Best in Fest (Leslie LaPage)

Producer/Actor Suzanne Johnson talks about her film "The World Without You" with Leslie in this episode of Best in Fest.  The conversation quickly goes to how an Independent can further his or her career and Suzanne gave nuggets of gold. Build the right team and spend what you must to get them was the advice, because your film and career will depend on it.  Suzanne gives anecdotes about her casting director Valerie McCaffrey and publicist Deborah Gilels and much more.

How do you write a great script that integrates well and allows the audience to accept the unacceptable? In this episode, Leslie has on Screenwriter James Napoli to break down his writing process Step by Step.  If you're a writer or wanna be writer than you can't miss this episode of Best in Fest!

More About James Napoli

James has a master’s in film from the London Film School. He began his career on a one-year temp assignment re-cataloguing the coverage library of the Walt Disney Studios, and there learned how to do coverage from some of the most accomplished union script readers in Hollywood. For over twenty years, he has been providing coverage to agencies, production companies and private clients in Los Angeles.

In the early 2000s, James followed around his two award-winning short films as writer-director on the festival circuit. He went on to be the Head Writer for the XM/Sirius program “New Frequency,” a live radio theater show which culminated its four-year run at the Roxy Theater on the Sunset Strip. James wrote nearly one hundred original short radio plays for the project.  At the same time, he created original drive-time content, including a long-running rock and roll parody series, for the nation’s largest syndicator, Premiere Radio Networks. 

He is the author of the humor best-seller “The Official Dictionary of Sarcasm,” and recently devised and co-hosted a comedy podcast called “Movies Not Movies.”  His new serialized detective story “Plea from a Dead Silhouette” is set in 1988 Boston and features private eye Maggie Dunne. 

James has optioned several screenplays and is currently shopping an original dramatic pilot with his producing partner. He has completed two new screenplays, an environmental crime thriller and an independent oddball romance. 

In this information packed episode Leslie speaks with Sales Agent Jenny Hayden about the best ways to get the industry interested in your independent film.  This is straight from an industry professional who has been in this world her entire career.  You don't want to miss her advice. 

More about Jenny:

Jenny Hayden has over twenty years of experience in the acquisition and distribution of award-winning television programs, films, and home video / DVD releases across all platforms in the US and globally. She's built a library from a catalog of 25 hours to a catalog of 2000 hours with sales in over 180 countries selling to name-brand networks including the BBC, Ch4 UK, ITV UK, S4C (Wales), TV2 Denmark,  Viasat, Discovery US, Discovery International, France 5, Halogen TV, Outside Television, Scripps Networks, Globosat Brazil, Prisa TV Spain,  RAISAT Italy, TVB Hong Kong, Living Channel New Zealand, Fox Australia's Lifestyle Network, Voice of America and more.  

Today she is focusing her efforts in working as a consultant and marketing/ sales agent representing filmmakers and television producers, while also developing her own original concepts.  

You will see Jenny's most recent consulting work on the big screen beginning on February 15th where she was a producer on the theatrical release of the Oscar-Nominated Short Documentaries.

Jacob Rachinski is a 1st AD, line Producer and now a Covid-19 Compliance officer with a ton of on set experience.  If you are a new filmmaker and you want to cut out about a billion potential mistakes you will probably make early on in your career, then you want to listen to this episode.  

http://www.lafemme.org

Leslie and her guest Gloria Gifford discuss her dynamic career as a woman of color including all of the hard earned lessons she learned working on Broadway and in Hollywood.

Gloria Gifford taught at the American Film Institute for six years in the Masters' Program. She taught Directors, Writers and Producers and among her successful AFI students: Patty Jenkins (Monster (2003), Brian Dannelly (Saved! (2004), Weeds (2005).

In 2007, Gloria opened the prestigious Actors Academy Milano in Milan, Italy, where she taught Italian actors and actresses and International Models - male and female in intensive acting programs. The Academy's president is Edoardo Costa, her former student at the BHP and now starring with Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard (2007).

She is the Founder of the Rebel Planet Short Film Festival of Hollywood, rebelplanet.com, which just had the its very successful second year festival in North Hollywood, California in April 2007.

She starred in a production of the play, "My Cup Ranneth Over" (written by award-winning playwright, Robert Patrick) in London, England to brilliant reviews in 1978. It was a lunchtime production in the West End for Producer Ed Berman and then she recreated her role for PBS in Minneapolis, filmed at the Guthrie. After singing at clubs, on national television, directed by Ralph Waite on "The Mississippi" (1983), and for the Kennedys and, after many years of film and television roles, she got a recording contract with Warner Bros. Records in 1996. Sr. VP of Warner Bros. Records, Carl Scott, discovered Gloria's singing when he heard her doing a song in her acting class. She is a bluesy torch singer and continues to sing at clubs in Los Angeles and in New York.

Kevin James Barry is a Los Angeles based screenwriter and director.  Originally interested in painting, he attended art school during both his high school and college years and continues to bring his highly focused artistic eye to filmmaking.  His feature films “Serena and the RATTS”, “Among Them”and "Gridlocked" were all acquired for DVD/VOD distribution in North America and several foreign territories.

In this episode, Leslie talks with Kevin about film festivals and How he got his Independent feature distributed. Don't miss it!

In this episode, Leslie talks with hybrid filmmaker (writer, director, producer, securing distribution, etc.) Sean Michael Beyer about Sean’s personal evolution within the film industry. how he approaches writing a new film, what inspired him to film “Randy’s Canvas,” a positive story about a kid with autism, his comedy podcast, “National Day Riff,” and how it was created.

Sean also shares a few pieces of advice and a ‘dirty little secret’ for new filmmakers just starting out. 

Sean Michael Beyer social media:

Facebook & Instagram: @ SeanMichaelBeyer

Podcast: @ NationalDayRiff

More About Sean:

A JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES, MASTER OF MOST, Beyer has worn many hats throughout his career: filmmaker, producer, writer, editor, graphic artist and even actor & musician. His unique blend of talents are an integral part to any production.

            Currently in the final stages of post production Beyer co-wrote and directed the action-adventure self-ware romantic-comedy, Poor Paul; inspired by the 2008-09 web series of the same name that he co-created and produced. Rhode Island served as the worldly locations for this fun romp. It follows Paul (Adam Carbone), an eccentric college student who lives vicariously through his hero fantasies, as he inherits a great deal of money (and frequent flyer miles) and takes his best friends/roommates Jason (Abhi Sinha) and Clyde (Nick Pasqual) on a trip around the world, only to be held hostage by a delusional Italian man, hell bent on Paul marrying his daughter – or else! Supporting cast includes veteran character actor, Richard Riehle (Office Space, Casino) reprising his role as the lovable curmudgeon Grandpa Paul.

            Also shot in Rhode Island, Beyer co-wrote and directed the award-winning Randy’s Canvas, a touching romantic drama about an aspiring artist with autism who falls in love for the first time. Starring Scout Taylor-Compton (Halloween, The Runaways), Kevin G. Schmidt (Cheaper by the Dozen, Butterfly Effect) and Richard Riehle as Randy’s art professor, Randy’s Canvas was honored with Best Director at the 2018 Glendale International Film festival and Best Actor & Best Picture awards at the 2018 AutFest International Film Festival, presented by the late Ed Asner. In the summer of 2017, he made his way to South Carolina to direct and co-write the dance-centric Another Tango starring Brant Daugherty (Fifty Shades Freed, Days of Our Lives) for Hallmark and MarVista entertainment, currently in release.

      2005 marked his feature film writing & directorial debut, with the intense drama, Down the P.C.H. starring Lin Shaye (Insidious, There’s Something About Mary, Detroit Rock City), Guillermo Diaz (Scandal, Weeds, Half Baked) and Elaine Hendrix (Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, The Parent Trap, Joan of Arcadia) who won Best Actress at the 2007 Baja California International Film Festival and picked up worldwide distribution, all while being made for a mere $40,000! His second film, Resurrection Mary starring Golden Globe-Winner Sally Kirkland, is based upon the famous Chicago Urban Legend, and is also available worldwide.

Beyer most recently created and hosts the sketch-comedy podcast, National Day Riff which is available Apple Podcasts and numerous other podcast platforms.

IN DEVELOPMENT: 

Rocky & James

Inspire by Romeo & Juliet, Rocky & James is a contemporary-language, action-packed, romantic drama that follows two teen boys who fall in love under extraordinary circumstances.

In this episode, Leslie speaks with Author/Director/Educator John Swanbeck about his profound acting techniques laid out in his book " How To Steal The Scene & End Up Playing The Lead". This is truly the last book you will ever need on acting. John also gives some helpful tips on how to work with actors as a director. Do NOT miss this episode.

More About John:

John Swanbeck is an author, columnist, speaker, creator and publisher of CleverActorTips, Chief Creative Officer of BlueSwanFilms, and Producing Director of The Character Factory. He is a renowned director and teacher of actors, directed the existential comedy The Big Kahuna, and is currently writing a series of books for actors and directors on unique and innovative ways to creating cinematic film performances. The first in the series “How To Steal The Scene & End Up Playing The Lead” is available on Amazon & iTunes. The second in the series “How To Direct Actors Like A Pro & Look Like A Genius Doing It” will be released in the fall of 2019. John’s YouTube channel is “Get Cinematic with John Swanbeck”, and he is preparing for the first annual multi-city “Get Cinematic with John Swanbeck Tour” launching summer 2019.

Dave Asling is Creative Director and Owner at Creation Consultants Inc, a visual effects company specializing in the creation of miniature effects and specialty props for film, episodic television and commercial advertising. Backed by over 30 years experience in the industry, Dave continues to explore film and television projects that will challenge and entertain both himself and the audience.

Specialties: Miniature effects and props design, engineering and fabrication, on-set vfx supervision, miniature effects unit film production.

How do you get a film on Netflix and what the hell do you do when you get there?  In this episode Leslie dives into industry secrets with young filmmaker, Dan Abramovici, who has worked his way in and realized there's way more to it than just that.

Dan Abramovici is an actor, writer, and director. He was one of only 8 actors selected for Canada's prestigious CFC Actors Conservatory program in 2016 and is known for his TV work on shows like The Detail, Man Seeking Woman, and Murdoch Mysteries. After writing, producing, and starring in a series of short films, he graduated to writing/producing features with Ben's At Home for Netflix. The movie picked up numerous awards, including Best Feature at the Canadian Film Festival, a Canadian Comedy Award, Audience Choice at the Gasparilla international Film Festival, and Abramovici picked up Best Actor at the IndieFest Film Awards and Rincon International Film Festival. Ben's At Home is now available on Netflix.  His shorts include "Liminal" and "Play it Again" and the upcoming "Spaceman."

It's impossible to overstate how important a role audio plays in the film viewing experience. While it’s perfectly natural to be drawn to the visual side of filmmaking, those striking visuals don’t hold the same weight without strong cinematic sound design to back them up. Whereas a painting is purely visual and a song can be purely aural, cinema combines sight and sound for a unified experience where one bolsters and elevates the other. 

In this episode Leslie talks to Craig Nimens, the Vice President of Sound Dogs.com, Inc. a commercial online library of sound effects based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, with offices in Canada, Argentina, and Uruguay. It is the first and largest online sound effects and production music library on the Internet launched in May 1997.

