Panelist Directory - the New Mexico Film Office
Transcription
Panelist Directory - the New Mexico Film Office
Page 1 COMPLETE PANELIST BIOGRAPHIES LISTED ALPHABETICALLY Panelist: Writing to Your Assets Paula Amanda, Former Co-Chair of the Film School at Santa Fe University of Art and Design Coming from a background of business and law, Amanda developed a keen interest in documentary filmmaking that brought her to SFUAD, where she earned a degree in filmmaking. Amanda has been responsible for the daily operation and security of the Garson Studios soundstages during commercial productions since 2006. She has stage-managed multiple feature films, including Legion, True Grit, Cowboys and Aliens, Haywire and 2 Guns, as well as the television series Longmire. Amanda also acts as the internship coordinator for all film-related internships. Amanda is also the president and founder of the New West Media Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that integrates documentary film with the educational system as well as acting as the fiscal agent for other documentary film makers. She has worked in the film industry as a location scout, production coordinator and producer. Prior to her film career, Amanda was a business and environmental attorney. She holds a B.A. from UCLA, a J.D. from the University of Santa Clara Law School, and a B.F.A. in Moving Image Arts from the College of Santa Fe, where she was presented with the Presidential Academic Achievement Award for 2006. Panelist: Future of Television Luncheon Hunt Baldwin, Writer, Executive Producer, Showrunner of Longmire (photo credit: Mathieu Young Hunt Baldwin grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He attended Yale University, graduating in 1991, then returned to Chicago where he applied his hard won bachelor’s degree to his work playing guitar in a band called Famous Albanians. This led, as it so often does, to a suggestion from his parents that he get a job. The job he got was in advertising. Hunt spent the next decade working for various advertising agencies in Chicago, writing TV commercials for Sears, Kraft, Reebok, Minute Maid, Motorola and many others. During that time Hunt’s parents retired and moved to Wyoming. Inspired by his parents bold move to pursue a life they loved, Hunt decided to quit his job and move west to Los Angeles to write full-time. After a few bumpy years of sporadic work, Hunt and his writing partner John Coveny were hired to write on the first season of TNT’s new show The Closer. Here that they not only found writing success, penning 13 episodes and eventually rising to the level of Co-Executive Producers, but they also met Greer Shephard. Together, they continue to develop shows, including the 2008 TNT show Trust Me and the current Netflix original series Longmire, set in his family’s adopted state of Wyoming. Panelist: Incentive Panel & Presentation Joe Bessacini, Vice President, Film & TV Production Incentives Mr. Bessacini joined Cast & Crew Entertainment Services as Vice President, Film & TV Production Incentives in 2008. With a career spanning more than 30 years in the entertainment industry, today he is chief advisor to Cast & Crew's film financing division. Before joining Cast & Crew, Mr. Bessacini spent 27 years at Warner Bros. starting in the Audit Department and eventually serving as the Executive Director, Tax. With his in-depth knowledge of the current and future tax picture, he focuses on providing clients in-depth insights into production incentives and maximum returns on their production investment. He holds an M.S. in Taxation from Golden Gate University and a B.S. in Accounting from the University of Rhode Island. Panelist: Gap Financing and Production Loans Jack Baldwin, Binder, Producer, Executive Producer, Line Producer & DGA UPM) Hunt Writer, Executive Producer, Showrunner of Longmire (photo credit: Mathieu Young Jack Binder is an American Major Hollywood Studio and independent film & television producer (Producer, Executive Producer, Line Producer & DGA UPM) with a career spanning more than 25 years. He is best known as the Producer of Reign Over Me (Columbia Pictures) starring Adam Sandler, Don Cheadle, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland; The Upside of Anger (New Line Cinema) starring Kevin Costner, Joan Allen; Man About Town (Lionsgate Films) starring Ben Affleck, John Cleese; The Mind of the Married Man (HBO Original Series) & productions for the Walt Disney Company, Touchstone Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment as an “On-the-Lot” Producer. The Domino Effect, Binder’s recent film was filmed in India, South Africa, China, The Netherlands, London & USA has won many prestigious European Awards in international distribution. Jack is currently Executive Producer of ‘Tomorrow’ Producing with Martin Scorsese starring Stephen Fry & Joss Stone Grammy multi-platinum artist Directed by Scorsese protégé’ Martha Pinson. Binder was previously Vice President of Creative Affairs, executive in charge of production and development for the Academy Award winning Producer of Taxi Driver, Close Encounters of The Third Kind, The Sting Michael Phillips Productions & Michael Douglas’ Mercury/Douglas Films. Binder is the President of Greentrees Films, his international movie, television & media production company specializing in high quality, efficient production. Greentrees Films has several motion picture & television projects in production, finance & development stages, with a focus on international co-productions utilizing global film tax credits, commercial ancillary value, merchandising, online distribution & video game revenue streams. Greentrees Films values environmental