Press Kit in PDF

HITTING THE BRICKS
In a no-win situation, would you make a deal with the devil?
In “Hitting the Bricks,” that’s the dilemma facing Fuego (Ness Bautista), a handsome young aspiring
rapper. The film opens the day Fuego gets out of prison. He’s picked up by a former prison gangsta, Tiburon
(Enrique Almeida), a fearsome Latino kingpin in Spanish Harlem. Tiburon promises to hook the rapper up with
all the right music connections. In return, Fuego promises to “deliver” his cousin, Eva (Alexandra Merejo), a
gorgeous 18-year-old model. Fuego either goes along with Tiburon’s plan or faces certain death.
Based on best-selling author Noire’s novel of the same name, “Hitting the Bricks” is the first in a series
of street lit urban erotic tales by Spanish Harlem Entertainment, LLC. The film is produced by Atchity Entertainment International (AEI, www.aeionline.com), Spark Digital Media and Magic Dragon Entertainment, and
the screenplay is written by AEI clients Noire and Adria Lang. Brian T. Jaynes directs.
“One of the hottest selling genres today is the street lit urban erotic novel and Noire is the undisputed
queen,” says producer Ken Atchity, chairman of AEI. “Noire’s stories tell the tales of pimps, gangstas, hustlers,
prostitutes, playas, thugs, athletes and musicians. Street lit’s roots go back to Iceberg Slim’s dark, gritty novels
of the late 70s, but Noire’s stories have a universal style based on characters that remind me of the Roman playwright Plautus. Spanish Harlem Entertainment plans to film these stories with an exciting stylistic approach that
might be compared to a spicier, more rhythmic version of ‘The Red Shoe Diaries.’”
Noire’s first urban erotic tale, G-Spot, appeared in 2005 to rave reviews. She went on to publish Candy
Licker, Thug-A-Licious, Thong on Fire, Baby Brother (coauthored with 50 Cent for his G-Unit label), and
Hood. All of her urban erotic tales are set in Harlem and have appeared on bestseller lists—sometimes as many
of three of them on the same list at the same time—and Noire now has nearly a million books in print.
From 1992 to 2000, readers doubled the amount spent on the street lit genre to $356 million, according
to Target Market News (www.TarketMarketNews.com), the authority on the African-American consumer market. Noire’s novels have profited from this surge in book buying among blacks and Latinos.
Hispanic Market 2010, a report by the Conference Board’s Consumer Research Center, notes that, in
the next few years, Hispanic household buying power is “expected to increase at a faster pace than that of any
other group in the United States ... with current projections indicating that $670 billion, an increase of almost 43
percent, will be flowing through Hispanic households by 2010.”
One of Spanish Harlem Entertainment’s primary directives is to produce a series of multicultural urban
films featuring African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians and Caucasians. Appealing to mainstream audiences as
well as the booming Hispanic market, “Hitting the Bricks” and other upcoming Spanish Harlem Entertainment
films feature a variety of multicultural performers in true to life stories with cutting-edge scores.
“We’re very excited about the soundtrack,” says Chi-Li Wong, “Bricks” producer and president of
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AEI. “The film features rapper Reem Raw from the new Noire Music Group label. It’s a unique combination of
African-American, Hispanic and fusion music.”
“Noire has been called the Henry Miller and Charles Dickens of street lit,” adds Atchity. “Music is allimportant to this genre. Street lit is the urban American phenomenon of edgy, sexy hard-hitting stories about the
people of the streets of inner cities like Harlem, which provide the stage for their dramatic, often tragic lives and
deaths. The music shapes the disparate human elements Noire’s story brings together: rap, reggaeton and the
fusion that results when the dramatic events of the story work out among the characters and within their art.”
“In addition to Reem Raw’s East Coast hip-hop,” adds Exec Producer Mark K. Sullivan, “the film also
features Ness Bautista, who not only plays one of our leads, but is a recording artist in his own right. It also
showcases D.J. Kane’s reggaeton and the hip-hop of Strik Biz. The music will engage the audience on a truly
personal level where they can relate to the hearts, dreams and aspirations of the characters.”