So, how do you get your short film nominated for an Oscar? Well, you're in the right place. In this episode Leslie talks with Polish filmmakers Monika Ossowska and Tadeusz Lysiak about their Oscar nominated short film "The Dress", the requirements to get nominated, the event and much more.

Tadeusz Łysiak – born in 1993, graduate of Cultural Studies at the University of Warsaw, student of Directing at the Warsaw Film School. Creator of two award-winning short films in Poland and abroad: "Techno" (starring Leszek Abrahamowicz, Danuta Stenka, Michalina Olszańska) and "The Dress" (Anna Dzieduszycka, Dorota Pomykała, Szymon Piotr Warszawski). For the latter he’s been nominated for an Oscar in Live Action Short category. Participant of the prestigious program FUTURE FRAMES – Generation NEXT of European Cinema within Eastern Promises at the Karlovy Vary Festival. Winner of the "Discovering Eye" award for young talented filmmaker at the Polish Film Festival in Chicago.

Monika Ossowska - born in 1997, a graduate of the Film Art Organization at the Łódź Film School.  Executive producer and production manager of the short film "The Dress" awarded at the Atlanta Film Festival, In the Palace, Rhode Island and Oscar nominated for Best Live Action Short. Recently, she worked on Agnieszka Smoczyńska's English-language debut, "Silent Twins" in a Polish-British co-production, distributed by Focus Features. At the moment she focused on the international series production for the streaming platform.

Are you looking to build a career as a film editor? Maybe you just want to learn a few new tricks of the trade. Well,  today Leslie sits down with film editor Matthew C. Hart to talk about everything from how to be a true partner with your director to how to break into the business.   Don't miss this jam packed episode.

More About Matthew:

Matthew Hart is a British/American feature film editor living in New York.He has worked across genres on intense character studies, comedies, revenge thrillers, non-binary sexual awakenings and cerebral horror,and his films have screened at festivals including Sundance, Cannes, Toronto and Berlin.He also edits documentaries, most recently working with director Andrew Dominik and cinematographer Robbie Ryan on the Nick Cave/Warren Ellis performance film, “This Much  I Know to be True"

Joanna Mae Park is a much sought-after costume designer. Her love of storytelling, character and genuine passion for clothing as a form of expression led her to a career as a costume designer. Joanna’s designs are about the human condition, self-expression and the worlds in which a character lives. A keen observer with a very detailed eye for colour and tone, clothing has become her language in which she tells these stories.

• Most recently Joanna designed PIECES OF HER, the upcoming television adaptation of Katherine Slaughter’s novel of the same name, directed by Minkie Spiro for Made Up Stories and Netflix, and starring Toni Collette and Jessica Barden. Joanna also designed Glendyn Ivin’s feature film PENGUIN BLOOM for Made Up Stories, starring Naomi Watts, Jackie Weaver and Andrew Lincoln, the film premiered at the 2020 Toronto Film Festival. For her next project Joanna will collaborate again with Ivin and Made Up Stories on the television adaption of Holly Ringland’s novel THE LOST FLOWERS OF ALICE HART for Amazon, starring Sigourney Weaver.
• Joanna’s other film credits include PALM BEACH for director Rachel Ward, which opened the 2019 Sydney Film Festival; the critically acclaimed film FELONY for Goalpost Pictures, directed by Matthew Saville, which screened at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival; ADORATION, directed by Anne Fontaine and produced by Hopscotch Features, starring Naomi Watts and Robin Wright, which screened at Sundance in 2013; WISH YOU WERE HERE, directed by. Kieran Darcy Smith for Aquarius Films, starring Joel Edgerton and Teresa Palmer, which opened the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an AACTA Award for Best Film; and AFI nominated THE TREE, directed by Julie Bertuccelli for L’Arbre Films, starring Charlotte Gainsbourg, which premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.
• Joanna’s other television credits include the children’s series THE UNLISTED, for Aquarius Films and Netflix; and the 2013 NBC/Universal series CAMP produced by Matchbox Pictures.

Today Leslie speaks with Actress and Acting Coach Kadina De Elejalde about how to transform and live inside a character. Next they discuss auditioning for major roles vs. supporting roles, auditioning with  self tapes, the intimacy of film, casting during Covid,  Kadina's specific coaching process.  If you're an actor then this is your episode.

Leslie talks with her guest Ana Tuazon Parsons about moving with her single mom from the Philippines all the way to Hollywood. Ana has appeared in projects such as Adam Ruins Everything, Dexter, Sherlock Holmes, the Asian That Didn't  etc..., but may be best known as a theatre actor and stage comedian. Ana also discusses her writing background and storytelling style which has taken her on many incredible journeys and opened up all sorts of opportunities.

Co-writing and film-making is a tricky business in Hollywood today which is why Leslie spoke with the team of writer/filmmaker Jacob Withers and writer/director/editor/composer Justin Norman.

Jacob has over a decade of writing experience and four years of filmmaking experience.  During those four years Jacob has worked on several short films, including seven award-winning shorts: Admission, winner of Best Film at the 48 Hour Film Project Des Moines (2018); Subtext, Runner Up Best Film at the 48 Hour Film Project Des Moines (2019); Cope, Runner Up Best film at the 48 Hour Film Project Kansas City (2019); A Negotiation, winner of Best Director and Best Score at the 48 Hour Film Project Kansas City (2020); Be Happy, winner of Best Film and Best Writing at the 48 Hour Film Project Minneapolis (2021); Flour & Eggs, winner of Best Writing at the 48 Hour Film Project Milwaukee (2021); and Enjoy Your Evening, winner of Best Director at the Great Canadian Comedy Film Festival. He has also co-written five feature screenplays, including Roy of Sealand, which scored in the top 4.8% of entries on The Black List, and TubeLords, which was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Iowa Arts Council. He worked as a director of photography for the Elison music video “Hopes + Horoscopes” and the interactive film-based video game, In Lukewarm Blood. He also has experience as an editor, sound editor (Welcome to a Better You and TubeLords), and sound recordist.

Justin is a Des Moines-based award-winning writer, director, videographer, editor, producer, animator, actor, visual effects artist, and music composer with a decade of film experience creating advertisements, narrative short films, television pilots, and documentaries. As an editor, he has won seven Best Editing awards in competitions across four states in three different genres: comedy, drama, and documentary. As a director and producer, he has helmed over 60 short films, a feature documentary, and a comedy TV pilot. In 2020, he won a Greenlight Grant from the Iowa Arts Council, won the 2021 Best Director award from the Great Canadian Comedy Film Festival, and won the 2018 Best Director award from the 48 Hour Film Project.

As a videographer, he has shot footage for more than 70 productions, including advertisements, documentaries, narratives, and television series, including the 2020 PBS series American Portrait, the award-winning 2019 documentary The Happiness Machine, and the 2021 Frontmen series which aired in the UK.

He has written more than 60 produced short films and co-written five feature screenplays and two television pilots. His 2020 dramedy, Roy of Sealand, was ranked in the top 4.8% of all scripts on The Black List, and was featured as one of the top 10 scripts of the week.

Today, Leslie's guest is acclaimed actor, producer and writer Chris Mulkey! Leslie and Chris cover everything from his original music to Twin Peaks, , Captain Phillips, his most recent project "The World Without You", and how he's managed to have a career of such longevity and prestige. Do NOT miss this one.

About Chris Mulkey

Award-winning American actor, writer and director, Chris Mulkey has a long and diverse career in film, television and stage. Chris is best known for On the Basis of Sex (2018), Whiplash (2014), Captain Phillips (2013), Twin Peaks (1990), Castle Rock (2018), Broken Trail (2006), Any Day Now (1998) and Boardwalk Empire (2010).

Chris grew up in the Midwest, majored in acting at the University of Minnesota and spent four years as a company member of the Children's Theatre of Minneapolis. While in Minnesota, Chris starred in Loose Ends (1975), the Grand Prize winner at the USA film Festival. Chris moved to Hollywood 1975, married actress/artist Karen Landry and they moved to Venice Beach. The couple wrote and starred in Patti Rocks (1988), an independent film that won the Jury Prize at Sundance Film Festival. Chris and Karen often worked together in film and on stage in LA, New York, and the Twin Cities.

Chris is also a songwriter with original songs featured in films and television and can be seen playing around the country with his band Chris Mulkey and Deluxe.

Caroline Friend is fresh out of film school and already making waves in the industry.  In this episode, Leslie and Caroline discuss all things film and festivals.  You're gonna love it.

About Caroline:

Caroline Friend is an award-winning director and writer. Caroline earned her degree in Film Production and History from the University of Southern California. Her latest film, Under Darkness, was a finalist for the Student Academy Awards®, premiered at Telluride Film Festival, and won the Horizon Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Her work has been recognized by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and the Television Academy, as well as supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Adrienne Shelly Foundation, Panavision, and Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation. She continues to seek meaningful true stories to bring to audiences.

 TOP FESTIVALS & AWARDS:

Student Academy Awards® - Finalist, 2019

Telluride Film Festival - Official Selection, 2019

Sundance Film Festival - Horizon Award Winner for Directing, 2019

Director's Guild of America - Jury Award Winner for Student Film, 2019

Television Academy (Emmys) - College Awards - Best Drama Nominee, 2019

Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival American Pavilion - Best Student Film, 2020

Film Pittsburgh Presents: The Robinson International Short Film Competition - Award Winner 2020

Are you looking for a class in how to write for stage and screen? This is the episode for you. Leslie speaks with writer and educator William Nedved on his life and process for writing and teaching writing.

About William:

I am a playwright, lyricist and screenwriter engaged with exploring the journeys that define us. I’m the co-founder of The Gift Theatre Company of Chicago, where I have premiered my plays Body + Blood (Jeff Recommended), Northwest Highway (2011 Steinberg American Theater Critics Association nomination), A Young Man in Pieces, and County Fair. 

I wrote the book and lyrics for Medusa: The Musical, with a score by composer and Project Runway winner Kentaro Kameyama, developed by the Tony Award-winning Deaf West Theatre at The Getty Villa in 2019. Our The Passion of McQueen, an opera based on life, death, and art of fashion visionary Alexander McQueen, played a sold-out concert at Pasadena’s Boston Court Theatre in 2019.

My play Closet Drama, or The Dick Pic of a Twink was featured in the 2018 LAMBDA Literary Fest in Los Angeles. I wrote and performed in the critically-acclaimed Fact & Fiction for the 2011 Hollywood Fringe Festival. My short play Kid was awarded “Best Production” at Collaboraction’s Sketchbook 2009. All Tomorrow’s Parties premiered at the 2002 Los Angeles Short Film Festival. Against the Grain was part of the 1997 Young Playwrights, Inc. Summer Festival. Fate, an original musical, was awarded the inaugural 1997 Leonard Bernstein ‘Learning through the Arts’ Interdisciplinary Scholarship through Scholastic, Inc.  The journey that defined me was the year I lived in Brazil as a Rotary International high school exchange student. 

In a way, this episode is like a do-it-yourself guide to how to launch your career as a filmmaker.  Leslie speaks with Brenton Tyner Bryan about putting together funding for independent projects, establishing yourself as a filmmaker, finding the right crew, guerilla-style filming, finding a mentor, asking the right questions and much more. The lesson? Get out there and start, complete, learn the lessons and then do it again. This is a great episode.