awareness, societal issues & positive portrayals of women. Jack is also the founder of Filmbudget.com, the international leader in worldwide film budget & schedule services. This company is focused on detailed accuracy & reliability in the film budgeting process, film tax credits, finance & production incentives. Film Budget Inc. consults with major Hollywood studios, independent production companies, film financiers on funding from Asia, Germany, United Kingdom, Australia & Latin America maximizing incentives & tax credits . Page 2 Panelist: SAG-AFTRA Franchised Talent Houses Jody Black, Talent Agent Jody's professional experience started in Arizona where she worked at Scottsdale Insurance Co. for five years, moving from file clerk up to Claims Adjuster Assistant. Another year was spent in San Rafael, CA as a Customer Service Representative for Farmers Insurance before moving to Santa Fe, NM to become an insurance agent at Reynolds Insurance. Jody became a mom in 1998 and for the next several years was a stay-at-home mom tending to sons Dylan, Jared and Logan. In 2005, she and then-husband David Black started Agapao Coffee & Tea, a wholesale coffee and tea business that services restaurants and grocery stores in New Mexico and Arizona. Jody was responsible for the marketing and branding of that business and took on the job of running the office. But when a friend induced her to join her in doing background/extras work on a film, Jody was bitten by the film industry bug. Knowing that acting was really not her cup of tea, she jumped at the chance to become an intern at A&M Agency in April, 2009. A year later she was certified as a fully accredited SAG agent. November of 2011 Jody won SAG’s recognition as agent of the month. Jody's background of marketing and customer relations has given her the tools to build relationships with talent, casting directors and others involved to the film industry. Panelist: SAG-AFTRA Franchised Talent Houses Jo Edna Boldin, Feature Film Location Casting Director Austin Monthly magazine named Jo Edna Boldin “the premier casting director of the Southwest”. Jo Edna cast her first TV series “Newscast from the Past” for PBS in 1985. As a Feature Film location casting director for over 20 years, Jo Edna has worked with many renown directors including: Gore Verbinski, McG, Albert & Allen Hughes, Carl Franklin, Ron Howard, Jim Sheridan, Alan Parker, Taylor Hackford, Billy Bob Thornton, Ethan and Joel Coen, Tommy Lee Jones, Paul Haggis, Peter Berg, Lasse Hallstrom, to name a few. Ms. Boldin won the 2008-2009 Artios award for outstanding casting, Studio Feature, location casting for “No Country for Old Men”. In 2006, she was nominated for an Emmy for casting on “Into the West”. Dallas Women in Film awarded her the Lifetime achievement award in 2003. Ms.Boldin is a current member of the Casting Society of America, the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and New Mexico Women in Film. Jo Edna was the recipient 2013 New Mexico Women in Film SAGE award. Panelist: Incentive Presentation & Incentive Submission Process Aaron Brown, Tax & Revenue Department Bureau Chief Priscilla Castro is the Film Tax Credit Unit Supervisor. Priscilla has a Master of Business Administration Degree in Finance and Human Resources from the College of Santa Fe and a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree with a concentration in Accounting also from the College of Santa Fe. Priscilla has been with the Taxation and Revenue Department for over 16 years in various positions in both collections and audit. Panelist: Incentive Presentation & Incentive Submission Process Pricilla Castro, Film Tax Credit Unit Supervisor Priscilla Castro is the Film Tax Credit Unit Supervisor. Priscilla has a Master of Business Administration Degree in Finance and Human Resources from the College of Santa Fe and a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree with a concentration in Accounting also from the College of Santa Fe. Priscilla has been with the Taxation and Revenue Department for over 16 years in various positions in both collections and audit. Panelist: Breaking Into the Industry Rochelle Bussey, Senior Manager of Operations & Workforce Development Programs "Rochelle Bussey has been with the NM State Film Office since 2006. Her current focus is on job expansion and training in both traditional and emerging media, which the legislature has targeted as primary growth sectors in the coming years. Prior to her work in New Mexico, Ms. Bussey worked in California for Governor Gray Davis’ Committee and in Washington D.C. at the White House, bringing a wealth of experience and perspective to her work in New Mexico." Panelist: Incentive Panel & Presentation Joe Chianese, Executive Vice President with Entertainment Partners As Executive Vice President for Entertainment Partners, Joe oversees the Financial Solutions division which provides advisory, administrative, financial, tax and other consulting services for domestic and international film, television, and commercial productions. He has over 30 years of accounting, tax, and production experience, and has held senior tax and accounting positions at Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, The American Broadcasting Company, Paramount Pictures, and Ernst & Young. Throughout his career, Joe has been responsible for the tax, finance, and production structures for film and television productions in excess of $5 billion, and he is regarded as one of the leading experts in worldwide production incentives and other government subsidies. Page 3 Dama Claire, Production Incentives Executive at Entertainment Partners A foremost expert in governmental production