LA Femme Film Festival 2005 Panelists

Coffee Chat Seminars on May 27th

 

 

Story telling, All the Gossip with the Boring Parts Cut Out!

 

Story Telling: 9am-11am

Detail: We will be detailing the elements of story telling from the Point of View of the Producer, Director, Writer, Talent, Talent Coach, Literary Agent and Script Analysis. This panel is about the exploration of what makes a good story and how the above positions contribute to the narrative process in today’s filmmaking. We have an expert panel that will be able to discuss how they approach making a concept become a feature film.

 

Maria Bravo (Moderator)

 

Maria Bravo was born in Malaga, Spain into a family of artists.  Watching her mother dance Flamenco, Maria became fascinated with the art of dancing, which she would master at the early age of 14.  She then became the youngest flamenco teacher in the region of Andalucia.

 

Ms. Bravo started her business career by studying economics.  She then when to work in the financial industry for 8 years, opening and administrating brokerage firms overseas in Asia, Europe and Central America.

 

Her acting career started in the movie Two Much, with Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith.  From 1995 to 2000, Ms. Bravo appeared in a number of Spanish TV and film productions, before settling permanently in Los Angeles in 2000.  Following that same year, she not only produced a short film, but also starred in a role alongside Juan Soler, called Red Wine.

 

In 2003, she consecutively acted in two feature films, Carlota’s Secret, in which she starred with Eva Longoria and Alejandra Guiterrez, and Right side up, with Eduardo Verastegui.

 

In 2004, Ms. Bravo together with the Oscar nominated (in the category of short film), Spanish Director/Writer Biel Fuster Vasquez’, produced a feature film project Cruel Summer.

 

Ms. Bravo is an Executive Producer for the feature film project, In search of the Assassin, currently in pre-production. The project is a co-production between Assassin Films Ltd. and USA Dream Pictures SL., Executive Producers of Sex and the City in Madrid, as well as Antena 3 and HBO Latino.

 

 

Pilar Alessandra

Pilar Alessandra is the director of “On The Page” Script Consultation and Screenwriting Classes, and former Senior Story Analyst for DreamWorks and Radar Pictures. As a lecturer and guest instructor, she's taught at Nickelodeon, MTV, Final Draft, The Mammoth Writer's Conference, the Great American Pitch Fest and was a "star speaker" at the 2003 and 2004 Screenwriting Expo.

ON THE PAGE Script Consultation and Screenwriting Classes provides ongoing classes, workshops and private consultations for screenwriters at all levels.  Classes take a "dig into the pages" approach, inspiring students to write or rewrite their stories in a matter of weeks.

Ivana Chubbuck

Ivana Chubbuck is the founder and director of the Ivana Chubbuck Studio, one of the foremost acting schools in the world. Some of the actors Ivana has taught during her 20-plus year career include Halle Berry, Brad Pitt, Charlize Theron, Elisabeth Shue, Jim Carrey, Jake Gyllenhaal, Carrie-Anne Moss, Djimon Honsou, Garry Shandling, Hank Azaria, Rob Schneider, Matthew Perry, Drew Carey, Pink, David Spade, Jon Voight, Katherine Keener, Amy Brenneman, Jessica Biel, and a host of others. Virtually every year, one or more of her students is nominated for, and often wins, a major acting award for their work in film, TV, and on stage.

There is a constant wait-list to enroll in one of the twelve ongoing classes at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio, where more than 300 students attend classes at any given time. Beyond her school, Ivana works one-on-one with about 100 of Hollywood’s premiere stars. She is the only current acting teacher to workshop the development of a new and effective method of recreating human behavior for a performance.

Ivana Chubbuck is the author of The Script Analysis Handbook, which consistently outsells all other books about acting at Samuel French, the primary bookseller to the professional acting community. Her new book, THE POWER OF THE ACTOR “The Chubbuck Technique: The 12-Step Acting Technique That will Take You from Script to a Living, Breathing, Dynamic Character”, will be published by Gotham Books in September 2004.

Ivana began her career in the arts as a teenager, when she was a rock-photographer for Creem magazine as well as a writer for the alternative Detroit newspaper, The Fifth Estate. After moving to Los Angeles, she appeared as an actress in movies, television, and commercials, did cartoon voices, and enjoyed a stint as a radio reporter for Power-106. Comedy was part of her background as well, performing stand-up at various clubs, including The Comedy Store, alongside such comedic luminaries as Jay Leno and David Letterman. She was also part of an improvisational comedy group that included Robin Williams and John Ritter.