“‘Hitting the Bricks’ was born when Chi-Li and I met the director, Brian T. Jaynes,” says Atchity. “We
realized immediately that he was the director we’d been waiting for to bring Noire’s storytelling power to the
screen. The film, shot independently on a conservative budget and shooting schedule, provided Brian maximum
artistic control that allowed us to bring Noire’s vision to life. The result is fantastic, and our team is jazzed to
work on the next film which we plan to have in production in 2008.”
“We plan to shoot all the features in English, and then also dub them into Spanish,” adds co-producer
Mike Kuciak, senior vice president of development for AEI. “All the films will feature prominent talent of all
ethnicities, particularly Latin and African-American. We’re blessed to start the series with a perfect cast for
‘Bricks.’”
AEI movies have included “Life or Something Like It” (Angelina Jolie; Fox), “Joe Somebody” (Tim
Allen; Fox), “The Madam’s Family (Ellen Burstyn; CBS), and “The Amityville Horror” (NBC). AEI films in
active development include “Ripley’s Believe It Or Not!” (Jim Carrey; Paramount), “Demon Keeper” (Fox
2000), “Three Men Seeking Monsters” (Jon Heder; Universal), “MEG” (New Line) and “The Kill Martin Club”
(Working Title), “The Last Valentine” (Hallmark Hall of Fame/CBS), and “Sex in the South” (Lifetime).
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About the Cast
TEXAS BATTLE (Mello) is a thespian, an athlete and even, some
might say, a Renaissance man. He brings a character and style that is both
original and refreshing to everything he does. Texas graduated from the
University of Texas with an emphasis in kinesiology. After graduation, he
was offered a position as a high school basketball coach, but decided to
follow his dream as a commercial model in Los Angeles.
Texas’ handsome face and easy-going, self-assured manner led
him, quite by accident, to land his first TV acting role in “Passions” in
2003. From that point on he added “actor” to his resume.
In addition to his hard-working mom, Texas’ role models include
actor Samuel L. Jackson, whom he calls “a tremendous mentor.” Working
with Texas on “Coach Carter” in 2005, Jackson offered the young actor
some important advice on memorizing lines: “Know the scenes and the lines will come. Just be!” To this day,
those words have continued to serve Texas well.
A sampling of Texas’ credits include New Line Cinema’s “Final Destination 3,” as well as the upcoming feature film “Even Money.” On the small screen, he has made appearances on such television series as “The
Bernie Mac Show,” “The Parkers,” NBC’s “Committed” and in a recurring role on the WB’s “One Tree Hill.”
Recently he booked his first series for HBO, starring opposite Lily Tomlin in “12 Miles of Bad Road.”
Mello in “Hitting the Bricks” was one of Texas’ most exciting roles to date. “[Mello is] such a passionate guy,” says Texas. “He feels strongly about his art, music and his girlfriend. He’ll do anything to protect her.
I have played a lot of athletes in projects, so it was great to play a different type of role that had so many levels
to it.”
Texas spends the vast majority of his time acting and honing his skills. In his rare off-time, Texas can be
found kicking it on the beach, shooting hoops, speaking to high school students about making the most of their
lives, or working on his next rap.
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NESS BAUTISTA (Fuego) is committed to challenging stereotypes
through his music and acting. Born in New York to Dominican and Puerto
Rican parents, Ness grew up primarily in Anchorage, Alaska, playing
baseball until midnight and dreaming of being a professional entertainer in
Hollywood.
As a self-taught musician, songwriter and actor, Ness eventually
landed in Los Angeles in 2001, where he found early success with his
music. He composed the theme song to the FX series “The Shield” as well
as a song for the film “Girlfight.” His debut album, entitled I Am Ernesto
Bautista, will be released in 2008.
Playing Fuego in “Hitting the Bricks” was a great experience for
Ness. “Music and acting are part of my soul,” he says. “In the film, I get to play a part that is very opposite
of who I really am—one bad street dude—and that was fun! I’ll also be making a music video with Brian T.