incentives, working closely with producers to help identify the best locations and production incentives to save money. She has assisted with location-based financing for “Dear John” in South Carolina, “Looper” in Louisiana, “Two Guns” in New Mexico/Louisiana, and co-produced "Conviction" in Michigan and ”Lone Survivor” in New Mexico. She has also helped draft film tax legislation in various jurisdictions. She is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA), Producers Guild of America (PGA) , Women in Film and she holds a Masters of Business Taxation (MBT) from the University of Southern California. Panelist: Film Tourism: Next Steps for New Mexico Kevin Clark, Executive Director of the Association of Film Commissioners International After studying Organization Sociology at Park University, Kevin came to work for the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI) in 2005. He joined the organization as its Communications Manager, successfully rebranding the organization, before becoming the Director of Operations in 2009. In 2013, Kevin assumed the position as Executive Director. During his time as Executive Director, AFCI has diversified internationally, with 55% of the membership based outside of the United States. Overseeing the revitalization of AFCI University, AFCI has graduated more than 40 new Certified Film Commissioners in the past year, the highest professional development certificate a film commissioner can receive. Panelist: SAG-AFTRA Franchised Talent Agencies Xochitl Cerda, Senior Manager, SAG-AFTRA Professional Representatives Department Xochitl Cerda’s entire professional career has been dedicated to advocating for the professionals of SAG-AFTRA. She has committed the last eighteen years serving AFTRA, SAG and now SAG-AFTRA members in various capacities. Starting at the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (“AFTRA”) as a Contract Administrator, Xochitl interpreted and enforced the Sound Recordings contract and represented singers. During her tenure she collected hundreds of thousands of dollars on behalf of legacy AFTRA singer members. With Xochitl’s dynamic personality being her forte, she also acted as AFTRA’s music awards liaison and monitored music awards shows such as the Billboard Music Awards, Latin Grammys, American Music Awards and Soul Train Awards. Xochitl’s great passion and enthusiasm for protecting member’s wages and working conditions advanced her to a dual position as a Broadcast Representative and Spanish Language Organizer at AFTRA. She represented Television and Radio broadcasters, and helped mobilize Spanish language actors and organize Spanish language work towards Union contracts. Screen Actors Guild (“SAG”) soon after hired Xochitl as the Manager of the National Stunt & Safety and Singers & Dancers department. Her years of experience serving the singers community and the fifteen years as a professionally trained dancer, made her a champion for these specialty performers. She rapidly developed and enhanced the department’s administration and operations that it doubled in staff. Xochiti excelled within months and was promoted to Senior Manager of the National Agency Relations department. Ultimately, for the past nine years, she has been responsible for the administration and day-to-day operations of the newly named SAG-AFTRA Professional Representatives department in Los Angeles. Xochitl proudly continues to facilitate the most intimate professional relationship SAG-AFTRA members have, which is with their Talent Agent. Panelist: Creative Opportunities in Documentary Storytelling Michael Donnelly, Producer/Post Production Specialist A film industry veteran producer and post-production specialist Michael’s career spans the domestic theatrical, independent and Latin American filmmaking industries at all budget levels. Over the decades he has always kept a keen eye out for great films with positive commercial potential that equally entertain and enlighten.His view is informed by executive terms with CFI and Technicolor, a history in theatrical distribution, innovative film exhibition and curatorial film work at UCLA. Fortunate to have worked with some the best theatrical feature filmmakers of our time, Michael is equally proud of his contributions to film preservation, festival programming and international cinema foundations. His personal projects have screened at festivals such as Cannes, Telluride, Sundance, New York, Toronto and San Sebastian. Recently as the Co-Producer of Dying to Know, Michael found another opportunity to apply his creative, technical and management skills to an important project in the New Mexico film community. The film broadens his experience in the feature documentary field, where over the years, he has supported the production and distribution for various documentaries including: Imagine the Sound, Poetry in Motion; The King of Prussia; Underground; Cover-up: Behind the Iran Contra Affair; The Panama Deception; The Buena Vista Social Club and The Unheard Music. Michael is a New Mexico filmmaker and photographer and partner in the digital consulting and educational company, Fahrenheit 444, LLC. Page 4 Panelist: Writing to your Assets: Smart Filmmaking or Dream Crushing? Michael Dellheim, Location Manager Michael has been a New Mexico locations manager since 1987. His impressive list of credits include many memorable films such as The Milagro Beanfield War, Wyatt Earp, Selena, No Country For Old Men, The Book of Eli, Due Date, and Game Change. Panelist: Writing to your Assets: Smart Filmmaking or Dream Crushing? Mark Duran, Production Designer & Art Director Mark is a native of Santa Fe, New Mexico and now lives in Albuquerque. He