In 2003, Ivana Chubbuck was honored by The Russian International Film Festival with a special award for her contributions to the film industry. Other honorees included Leonardo DiCaprio, William Friedkin, and Francis Ford Coppola. She has been featured in numerous entertainment-related articles in such national publications as Vanity Fair, People, USA Today, Cosmopolitan, GQ, Premiere, Spin, and Movieline, as well as in periodicals in Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, Australia, Japan, and Spain. Chubbuck has also appeared on VH-1, E-TV, and the BBC

 

Mary Keil

 

Mary Keil is executive producer and writer of the independent feature film Swing, shot in San Francisco and Oakland, directed by Martin Guigui and starring Jacqueline Bisset, Jonathan Winters, Tom Skerritt, Mindy Cohn, Barry Bostwick, Nell Carter, Innis Casey, Jim Hanks and Adam Tomei.  Swing is the positive message story of a young man (Casey) choosing between the creative life he wants and the security-minded life of his grocer father (Skerrit) who gets help making the right choice from a mysterious older woman (Bisset) and his great uncle (Winters).  The music filled film features forties swing, retro swing, and an original score by Gennaro Cannelora and the retro swing band Jellyroll. 

 

Keil co-authored the books Come Rain or Come Shine:  Friendships Between Women (with Linda Bucklin; 1999, Adams Media) and Enterprise in the Nonprofit Sector (with James C. Crimmins; 1981, Rockefeller Brother Fund/Partners for Livable Places).

 

Highlights of her varied professional experiences include producing theatre on and off Broadway.  Keil is a Tony-nominated producer of the Broadway musical “Starmites” (book by Stuart Ross and Barry Keating; music and lyrics by Mr. Keating), which received six Tony Award nominations in the 1988-89 season, including Best Musical.  In early 2001, she, Jim Steinman and Amas Musical Theatre presented “Starmites” 2001 in New York.  In late 2001, she produced master puppeteer Basil Twist’s one-man puppet event “The Araneidae Show and Other Pieces” in San Francisco.  She also produced “Losing It,” by Jon Klein Off Broadway, directed by Andy Cadiff and starring Richard Karn. 

 

Keil co-produced Angel Blue, an independent feature film, directed, written, and co-produced by Steve Kovacs starring Lisa Eichorn, Sam Bottoms, and Karen Black.  It appeared on Lifetime Channel under the name My Neighbor’s Daughter.  She is executive producer of the video Five Master of Meditation by Emily Squires (director, “Sesame Street”) for the Hartley Foundation and the Temple of Understanding; an upcoming documentary Manthan (The Churning) by Salini Kantayya on the Maha Kumbha Mela; as well as Being Human, a groundbreaking weekly live-action television/video series concept for children emphasizing pro-social emotional learning.  

 

Keil has also been a commercial banker, entrepreneur, consultant, and has worked in large multinational corporations, for the Federal government and the U.S. House Representatives, for small companies, for nonprofits and on her own.  An active volunteer at several private schools, Keil has served on nonprofit boards.  She also is a co-founder of New York based Personalized Media Communications which is engaged in the development, licensing and commercialization of proprietary communications infrastructure and new media technologies.

 

Mary Keil graduated from Connecticut College with a B.A. in Economics and from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania with an M.B.A. in real estate finance.

 

In recent years she has journeyed to India, Turkey, Ecaudor, Vietnam and Cambodia.  Her writing venues include journals, short stories, screenplays, lyrics, essays, plays, poetry and letters.  She writes lyrics with Gennaro Cannelora, several of which appear on Gennaro’s Wax Trio “Amarosa di San Francisco” CD and wax Trio “NYC.” 

 

She has lived in various places in her birth state of New York, including New York City for seventeen years; Washington D.C. and its suburbs; the deep South; the West; and Puerto Rico.  In San Francisco until mid 2003, Keil now lives in Los Angeles and has a teenage musician son, currently playing a jazz combo in Cambodia prior to entering Dartmouth College in the fall.  

 

 

Jim Kellem

 

James Kellem started his career at CMA, now ICM in the New York Television Variety Department. While in New York he was involved in the signings of Bette Midler, Robert Klein, and other notables and packaged many network specials.

 

He left ICM to move to Los Angeles to start a management production company. He participated in the management of Lily Tomlin, Leslie Ann Warren, John Kay and Stephanwolf, and Robin Williams, to name a few. The management company also produced the Emmy Award-winning Lily Tomlin Special for CBS.

 

James left the management company to join APA. At APA he became a partner and Senior Vice President. He was involved in the signings of Louis Black, Stan Daniels (creator of “Taxi”), Dyan Cannon, George Hamilton, Jim Carrey, Ralph Farquahar and Adam Sandler. Some of the television shows packaged were Lucky, Home Improvement, 24, Rock and The Single Guy. He also helped set up features such as O, How High, The Amati Girls, Cliffhanger and A Few Good Men.

 

He left APA to start his own agency, Jka Talent And Literary Agency. He now represents talent such as Ralph Farquhar (the creator of Moesha, The Parkers and the new series, Second Time Around), Claude Brooks (Dance 360), Michael Gleason (creator of Remington Steel as well as the new Mystery Wheel to be seen on the Hallmark Channel), Ehrich Van Lowe (producer of Cosby, Rock and the developer of the Even Stevens Series), Tommy Lee Wallace (writer and director of Vampires 2 and 3 for Sony Films as well as writing the films, IT and The Sea Will Tell). He also represents comedians like Ralphie May (Last Comic Standing) and actors such as Shin Koyamada (one of the stars of The Last Samurai) and Windsor Harmon (star of The Bold and the Beautiful). He recently set up three of client’s feature films: Love Wrecked by Steve Langford to Media 8 (Monsters), The Boulevard to New Line Cinema, and You Don’t Know Jack to Touchstone Films.