Jaynes entitled More Than This, which will have both Spanish and English versions.”
His credits include appearances in films as well as notable TV guest appearances on “CSI: Miami,”
“Law & Order,” and “The Shield.”
ALEXANDRA MEREJO (Eva) was born in New York City but she spent
most of her early life in Union City, NJ. She has also lived in Puerto Rico
and Miami, Fla. No matter where she lives, however, she is proud to be
Dominican-American.
Alexandra originally hoped to pursue a career in dentistry. However, in Miami she wound up working behind the scenes on movie sets
and doing bit parts. It wasn’t long after she landed her first role that she
realized that acting was her true destiny.
Fired up with her newfound passion, Alexandra moved to New
York to study with the Atlantic Theatre Company, performing plays literally everywhere—from Off-Off-Broadway to the New York City subways.
In her spare time, she got her real estate license and managed to save enough money to finance her move
west. Once in LA, she soon landed a role in the upcoming Paramount film “Next Day Air,” slated for a 2008
release.
Alexandra first auditioned for a different part in “Hitting the Bricks,” but she convinced Casting to let
her read for this leading role.
“Everything about Eva spoke to me,” says Alexandra. “‘Hitting the Bricks’ exposes the difficult choices
I’ve witnessed in my own life and as part of my culture, where young people sometimes find themselves forced
to be adults before their time.”
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ENRIQUE ALMEIDA (Tiburon) is delighted to be cast as one of the leads
in “Hitting the Bricks.” He recently wrapped production on another feature titled “The Ode,” based on a novel of the same name by Ghalib Shiraz
Dhalla. Credits include “Employee of the Month” (with Matt Dillon and
Christina Applegate) and “Bruce Almighty.” His numerous television
credits include “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “The Shield,” “CSI: Miami”
and “Boston Legal.”
Familiar with gritty urban fare, he collaborated with Adrian Cruz
and Michael D. Olmos to script the 2006 thriller “Splinter,” about a gang
member’s search for his brother’s murderer as other members of his gang
are mysteriously and sadistically cut down. Enrique also served as a producer of the film, which stars Tom Sizemore.
LUIS MONCADA (Rudy) is certainly no newcomer when it comes to urban dramas. Luis has found a certain level of specialization in his frighteningly realistic portrayals of killers, gang members and carjackers in his TV
guest appearances on series including “Californication,” “CSI: Miami,”
“Lincoln Heights” and “The Unit.”
His turn as Rudy in “Hitting the Bricks” follows a series of performances in crime, action and thriller films—a track record which began most notably with his performance as a cold-eyed killer in Michael
Mann’s feature “Collateral.” This year, Luis has been involved in several
feature projects in addition to “Hitting the Bricks,” including the upcoming drama “Days of Wrath” (starring Lawrence Fishburne, Taye Diggs and
Wilmer Valderrama) and the drama “Por Vida,” which depicts a single
dramatic day in the life of a Latino gang leader in South Central Los Angeles.
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MILLIE RUPERTO (Milena) was born in Puerto Rico. She describes herself as an adventurous and free-spirited woman at ease performing in English or Spanish. Her Latin fans know her for her many roles in Telemundo
novellas and from roles in films like “Cat Chaser,” in which she portrayed
Lucy Palma, a female guerilla warrior, opposite Peter Weller and Kelly
MacGillis. She is making a name for herself in the English-speaking community.
“My character as Fuego’s young mother is very challenging,” says
Millie. “She has overcome a lot—drug addiction, raising her children in
the projects. She’s admirable, like many women who are struggling to
make a good life for themselves and their families.”
Other roles for Millie have included the hit show “Protagonistas de Novela” for Telemundo in 2002.
On the popular Colombian soap opera, “La Venganza,” she played Brenda Lee, a boxer-trainer with a big heart.
Her other credits include “Anita No Te Rajes.”
