulting and production company with more than 25 films and series credits and over 20 projects in development. Little Studio Films has an extensive background in worldwide distribution both as a buyer and seller. Their Film and Television properties as well as the works of their clientele are geared toward productions of global appeal and our client list and partners comprise of local and international producers, authors, screenwriters, directors, and more.
Little Studios recently completed the reality series "The Experience" airing on UpLift Television. On the feature side, SUMMER DANCE filmed in New York last Fall, and with a soon to be announced all star cast, a biopic of cyclist Marco Pantani shot in Italy in late Fall. They are currently casting for the upcoming feature, TOXICANT, to be directed by Marco Ristori and Luca Boni, and are preparing the miniseries on the life of young Maria Callas called THE MAKING OF MARIA.
Little Studios production & development includes:
- SHADOWS IN THE DISTANCE
- ANISEX
- AMERICAN FANGO
- STEALING ROSES
- GALLEON
- TOXICANT
- LAZARUS RISING
- BLUE PEARL
- CITIZEN HACKED
- THE DEFENDER
- AS GREEK AS IT GETS
- THE RULE OF LEAD
Alexia is an accomplished entertainment industry professional, with a long and proven track record of success within both the domestic and international arenas. Throughout her career, Alexia’s devotion to undiscovered talent has been indisputable. With more than twenty years in the industry, as both a sales agent and a buyer’s representative for international distributors, Alexia has gained both valuable and diverse exposure to a variety of films and functions in the entertainment industry.
more »Alexia Melocchi is a Producer at Little Studio Films, a multilingual boutique representation, consulting and production company with more than 25 films and series credits and over 20 projects in development. Little Studio Films has an extensive background in worldwide distribution both as a buyer and seller. Their Film and Television properties as well as the works of their clientele are geared toward productions of global appeal and our client list and partners comprise of local and international producers, authors, screenwriters, directors, and more.
Little Studios recently completed the reality series "The Experience" airing on UpLift Television. On the feature side, SUMMER DANCE filmed in New York last Fall, and with a soon to be announced all star cast, a biopic of cyclist Marco Pantani shot in Italy in late Fall. They are currently casting for the upcoming feature, TOXICANT, to be directed by Marco Ristori and Luca Boni, and are preparing the miniseries on the life of young Maria Callas called THE MAKING OF MARIA.
Little Studios production & development includes:
- SHADOWS IN THE DISTANCE
- ANISEX
- AMERICAN FANGO
- STEALING ROSES
- GALLEON
- TOXICANT
- LAZARUS RISING
- BLUE PEARL
- CITIZEN HACKED
- THE DEFENDER
- AS GREEK AS IT GETS
- THE RULE OF LEAD
Alexia is an accomplished entertainment industry professional, with a long and proven track record of success within both the domestic and international arenas. Throughout her career, Alexia’s devotion to undiscovered talent has been indisputable. With more than twenty years in the industry, as both a sales agent and a buyer’s representative for international distributors, Alexia has gained both valuable and diverse exposure to a variety of films and functions in the entertainment industry.
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