Brenton Tyner Bryan

HOLLYWOOD - MAY 18, 2022 -- Multi-award winning director/actor/writer/choreographer
Breton Tyner-Bryan will present the Los Angeles premiere of her short film “Delusione” at the
25th Annual Dances With Films Festival, June 9-19, 2022.
Starring Breton Tyner-Bryan (Winner World London IFF, Madrid IFF, Barcelona IFF) and Emily
Ulrich (Other World), “Delusione” has been on the festival circuit at Paris International Short
Festival, New York International Women Festival, Bucharest Film Awards, Big Apple AGENTS
AND MANAGERS Lab, ASVOFF14 Paris, and La Jolla International Fashion Film Festival.
Described as “an examination of dissociation, as a means for survival and manipulation,” the
passionate and nuanced film follows the dancers as they explore an empty vintage hotel filled
with memories that probe the depths of their shared past, creating a mirage of illusion. The film
is an ethereal exploration of two characters entering and exiting one another’s lives.
“Delusione” has screened on the festival circuit including the French Riviera Film Festival May
2022, Stockholm Short Film Festival February 2022, Paris Short Film Festival December 2021,
Bucharest Film Awards December 2021, New York International Women’s Film Festival
December 2021, ASVO Film Festival Paris November 2021, Big Apple Film Festival Agents
and Managers Lab November 2021.
Additionally, Tyner-Bryan has two other films on the festival circuit this year: INVICTA
premiering at La Jolla IFF (nominated for Best Cinematography, Best Fashion Dance, Best
Score, Best Cast Ensemble) that will compete at Tokyo Shorts this month, and TIMELESS
LOVE that won 22 awards at Vegas Movie Awards including Best Director and Best Editor.

Want to understand what it takes to understand the film industry? Listen to this episode!  A distributor and a lawyer get together to create an independent film production company.  Leslie talks with Jonathan Hlibka and Ryan Keller about the transition into production and the high-wire act it takes to get a film made.

Jonathan Hibka & Ryan Keller

Seeing the world change so quickly on 911, I took a step back and focused on
developing music and writing for film. Around that time is actually when I met Ryan Keller. I
had seen how hard it was to get projects made so I quite literally jumped into producing music
videos, short films and selling clients commercials - while working full time. Quite literally
grinding every day. When we originally conceived of what is now Other Animal, Ryan and I
had been reading reams scripts. We were both looking for a raw story that we could get made
on a slim budget, in the hope that it could attract exceptional talent to support our vision.

Somewhere in the first 6 months, after countless scripts read and forgotten, I was on a
Megabus to Montreal going to get a smoked meat sandwich at Schwartz’s. Laptop open and
phone in hand, Ryan calls me and says “you need to read this script.” It was a draft of what
would become our first feature, Poor Agnes. The lead character Agnes, that Lora Burke went
on to play, tore her way through the pages with no mercy or remorse. I think I called him back in like 20 min of reading it and saying, ‘Fuck, I’ll put the money up, let’s get this made.”

I pulled the financing for the film from the commissions I’d retained in my indie
distribution company. I was selling indies to TV, VOD, and Theatrical, which in Canada means
begging 3 broadcasters to ‘just watch it’ and traveling from cinema to cinema convincing the
reluctant owners to book amazing films. When we premiered Poor Agnes, I remember distinctly the silences and gasps of the audience. Then the eruption of applause, the audience was completely taken. Going into Happy FKIN Sunshine, we weren’t looking to re-create Agnes, our goal was building on our vision. We were seeking out truly raw and authentic talent who could pour them selves into the story.

Today Leslie has a fascinating conversation with Documentary Filmmaker Cevin Soling about what it's like to investigate ancient tribes that still exist. How do you put together a compelling film when you have no idea what you will find? Do you go in with a planned story or agenda? Cevin addresses this and much more in this informative episode of Best in Fest.

More About Cevin

Cevin Soling, president of Spectacle Films and Xemu Records, works as
writer, director, producer, artist, and academic. 

Soling directed and produced, THE WAR ON KIDS, winner of the best educational documentary award at the New York Independent Film and Video
Festival. The film demonstrates how American public schools have become
modeled after prisons in response to fear and a burgeoning intolerance of youth.
The film ran at the Quad Cinema in New York City and screened at Harvard
University as well as other major universities. It has received accolades from
The New York Times, Variety, and The Huffington Post. Soling was a guest
on numerous radio shows including The Lionel Show on Air America, The
Joey Reynolds Show on WOR, and The Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC. In
addition, the film was featured on national television along with an interview on
The Dr. Nancy Show on MSNBC, as well as on RT Television, and Soling was
the featured guest on The Colbert Report. The film has been broadcast
internationally on The Sundance Channel and aired domestically on The
Documentary Channel.

Soling also produced and directed IKLAND, a film about a tribe in Northern
Uganda that had been described as the most despicable people on the planet by
the anthropologist who studied them over forty years ago. IKLAND won the
award for Best Documentary content at the Boston International Film Festival
and was released theatrically in June of 2012 where it received enthusiastic
reviews from The New York Times, Discovery Magazine, and from several
syndicated critics.

Soling wrote, directed, and produced the feature film, THE WAR ON THE WAR
ON DRUGS, winner of the best experimental feature film award at the New York
Independent Film and Video Festival, the Stoney Award for best documentary
from High Times, as well as the “Clear Creek” Honorable Mention Award at the
Winslow International Film Festival.

The New York Times proclaimed in a rave review that THE WAR ON THE WAR
ON DRUGS "...a lively and well-executed satire that sweetens its occasional
truths with rebellious humor..." The film was acquired for DVD distribution
worldwide through Time Warner by The Disinformation Company.

Sam Fox is a unique Director that is making her mark in Hollywood.  Leslie sat down with Sam to discuss the techniques, inspiration ​​and secrets behind her highly stylized films.

More About Sam

Born on a secluded animal farm at the top of Malibu’s infamous Mulholland Highway and now based in Venice Beach, Sam blends highly stylized imagery, music, and psychedelia with horror and genre cinema via her production company Foxy Films (WOWZERS, UNAGI). Inspired by a clothing collection from indie fashion label Animal Crackers Clothing, for whom she often collaborates, Sam wrote and directed BAD ACID in 2021 featuring Bonavega, Number One Pop Star and DJ Harvey.

Sam also produces with the Greatgrandma Film Collective, namely as executive producer along with Desiree Staples on Heidi Weitzer’s female ensemble comedy feature MY DIVORCE PARTY coming 2022 (ft. Rumer Willis), and as producer on Britt Lower's CIRCUS PERSON, which screened at Tribeca Film Festival, won Best of Festival at Catalyst 2021, the Audience Award at Nashville Film Festival and which FX Productions' Diversity Hire, Ltd. is currently developing into a half hour TV series. Sam is also developing her mother's journey through addiction memoir BLOOD IS THICKER THAN VODKA into a mini series about alcoholism and family dysfunction, as well as Alex Knell's
horror fantasy project, MALOCCHIO, about body dysmorphia. Sam freelances as a commercial producer for J. Crew and spends her free time surfing, sailing and disco dancing.

Independent film is evolving and today Leslie speaks with two cutting edge filmmakers Tyler Rugh and Fernando Andres the writer/directors of "Three Headed Beast" to discuss the process of creating new art and how to effectively get it into the film festivals.

The TV & Film Industry is changing. Streamers filled a need during the pandemic, but theatrical releases are still an important aspect of the industry.  On thing is for sure, the industry is adapting and it's changing the way filmmakers find funding and create their art.  In this episode, Leslie talks with Valerie McCaffrey who has had a long and successful career as a Casting Director and now is finding success as a producer/writer/director.

In this episode Leslie talks with film producer Lisa Freberg about her move from studio films to Independent Producer and they get really specific about mentorship and how to put together funding for your Indie film.  This is a great one!

About Lisa

CEO / Founder / Producer

Lisa J Freberg is the co-founder of One Good Man Productions, based in Los Angeles, CA. She is a former Dreamworks executive, having overseen development and production of branded content for franchises including How To Train Your Dragon, Guardians, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek Franchise, and Trolls. She also produced Penguins of Madagascar Got Your 6 - a short featuring FLOTUS Michelle Obama

Bring your notebooks, today Leslie gives a class on all the different ways to get financing for your independent film and also how to avoid getting screwed in the process. She discusses things like Gap financing, bridge financing, equity investing with private money, different loans, how and why to choose a sales agent, how to get distribution, resale agreements and much more.  This is a MUST LISTEN!

At a time when women were rarely in positions of power on a set, Marty Elcan was an Assistant  Director on iconic shows like Hill Street Blues, Six Feet Under, Picket Fences and many, many more.  In this episode, Leslie and Mary break down her career and the job of an assistant director on set.

Ko Mori produces anime and live action by telling stories that show his Japanese culture and nobody does it better.  In this episode, Leslie and Ko discuss new projects and creative partners, hybrid festivals, distribution and much more...

How do you navigate a career in Hollywood from actor to writer to producer and even director?  Leslie sits down with James Michael Cummings and talks about setting up a great team, finding funding, location scouting, casting, expanding your role, finding the right projects and much more.  From City on a Hill to casting Jamie Fox, this is an amazing episode with valuable stories and advice.

Do you want to be a networking master at AFM? Do you have a finished film that you want to sell at AFM? In this episode Leslie gives amazing advice and tips on how to navigate the coctail hours and pitch meetings like a pro. 

Praised by American Record Guide as, "Energetic and exciting...", American composer Maria Newman has been commended and recognized by the U.S. Congress for her work in the field of original music composition, live performance, and recording. Newman’s compositions have been performed and screened in such elite venues as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the U.S. Capitol Building on Capitol Hill, the National Archives in Washington D.C., Hearst Castle Private Theater, the President’s Own Marine Band Barracks, Nokia’s NOVO Theatre, Heidelberg Castle, Brevard Center for the Arts, the Music Scoring Stages of 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount, Sony, Universal, and Warner Bros., among many others. Maria Newman has been featured in such spotlight one-on-one interviews paired with live concert performances as CBS Sunday Morning, National Public Radio's From the Top with Christopher O'Riley, andNPR’s Performance Today. Additionally, her silent film scores are featured regularly on Turner Classics. Named a George Wellington Miles Scholar of Yale University, Newman is an elected member of the American Academic Music Honor Society, Pi Kappa Lambda.

Maria Newman's original library of compositions have earned her accolades as an Annenberg Foundation Composition Fellow, a Mary Pickford Library Composition Fellow, a Sidney Stern Trust Composition Fellow, and as a Variety Music Legend. Her music is featured frequently on radio and television around the globe, and live-in-concert at numerous music festivals, chamber music series, and film festivals.      

Maria Newman is Composer-in-Residence with the Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra, SPaCE Salon Concerts Los Angeles, and the Malibu Coast Silent Film Orchestra. Fanfare Magazine has lauded Newman’s compositions, hailing, “This is real genius.”  She has been celebrated by NPR’s on-air icon of musical opinion, Jim Svejda, (Author and Host of The Record Shelf Guide to the Classical Repertoire) as, “Hugely musical, bewitching, witty, profound and playful, with an instantly recognizable and unusually appealing musical personality, Maria Newman is one of the most charming and distinctive composers of her generation.”  

In the international spotlight, Maria Newman is the acclaimed viola soloist in Miklos Rozsa’s Viola Concerto with the Nuremburg Symphony (Germany) on the GRAMMY Award-winning Symphonic Hollywood CD (Varese Sarabande label). She also appeared as the physical animation inspiration and violin soloist for the character of “The Grasshopper” in the 1996 Walt Disney release of Tim Burton’s, James and the Giant Peach.