 

 

Dorothy Kozak

Dorothy Kozak is a Sr. Script Analyst, Walt Disney Pictures, where she currently analyzes books and feature film scripts for the Walt Disney Studios Story Department.  She is also highly sought-after by A-list producers and executives for her overnight coverage and analysis of books and scripts.  Freelance clients include: Jerry Bruckheimer, Scott Rudin, Ed Zwick & Marshall Herskovitz and Kathleen Kennedy.

Cynthia Mort

 

 As a Writer/Producer her list of credits includes:  Nina Simone Project, Valley of the Dolls, Let It Ride, F*ck  Me Please, Will & Grace, and Roseanne.

 

 

Lupe Ontiveros  

 

Lupe Ontiveros is a well-known stage, television and screen actress as well as a producer and Community Activist.  She is best know for her comedic/dramatic role as La Nacha in the Oscar nominated film El Norte, for which she gained international recognition. 

 

Originally from El Paso, Texas, she began as an extra in 1972 and soon after, launched an impressive film career as a “working actress” proudly portraying Latino mothers and maids. 

 

Lupe’s stage work includes most notably the Los Angeles, New York, and film productions of Luis Valdez’ Zoot Suit, where she created the role of Dolores, the first Chicana mother on the Broadway stage.  Zoot Suit, the play, has bee recognized as an historical event on the New Your Stage as A New American Play about Chicanos.

 

Her film credits include Picking Up the Pieces with Woody Allen directed by Alfonso Arau, Blessed Art Thou directed by Tim Disney, Chuck and Buck, directed by Miguel Arteta, As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson, directed by James R. Brooks, The Brave directed by Johnny Depp, Mi Familia, directed by Gregory Nava and Selena, also directed by Gregory Nava.  Other credits include Goonies, Bound by Honor, How Else I’m I supposed to Know I’m Still Alive just to name a few.  Lupe also starred in a HBO feature Real Women Have Curves directed by Patricia Cardosa. 

 

Her countless television credits include pilots and series regular appearances such as “Dudley” with Dudley Moore, and “Pauly” with Pauley Shore and Veronica’s Closet for CBS, where she was a recurring Guest Star.  In Greetings From Tucson, a pilot for Warner Brothers, she was a series regular for Big Ticket Productions.  She just finished filming a movie for VH1, 30 Days Until I’m Famous, directed by Gabriela Tagliavani, and she is currently working on an animated PBS series, The Adventures of Maya and Miguel.

 

As a producer, Lupe produced Una Vez Al Ano Para Toda Una Vida, an award winning educational film in Spanish, focusing on the need for awareness regarding breast cancer in Latinas. 

 

After graduating from Texas Woman’s University, she worked for 15 years as a Social Worker in East Los Angeles and Compton areas where she became involved as an activist in issues confronting women and education.   

 

As a founding member of the Latino Theatre Company in Los Angeles, Lupe has directed her life towards affecting change in the negative image of Latinos in the entertainment industry.  By creating award winning, original theatrical projects that enhance our existing cultural values and by educating theatre audiences to the Latino/Chicano experience, her company has created the first Equity Theatre non-regional theatre in the nation.  Through original works, such as August 29th, How Else Am I supposed to Know I’m Still Alive, Stone Wedding, and Luminarias, the Latino Theatre Company has been able to address past and present social/political issues from the historical events such as the Chicano Movement to the present social/sexual evolution of Latinas.

 

Lupe’s work has gained the respect of her peers, as well as her community, through recognition awards for her efforts as an actress and pioneer who has sought to affect change while maintaining her dignity as a woman.  Among the many awards she has received are the Nosotros Golden Eagle Award, the ALMA Award and The Special Jury at The Sundance Film Festival Awarded Lupe the Best Dramatic Actress for her role in Real Women Have Curves.  The National Board of Review awarded Lupe the Best Supporting Actress for Chuck and Buck and she was nominated Best Supporting Actress at the Independent Spirit Award.  Most recently she was honored at The National Hispanic Media Coalition. 

 

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Elias; has three sons Nicolas, Elias, and Alejandro.  She also has two granddaughters Marissa Marie and Jessica Ana. 