attended the University of New Mexico, graduating with a degree in Psychology. After working in several diverse fields such as water well drilling, aviation, construction, and as a retail business owner, he found his calling in film production. Now, with nearly 20 years of experience on feature films, episodic television, movies of the week, documentaries and commercials. His participation in film production continues as Production Designer or Art Director. He is a connoisseur of music, dancing and vintage design. He has an unusual collection of vintage bicycles. He has collected vintage clothing since his college days, and is frequently seen wearing clothing from the thirties, forties, and fifties. His friends call him “Lucky” in reference to his ten year run as host of a weekly radio program he created, called Lucky’s Belvedere Lounge. Aaron Estrada, VFX Supervisor Aaron Estrada is an independent VFX Supervisor and media & entertainment technology consultant with over 20 years experience. He has worked on 14 feature films and numerous special venue and television projects including Invasion America, Black Sails and Earth 2 at studios like Dreamworks Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Nickelodeon and Rhythm & Hues. His current professional focus is improving post production workflows via virtualization and cloud technology. In addition to his professional activities, Aaron teaches computer graphics part time in the IFDM program at UNM and online via his own academy LearnVFX . Moderator: Writing to your Assets: Smart Filmmaking or Dream Crushing? Don Gray, Locations Coordinator for the New Mexico Film Office Don has worked in the New Mexico Film Industry as a Location Scout and Location Manager since 2002. In 2006, Don became the Contract Locations Coordinator for the New Mexico State Film Office. Don is also a filmmaker whose 2007 short film entitled Things We Do For Love has played in more than 25 festivals worldwide, garnering many awards along the way. Things We Do For Love was selected by the US Embassy in India as one of six films chosen to represent US filmmaking at the 2009 Kalpanrijhar Film Festival in Kolkata India. Don has taught Digital Location Scouting workshops internationally for the Association of Film Commissioners International, Digital Imaging and Photography at the Marion Center for Photographic Arts at as well as Film Production at Panelist: Film Tourism: Next Steps for New Mexico Simon Hudson, Author & Endowed Chair for the Center of Economic Excellence in Tourism And Economic Development Simon Hudson is a tourism aficionado, exploring the world, spreading his passion for travel, and enlightening audiences on every kind of travel research from winter sports to film tourism. He has written seven books, and over 50 research articles, many of them focused on marketing and consumer behavior. He is the Endowed Chair for the Center of Economic Excellence in Tourism and Economic Development at the University of South Carolina. He researches ways to put South Carolina’s tourism industry back on the map and into the black. With an eclectic background in the ski industry, retail, and British and Canadian academia, Dr. Hudson is a fount of international experience, and comprehensive business information. Moderator: Incentives Panel & Presentation Tobi Elizabeth Ives, Senior Manager Of Production for the New Mexico State Film Office Ms. Ives began her career in the industry in the late nineties working in television commercial production in Las Vegas, Nevada. With the burgeoning of the industry in New Mexico, she segued back into the industry in 2002 after a stint as an Art Consultant. Tobi joined the team at the Film Office in 2005. Having played a key role in in several aspects of the film office over the years, Tobi currently now manages the Refundable Film Production Tax Credit Program. Ms. Ives graduated with honors from Indiana University in both Cultural Anthropology and Studio Fine Arts. Page 5 Panelist: Writing to your Assets: Smart Filmmaking or Dream Crushing? Aynn Kirby, Board of Directors for New Mexico Women in Film Aynn has worked as producer and actor in New Mexico since 2007, most recently as the production coordinator on the A&E pilot ‘Dogs of War’. She has produced short films, TV pilots, commercials and web series. Her film was the 2013 48 Hour Film Project winning film. She has also acted in a number of short films, commercials and the feature ‘Warrior Woman’. She began her acting career in 1994 in Santa Fe. Aynn is currently on the Board of Directors for New Mexico Women in Film. Panelist: Breaking Into the Industry Brian Lax, Set Medic Brian moved to New Mexico in '97 from Montreal to work as a paramedic and for the past decade has been working full time as a set medic. He was featured in EMS World Magazine for his film work and for creating Motion Picture Set Medics - an ambulance company built for service to film crews, which enables affiliated medics to practice advanced medical care on set. Brian keyed The Lone Ranger and worked on Breaking Bad from the pilot to its final episode. Currently he is working on the Better Call Saul and The Night Shift TV series. He is in the middle of writing Chapstick Emergency, a book about "making it" as a set medic. Moderator: Film Tourism: Next Steps for New Mexico Ann Lerner, Film Liaison for the City of Albuquerque Ann Lerner is the head of the City of Albuquerque’s Film Office. The mission of the office is to promote and attract the film industry to the City of Albuquerque. Her responsibilities include marketing, location scouting, production meetings, community walk-through, on-site visits, location follow-ups, and coordination