Maria Newman is the youngest of 9-time Academy Award-winning composer Alfred Newman's seven children. She is the sister of film composers/conductors Thomas Newman and David Newman, and the cousin of Randy Newman. Maria Newman’s recording studio is based in Malibu, California, designed by architect, Eric Lloyd Wright. Newman is married to American conductor and violist, Scott Hosfeld.

In this episode Leslie talks to Actor/Producer Tara Shayne about filming in Chicago.  They discuss everything from  casting to location scouting to funding and all aspects of Independent Film in between. Don't miss it.

Rivkah Reyes (they/she, but mostly they) is a queer Filipinx-Jewish actor, musician, comedian, producer and writer from Chicago. They have been performing since the age of 4 when they picked up a guitar for the first time. In the 4th grade, Rivkah performed on the NPR show From the Top, which eventually led to them being discovered and cast in the 2003 film School of Rock. Since their movie debut, Riv has been a prominent force in the comedy and theater scenes of Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York.

They have worked with The Second City in Chicago on several sketch revues and performed improv, sketch, and stand-up at iO, The Hollywood Improv, The Laugh Factory, Club Cumming and Las Culturistas' I Don't Think So Honey! Live. They are an alum of the School at Steppenwolf, The Second City and iO's training centers, and the University of Illinois at Chicago. In 2020, Rivkah released an article called “Confessions of an Obsolete Child Actor” about their journey from childhood stardom to adulthood lessons. Currently, Riv resides in Los Angeles and spends their days drinking tea, listening to lo-fi beats, and being a spooky witch.

Do you want to know what networks are looking for directly from an executive who is also a show runner? Enter Cindy Villarreal who sits down with Leslie and breaks down everything form story to script to analytics. Do not miss this one!

More about Cindy:

Cindy Villarreal is a versatile, network executive producer and show-runner with 30 years of entertainment experience in new media, episodic TV, and feature films overseeing projects for many broadcasting networks including the CW, Viacom, Verizon Go90, CBS, Alloy Media, NFL and Awesomeness TV among others for distribution. Villarreal is listed as one of 100 Most Influential Hispanics, by Hispanic Business Magazine and credited as one of the Top 10 Most Powerful Women by Austin Business Journal. In 2019, Villarreal spearheaded diversity content within Viacom producing hit shows including My Dream Quinceañera and Taking the Stands. She is a Streaming TV pioneer in the OTT market having founded the Cheer Channel Television Network in 2009, a gamified, immersive streaming platform. She is an A-Z producer distributing original content to both major TV and new media networks. A passionate storyteller, Villarreal is a screenwriter and consults with over 100 writers for both TV and feature film.

Today Leslie sits down with Irina Maleeva to discuss her fascinating career in TV and Film, what it was like to be discovered by Fellini and much more.

More about Irina:

Star of stage, screen, television, cabaret and the world of music, Irina Maleeva is a true multifaceted international sensation. The daughter of a famed Bulgarian stage actress and an aristocratic Italian statesman, Maleeva first established herself as a child performer in her native Bulgaria -- and from there her career and talents would bring her to the glittering global stage.

The world of Irina Maleeva jettisoned into the cinematic spotlight when she was discovered by the legendary Federico Fellini at age 15 and would go on to perform in three of his highly-acclaimed movies: Satyricon; Spirits of the Dead; and Roma. Later Maleeva was chosen for the lead part of Jessica in the film, "The Merchant of Venice" playing opposite Orson Welles's Schylock. The film was also directed by Orson Welles.

Included in her motion picture accomplishments: studying and working with iconic Italian directors Luchino Visconti and Roberto Rossellini and starring in more than 30 leading roles in European and American films opposite such luminaries as James Mason, Valentina Cortese and Terence Stamp, plus notable actors Susan Sarandon, Charles Grodin, David Duchovny, Anthony Franciosa and Klaus Kinski, to name a few.

For her portrayal as a demented countess in the cult crime mystery film Union City, Maleeva appeared opposite rockers Debbie Harry and Pat Benatar and for her memorable role in this film she was awarded at the Toronto Film Festival. Later she would play the part of Mrs. Hasadan in the screwball comedy of errors Wasabi Tuna.

Among her other acting achievements are the lead in the Italian-French television series Poly in Venice and The Girl without Identity. American television roles include appearing as a guest star on Days of our Lives, The Gilmore Girls, Pensacola, Just Shoot Me, Six Feet Under, Angel and Threshold. Maleeva was a principal recurring actress on the television series Cracking Up and the award-winning soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. She has also guest starred on American Body Shop and the critically acclaimed science fiction drama series Heroes, not to mention appearing in the role of Ruba in the HBO-produced show Twelve Miles of Bad Road. Maleeva has co-starred opposite Susan Sarandon in the comedy-drama film The Meddler and guest-starred in the television crime drama series Aquarius with David Duchovny.

How do you break in, produce and have a career in Hollywood? Today Leslie talks with Tony Boldi with over 25 years of practical experience in the film industry about the brutality and fun of working in Hollywood.

More About Tony

Tony is the Founder and CEO of Lifeforce Foundations which is a For-Cause Organization focused upon Global and Local Social Concerns.

Tony has received numerous honors and awards such as the Official People's Mayor of Hollywood and a honorary PhD from his former learning institution.

Tony continues to grow his relationships with his newest position as the West Coast Director of Acquisitions for Blairwood Entertainment and is the Director of Celebrity Memberships with a top PR/events firm called F.A.M.E. located in Hollywood, California.

Tony also owns his own branding company where he continues to take his clients from obscurity to celebrity status.

Tony Boldi and Associates is an acclaimed acting studio (with enrollment of more than 200).

Tony is the Co-Host of the LA Music Awards and new Co-Producer of the World Dance Awards and Choreographer's Carnival as of 2011.

In today's episode Leslie talks with Director Drew Ann Rosenberg about her time on Broadway and her move toward directing films.

Drew grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, later graduating from Brown University. She found her love of the arts through her years of study as a classically trained singer, performing in Boston and NYC. After graduation, Drew began working behind the scenes in New York's off-Broadway Theatres- Playwright's Horizons and American Place, before transitioning to film. She began her film career working with directors Sidney Lumet, Arthur Penn, Woody Allen, Paul Newman, Barbet Schroeder and Abel Ferrara.

Frank Kelly went from working in Corporate America to becoming a self-taught filmmaker  and Leslie learns the story and the nuggets of lessons he's learned on the way.

Frank Kelly is the founder and creative director of Reel City Films, a film & video production company dedicated to creating content for brands and agencies. Through his company,  Frank writes and directs the majority of the work he and his team produce. Current and past clients include Bacardi, Princess Cruise Lines, the Biltmore Hotel, Mercedes Benz, SLS Hotels, Dream Hotels, the Greater Miami Visitor's Bureau and Baptist Health to name a few. 

​Frank was the executive producer and creator of the Reel Miami Project, a short film series released in 2013 designed to showcase Miami through a series of films. The project garnered national awareness and media buzz for the films, the attached spsonsors and the selected directors that each told a story specific to a certain Miami neighborhood. 

Frank is a triple threat as he writes, directs and produces the majority of his work. He has an immense appreciation and love for the art of cinematography and is always chasing that cinematic look in every story he tells. 

After hours, Frank works on his passion and writes scripts and ideas for films and TV series. "The Critic" is a result of his late night writing and it's his official directorial debut. He enjoys writing within the romantic thriller genre and loves a great twist ending. His goal is to continue to create shorts, films and content that entertain and bring smiles to audiences' faces. 

Do you need to raise money for your film? Maybe you 're looking to attract a production company to your pilot or film script?  In this episode Leslie speaks with Literary Agent and Producer John Beach about how to develop projects and what stands out when he's looking for a script

John has worked in the entertainment industry for over 20 years – starting as a literary agent at Paradigm and later with ACME Talent & Literary, where he was instrumental in the sale of Oliver Stone’s WORLD TRADE CENTER w/ Nicolas Cage and YOUTH IN REVOLT w/ Michael Cera. 

After ACME, John and 2 producers created Fortress Features, where he aided in the raise of Fortress' development fund. As the Director of Development, John sought out property for Fortress to acquire and develop into rich film/television projects. 

In 2011, John opened the Angeles office of INDYCAR where he invited and managed celebrities (Dan Aykroyd, Howie Mandel and Gladys Knight to name a few) at INDYCAR events and races. Mostly, John produced Branded Integrations for TV shows like MYTHBUSTERS, LET’S MAKE A DEAL, HOW IT’S MADE and many others.

In 2015, after surviving cancer, John started Gravity Squared Entertainment, a Los Angeles based management/production company. Gravity Squared has over 170 books/treatment/scripts under management, many being Pulitzer Prize winners and New York Times bestsellers. They currently have over 25 projects in various stages of development/production - including: sold and developed a Primetime TV Sitcom to ABC based on a Chicago comedienne’s life; developing and producing a project with Mosaic & Legendary Pictures with Will Ferrell starring and Adam McKay producing; optioned a book to DreamWorks Animation TV about a unicorn being raised by narwhal, which is in production at Netflix; and they just optioned Judith Heumann's memoir, BEING HEUMANN to AppleTV+, which they will produce with David Permut and the Academy Award winning writer/director of CODA, Sian Heder, at the helm.

What are the laws of attraction in the universe and can you learn how to use them to attract everything you've ever wanted? Well, sure! In this episode Leslie talks with J Cynthia Brooks who teaches her techniques to attract what you want in your life.  These techniques are fantastic for actors and any other industry professionals who have to pitch their projects.

Should you start a production company if you're a filmmaker.  Almost definitely.  In this episode, Leslie talks about why you should think about setting up a corporation and how you should set up your corporation.  You'll learn everything from finding the right legal fictitious name to tax benefits and corporate protections.  Don't miss this episode.

Have you ever wished you could get free advice from a Public Relations and Marketing guru to promote your independent film? Leslie sits down with AJ Adelman the Chief Innovation Officer at Infinity Films who drops golden nuggets on how to get your film out into the world.

AJ Adelman

A.J. Adelman brings more than 30 years of corporate account
management, sales/sponsorships, producer/development
executive, consultancy, training/teaching and market research
experience to the team.

His award-winning experience includes film, video, commercials,
print, social media, sponsorships, product placement, exhibits
and events. His experience also includes the development and
production of a variety of projects including national and
regional meetings, tradeshow and consumer videos, print
materials, product training seminars, direct mail campaigns and
web sites.

Currently AJ heads up an Integrated Marketing Research +
Communications Agency and is Faculty at Santa Monica
College.

Human trafficking is one of the most frightening and misunderstood realities of the world... and this blight is right here in the US.  In this episode, Leslie speaks with actor and filmmaker Christina Zorich. about her new Docummentary the New Abolitionists.  

Bob Nickman is a comedian, actor, writer and producer who has worked on some of the most iconic sit-coms like Mad About You and Rosanne.  In this episode Leslie talks with Bob about what it's like to work on these shows and how to transition from one to the other.  

Bob Nickman is an American comedian, actor, television producer, and television writer.

As a television producer/writer, his credits include Mad About You, Freaks and Geeks, Danny, According to Jim, Big Day, Rita Rocks and Roseanne.