Millie is full of optimism and relishes living in the moment—talents that help tremendously when it
comes to her acting. She is a firm believer in self-improvement and desires to be better every day, not only as an
actress, but even more importantly, as a human being. With “Hitting the Bricks,” Millie truly believes that the
best is yet to come!
JENNIFER LANDA (Consuela) is of Mexican-American heritage and
grew up in Santa Ana, Calif. As a child and teenager, she performed in
local theatre productions and eventually joined the Young Conservatory at
South Coast Repertory. Growing up so close to Disneyland, it was inevitable that she’d work for Mickey Mouse. For five years, Jennifer was fortunate enough to portray “Princess Jasmine” at the resort, in commercials,
and at various special events.
This past year she shot a comedic pilot for Fox and appeared in
national commercials for Chili’s, Chevrolet and McDonald’s.
Jennifer recently finished shooting Albert Pyun’s independent horror film
“Bulletface,” which will be released in early 2008. She has also appeared
in several episodes of “Passions.”
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TONI TRUCKS (Adrianna) is a rising star who recently completed production on three indie films: “Mr. Art Critic,” “Hitting the Bricks” and
“Pizza with Bullets.” She just finished shooting the pilot for the upcoming
VH1 scripted series, “The Life and Times of Marcus Felony Brown,” produced by the Wayans Bros. Trucks can be seen in the Warner Bros. feature
“Music and Lyrics,” starring with Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant, and
in Showtime’s “Barbershop,” where she starred as Terri, the only female
stylist in the shop staffed by men. Other television credits include “Veronica Mars” and a recurring role on “All of Us.” She also filmed a cameo
role with Eddie Murphy in “Dreamgirls” (featured on the DVD release).
Trucks moved to Los Angeles from New York to begin production
on “Barbershop.” She earned her BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Michigan. Notable theatre credits include the Off-Broadway production of “Cabin in the Sky,” as well
as performances in “West Side Story,” “Follies,” “Footloose,” “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” “Ragtime,” “Sweet
Charity” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” Additionally, Trucks studied theatre abroad at London’s Marymount College and has over 17 years of dance training, including ballet, modern and tap.
DJ KANE (Ill Niño) was born in Houston. Jason Cano, a.k.a DJ Kane, is
the oldest of five children. He grew up in Brooklyn surrounded by reggae
and urban music, the fundamentals of the daring fusion he later created.
By age 12, DJ had already formed his own rap group and was well on his
way to learning piano, guitar and congas. When he was still a teenager, he
went on a world tour as part of the annual Bob Marley Festival. Down the
line, that led him to become the lead vocalist in a group called the Kumbia
Kings, right at the brink of a red-hot Latino cultural movement. The group
specialized in a fusion of Mexican music, tropical rhythms, rap and R&B,
and during DJ’s seven years with the Kings, he was known for the soulful, edgy stamp he put on the group’s music. His career has allowed him
to collaborate with some of the most creative producers and musicians in
pop, Latin and urban music.
Eager to explore new career possibilities, DJ recently embarked on a solo career. His first solo album
was nominated for Best Urban Music Album and Producer of the Year in this year’s Latin Grammys. His appearance in “Hitting the Bricks” allows him to express his talents on a multitude of different levels.
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DOCTOR DRÈ (Dre) is a legend in radio, film and television. Born André
Brown in Westbury, NY, Doctor Dré is widely known as a radio personality and former MTV VJ. He was first introduced to radio in 1986 at Adelphi University’s WBAU 90.3 FM. Since he answered his calling, Doctor
Dré has remained on the cutting edge of the entertainment world.
He is probably best known for being the co-host of MTV’s hip-hop
music specialty program “Yo! MTV Raps.” He was also a member of the
rap group “Original Concept” that released the album Straight from the
Basement of Kooley High.
Dré and his longtime producing partner Keith Shocklee (“Public
Enemy” producer, The Bomb Squad) put together the first late night talk
show for the hip-hop generation. They also worked together on the popular syndicated programs “The Jump
Off” and “Doctor Dré’s After Hours Spot.”