 

Pat Quinn

 

Pat Quinn is a literary agent and packaging agent whose extensive agency experience includes senior positions in the television, film and theatre departments at Innovative Artists, ICM, Metropolitan Talent Agency and Paradigm Talent and Literary Agency.  She is one of the executives known for spotting market trends, and for the quality and originality of her clients’ work. Pat Quinn has been an active member of the Hollywood creative community as a volunteer member of the BAFTA/LA Television Committee and as a member of the Board of Directors of Women in Film.  She is an instructor at UCLA Extension and a regular speaker and panel producer at NATPE. A nationally recognized authority in entertainment industry production and development, Pat has been a consultant and speaker for California Lawyers for the Arts, the Austin Film Festival, the Maui Writers Conference, Loyola Marymount University, and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Previously, Pat was Vice President of Comedy Series Development at Warner Bros. Television.

 

Prior to coming to Los Angeles, she was an executive developing, marketing and producing projects for such major theatrical companies as the American Conservatory Theatre, American Repertory Theatre, the Berkshire Theatre Festival and at the National Playwrights’ Conference. Pat was a development consultant for Robert Redford’s Sundance Film Institute for three years where she was instrumental in the planning and financing of what is now the world famous Sundance Film Festival. She is a graduate of Bennington College and Yale Drama School.

 

 

Penelope Spheeris

A holder of a UCLA Master of Fine Arts degree in Theater Arts, Penelope Spheeris worked as a film editor and cinematographer before forming her own production company in 1974. Rock ‘N’ Reel was the first Los Angeles company specializing in music videos. She produced and directed music videos for such acts as Funkadelics, Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers, and Seals and Croft. From there she went on to produce short films on Saturday Night Live and later produced her first feature film, Real Life, which starred Albert Brooks and Charles Grodin.

Spheeris’ directorial debut was the probing documentary on the Los Angeles punk rock scene, The Decline Of Western Civilization which was received in 1979 with stunning unanimous critical praise. It was followed by a remarkable low budget drama, Suburbia, in which she found another dimension to the ongoing youth rebellion story: Homeless kids squatting in abandoned housing, surrounded by wild dogs, trying to make a life for themselves, protecting one another and avoiding the return home at all costs. Suburbia won first place at the Chicago Film Festival.

In 1984, The Boys Next Door starred Charlie Sheen and Maxwell Caulfield in an anti-violence film that showed how perfectly normal looking boys whose anger has long been repressed, can be walking time bombs capable of becoming serial killers.

In these films Spheeris reveals the desolation of the American dream gone bad, depicting scenes of young people exhibiting irreversible pain and alienation. In Dudes, starring John Cryer, Daniel Roebuck, Lee Ving and Flea, alienated punk rockers find a way to give meaning to life when they discover a sense of values while setting straight the death of a friend.

In 1988 The Decline Of Western Civilization, Part Ii: The Metal Years was released, again to spectacular critical acclaim. A caustically hilarious look at the Los Angeles metal scene. The scene with W.A.S.P. rocker Chris Holmes and his mother will probably remain one of the most memorable pieces of rock film history.

In 1992, Spheeris directed her first studio film, Wayne’s World at Paramount Pictures. Subsequently she directed and produced The Beverly Hillbillies at Fox. The Little Rascals (Universal), Black Sheep (Paramount) and Senseless (Dimension) were to follow.

The Decline Of Western Civilization: Part Iii was filmed in 1997. Documenting the present day punk scene, most of the kids were not yet born when the first installment was made. The film focuses on lifestyle rather than music in that most of the subjects are homeless, the products of child abuse and a society truly in decline. Spheeris financed the film herself and will donate her profits to charities for homeless and abused children.

Spheeris traveled for months with fourteen bands and a myriad of carnival attractions to document the Ozzfest, America’s most successful summer concert tour, and the final reunion performances of the original Black Sabbath. Through twenty-eight cities, each bringing in crowds of thirty to forty thousand, she and DV and HD crews offer the audience a unique view of life on the road. The project, We Sold Our Souls For Rock ‘N Roll will be released later this year. The Kid And I produced and directed by Spheeris was completed in late 2004.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution & Marketing Can a Pretty Face Get the Picture Sold?  And Do Women Buy Tickets?

 

Distribution & Marketing: 11am - 1pm

Detail: We will be addressing the realities of ticket sales with stars or non-stars attached. In addition we will be covering marketing trends for the mini majors, studios and independents. We will discuss if there is a new independent filmmaker on the horizon and the opportunities available for distribution channels, if any.

 

David Aion (Moderator)

 

As Partner of Foundation Films Distribution (FFD), Mr. Aion is responsible for overseeing and implementing the sales and marketing activities of titles to the marketplace. Mr. Aion also coordinates all referral activities when FFD acts as sales agents or producers representatives. In addition to maintaining and expanding relationships with the independent film market, his responsibilities include overseeing the creation of advertising and publicity materials, planning participation in both domestic and international film and television trade shows and film festivals, and administration of the company's contracts/business affairs and the delivery and replication departments.

Mr. Aion began his entertainment career as an Executive Producer's assistant with the Las Vegas chapter of international organization Women-In-Film, a leading 501 {c}(3) charity. While with WIF he learned the pre-production, production and business side of the film business. At the same time, he became involved with the American Film Institute's festival division and AFI Festival where he became familiar with independent film producers. This led to his employment as International Sales Manager for an independent film distributor, successfully packaging and distributing feature films to a worldwide audience.