As an actor, he appeared in four episodes of Roseanne from 1994 to 1995, as well as guest starring in an episode of Designing Women in 1990, his acting debut. He also appeared in the films Shakes the Clown (1991) and Crossing the Bridge (1992).

He is a native of Cleveland, Ohio and performed stand-up comedy for much of the 1980s.[1]

In this astonishing episode, Leslie breaks down the steps it takes to design your life as a filmmaker.  This is the perfect episode if you want to start off 2023 in a major way.

Sadie is an actress, writer, producer and documentarian with an award named in her honor (AMDOC'S Sadie Katz Award for Hustle.) She spent the last two decades balancing being a single mom and a scream queen genre actress and recently opened her own production company "See You Next Tuesday Films" with the goal of telling female focused stories that don't involve sexed-up super villains or girls running through the woods.

Join Leslie for this very special episode directly from LaFemme International Film Festival.  Moderated by Debeorah Gilels from LA Media Consultants this is part 1 of a panel titled  Independent Financing: From Bridge to Gap to Raising Capital.

Join Leslie for this very special episode directly from LaFemme International Film Festival.  Moderated by Debeorah Gilels from LA Media Consultants this is part 2 of a panel titled  Independent Financing: From Bridge to Gap to Raising Capital.

Sadhvi Siddhali Shree is the first North American Jain monk, a US Army Iraq-war combat veteran, a TEDx speaker, an activist, and an award-winning filmmaker.

Driven by her deep-seated devotion to humanity, she uses her talents and skills to raise awareness about non-violence, personal and spiritual transformation, and social issues. Since 2008, she has served as the Spiritual Director of Siddhayatan Tirth & Spiritual Retreat, a 250-acre retreat, ashram, monastery, and meditation park based near Dallas, Texas.

Determined to bring about positive change and to help those who have suffered, she directed and produced two award-winning documentaries Stopping Traffic and Surviving Sex Trafficking. Surviving Sex Trafficking, which was released in early 2022, was picked up by a major streaming company, had a 20 theater nationwide release in partnership with anti-trafficking non-profits, and met the Academy qualification requirements for Oscar consideration. Her current film, For The Animals nearly complete.

Sadhvi Siddhali Shree and her work have been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, TMZ, Newsweek, the Associated Press, Deadline Hollywood, The Daily Beast, Los Angeles Times, and the NY Post.

Despite being a filmmaker, she considers herself a simple monk trying to do good in the world.

With her extraordinarily deep and varied background in managing and marketing film and cultural ventures on both sides of the Atlantic, Eleonora brings a global network of artistic and business alliances to her endeavors as a producer, film festival programmer, and international PR, marketing and distribution consultant.

As an Executive:
As a film production and acquisitions executive, Eleonora has worked as Vice President and head of the film co- productions and acquisitions division at Turner Pictures. ( then Time Warner Turner) She served as Senior Vice President at Pandora Films, running their U.S. office and was responsible for worldwide USA film productions and acquisitions. Eleonora She began her career with RCS Films and Television in Italy, where she held various acquisitions, distribution and marketing positions and eventually oversaw the company’s worldwide acquisitions
buying in excess of one thousand films and various film library from Los Angeles.

Alan D'Escragnolle is a Brazilian-American, currently building the future of film distribution for producers, sales agents and distributors. Prior to this, I've spent time wearing many hats building product, growth, and operations teams across many different verticals and stages of companies. From turnaround to high-growth companies, there's always a great learning experience.

Max Muscato is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer and philanthropist. As a rock artist he brings electrifying performances to every show. Over the last several years Max has gained an extensive following and has toured and opened for: Citizen Cope, Theory of a Deadman, Aaron Carter, Finger Eleven, Eric Gales, Ripe, The Allman Betts Bandn and more. He is currently working on his next singles Valarie and Toxic & Poison due out in 2022.

In addition to his music career, Max is also the founder of Rock Autism Music Festival and the creator/writer of the new TV show “Setlist.” The show is the truest depiction of their family dynamic while revealing the grind it takes to make it in the music industry. Max's powerful songs written about his brother's struggle with Autism and addiction is a deep-rooted catalyst that drives his passion and career. Proceeds from his festival fund Rock Autism programs for individuals with Autism, connecting them to a career in music and film.

Kevin is the founder and CEO of Screen Engine/ASI, a research and data analytics company that prioritizes maximizing market potential while evaluating risk for clients in the media and entertainment sectors. SE/ASI works with entertainment clients to uncover the critical ‘WHY’ behind the choices people make in deciding what, where, when, and how they choose to watch content.

Throughout his career, Kevin has produced twelve television movies. He is also the author of Audience-ology a book that chronicles how everyday moviegoers influence and help shape the making of America's cinematic masterpieces through the secretive process of audience testing of Hollywood movies. It offers an enlightening and universal perspective on how the power of audience feedback affects the final cuts of films and helps to make the playability the best it can be.

David Stump brings over 25 years of experience as a Producer, Director, Director of Photography, Visual Effects Director of Photography, Visual Effects Supervisor and Effects Cameraman. He has extensive experience in high definition film and video photography, content creation, CGI and visual effects production. He has won an Emmy Award and an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Acheivement. He is a full member of the American Society of Cinematographers, where he currently serves as Chair of the Camera Subcommittee of the ASC Technical Committee. He was also the founder of camera and equipment company Motion Control Rental Services.

He has photographed and supervised VFX work for every major studio and many independent production studios on feature film projects including James Bond 22 – A Quantum of Solace, Into the Blue, The Game of Their Lives, Garfield, X-Men 2, Sizzling Kung Fu Mice, Panic Room, The Bourne Identity, The One, Men of Honor, Pluto Nash, Hollow Man, X-Men, Navy Diver, Deep Blue Sea, Stuart Little, Soldier, Blade, U.S. Marshals, The Sphere, Contact, Batman & Robin, Mars Attacks!, Star Trek First Contact, Executive Decision, Mortal Kombat, Batman Forever, A Walk in the Clouds, Stargate, Clear and Present Danger, Exit to Eden, The Shadow, The Quick and the Dead, Wes Craven's Nightmare on Elm Street Part VII, Time Cop, Tall Tale, Double Dragon, Hot Shots! Part Deux, Ghost in the Machine, Dark Encounter, Free Willy, Toys, Batman Returns, Night Train, The Skateboard Kid, Doppelganger, Alien 3, Army of Darkness, Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey, Flight of the Intruder, Ghost Dad, Solar Crisis, Gremlins II, Karate Kid III, Rambo III, Beetlejuice, My Stepmother is an Alien, Adventures In Babysitting, Stand By Me, Runaway Train, Black Moon Rising, Ice Pirates, Jaws 3-D, The Man Who Wasn't There, Top Secret, The Last Dragon, and many others.

Television projects completed include Storm of the Century, The Shining, Science Fiction Channel, The Tower, Space Rangers, Darkman, Beverly Hills 90210, Grand, Miracle Landing, Quantum Leap, Something Is Out There, The Christmas Star, Poor Little Rich Girl, Murder By The Book, Oceans of Fire, The Day After, Greatest American Hero, Condor, Hollywood Fever, Adventure Kids, Sidekicks, Completely Off The Wall, Crackers and others. His first and second unit Director of Photography credits include; Spring Break ’83, Killer Pad, The Bronx Is Burning, The Trident, What Love Is, Southland Tales, Red Riding Hood, Daddy’s Boys and The Black Gate. He has also completed numerous broadcast, commercials and industrial projects for leading companies, major brand names and various leading advertising agencies. He is a member of the Producer’s Guild of America (PGA), the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Visual Effects Society (VES), the Society of Operating Cameramen (SOC), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS).

Alex Schmider is an Emmy, Peabody, and Critics Choice Award recognized film producer and the Director of Transgender Representation at GLAAD, the nation’s leading LGBTQ media advocacy organization. His producing credits include CHANGING THE GAME (Hulu), DISCLOSURE (Netflix), FRAMING AGNES (Kino Lorber), STAY ON BOARD: THE LEO BAKER STORY (Netflix) and upcoming CHASING CHASING AMY. He is an active member of the Producers Guild of America, the Television Academy, and board member for The 19th News. He remains a Forbes 30 under 30 list maker for media, but is gleefully no longer under 30.

More about his work: https://www.alexschmider.com/credits 

It's all about virtual production in this episode with one of the industry experts, President of Roninfilms Virtual Production Joan Webb.

Roninfilm Virtual Production pioneered in Unreal Engine as early adopters with 2 Epic Games/Unreal Engine MegaGrants, becoming evangelists, leading speaking engagements at NAB, AFM, CineGear, VES, Wacom, ASUS, Poppy Jasper Film Festival, and over 35 articles world-wide in American Cinematographer, Variety, Sci-Fi, NAB Show Daily, and other trades written on our accomplishments, discoveries and endeavors as the preeminent leaders in Virtual Production.

As experts, in a field of limited experienced contenders/participants, our unmatched, deep experience, discoveries and knowledge in this new frontier provided Roninfilm Virtual Production the ability to recognize and identify the requirements necessary to create standards and offered guidance to Rapid Industry Solutions (RIS), SMPTE's new Virtual Production Standards advisory & working group focusing on On Set Virtual Production, by interjecting the necessity/inclusion of ASC for an accurate integration and representation for Virtual Production to create standards for this new workflow.

Roninfilm Virtual Production's talent fulfilled Director, Writer, Creative Director, Virtual Production Supervisor, Virtual Production Producer, CG Supervisor, and Unreal Asset Creation for the first 
Super Bowl spots to air using this new workflow, as well our team has completed: Feature, Commercials, Shorts, Corp, Experimental in Virtual Production and 7 BTS how-to mini docs on Virtual Production.

Antti Kaarlela is a Finnish screenwriter, producer and a production company CEO. Antti has studied and lived in many different places around the world, including Rome, Italy and New York City, US. Antti set a production company called Whatevergroup in 2011 together with his namesake Antti Kairakari and a fellow entrepreneur Aleksi Puranen and since then Whatevergroup has produced for example the 2022 Oulu International Children and Youth Film Festival winning feature film Roi and the MIPdrama official selection Evilside that will open in Finland on Elisa Viihde Viaplay in October 2023. Antti lives Northern Finnish town of Oulu a mere 100 miles below the Arctic Circle. Antti is a strong believer in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and these basic values have been the main building blocks of the Whatevergroup mission; to make the world a better place through entertainment.

Currently Whatevergroup is in production with a mini series for the Finnish pubcaster YLE. The dramedy mini series entitled Critical point tells the story of a Somali-Finnish young woman who wants to become the best ski jumper in the whole World. The series is planed to open on YLE channels in February 2024.

Mary Jane’s films have screened at the Toronto, Venice, Berlin, Cannes and Sundance Film Festivals and have received numerous awards and nominations, including several appearances on the National Board of Review ‘best of’ list, a BAFTA best screenplay win for The Station Agent and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for Richard Jenkins in The Visitor.  Mary Jane received the Independent Spirit Award for Producing in 2004 and was selected as one of Variety’s Producers to Watch in 2003.  She is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and serves on the Branch Executive Committee for the Producers Branch.