of special screenings. She has been involved with job training, business recruitment, educational opportunities and community outreach. Keeping ABQ Film Friendly is her number one goal. Ann brings a twenty year background in the film industry to the office, as an owner/line producer for her own commercial film production company, specializing in TV commercials. She has produced local, regional and national television commercials. She has a Master’s Degree from the University of Kansas in Special Education, and taught special needs children for four years. Ann serves on the Governor’s Council on Film and Digital Industries, the CNM Advisory Board, and the University of Kansas Film Advisory Board. Moderator: NM Crew– Breaking Into the Industry Trish Lopez, Consultant for the New Mexico Film Office Trish is a consultant with the New Mexico Film Office where she develops training initiatives with large-scale feature and television productions, as well as local programs for veterans and youth. She is the host of “NM Film Works” – a live, one-hour talk radio program with Hutton Broadcasting, and has represented NM on various panels across the country while supporting the industry’s continued growth in the state. She has worked for major studios including Sony/ Columbia Tri-Star, Warner Bros, New Line Cinema and Ascent Media Group. A veteran in the film industry since college, Trish has served as Program Director for the NM Film Office, past President of NM Women in Film, Production Manager with Smithsonian Channel, and Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs & Film under Governor Bill Richardson. Panelist: Creative Opportunities in Documentary Storytelling Lisa Lucas , Writer/Producer/Actor Lisa Lucas is a writer/producer/actor. She graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in French Literature and Theater Arts. For the last 18 years, Lisa has produced and written over 30 TV series which include the popular ABC series The Bachelorette, Work of Art on Bravo and the Emmy winning My 1st Time on NBC. Most recently, she was a producer on the award winning feature documentary, A Thousand Voices, which debuted on PBS in February, and is still playing in many film festivals across the country. She is an Executive Producer and principal partner in the Santa Fe based production company, Noel Jehuda Productions, (which just partnered with Warner Bros. to develop a docu-series in 2015/16), creates reality and scripted TV series, web series as well as short films and independent and documentary features. Page 6 Moderator: Opening/Closing Events Nick Maniatis, Director of the New Mexico State Film Office Nick Maniatis was appointed Director, of the New Mexico State Film office in July 2011. Since then, he has overseen the expansion and growth of a program that has increased the number of television series from two to seven a year, with a direct spend from all productions totaling well over one billion dollars. He began his career in the film and television industry in Los Angeles, working in different capacities on such shows as Candid Camera, A Different World, and Grace Under Fire. He is a former member of the Directors Guild of America and the New Mexico Governor’s Council on Film and Media Industries. He previously served as the Executive Director of the New Mexico Independent Power Producers and lobbied the New Mexico Legislature for an array of clients. Recently, Nick was elected to a two-year term on the board of directors for the Association of Film Commissioners International. The New Mexico State Film Office works diligently to attract production, post-production and digital media companies to New Mexico for economic growth and job creation. Panelist: Future Of Television Tony Mark, Executive Producer Tony Mark, Executive Producer Tony Mark was the Executive Producer of "The Hurt Locker" which received 9 Academy Award nominations and won 6 Oscars including Best Picture. Other Oscar-nominated movies include "The Mirror Has Two Faces" and "The Fisher King”. Film festivals include Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Toronto, Telluride, and Sundance among others. For television, he Co-Executive Produced TNT’s hit naval series from Michael Bay, “The Last Ship”. Tony produced "Georgia O'Keeffe", which received 9 Emmy nominations and was nominated for Best Picture at the Golden Globes as well as the Producers Guild and Directors Guild Awards and which won the Writers Guild Award for Best Screenplay. Other Emmy nominations have come for "Witness Protection" and "And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself", both for HBO. Tony won the Imagen Award (established to recognize the positive portrayal of Latinos in media) for producing "Pancho Villa", and the Gracie Award (established to recognize the positive portrayal of women in media) for "Georgia O'Keeffe". He has worked all over the United States and internationally in many countries including Bolivia, Canada, China, France, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, and Mexico. Tony has written for MGM, ABC, NBC, Showtime and USA Networks and has directed 2nd Unit on films for Sony, HBO, CBS, TNT and Dimension. For the Guggenheim Foundation, he directed a documentary on the art collections of Solomon and Peggy Guggenheim. Notable filmmakers he's worked with include John Avildsen, Michael Bay, Bruce Beresford, Kathryn Bigelow, Terry Gilliam, George Lucas, Bob Rafelson, Robert Redford, Robert Rodriguez, Barbra Streisand, and the legendary Robert Wise. He lives in Santa Fe with his wife, Susan and daughter, Rafaella. Panelist: Emerging New Media Lance Maurer, President and CEO of Cinnafilm, Inc. Lance Maurer is the