Jody Black, Talent Agent - the New Mexico Film Office

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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
Hunt Baldwin, Writer, Executive Producer, Showrunner of Longmire (photo credit: Mathieu YoungNetflix)
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: 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.
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Panelist: NM Crew– 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 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: 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.
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: 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: 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.
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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.
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.
Panelist: Growing Emerging Media in New Mexico
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
The Film School at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design.
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.
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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.
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.
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.
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Panelist: Future of Television
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: Growing Emerging Media in New Mexico
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.
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.
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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 Tyler, 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.
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: 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.
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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.
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.