With 25+ years of sales and marketing experience, Mr. Aion assumed the responsibilities of the Senior Vice President of Lincoln Media Group, a division of American Film Partners, before founding EYE-IN-Entertainment, an independent distribution consortium.

Additionally, Mr. Aion is a Producer and member of the Board of Directors for the non-profit organization, Women-In-Film, Las Vegas chapter. In this capacity, he is producing a feature film (with theatrical distribution), has produced an entertainment industry mixer (with more than 1000 attendees), a Public Service Announcement (aired to more than 10 million homes by a national cable provider) as well as co producing a producers clinic, a stunt clinic and a western film festival.

A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Aion attended Philadelphia University where he received a Bachelors degree in Marketing and UCLA Extension in Film, Television and Digital Entertainment. Mr. Aion is also a founding member of the Digital Cinema Society.

 

 

Philippa Burgess

 

Philippa Burgess is a partner at Creative Convergence Inc., which was founded in July 2004.  The company specializes in literary management, film production, and entertainment consulting.  The literary management department represents such clients as The Derrick Brothers, Mike O’Sullivan, Jonathan Hunt, Chad Beguelin, Josh McKinney, Gary Boulton-Brown, among others.  The company has several feature film and television projects with various partners including Darko Productions (Sean McKittrick & Richard Kelly); Valhalla Motion Pictures (Gale Anne Hurd) and Tonic Films (Lauren Moews) in various stages of development through post. 

 

The entertainment consulting division, which Ms. Burgess oversees, provides creative development/business development to a number of production companies, experts/authors, and screenwriting and entertainment resources.  Projects/clients have included The Out of Africa Picture Co., Atomik Pictures, Sparkhill Productions, Down East Films, Find the Funny Comedy Screenplay Competition, Eric the Trainer, Mark B. Weiss Real Estate Secrets and Best Selling author Katherine Woodward Thomas.  Ms. Burgess graduated from USC, worked at ICM, and then went on to be an owner and literary manager at Mason/Burgess/Lifschultz for five years before joining Creative Convergence Inc.  

 

 

Cristiane Roget

Cristiane Roget is currently COO of Vector International Pictures and Co-owner of AP+Films International, a division of Producer's Resource, a company in good standing since 1996 with offices in Los Angeles, Aspen and Miami Beach. Ms. Roget ranks among the leading commercial and independent feature film producers. Over the last decade she has gained international recognition in the film and broadcast industry. Her firm is sought out by major film companies and TV Network clients including Lifetime, Showtime, ABC, MTV, Telemundo and Univision. Her commercial clients include Pepsi Cola, Avon Cosmetics, General Foods, Fruit of the Loom, Happy Vodka, General Motos and Cadillac. She has produced fashion editorials for Glamour, Vogue, Mirabella, Allure and Movieline Magazine.

In addition to being an award winning independent producer of motion pictures, national commercial campaigns and award winning music videos, Roget ran a distribution division of a financial institution overseeing the sales, marketing and release of independent feature films domestically and foreign licensing world widefrom 1996-2001.

In association with Andrea Guardino and Karen Sellars the company has built an enviable reputation for creative excellence. She studied at Marymount College in Rome and studied for three years in UCLA's Film Department. She is a member of the A.I.C.P., serves on the Board of Trustees for the Miami Beach Film Society and is featured in the Who's Who of Entertainment, Who's Who in American Women and Who's Who in the World.

 

Scott Simons

 

Scott Simons is President of SPG Home Video. Since 1999, SPG has represented independent producers and filmmakers seeking motion picture, television and video distribution. As a successful Feature Film Producer, SPG President Scott Simons used his knowledge and experience in motion picture distribution to assist friends and associates who had made films and were seeking distribution. What began as consulting ultimately evolved into a worldwide motion picture and video distribution company. SPG distributes licenses or sells motion picture, television and video programs to buyers in Northern America, Europe, Asia, The Pacific Rim, Latin America, Eastern Europe, China and the Middle East.

 

 

Entertainment Careers for Women!  Do They Really Exist?  I Won’t Fetch your Coffee or Take your Messages...

 

Entertainment Careers for Women: 2pm - 4pm

Detail: We will be discussing the changing environment in entertainment and the possibilities available for women seeking careers in entertainment as Producers, Directors, Below/Above the Line, or Executives. We will explore the possibilities for women who want to start companies and the diversity a woman needs to have in order to survive in the changing entertainment environment. Are there more or less opportunities for multi-ethnic women?