Dré’s witty interview style and DJ skills have become renowned in the music and hip-hop entertainment
world. Throughout his career, Dré has proved equally groundbreaking and innovative in all genres of entertainment. Besides his influence on the music world, the former DJ for The Beastie Boys has also done his share of
film and television work.
In addition to his work in “Hitting the Bricks,” Doctor Dré appears in the upcoming feature film “Fixing
Rhonda.” His other credits include “The Bahama Hustle,” “Who’s The Man?” (which he co-wrote) and appearances on such shows as “Moesha,” “New York Undercover” and “The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.”
TONY ROBERTS (Gita), originally from Detroit, Mich., is a comedian,
actor and writer. He’s become known as the guy other performers love
to watch work. His hilarious and energetic comedy style has granted him
respect and created a huge demand for his talents on the comedy circuit.
Tony’s television debut was on HBO’s “Def Comedy Jam.” He followed
that up with appearances on “It’s Showtime At The Apollo” and BET’s
“Comicview.” As a comic, he toured with “BET Comedy Tour,” “USO
Tour” and “11th Annual U.S. Comedy Festival.” He has also received
BET’s Robin Harris Award for Most Original Comic of the Year.
As an actor, he toured with the stage plays “If These Hips Could
Talk” and “Ain’t Nothing Like Family.” He’s also made appearances in
“Comedy In Da Hood,” “Durdy Game,” “A Get2gether” and “Death Of A
Dynasty.”
Excited to be part of the cast of “Hitting the Bricks,” Tony looks forward to further success with the
recent release of his new comedy album, “Where You Been.”
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REEM RAW (Himself) A native New Yorker, Reem Raw has earned a
reputation as both a hip-hop and all-around artist. After honing his skills
on the local music scene, Reem produced his first successful underground
mix tape The Gag Order with his team NJS (Not Just Songs).
The Gag Order gave Reem the credibility, respect and exposure
he’d been working toward. His mixtape generated instant demand and he
became highly sought after at shows in the New York-New Jersey-Philadelphia area. When Noire, the national bestselling author of G-Spot and
Candy Licker, heard The Gag Order, she immediately saw the synergy
between Reem’s music and her writing.
Noire included Reem’s street lyrics in the plot of her books, making them more gritty and authentic to the readers. As the novels gained
popularity, Reem and Noire decided to create a soundtrack to accompany Noire’s fifth smash hit, Thong On
Fire. Following the success of Reem’s soundtrack, Noire invited him to manage NoireMagazine.com’s Urban
Music Shelf, a column that reviews and promotes new music artists in all genres. Reem’s current mixtape is
H and R Block, recorded with Robb Hawk and Spoons Dinero. Tracks from the mixtape can be heard on the
soundtrack of “Hitting the Bricks.”
“Hitting the Bricks” also marks Reem’s debut as an actor. Look for Reem Raw to do bigger and better
projects in a variety of arenas.
CELESTIN CORNIELLE (Rocco) Born in the Dominican Republic, Celestin spent most of his childhood alternating between New York and Miami. After he was discovered by the director of a Miami modeling agency,
he started booking print and runway jobs as well as commercial auditions.
During this time, Celestin sought professional training and discovered a
true passion for acting. Armed with $500 and a dream, he arrived in Los
Angeles in 2004.
Along with his supporting role in “Hitting the Bricks,” Celestin has
completed work in the feature films “Hotel California,” “Consignment”
and “Fly Like Mercury.” He’s also appeared on “Shark,” “Girlfriends,”
“NCIS” and “Women’s Murder Club,” and has a recurring role on “Days
of Our Lives.”
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JOAQUIN PERLES (Chaz Royale) grew up in El Puerto de Santa Maria,
Spain. The youngest of four, Joaquin was an inquisitive child interested in
reading and fascinated with the idea of performing before an audience.
As an adult, Joaquin studied law for three years and received a BA
in Spanish Language and Literature. At the same time, he began training
as an actor and assisting with professional acting workshops in Granada,
Seville, Madrid and Cadiz. Joaquin eventually graduated from the interanational acting school, Juan Carlos Corazza, in Madrid.