Mary Jane has served as an adjunct at Columbia University and New York University and regular acts as an advisor at the Sundance Creative Producing and Catalyst Labs.  In 2016 she served as the Allesee Chair at Wayne State University. From 2013-2018 Mary Jane was the Senior Advisor to Gamechanger, a financing entity focused exclusively on films directed by women. Gamechanger’s inaugural slate of films included The Tale, The Invitation, Busters Mal Heart, Love Song, Land Ho, Addicted to Fresno and The Strange Ones. She is a graduate of The University of Michigan.

Mary Jane Skalski is currently the President of Production for Echo Lake Entertainment, a production, management and financing company where, in addition to overseeing the company’s slate, she is also producing a number of projects in film and tv and has a small number of clients.

Clay Epstein has over twenty years of experience as an Entertainment Executive. Since launching his own company in 2016, he is the President and Owner of Film Mode Entertainment, a worldwide sales and distribution entity with a producer friendly initiative. In addition to bringing films to audiences around the globe, Clay executive produces many of the company’s titles. As an Executive Producer, Clay
is instrumental in working with filmmakers in the early stages of pre‐production to help build the financing, and creative elements to achieve these successes worldwide. To better help producers and directors who may be less experienced, Film Mode has an active consultancy division, offering producers expertise and guidance on financial models, marketing, and distribution strategies.

Film Mode represents over 50 independent feature films worldwide, with a client base that spans the globe. Recent successes include BREACH starring Bruce Willis, AS THEY MADE US starring Dustin Hoffman, and Candice Bergan, CRYPTO starring Kurt Russel, LITTLE PINK HOUSE starring Catherine Keener, and MONSTROUS starring Christina Ricci.

Prior to launching Film Mode, Clay was SVP Sales & Acquisitions at Arclight Films. He was instrumental in representing high profile films such as Paul Schrader ’s DOG EAT DOG starring Nicolas Cage, and the Spirig brother’s PREDESTINATION starring Ethan Hawke. Earlier in his career, Clay represented prestigious titles such as TSOTSI (2006, Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language,) and THE
LAST STATION (2010, Academy Award Nominee for Best Performance by an Actress.) Clay earned a BA in Fine Arts, from California State University, Northridge majoring in Film Production and minoring in Italian Language.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, he holds the elected position of Chairman of Independent Film and Television Alliance. Clay is an instructor at UCLA Extension, and a frequent lecturer at film festivals worldwide., a member of PGA, FIND, BAFTA LA, and the Australian Academy
Cinema Television Arts.

Andria Wilson Mirza is the Director of ReFrame, the screen industry's gender equity coalition founded and led by Sundance Institute and Women In Film. Since joining the organization, she has expanded their mid-career talent accelerator and launched the ReFrame ReSource, an industry-leading initiative to create connections across Hollywood’s diversity advocacy sector. Previously, Andria was Executive Director of Inside Out, Canada’s largest LGBTQ film festival. There, she established the world’s only LGBTQ Feature Film Financing Forum, launched two development funds, co-founded the North American Queer Festival Alliance (NAQFA), and spearheaded a 4-year partnership between Inside Out and Netflix.

Andria and her wife Fawzia Mirza co-founded and run Baby Daal Productions, and are currently in post-production on the feature THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS, a Pakistan-Canada co-production. Baby Daal’s feature slate also includes Sandra Itäinen's upcoming queer Muslim documentary COMING AROUND and Drew Denny’s GIFTED, which centers survivors of intimate partner violence with an all-survivor crew and creative team. Andria serves on the advisory board of Hire Survivors Hollywood, and is a consultant for EFM’s Toolbox program to support underrepresented directors in navigating their first international film market. Named ‘one of 15 Canadian women to watch’ by the CBC, Andria has been a featured speaker at festivals including TIFF, Sundance, SXSW, AFM, San Diego Comic Con, Berlin’s European Film Market, Oslo Fusion, and the Iris Prize Producer’s Forum.

Twitter: @reframeproject @andriawilson

Instagram: @reframe_project @andriawilsonmirza

Katherine graduated as a medical biotechnologist (MD in Bioсhemistry and Molecular biology) and worked briefly in a Cancer Research Center. But due to serious circumstances, she moved to Hong Kong and spent the next 12 years as an interior designer and small-form architect, heading her own studio Cheshire Cat and founding a construction company Berling Co. Deciding to expand her activities, she entered a film school, after which she went with her student short film to the Cannes Film Festival. There she was noticed by producers from Los Angeles and was invited to the USA to develop the new projects.

Franklin Ritch is an independent filmmaker, writing, directing, and editing with a passion for unique ideas and sharp storytelling. Since high school, Franklin has developed a vast filmography of short films, web series, and features. Collaborating with Emmy-winning cinematographer, Britt McTammany, Franklin’s early short, BEDRIDDEN (Fantastic Fest, 2018), kicked off a marathon of short film productions that included STILL LIFE (Sleeping Giant Fest 2019), POWERFUL (SERFF 2019), THE 27 DEATHS (Fantastic Fest 2021), and many more. In 2022, Franklin premiered his debut feature film, THE ARTIFICE GIRL (XYZ), starring sci-fi legend Lance Henriksen, at Fantasia International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Audience Award for Best International Feature and later took top prize at its European premiere in Trieste, Italy. Franklin has since been named one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Film” by Filmmaker Magazine, and his work continues to be recognized and revered in outlets such as Screen Anarchy, Movie Maker Magazine, and The Film Stage. THE ARTIFICE GIRL had its US premiere at SXSW in March and currently holds a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. Franklin is now developing an ambitious follow-up feature film, with several more screenplays and a rumored TV series on the horizon.

Julia Morizawa is a writer/producer with over 20 years of experience in film, television, new media, theater, and fiction podcasting. Produced projects include JESUSCAT (OR HOW IACCIDENTALLY JOINED A CULT) (feature film), SIN & LYLE (short film), TWENTY-TWO (play), and AMERICAN COMEDY HORROR STORY: ORPHANAGE (fiction podcast). Her current project, DRAGONFLY (animated short film), was awarded Best Short Screenplay by Scriptation Showcase and Screenwriting Master in 2019 and will be premiering at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film
Festival in May 2023. She is currently in development on a feature, SOMETHING ABOUT THE TIDE, which placed in the Top 5 Features in Roadmap Writers’ 2022 JumpStart Competition. Julia started her career as an actor with credits including JUDAS KISS (feature film), SCANDAL (TV), SEAL TEAM (TV), MASHA NO HOME (stage), STAR TREK: ODYSSEY (new media), and THE BRIGHT SESSIONS (fiction podcast). Julia is also a freelance script analyst, the Short Film Fund
Coordinator at Shore Scripts, and the proud mom of two tiny superheroes.

Marianna Vargas Gurilieva was appointed Film Commissioner of the Dominican
Republic Film Commission (DGCINE) in 2021, a position dedicated to regulating,
developing, and promoting the Dominican film industry.

A Magna Cum Laude graduate in Law of the Pontificia Universidad Católica
Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), Vargas continued her studies obtaining a L.L.M. in
Business Transactions at Erasmus University Rotterdam. In 2021, she completed
a master's degree in Legal Strategy from the OMG Institute of Santo Domingo.

Prior to her appointment as Film Commissioner, Vargas served as a Senior
Director of the Business Department at OMG, a legal firm in the Dominican
Republic. From 2011 to 2016 she worked as Director of Business and Legal
Affairs for Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios, where she acted as in house
counsel for the Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the production team in
international and national productions directed by the studio.

Furthermore, Vargas participated as a representative of the Film Studios at the
Intersectoral Commission for Promoting Cinematographic Activity in the
Dominican Republic (CIPAC) and collaborated in the preparation, revision, and
modification of Law No. 108-10 to promote Cinematographic Activity in the
Dominican Republic and its applicable regulations. She has extensive knowledge
and a well-established background in Corporate and Commercial Law,
specializing in legal planning and entertainment.

Today Leslie has on John Wayne S III, Tyawanna Smith, Kristine McPhearson the creators of the sports documentary "Ballin' Aboard" to talk about how to market a film in todays industry.

Ballin Aboard is the journey of five Champion and top-tier American athletes playing basketball in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) and Euro-Leagues.

Mark Salyer is an award-winning producer and director whose work in the arts and multi-media explores intergenerational themes, stories and mythology of the Appalachian Mountains where he is from and the LGBTQ+ experience.

As an actor and director in the theater, Mark has won numerous awards and performed across the country and abroad. His Hedwig in the Atlanta premier of Hedwig and the Angry Inch was both a critical and commercial success. He performed in the ruins of Delphi for the International Symposium on Greek Drama playing a gender-fluid Electra in Sophocles’ tragedy. In Los Angeles, he co-created the four part
harmony drag show She Haw which enjoyed a long run at Largo. Directing highlights include Williams’ Suddenly Last Summer, Madama Butterfly, Sondheim’s Into the Woods, Cabaret, An Evening with Stephen Schwartz starring Ben Vereen and Corbin Bleu and the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center’s gala opening performance of Big River.

In 2012, he created NewStages, a dynamic and ground-breaking performing arts program for and about LGBTQ+ seniors. NewStages has reached thousands in the Los Angeles queer community through dynamic classes and workshops, innovative intergenerational projects and an annual Pride Arts Festival production featuring the seniors of the LA LGBT Center in a performance of music, theater, and dance
inspired by their remarkable life stories.

In 2016, he co-founded ARAY Productions with his co-Appalachian Melissa Palmer. Since then, ARAY has produced projects that are by and about the people of Central Appalachia, including the award-winning short Ladies Most Deject directed by Martha Elcan and starring Conner Wharton.

Mark lives in Palm Springs and in Los Angeles with his husband of 31 years. He is currently working on a
book about art and aging.

Naida Valencia originally hails from the West Coast of the US, but holds a strong identity within her Chilean and Colombian heritage. A theater virtuoso from the age of 9, she attended The Northwest School of the Arts, as well as the acting division of UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television. Since then her career has been an eclectic mixture of marketing, management, writing, event planning and overall industry involvement. She currently works as a marketing manager for Whatevergroup, a production company in Northern Finland. 

Whatevergroup is a TV and film production company based in Oulu, Finland. The company was initiated in 2011 and is run by three writer producers: Antti Kaarlela, Antti Kairakari and Aleksi Puranen. A modest, yet dynamic team runs the engine of this enterprise, setting the course for unique and ambitious horizons. Whatevergroup sets itself apart as one of the primary industry players within the northern regions of Finland. Brandishing an eclectic profile of enthralling pieces, such as the Evilside thriller series for Elisa Viihde and the family feature Susikoira Roi for Cmore MTV3.

Heidi Nyburg

After a career in tech as a product manager for Netflix, Heidi pivoted to screenwriting
for television and film. A 2022 HUMANITAS finalist, & WIF top 10, Heidi’s writing focuses on female-driven dramas and dark comedies that explore themes of
motherhood, having/not having it all, and sometimes, murder. She’s won several
respected contests, has been featured on The Blacklist for pilots & has two scripts in Coverfly’s Top 1% of all time. She’s also a mother and a director, and those two things feel the same most of the time.

Kristin Tegtmeier Higgins
 
is an independent film producer having discovered a passion for making movies after growing up with her family’s rural movie theater business. She began to makefilms alongside raising a family and a successful career in enterprise software marketing in Silicon Valley.

Kristin studied screenwriting at UCLA and finally film production at San Francisco Film School. She has gone on to make multiple short films and now the narrative feature film, ClearMind, as well as directing and producing a feature documentary on the topic of women and ultra running, which is in post production.  