 

Bel Hernandez (Moderator)

 

Bel Hernandez is co-founder and publisher of Latin Heat Magazine and Latin Heat Online. Ms. Hernandez has been in the entertainment industry for over twenty-five years, first as an actress and for the last ten years as a writer and publisher. Ms. Hernandez has been recognized for her journalistic endeavors by the Hispanic Public Relations Association's Premio Award and by the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival's  Integrity Award in 2003. A speaker on a variety of panels on the topic of Latinos in Hollywood, Ms. Hernandez has also been a panelist at the Smithsonian Picture Gallery Museum along with director Gregory Nava and producer Moctesuma Esparza. She has appeared on numerous national and international television shows, including a CNN special on Latin Heat; and is featured in The Hollywood Reporter and in the book Careers in Entertainment, Career Role Models for Young Adults from Mitchell Lane Publishers.

 

Ms. Hernandez is co-founder, along with Elia Esparza, of the Latino Entertainment Media Institute (LEMI), a non-profit organization that helps minorities with education, training and advancement in the film and TV industry. She has consulted for the National Council of la Raza to produce the ALMA Awards, Mun2 Television Network, corporations, and various colleges and universities on matters concerning Latinos in entertainment. In 2003, Ms. Hernandez began a three-year term on the board of directors of the prestigious Peabody Awards, which honor excellence in radio, television, and documentaries.

 

Jenny Alonzo

 

Jenny Alonzo was named Senior Vice President, Production, Promotion Planning and Multicultural Strategies, Lifetime Entertainment Services, in September 2004.  In her role, Alonzo spearheads the multicultural initiatives aimed at increasing Lifetime’s reach to diverse audiences.  She also oversees all production and operation of on- and off-air creative services and marketing, handling resource allocations including budgeting and personnel, on-location print and video shooting, talent coordination and pre- and post-production scheduling. In addition, Alonzo supervises the scheduling and strategic planning of Lifetime’s on-air promotion inventory. 

 

She was named Vice President, Production and Operations in May 1996. From January 1994 to May 1996, Alonzo was Lifetime’s Director of Operations for on-air promotion.

 

Before joining Lifetime, Alonzo served as Manager of On-Air Promotion at WNBC-TV in New York.  While there, she helped achieve record-setting revenue increases by implementing network-to-flagship station promotion swaps.  Prior to that, she was Administrator of On-Air Promotion at WNBC-TV, and On-Air Coordinator for NBC Network’s advertising and promotion department.

 

Alonzo began her career as an Assistant Account Executive at Lord, Geller, Federico, Einstein in New York, where she worked with top-tier clients such as IBM, the Wall Street Journal and Loehman’s.

 

Since joining Lifetime a decade ago, Alonzo has been a leader in promoting diversity, both at the network and throughout the cable and telecommunications industry.  She works tirelessly to secure executive-level opportunities for all people of color – African American, Asian, Latino and Native American – and is instrumental in shaping a true picture of diversity within the industry.  She is also an advocate for change behind the cameras and is committed to helping executives develop programs that fairly represent the full spectrum of culture in America. 

Alonzo serves on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Advisory Committee for Diversity in the Digital Age and she recently completed a two-year term as the first Latina President of the Board of Directors of the National Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC). 

During her tenure as President of NAMIC, Alonzo boosted membership by 37 percent; spearheaded the launch of the South Florida chapter, which serves a predominately Hispanic group of professionals; and broadened NAMIC’s membership to include representation from a wider spectrum of races and ethnicities.

 

Additionally, Alonzo was a part of the team that helped developed the curriculum for NAMIC’s highly acclaimed Executive Leadership Development Program at the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Business.  The program was launched during her tenure as president and she oversaw the creation of a similar program for mid-level managers.

She also led NAMIC through a successful re-branding campaign that resulted in a new name, logo and tagline and was designed to align diversity language with multi-ethnic images.

 

Alonzo is often recognized for her leadership skills and work to promote diversity and women’s issues.  This year, she received the honor of being ranked No. 13 on the CableFAX Magazine CableFAX 100 list, which recognizes the top influences on the cable industry.  In April 2004, the Girl Scout Council of Greater New York honored her at its 29th Annual Tribute Dinner for her support of girl scouting and its mission.  In 2003, Alonzo was named a Latinas Destacadas del 2003 (Outstanding Latinas 2003) by El Diario/LaPrensa.

 

Alonzo is a fellow of the distinguished Betsy Magness Leadership Institute.  She is also a member of several professional organizations, including Women in Cable and Telecommunications, New York Women in Communications and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

 

Alonzo has a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from St. John’s University in New York.  She resides in New York with her husband and two daughters.

 

 

Cindy Cowan

 

Cindy Cowan is the former President of Initial Entertainment Group (IEG), a leading independent film production and foreign sales company based in Los Angeles.  Cowan co-founded IEG in 1995 with Graham King.  With seed capital of only $350,000 and no tangible assets, Cowan was able to secure a $25 million line of credit with Chase Bank to fund overhead, development and production of its projects.  IEG was sold to Splendid Films in 2000 for approximately $10 million.