Of his role in “Bricks,” Joaquin says, “Chaz is a make-up artist
from Brazil who is very sensitive and emotional. I love playing him because he is so passionate about everything. He’s basically just raw emotion and feelings. It was just fantastic to have the opportunity to play a role like that!”
Today, Joaquin divides his time between his theater La Puntilla and his television and movie roles. He
founded La Puntilla with three other like-minded spirits, and serves there as actor and a director. He has contributed his acting talents to such projects as “Tanger” (World Entertainment), “El Comisario” (Tele5 and Bocaboca) and “El Lugar Del Crimen” (Antena 3). In Los Angeles, he works with director and acting coach Bernard
Hiller. Joaquin recently founded Perles Entertainment, a group of companies dedicated to entertainment with an
international presence. Joaquin splits his time between Spain, Argentina and the US.
CATERINA MONET (Rosa) was born and raised in Southern California.
She began ballet and jazz training at the tender age of three. She was first
seen on stage in Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” with Stagelight Productions. Additionally, she has been a guest performer with the Anaheim High Dance
Department and has danced in recitals with the Anaheim Ballet. Caterina
has worked with such notable talents as Will Fowler, Caitlin Crosby,
Megan Stern and Virginia Morse. “Hitting the Bricks” is her first featured
screen role.
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About the FILMMAKERS
BRIAN T. JAYNES (Director) was born and raised among the piney woods and rolling hills of East
Texas, where he spent most of his childhood indulging two passions: making home movies with his parents’
Super 8 movie camera, and solving hand-me-down jigsaw puzzles—pursuits that led him into a career involving
all facets of photography and post production.
In Dallas, where he owned and operated one of the first AVID© equipped post-production facilities in
the southwest, Jaynes provided photography services for national and regional publications. After a decade,
Jaynes moved his operation to Los Angeles in 1997 in search of more challenging opportunities.
His business has continued to evolve and expand, providing post-production services for commercials,
music videos and feature films projects that have served to further hone his skills as director, cinematographer
and editor.
Parlaying his expertise as an editor into his feature directing debut with Noire’s “Hitting the Bricks,”
Jaynes has now begun a new and exciting chapter in his career.
NOIRE (Writer) is widely known as the queen of urban erotica and is an award-winning #1 Essence
bestselling author of G-Spot, Candy Licker, Thug-A-Licious, Baby Brother, Thong on Fire, and Hood. Noire
exploded onto the literary scene by penning six bestselling novels in span of two short years. The editor in chief
of NoireMagazine.com, known as the most original online source of street elite urban entertainment, Noire hails
from the streets of New York and her hip-hop stories pulsate with urban flavor.
ADRIA LANG (Writer), a New York native, began writing just four years ago. She hasn’t stopped
since. To date, she has completed six screenplays, three stage plays, a musical and two novels.
When she’s not writing, she can be seen on the cabaret/burlesque circuit around Los Angeles as Polly
Peabody, the multi-cultural chanteuse and comic hostess. She lives in Echo Park with her cat, Bobo. In her free
time she’s teaching herself to play the piano.
KEN ATCHITY (Producer) is chief operating officer and chairman of AEI (Atchity Entertainment
International, www.aeionline.com). As a self-defined story merchant, Dr. Ken Atchity has more than forty years
experience in the publishing world, and over fifteen years in entertainment as writer, producer, teacher, author
and literary manager responsible for launching dozens of books and films.
Atchity has produced 28 films, including “Joe Somebody” (Tim Allen; Fox), “Life or Something Like
It” (Angelina Jolie; Fox), “TheAmityville Horror” (NBC), “Shadow of Obsession” (NBC), “The Madam’s
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Family” (CBS), “Hitting the Bricks” (Independent). Films in development include “Ripley’s Believe-It-OrNot” (Jim Carrey; Paramount), “Demonkeeper” (Fox), “Three Men Seeking Monsters” (Jon Heder; Universal),
“MEG” (New Line) and “The Kill Martin Club” (Working Title), “The Last Valentine” (Hallmark Hall of
Fame/CBS) and ”Sex In The South” (Lifetime).