Grant Garry is a filmmaker, actor, and owner of the production company Wesley Curtis Productions. He is the director of the new documentary Meet Me Where I Am - Which explores the topic of grief through individual stories of loss, love, and hope. 

Grant earned his degree in Theatre Arts from Loyola Marymount University. He has studied improv at The Groundlings School, acting in musical theater with Jason Alexander, and is a Certified Grief Educator. He has a passion for singing, long-form conversations, nonfiction literature, meditation, writing, coffee, and cars. 

He previously produced and acted in Black Cat, currently available on Amazon Prime. Other acting credits include NCIS: Los Angeles, Night of the Living Deb, Sweeney Todd, and Cinderella. His upcoming documentary film, Room for Cream: The Coffee Experience, will explore how humans experience coffee. 

Corey Grant was born in Joliet, Illinois. He attended Norfolk State University and Virginia where he received his BA in Communications. After graduating and working for NBC, he decided that film was his ultimate goal and he moved to Washington, DC to attend Howard University to receive his Masters in Film. While attending Howard, he founded New Breed Entertainment and wrote, produced and directed his first feature film, HIP HOP TASK FORCE. The film was picked up fro domestic distribution after a limited theatrical run all funded by scholarship money. It proved successful and set up the next step in advancing both Grant and New Breed Entertainment. After graduation he moved to Hollywood to take his film career to the next level. He wrote, produced and directed the follow up to Hip Hop Task Force with the sequel STUDIO which was picked up by Warner Bros Home Video and released in 2007. Looking to take things to the next level, Corey wrote and and directed DYSFUNCTIONAL FRIENDS, his third feature which was released theatrically and has garnered rave reviews and success on DVD and VOD. The movie has gone on to cult hit status among African Americans for the all star cast and it's high end comedy with lightly placed drama. His follow up BIGFOOT: THE LOST COAST TAPES, saw Grant go in a completely different direction as he entered the mainstream horror arena. The found footage thriller was received well as it was picked up for worldwide distribution and was released in the fall of 2012. This filmmaker prides himself on quality, commercial stories that are cutting edge and original

LANETT TACHEL IS A PRODUCER, WRITER, AND ACTRESS FROM PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY MARYLAND. SHE RECEIVED HER BFA FROM HOWARD UNIVERSITY AND MOVED  TO LOS ANGELES WHERE SHE MET LEGENDARY WRITER/PRODUCER, ED WEINBERGER (TAXI, THE COSBY SHOW) WHO ASKED HER TO SERVE AS A CONSULTANT FOR THE 6 EPISODE SERIES, BELLE’S, STARRING KEITH DAVID AND ELLA JOYCE. AFTER CONSULTING ON THE PILOT WHERE SHE LATER EARNED A TITLE ROLE,  LANETT QUICKLY LEARNED THAT THE BEST WAY TO KEEP WORKING WAS TO CREATE THE WORK HERSELF. 

FOLLOWING THE SERIES, LANETT PRODUCED AN AWARD WINNING SHORT, SISTER SISTER SISTER FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF NARRATIVE DRIVEN MUSIC VIDEOS FOR A UNIVERSAL RECORDING ARTIST.  SHE THEN TEAMED UP WITH COREY GRANT AND WITH THEIR PRODUCTION COMPANY, “NEW BREED ENTERTAINMENT” SHE WENT ON TO WRITE AND PRODUCE FEATURE FILMS SUCH AS THE SUSPENSE/THRILLER -ILLICIT (AMAZON/BET 2017), I GOT THE HOOK UP 2 (2019 THEATRICAL RELEASE) AND MOST RECENTLY SHE HAS PRODUCED AND COWRITTEN  THE BRAND NEW SCRIPTED SERIES, PUMP, WHERE SHE ALSO STARS ALONGSIDE RAY J, JENNIFER FREEMAN, MICHAEL JAI WHITE AND MORE. THE SERIES RELEASED TO A STREAMING PLATFORM TO RAVE REVIEWS AND IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF RE-RELEASING TO A NEW, LARGER PLATFORM LATER THIS YEAR.

McKenzie is a filmmaker, actor, and poet based in Chicago. Driven by a revolutionary sensibility, her work uses rich imagery and a deeply personal lens to explore the lives, relationships, and dreams of those who experience marginalization based on their identities, frequently returning to themes around longing and ambition, with her storytelling rooted in sensuality, everyday magic, and the beauty of the ordinary.

She was recently named IFA Chicago’s inaugural Breakthrough Voice Award recipient, and is a 2021 Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Lab Fellow with her next feature A Real One, currently in late development. 

She is also the writer, producer, and lead actor of Olympia, which premiered at the 2018 LA Film Festival and won the Audience Award at the 2019 Bentonville Film Festival. 

She recently made her stage directing debut with ALAIYO by Micah Ariel Watson at Definition Theatre.

As an actor, her on-camera credits include recurring and guest star roles on the FOX series The Big Leap, ABC's Will Trent, CBS’s The Red Line, and others. Onstage she has worked with Steppenwolf and Goodman Theatres, The Second City, Woolly Mammoth, Definition Theatre, and others.

Patrick Rizzotti, is a veteran film producer and founder of Crossroad Productions.
Crossroad's finds projects that can crossover to multiple entertainment platforms during its lifespan.

Rizzotti originally co-founded Fortress Features in 2004 - 2017 and developed over 100 feature film and television projects during the next 14 years. The goal of Fortress was to create a environment where filmmakers could develop material outside of the studio system.

Rizzotti has produced major internationally successful films including the critically acclaimed "Pride" (Lionsgate), starring Academy Award Nominee Terrence Howard (Empire, Iron man) and Bernie Mac (Oceans Eleven, Charlie's Angels). "The Collector", co-written and directed by Marcus Dunstan (co-writer of Saw 4-7), spawned a sequel called "The Collection", both of which were released wide theatrically. "The Super", a psychological thriller starring Val Kilmer (Top Gun, The Doors) and financed by television producer Dick Wolf and most recently "Malicious" starring Josh Stewart (The Dark Night Rises, The Collector), Delroy Lindo (Heat, Get Shorty) and Bojana Novakovic (i-Tonya, Shameless).

Today Ledslie talks to Dianah Wynter. Wynter was born and raised in New York. She directed Intimate Betrayal (1999), HappySAD (2009), and Daddy's Girl (1996), for which she received an Emmy nomination. Her stage directing credits include the world premiere of The Interrogation of Nathan Hale at South Coast Rep, Mules at San Francisco's Magic Theatre and American Conservatory Theatre (ACT), the latter starring Anika Noni Rose. She was a regular director for the Mark Taper's New Work Fest, and NEA Director Fellow for The Goodman Theatre. At Princeton, she composed music for Triangle club comedy revues, collaborating with classmates such as Douglas McGrath, David E. Kelley, Eric Schlosser and John Seabrook.

A graduate of the Yale school of drama. She was asst director for Lloyd Richards on the world premieres of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and Fences. She mounted the second company of Fences at Seattle Rep starring Frances Foster and Samuel L. Jackson. Dianah is an author and co-editor of Referentiality and the Films of Woody Allen (Palgrave Macmillan). Her most recent book is The Post Soul Cinema of Kasi Lemmons.

In 2019, she was elected Chair of the Cinema & Television Arts department at Cal State Northridge (CSUN), which consistently ranks in the Hollywood Reporters Top 25 film schools. She is the first black woman to head a Top film school. During her term as Chair, she initiated the virtual production initiative, with the support of strategic partner, Halon Entertainment; by 2021, CSUN made it into the top 20 of The Wraps Top 50 Film Schools, breaking in at #17.

A Line Producer is the unsung hero of a film production.  Full of responsibility and, of course, stress, the job of a line producer is crucial and really challenging.  In this episode Leslie breaks down the whole job from beginning to the end leaving no stone unturned.  This is a must listen!

Judy Korin fuses her backgrounds in graphic design and filmmaking to contribute to visually powerful and socially impactful works. In addition to producing REBEL HEARTS (2021, max/discovery+) which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, she is a producer of the documentary series THE LINCOLN PROJECT (2022, Showtime) and the Netflix original documentary THE GREAT HACK (2019, Sundance premiere), which made the Academy Award shortlist, was BAFTA-, Grierson- and Emmy-nominated, and won a Cinema Eye Honors Award. She also co-produced BENDING THE ARC (2017), directed the International Documentary Association and Emmy Award nominee A CENTURY OF WOMEN (1994) and produced the indie scripted feature FINDING NEIGHBORS (2013, AppleTV, Amazon). Judy has directed and produced many short-form documentaries and branded content films for social justice and educational non-profits such as the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Community Action Network. In addition to her filmmaking, she teaches documentary production to the next generation of storytellers at California State University, Northridge.

Amanda Frolich, aka Action Amanda, is an award-winning children’s entertainer, early years educator, health and fitness expert, best-selling author and Government advisor.

This year marks Amanda’s 30th year in business as the CEO of Amanda’s Action Club. From starting in a small community centre, Amanda has grown to working globally. Her impressive client list includes some well-known stars including; Brad and Angelina and The Beckhams… Peter Jones, Amanda Holden, The Beautiful South’s Alison Wheeler, Take That’s Mark Owen, Declan Donnelly, Sarah Beeny, Catherine Tate, Olympian Matthew Pincent… and many more…

In 2020, Amanda was invited to become a UK Children’s First Champion in Parliament, encouraging policymakers to put children first at the heart of all decision making. She previously worked as a children’s fitness consultant on the government’s Change4Life programme and was selected to run classes, events and training for Sure Start. Over the last 30 years Amanda has won multiple awards for her work, she is a number one best-selling author and iTunes number one chart topper — beating Baby Shark to the number one spot!

Linda Malik is a writer/screenwriter/storyteller living in Los Angeles, CA. Originally from Denmark, she worked as a professional ballet dancer for 12 years before an injury put a stop to her career. She went back to school in the U.S., where she earned a B.A and M.A in Radio and Television (Screenwriting) from San Francisco State University. She has written several screenplays, mostly dramas - she placed as a semi-finalist at the Academy Nicholl Fellowships Screenwriting competition - children's animated series pitch bibles, short stories. Presently, she has one optioned script for a dark animated feature film, self-published children's picture books in the series of "Willow's Tale" that are inspired by her real-life rescue cat, Willow. She has written/ produced 2 short animations based on the Willow books that premiered in October at CatCon 2022, Pasadena. Established in 2002, The Center for Learning Unlimited (CLU) reconnects complex learners with their academic, social, and emotional potential. CLU serves kindergarten - 12th grade students with learning challenges. CLU also is home to a swiftly growing animation career training program for adults on the autism spectrum. As CLU sister studio, Brainstorm Productions offers paid workplace experience for CLU animation alumni.

Rob Feldman is a Ringo-Award nominated comic book creator, animation producer and NFT artist best known for his print and online comic, Cyko KO and web animated series, Dr. Shroud. Having produced content for the likes of Warner Brothers, Fangoria, Starlog, Top Cow and Mystery Science Theater, Rob's recent work of NFT drops and streaming through the blockchain-based partner Theta Network have
proven to be the most innovative and utility-driven to date. In addition to producing, Rob serves as CTO of the publishing powerhouse Rocketship Entertainment where he helps brainstorm, source product and manage content. When he's not exploring the emerging blockchain landscape of digital collectibles,

John Shableski is a nationally recognized expert in the development of the graphic
novel/manga/comics category for the publishing industry including trade, library and
educational markets. Along with editorial development, design and strategic planning,
his scope of expertise includes the study of industry trends and market development for the educational, public library and retail categories for book publishing along with
classroom application of graphic novels.
 