founder, president and CEO of Cinnafilm, Inc., a global leader in innovative video optimization solutions for television, film, and multimedia delivery. Cinnafilm software is in use today at many of the world’s premier, forward-thinking studios and networks, solving a wide variety of very complex imaging problems including, but not limited to: restoration and bitrate optimization; noise removal and texture-matching; and automatic retiming and standards conversions within real-time video pipeline workflows. Combined, these tools create the best-looking images in the world for cinema and broadcast. Through Cinnafilm, Lance has worked closely with ESPN, Fox, Warner Brothers, NBC Universal, Technicolor, FotoKem, BBC, Discovery, National Geographic, Deluxe, and HBO (to name just a few) to develop modern, future-proof video pipelines aimed at the very highest quality delivery in every standard. Prior to launching Cinnafilm, Maurer spent 10 years in the aerospace industry designing, analyzing and testing technology used in the world’s most advanced spacecraft like the International Space Station and the new NASA SLS rocket. Lance is a graduate of New Mexico State University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering, and was born and continues to live here in New Mexico. Panelist: NM SAG-AFTRA Franchised Talent Houses Carissa Mitchell, Owner of Mitchell & Presley Talent Group Carissa Mitchell has been the owner and talent agent at Mitchell & Presley Talent Group, a SAG-AFTRA franchised talent agency with locations in Los Angeles, California and Albuquerque, New Mexico since 2011. She has garnered an excellent reputation in the film and television industry as the rare agent who cares about her actors and is passionate about their careers. Mitchell & Presley Talent Group represents actors with roles in major feature films, television shows and commercials. Carissa is a member of the board of directors at Cardboard Playhouse Children’s Theatre. She also enjoys participating on panels and guest speaking at film festivals, conferences, and workshops, giving encouragement to actors at every stage of their careers. Before entering into the entertainment industry, Carissa was a graphic designer, specializing in corporate identity design, but she is most proud of her ongoing mission, being the mother of three wonderful children, all currently in college, and two incredibly brilliant grandchildren. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Fine Art and Photography. Page 7 Panelist: SAG—AFTRA Panel Lynette O’Conner, O’ Agency Lynette O’Connor is the owner of The O’ Agency. Lynette has worked in the industry in some capacity since the late 70’s. She worked as an actress as well as casting various commercial and music productions in the 80’s. She became a SAG Talent Agent in 1984. She went on to open and run an Agency in Colorado until 1990 when the State lost their incentives. From there she moved to New Mexico in 1991 and made it her home. Working as a Sub-Agent, she became owner of the Agency in 2004 and was awarded SAG Agent of the month in July 2011. Lynette is a strong advocate for SAG-AFTRA. Her goal is to maintain a high level of Professionalism and make sure productions in New Mexico treat our Actors with the respect and professionalism while following SAG-AFTRA guidelines. She has also been very pro-active the past 10 years campaigning for incentives for the Film Industry in New Mexico. Moderator: Future of Television Luke Ryan, CEO of The Alchemists Luke Ryan is the CEO of The Alchemists, overseeing all aspects of creative and business affairs for the company globally. Luke began his career in entertainment in 2000 as a story consultant for New Line Cinema. He rose to the rank of Director of Development and shepherded several films at the studio including the cult comedy hit HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE before departing the company in 2006. Luke then moved on to serve as Vice President of Production for Paramount Pictures-based MTV Films, overseeing the transition of MTV Films from a production company to a fully functioning studio division, and working as a creative liaison between the film studio and MTV Networks. In 2008, Luke joined MGM as Senior Vice President of Production, serving under Chairman Mary Parent. While at MGM Ryan oversaw several feature films for the company including the breakout comedy hit HOT TUB TIME MACHINE. In 2011, Luke departed MGM with Mary Parent to create Disruption Entertainment. He has worked consistently as a screenwriter, selling material in both feature film and television. Luke is a sought-after speaker, worldwide. From Mattoon, Illinois, he holds a B.A. in Journalism from Eastern Illinois University. Moderator: Creative Opportunities in Documentary Storytelling Jilann Spitzmiller, Award Winning Documentary Filmmaker & Educator Jilann Spitzmiller is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and educator with credits including SHAKESPEARE BEHIND BARS which premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize. The film picked up 11 festival awards, including Best of Show at BendFilm and several Best Documentary awards. Jilann's work has been shown on outlets such as NBC, PBS, BBC, Sundance Channel, Starz/Encore, Canal + and Aljazeera. She also co-directed and co-produced CRITICAL CONDITION which aired on POV as a special broadcast in partnership with the McNeil/Lehrer Hour. With husband and long-time creative partner, Hank Rogerson, Jilann has just completed STILL DREAMING, a new feature doc which premiered at DOC NYC 2014. The pair also co -produced two critically acclaimed doc projects for National PBS, HOMELAND, and CIRCLE