Atchity is also the author of 14 books that cater to writers in every stage of their careers including A
Writer’s Time: Guide to the Creative Process from Vision through Revision and Writing Treatments That Sell:
How to Create and Market Your Story to the Motion Picture and TV Industry (with partner Chi-Li Wong).
Born in Louisiana and raised in Kansas City, Atchity received his BA from Georgetown University and
Ph.D from Yale. He is the former chairman of comparative literature at Occidental College, Fulbright Professor
of American Literature to the University of Bologna, and Distinguished Instructor in Fiction, Non-Fiction and
Screenwriting at UCLA Writer’s Program.
His supervision of AEI film projects, in addition to those listed above, in development include “Taj,”
producer, independent production with Prince Avenue Pictures, director Michael Radford; “The Un-Dead,” executive producer, independent production Blue Tulip Productions, director Ernest R. Dickerson; and “Henry’s
List of Wrongs,” producer, with Craig Perry and Warren Zide.
CHI-LI WONG (Producer) is partner and president of AEI (Atchity Entertainment International, www.
aeionline.com) and senior consulting editor for The Writer’s Lifeline, Inc. She is a half-Cuban native New
Yorker raised in Spanish Harlem. Wong came to Los Angeles in 1992 after serving as associate administrator of
the Fort Lauderdale Film Festival. She began her career at AEI as a story editor and analyst. It wasn’t long before she specialized in treatments and acquisitions, becoming VP of Development and Production (1995-1999).
Her first producing assignment for AEI (alongside Ken Atchity) was on NBC’s “Shadow Of Obsession.” She
then produced the motion pictures “Joe Somebody” (Tim Allen; Fox), “Life or Something Like It” (Angelina
Jolie; Fox), “Hitting the Bricks” (Independent) and “The Madam’s Family” (Ellen Burstyn; CBS).
Films in development include “Ripley’s Believe-It-Or-Not” (Jim Carrey; Paramount), “Demonkeeper”
(Fox), “Three Men Seeking Monsters” (Jon Heder; Universal), “MEG” (New Line) and “The Kill Martin Club”
(Working Title), “The Last Valentine” (Hallmark Hall of Fame/CBS) and ”Sex In The South” (Lifetime).
MARK K. SULLIVAN (Executive Producer) is president of Spark Digital Media, Inc. Until recently, he
ran a company that manufactures specialized electronics used in industrial automation. However, he has always
loved film and has fond childhood memories of making stop-motion animations with his sister, award-winning
screenwriter Olive L. Sullivan.
With this background, Sullivan retired from high-tech in order to pursue film full-time in 2004. His first
film garnered awards at several regional film festivals, and since then, he has written, produced, directed, edited
and scored several award-winning short projects in both Mini-DV and High-Definition digital video.
Sullivan’s work is notable for high technical quality. He feels lighting and sound are often overlooked
in the indie world and his insistence on excellence when it comes to those elements have given his projects
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increased production values that stand out against his peers with similar budgets. “Hitting the Bricks” is his first
feature production.
MICHAEL KUCIAK (Co-Producer, Casting, Music Supervisor) is senior vice president of development
for AEI. He served as co-producer on “Hitting the Bricks,” as well as casting the movie and supervising the
soundtrack. Mike is originally from Chicago, where he co-founded a punk rock indie record label and worked
as a grip.
Mike is attached as a co-producer to several forthcoming feature film projects, including “Three Men
Seeking Monsters,” “Demon Keeper” and “The Un-Dead.” Mike lives by the Way of the Samurai.
© 2008 AEI International/Spanish Harlem Entertainment/Magic Dragon/Spark Digital Media, Inc.
Permission is granted to newspapers and periodicals to reproduce this text in articles publicizing the distribution
of the motion picture. All other use is strictly prohibited, including sale, duplication, or other transfer of this
material. This press kit, in whole or in part, must not be leased, sold, or given away.
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