 

Between 1995 and 2000, IEG had many successes including: an Emmy nomination for Rent-A-Kid, starring Leslie Neilson; Emmy, Golden Globe and People’s Choice nominations for If These Walls Could Talk, starring Cher, Sissey Spacek, Anne Heche and Demi Moore; and won a United Nations Award for Savior, starring Dennis Quaid.   IEG also saw success with its production of Traffic, starring Michael Douglas and Benicio Del Toro, which won Oscars for directing, screenplay, editing, and best supporting actor.  Additional projects produced by Ms. Cowan while at IEG include Very Bad Things, starring Cameron Diaz and Christian Slater; and the Robert Altman-directed Dr. T & the Women, starring Richard Gere, Helen Hunt, Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler.

 

Since forming a new production company, Cindy Cowan Entertainment, Cowan has produced Scorched starring Woody Harrelson and Alicia Silverstone.  Current films include Sleight of Hand with Peter Medak directing for Ascendant Pictures, and The Knights of London to begin production in late 2005.  Cowan recently sold a TV show to F/X, entitled Sweat.  Among her feature film and television accomplishments, Cowan has a branding division, which includes Messy Monsters with the Stan Winston Company, and Baby Rock to be distributed by Sony Music and Target.

 

Before her tenure with IEG, Cowan headed up the production and acquisitions divisions of the Beverly Hills Producers Group from 1993 to 1995.  Prior to that, Cowan headed up development and acquisitions for Premiere Productions.  Her career in producing began as a producer and writer for a CBS News affiliate in Miami, Florida.

 

In addition to her work in film, Cowan is also an accomplished songwriter and lyricist.  She has written songs for film and TV, an album title track for Engelbert Humperdinck, and a hit for R&B artist Howard Hewitt, which went to number three on the R&B charts.

 

Cindy Cowan is a graduate of Tulane University with graduate courses towards a Master’s Degree in Psychology at Harvard.

 

 

Lucia Diaz Sas

 

Lucia Diaz Sas is Co-Founder of The International Alliance of Women Cinematographers. Ms. Diaz Sas was born in Caracas, Venezuela. She earned a degree in Film at the "Universidad Católica Andres Bello" in Venezuela. She specialized in Cinematography and Directing at the Los Angeles Film School where she shot 8 short films graduating with honors. She now works as a freelance Cinematographer for different TV stations in Hollywood and Latin America.

The International Alliance of Women Cinematographers was formed to enhance the opportunities for Female Cinematographers which are roughly 1% of the industry.  This Alliance was created in 2004 to give a voice and representation to this group. The International Alliance of Women Cinematographers is currently looking for corporate support.

 

 

Mo Fitzgibbon  

 

Mo Fitzgibbon is a successful and respected producer and director in the television and film industry for over 15 years.  Persistence, dedication and hard work helped shape Fitzgibbon to become a major player and one of the brightest lights in the entertainment arena.  Fitzgibbon's company,  Walker/Fitzgibbon TV & FILMS in Miami Beach, is considered one of the most diversified and creative production companies around - producing, writing and directing projects ranging from Long Form television, national commercials, music videos, and EPK's (Electronic Press Kits), both in English and Spanish. Early on, Fitzgibbon developed her skills as a production coordinator, line producer and eventually a producer. Consequently, moving into post production in editorial, special effects and graphics; her drive and ambition nurtured her into becoming a successful director for over a decade.

               

Fitzgibbon has received countless recognition with over 50 awards, including Gold and Silver Addys, Tellys and New York Film Festival Awards to her credit.  In addition, Fitzgibbon has produced and directed numerous award-winning productions for national recording artists and stars such as Shakira, Gloria Estefan, Jon Secada, Andy Garcia, Elisa Donovan and Anthony Michael Hall and with a list of clients that also includes NBC Universal, Telemundo, HBO, MTV/VH1, DIRECTV, Sony Music, Epic Records and EMI Records, amongst others.

               

Known for Lifetime Television's Intimate Portrait of Gloria Estefan, she went on to win the prestigious NCLR's ALMA Bravo Award for "Outstanding Made for Television Documentary.” Recently, Fitzgibbon garnered top honors for Gloria Estefan's DVD Don't Stop, receiving a Grammy nomination in "Best Long Form Music" category.

 

Fitzgibbon's great sense of passion and hard work is reflected in the unique style and look of all her projects. She has a wonderful sense of how to build sequences that really tell a story and will go to the extreme visually by pushing boundaries and transporting the viewer to a higher level.  She is also one of the very few producer/directors that can create projects simultaneously in English and Spanish.  

 

Moreover, she is very much involved in Florida's production community, serving as Vice President of AICP-Florida Chapter, and formerly served in the Board of Governors for The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), past President of Women of the Motion Picture Industry (WOMPI- Florida Chapter) and now a member in Women in Film (WIF), based in Los Angeles.

 

Currently, Fitzgibbon is in development for an independent film, which she created based on the infamous Miami drug scene from the mid-80's and the Miami River Cops.  Fitzgibbon is a daring director who continues to transcend barriers; she's a groundbreaker!