OF STORIES. In 2009, they formed DocuMentors, an online resource site for documentary filmmakers .worldwide. Jilann frequently teaches doc workshops and consults privately on all aspects of documentary producing and directing. Panelist: Creative Opportunities in Documentary Storytelling Dyanna Tayler, Emmy Winning Cinematographer Dyanna Taylor is an Emmy award winning Cinematographer/Director of Photography whose prominent career in features and documentaries has also earned her a Peabody Award and the Muse Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Vision and Achievement in Cinematography from New York Women in Film and Television. Recently, she was a DP for the Disney feature McFarland USA released this February, for The Great American Sleep Project for National Geographic and currently is DP for Who Will Write Our History, filming in Warsaw and Prague. She has traveled the world lensing documentaries and television specials on social issues and environmental/wildlife concerns, working for all of the major network and cable outlets including HBO, PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS and Discovery. Taylor is also known for her work as director of ABC’s Annapurna: A Woman’s Place, the gripping story of the first American women’s team ascent of Annapurna I, Vanished!! a mystery adventure in Utah’s canyon country, and her film Dorothea Lange: Grab A Hunk of Lightning aired on American Masters in 2014. In progress: a film, shot over a period of 22 years, focused on artist James Turrell’s work at the Roden Crater. Page 8 Moderator: Gap Financing & Loans with Harris Tulchin Harris Tulchin, Lawyer and Producer Mr. Tulchin has over 35 years of experience as an entertainment lawyer, studio executive, producer, executive producer, and producer’s rep. He is a graduate of Cornell University and Hastings Law School and has practiced entertainment, communications, and multimedia law since 1978. Mr. Tulchin has produced or executive produced over a dozen motion pictures including The Devil’s Double based on the bestselling book of the same title written by Latif Yahia, the screenplay by Michael Thomas, directed by Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors and the James Bond classic Die Another Day) and starring Dominic Cooper and Ludivine Sagnier, a Corsan, Corrino, Staccato production in association with Tulchin Entertainment, which premiered at Sundance and Berlin in 2011 and was distributed domestically by Lionsgate; The Lightkeepers starring Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner; The Golden Boys starring Bruce Dern, David Carradine, Muriel Hemingway, Rip Torn, and John Savage; Guy, an intense psycho-sexual film directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg and starring Vincent D’Onofrio and Hope Davis that was financed and distributed by PolyGram and premiered at the Venice Film Festival; and the critically acclaimed To Sleep With Anger starring Danny Glover and directed by Charles Burnett which was awarded the Special Jury Prize at the 1990 Sundance/U.S. Film Festival, had its international premiere at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival as one of the official selections for the Directors' Fortnight, and won four Independent Spirit Awards in Spring of 1991. Slated for the fourth quarter 2015, The Lowe Men, a British comedy about identical twins, one a bank robber and one a policeman, will be a Corsan production in association with Tulchin Entertainment and Beverly Nero Productions. Also for 2015, Framed is based on the acclaimed book of the same title by Tod Volpe. The screenplay was written by Terence Winter (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire). Framed is being executive produced in association with Steve Weingrad, Irina Ginzburg, Tod Volpe and Bonnie Timmerman. Framed is based on a true story of redemption about Tod Volpe’s journey from art dealer to the stars, his incarceration for tax fraud claims, and his ultimate repentance. As a producer’s rep, Mr. Tulchin has sold and licensed hundreds of films on behalf of his production company clients. Mr. Tulchin also co-authored the first, second, and third editions of a book considered one of the bibles of the motion picture industry entitled The Independent Film Producer’s Survival Guide. Panelist: NM Crew: Breaking Into the Industry Jim Twocrow, IATSE member Became IATSE Member in 2005 Panelist: Future of Television John Valentine, Senior VP, Television Strategy and Ops, Lionsgate Television A fourteen year veteran of Lionsgate, Mr. Valentine works closely with Television Chairman, Kevin Beggs, and President, Sandra Stern, to manage Lionsgate’s diversified television operations, which encompass more than 30 shows on over 20 different networks. Mr. Valentine has structured productions across the United States, Canada, UK & Europe while balancing the diverse demands of buyers including cable networks, digital platforms and syndication outlets. Mr. Valentine’s entrepreneurial approach to deal making, unique business models and strategic partnerships have allowed Lionsgate to become one of the most prolific television suppliers in the business. As illustrated by the four-time Emmy Award winner for best drama series Mad Men on AMC, Emmy Award nominated hit Orange is the New Black for Netflix, critically acclaimed breakout series Casual on Hulu or Anger Management, Lionsgate’s proprietary “10-90” series, innovation is a must in today’s television environment. A graduate of Boston College, Mr. Valentine began his career at Lionsgate in Production Finance for both TV and Films. He also sits on the board of the Los Angeles Ronald McDonald House Charity. Panelist: NM Crew: Breaking Into the Industry Lisa Van Allen, Teamster Lisa Van Allen has worked for many years in the film and television industry in NM as both an IATSE 480 member and a Teamster 492 member, as well as on numerous non-union commercial and still projects. Her major credits include “Ridiculous 6,” “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” ”Lone Survivor,” “Cowboys and Aliens,” “True Grit” and “Breaking Bad.” Recently, she was the transportation dispatch for seasons 1 and 2 of “Manhattan” and worked on “The Sixth Gun” pilot for NBC as Transportation Coordinator. Panelist: Writing to Your Assets: Smart Filmmaking or Dream Crushing? Alton Walpole, Academy Award Winning Line Producer Alton Walpole is an electric filmmaker with more than thirty years of experience with a background as cinematographer, editor, and producer. He was the UPM and Line Producer for the Academy Award winning production of CRAZY HEART with Best Actor winner Jeff Bridges. He also was the UPM on THE BOOK OF ELI with Denzel Washington. In 2012 he was the UPM and Line Producer on the biography of Steve Jobs, titled “JOBS”. In 2013 he worked as the UPM on the film “JANE GOT A GUN” with Natalie Portman and “THE REACH” with Michael Douglas. Walpole has managed film and television productions with both large and small budgets including the television pilots for WILDFIRE and LONGMIRE. He recently completed ten episodes of “DIG” and “WAR ON EVERYONE”. He was also the Unit Production Manager on a trilogy of films titled THE HORROR CHRONICLES and Cinematographer/Editor of “PAHA SAPA: The Struggle for the Black Hills” a documentary made for HBO. He is a member of the Director’s Guild of America. He resides in Santa Fe, NM, where he is the owner of Mountainair Films Inc. Page 9 Panelist: NM Crew: Breaking Into the Industry Tom Walsh, Production Designer Thomas diverse career spans feature films, IMAX, episodic series, documentaries, commercials, industrials, rock videos, Broadway and regional theatre. Currently he is the Production Designer on the popular Netflix series, “Longmire”. He originated the Disney/ABC hit series Desperate Housewives. Thomas is a founding co-chair of the Art Directors Guild’s Research Library/Archive, its Designer Apprenticeship and Portfolio Review Programs, and its highly regarded Film Society. He served as President of the Art Directors Guild (ADG) from 2003 to 2013. The ADG represents 2100 national and international practitioners active in production design, art direction, illustration, matte painting, set design, model making, scenic painting, title and graphic arts for the motion picture, TV, exhibition, and themed entertainment industries. He is a member of United Scenic Artists (USA) in New York. Other professional affiliations include the Designers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS). He is a founding member of the Los Angeles branch of the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA). Thomas is the recipient of honorary professorships from the University of Nottingham United Kingdom-China-Malaysia, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China, East China Normal University, China, and the Escuela Internacional de Cine y Television, Cuba. He lectures and participates in portfolio reviews and guest residencies at colleges and universities both nationally and internationally. Moderator: Growing Emerging Media in New Mexico Eric Renz-Whitmore, Executive Director of the New Mexico Technology Council Eric Renz-Whitmore coordinated a variety of programs in education at the University of New Mexico before becoming a founding member of the ARTS Lab, an interdisciplinary center for digital media research and production. With ARTS Lab, he led community development efforts related to post production, game development and entrepreneurship and produced several statewide conferences to promote film and digital media industry growth. He founded the state's "Rio Grande" chapter of the International Game Developers Association, was a founding board member of the New Mexico Post Alliance and currently serves as the Executive Director of the New Mexico Technology Council. Panelist: Writing to Your Assets: Smart Filmmaking or Dream Crushing? Carrie Wells, Assistant Film Liaison for the City of Albuquerque An Albuquerque native, Carrie Wells is the Assistant Film Liaison for the City of Albuquerque Film Office. Carrie started working with Ann Lerner in the Film Office in 2005… which doubled the size of the office from one to two. Carrie helped develop the filming guidelines for the City and runs the city’s “one stop” film permitting process. She lives with her amazing boyfriend, Eli, and is the proud parent of the cutest Chihuahuas in the land, Olive and Ruby. Panelist: Emerging New Media Shandiin Woodward, Co-Founder Subliminal Game Development Studio Shandiin Woodward is an independent video game developer and designer from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her work has spanned throughout different mediums and industries including video games, graphic design, and fine art. Continuing the artistic tradition of her mother, an award-winning painter, Shandiin pulls from traditional art while harnessing digital techniques. Her current work in video games focuses on 2D art and animation, and level design. In 2012 Shandiin co-founded Subliminal, an independent game development studio. The studio has since released two games Oh My Fat Guy and Sky Pets, and today they continue to craft new and colorful interactive experiences. Shandiin is a founding member and Chair of the Albuquerque Game Developers Guild (AGDG), and works to grow the game development industry in her hometown Albuquerque.