John currently serves as president for Reading With Pictures, a global literacy
organization focused on improving the learning experience for students of all ages and
abilities.

Genna Rosenberg  is CEO of GennComm, a global PR & Marketing agency representing many of the most powerful classic and new brands of our time, Chief Ideator at ImaGENNation, a Think Tank focused on licensing and connections in the consumer product space, and Executive Producer at Upbeat Entertainment Group, bringing music and content focused on empowerment, diversity and inclusion to life through powerhouse partnerships with giants.

Nikki Hevesy is an award-winning director and producer who has worked on documentaries, shorts, multi-camera presentations, promotional and music videos. She began her career in theatre, and as the founding artistic director of the City of Performing Arts company in San Francisco, has directed more than 50 stage productions,  including writing and directing two critically-acclaimed musicals that premiered in San Francisco, as well as a small musical for the National Theatre of Uganda, Africa.

As a writer, director and producer,  Hevesy has won a slew of awards, including multiple TELLY, Aurora and CINE Golden Eagle Awards. She also nabbed recognition for her work on “Joined Together,” an award-winning, one-hour special on interfaith marriages, which aired on PAX TV. 

Hevesy has a Master’s of Fine Arts in directing from the University of Southern California  (USC) and a degree in theology from Simpson University. She has taught directing, acting and sit-com production both privately and as a faculty member at various colleges and universities, including Pepperdine University, Los Angeles Valley College and Azusa Pacific University – just to name a few. 

A year to life - social impact short

Hevesy’s scripted series, based on her gang intervention documentary was one of four TV projects selected for the highly-competitive Producers Guild of America’s (PGA) diversity development program. During the pandemic, Hevesy wrote (and attached to direct) the feature film,  LIFE LIKE THAT, for producer Anne Marie Gillen (FRIED GREEN TOMATOES, UNDER SUSPICION and INTO TEMPTATION) under the shingle, Gillen Group LLC.  Currently, Hevesy is working on her true crime journal docu-series, titled  “Inside Justice: Getting Out,” which examines a current wrongful conviction, as well as developing TV and film projects under her production company, Through the Glass Productions. 

Katie Stone is Executive Director and Producer of The Children’s Hour
radio show and podcast and has been described as the “Mr. Rogers of
public radio.” She began producing The Children’s Hour 22 years ago as
a volunteer at her local NPR affiliate, KUNM-fm. In 2018 Katie started a
nonprofit, The Children’s Hour Inc. and has taken the radio show to
international syndication. Katie and her husband live and work in
Albuquerque, New Mexico in a handmade adobe home on a solar
powered organic farm near the Rio Grande.

Welcome to the Best OF Best in Fest! 

After dazzling Dallas, Texas with street performing and experimenting with professional wrestling (which was brutal) and stand-up comedy (which was even more brutal), Bob was 'drawn' into the Los Angeles animation industry.

Bob worked for Cartoon Network, Disney TV, and Nickelodeon. He co-executive produced two seasons of the Misfortunes of Being Ned for the Annoying Orange YouTube channel.

Bob has written and sold projects to Cartoon Network and Disney and co-executive produced, wrote and designed Prank Boy for DreamWorks TV.

He has done everything in the animation industry from storyboarding, animating, designing, writing, directing, and producing.

Most recently, Bob helped oversee the delivery of 156 episodes of an animated series for DreamEast Pictures.

To sharpen his comedy roots, Bob performed improv at The Groundlings and wrote sketch comedy at Upright Citizens Brigade.

As a father of three, including a child on the Autism Spectrum, Bob's sensibilities naturally lean toward creating engaging, inclusive and dynamic content in

family entertainment.

Marlene Sharp is a creative and business-savvy entertainment multi-hyphenate who originally hails from New Orleans but is now a (San Fernando) Valley girl. Firmly ensconced in LA life, Marlene is top dawg at Pink Poodle Productions. Clients include Rainshine Entertainment, BoredPanda.com, WeFixYourScript.com, ToonBo, and The Center for Learning Unlimited. Prior to Pink Poodle, Marlene served as Director, Production at LEVEL-5 abby, home of YO-KAI WATCH and other hit video game-based franchises. 

Formerly, as Producer, TV Series, at Sega of America, Marlene worked on much more than Teen Choice Award-nominated Cartoon Network series SONIC BOOM. In fact, her Hedgehog duties took her to the heights of nerd-dom as an official San Diego Comic-Con 2017 panelist.

As a freelance journalist, Marlene concentrates on pop culture for noteworthy fan destinations, such as Gamasutra.com, DOGTV, ToonBarn.com, Geekified.net, and CultureSonar.com. As a short film auteur, she has snagged recognition at Austin Comedy Film Festival, Kids First! Film Festival, Canine Film Festival, and San Luis Obispo Film Festival. Marlene is the proud winner of the 2019 LA Shorts International Film Fest Script Competition (an Oscar- and BAFTA-qualifying fest), at which her backdoor sitcom pilot received a staged reading courtesy of The Groundlings. 

Currently a student at the University of Southern California, Linjie “Susu” Huang had a long and winding road before following her dream of making films. Born into a traditional Chinese family, Linjie endured twenty years pursuing their values
like being practical and doing something more success driven. But instead she decided
to unleash her inner voice and pursue her passion for filmmaking. She’s particularly
interested in telling stories that examine the basis of our relationships.

Growing up in a result-driven culture, I always looked at the grand prize ahead of me. I
missed so many great moments of my life and ignored the lovely relationship I had with
my beloved family and friends.

Chasing Jupiter is a story that depicts a stressed girl who only cares about her grand
reward, but discovers her lost connection with her animal friend. I hope Chasing Jupiter
reminds everyone that there is more to life than just grand prizes!

Chloe Burns graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Film & amp; Media Studies. After graduating, Chloe wrote, produced, and acted in The
Adventures of Botfly, an award-winning web series, and the short film, The Thing About Miller House, which showed at film festivals throughout Kansas City. In 2021, Burns founded Bull Skull Productions, under which she produced the short documentary
The Wallace Project, and the six-episode web series Trauma Bonded.

As an actress, she has been featured in roles at the University of Southern California and the ArtCenter College of Design. She has studied at Warner Loughlin Studios and Lesly Kahn Studios in Los Angeles, and uses writing and producing to explore complex
stories and create challenging, dynamic roles for herself.

Irina

The world of Irina Maleeva jettisoned into the cinematic spotlight when she was discovered by the legendary Federico Fellini at age 15 and would go on to perform in three of his highly-acclaimed movies: Satyricon; Spirits of the Dead; and Roma. Later Maleeva was chosen for the lead part of Jessica in the film, “The Merchant of Venice” playing opposite Orson Welles’s Schylock. The film was also directed by Orson Welles “This was the best time of my life”, remembers Irina. For many years part of the film was lost. When finally recovered, it premiered in Los Angeles at the Egyptian Theater in 2017.

Carlyle

Carlyle King is an actress and voice artist who worked on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise and on the feature film Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. As an actress, King appeared in an episode of Seinfeld (1991, with Jason Alexander and Tucker Smallwood), the television drama Grass Roots (1992, with Corbin Bernsen, Joanna Cassidy, John Glover, Tim O'Connor, and L. Sidney), the television drama Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story (1994, with Michael Cavanaugh, Robert Pine, Ellen Geer, Peggy Roeder, Lilyan Chauvin, and Jack Shearer), and the short drama The Son (2007).

Gail Gilbert was an award-winning film editor before going back for an MFA in Writing for the Screen + Stage at Northwestern University. Now she is fully launched in a new career as writer/director, thriving on creating stories that push the envelope in critiquing modern life. Her work challenges stereotypes of ageism and shows that life is equally wild and crazy all the way to the end.

From line producing to lighting design Leslie and Maritza dive deep into what it really takes to perfect your craft in Hollywood.

Donna Smith began her career as Production Coordinator on RAGING BULL and quickly rose through the ranks, serving as Production Manager, Line Producer and Producer on notable projects that included THE TERMINATOR.Smith was tapped by Universal Pictures to serve as President of Physical Production and Post Production; becoming the first woman to serve in that role for a major Hollywood studio.

During Smith’s seven-year tenure at Universal, more than 120 titles were released under her leadership including; Academy Award winner SCHINDLER’S LIST, JURASSIC PARK, BABE, SCENT OF A WOMAN, CASINO, BACKDRAFT, BACK TO THE FUTURE, APOLLO 13 and WATERWORLD.

Following her executive role at Universal, Donna entered the world of completion bonds, having established a sterling reputation as a “highly bondable” producer. 

Donna served as CEO/President for the Entertainment Coalition, a management entity formed to coordinate full-service completion bond and insurance services for the entertainment industry worldwide.

 Alec Bantivoglio is a comedy writer from Philadelphia with a passion to make people laugh. In the Spring of 2023 I graduated from Chapman University with a Master’s in Television Writing and Production. While there, he created and was the show runner for Xander, a fantasy-comedy web-series, crewed by many of my fellow Chapman students. Over the last 2 months Xander has won several awards and we are getting ready to premiere at Dances With Films New York.

Karen K. Miller is the current President & CEO of CGS USA LLC at Cyber group studios. Prior to this, they were the Senior Vice President of Content at NBCUniversal Media, LLC from July 2018 to March of 2022. In this role, they were responsible for creating and executing a content strategy, leading a development team, overseeing co-productions, short form team, and current production of original series. Karen also was responsible for identifying and executing acquisitions of content. Karen Miller began their career in 2007 as an Associate Producer for The Simpsons Movie at Rough Draft Studios, Inc. From December 2010 to July 2018 they worked for The Walt Disney Company as the Vice President Acquisitions, Co-Productions & Global Content Strategy-Disney Channels Worldwide. In this role they created & executed acquisition strategies for Disney Channel, Disney Junior & Disney XD worldwide, served as the sole creative liaison with input on creative development and production process, sourced & negotiated co-productions for all platforms, and created & implemented global programming strategies for Disney Channels Worldwide.

Lirit Rosenzweig Topaz has more than 20 years experience as a producer of animation, live action TV shows, films, music videos and live events. She has a strong passion for the industry and loves collaborating with clients. As the executive producer, Lirit has worked on a variety of projects including Sonic the Hedgehog, Marvel Avengers, Harry Potter, Barbie, Facebook, Spielberg Foundation, The Tunies and produced the animation in the feature film Ask Dr. Ruth which premiered at Sundance and Tribeca 2019 and is streaming on Hulu.

In this episode, Leslie speaks with Director of Photography at "In Reel Time" Jay Lopez Jr.  Jay is a rising star in the industry and they discuss everything from the basic lighting of a shot to drone operating and AI.  This episode has something for everyone.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6800740/

In this episode Leslie and Peyton talk about her career as an actress and a writer.  Peyton gives great tips on how to prepare your script for sale in Hollywood. 

Peyton McDavitt was born on 12 January 1984 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She is an actress and writer,

Take a look back at some of the best moments of behind the scenes Hollywood talk with the Best of Best in Fest.

Take a look back at some of the best moments of behind the scenes Hollywood talk with the Best of Best in Fest Part 2