 

Gabrielle Kelly


Gabrielle Kelly was born in Ireland, educated in England and has worked in the film business all over the world as a writer, producer and production executive on both studio and indie films. Expert in all aspects of script development, talent attachment and financing, she is also a Hollywood-based analyst and trouble-shooter for international media companies and a hands-on producer of media related databases. She has worked as a production executive for studios and independent companies, and her producing credits include indie feature All the Queen's Men (starring Eddie Izzard and Matt LeBlanc) recently released by Strand Releasing, Stag (for Cineplex Odeon/HBO) and the family feature film, D.A.R.Y.L. for Paramount/Columbia. She also teaches screenwriting and producing at LA Film School, UCLA Extension and Chapman University and is on the Board of the British Academy of Film and Television and a founder of the International Alliance of Women Cinematographers.

 

 

Stella Stolper

Stella Stolper is a veritable giant in the pop culture business.  When it comes to producing and celebrity talent, Stella is the muscle behind VH1's biggest events.  She's on the cutting edge of what's Big in '02,
'03 and '04 and no one's better when it comes to dealing with Divas. She's the driving force behind getting your favorite famous faces on VH1's juggernaut "I Love The..." series.  As an Executive Producer Stella's taken us further inside the world of celebrity than we've ever dared to go with the groundbreaking "Inside Out" Joey Pants and Toni Braxton specials.  In short, if it's hot in the world of pop culture, it's because Stella says so.

 

Lynne Whiteford

 

Lynne Whiteford is an independent executive management consultant with over 10 years of senior-level management experience in the entertainment industry.  Possessing a Masters in Business Administration, Lynne’s unique combination of strong practical business experience and management consulting skills has helped individuals and companies to address processes, teamwork, task oriented performance and career transition issues.

 

Prior to beginning her work as a management consultant, Lynne was Vice President of Production for such high-profile film production companies as Kevin Costner’s Tig Productions (Dances with Wolves, The Bodyguard and JFK, and Message In A Bottle) and Michael Mann’s Forward Pass (Last of the Mohicans, Heat, The Insider, Ali, and The Aviator). Entrusted with oversight of daily operations, creation of company infrastructures, management of company assets, human resources and financing, she developed the essential front line practical leadership, organizational, and analytical skills needed by today’s executive consultant.

 

Experienced in both the creative and business worlds of entertainment, Lynne has had the fortunate opportunity to work with such diverse companies as Warner Bros., MGM, Universal Television, CBS, The Discovery Channel, Creative Artist Agency, Sony/Epic Music, Knopf Publishing and Microsoft.  She brings to her clients, in any industry, the business knowledge and experience of managing cross-functional teams, fostering strategic alliances, acquisitions, negotiations, development, production, marketing and business affairs.

 

While in private practice, Lynne has conducted numerous one-on-one consulting assignments helping senior level executives with both management performance and career transition.  She has worked with senior level executives, middle managers and supervisors to develop communication, analytical and job-management skills.

 

 

Film Financing:  Where can it be hiding?  You Mean Balancing the Check Book?

 

Film Financing, Unions and Contracts: 4pm-6pm

Detail: Our experts will examine different options on film financing and the packaging of films. How are independent filmmakers seeking or acquiring funding for their films? We will discuss how you can become more active in looking for funds and if studio executives are open to funding smaller films. In addition, our experts will explore working with the unions, contracts and how Line Producers work with “Budget Challenged” Films.

 

Special Guest (Moderator) TBA

 

Kelly Crean

Kelly Crean founded and presides over Creanspeak Productions LLC, a groundbreaking company designed and dedicated to the development, production and packaging of films, television, music, and multimedia entertainment.  Kelly Crean’s astute sensibility and unfailing determination has allowed her to work with the industry’s top leaders, championing diverse and critically acclaimed projects.

Kelly is currently producing several projects for both big and small screens.  She is an executive producer of Gagsters! - the first hybrid reality/scripted TV show for children which began airing on the Kids' WB in April, 2004.  Gagsters! has gained worldwide popularity among kids and adults alike after being sold in over thirty countries since its creation.  In April 2004 production began on The Screaming Cocktail Hour a new, cutting-edge musical variety series that Ms. Crean executive produced with Brett Nemeroff, Peter Stormare, and Sherrie Wills.

In collaboration with the living Hip Hop legend, Kool Mo Dee, Kelly is producing a revolutionary documentary There's a God on the Mic, based on his highly acclaimed book of the same name.  Under her stewardship, God on the Mic will provide an intimate look at the world of Hip Hop and the art of the MC.  Kelly combined her compassion with her well honed production expertise to advance the development of The End of Hunger a unique series made for television that will be distributed via MGM Home Entertainment.  Additional feature films in development include The Statue Game and Shattered Stranger.

Prey for Rock & Roll (starring Gina Gershon, Drea De Matteo, Lori Petty, Marc Blucas and Shelly Cole), one of Kelly’s recent projects, premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival to rave reviews and was featured on IFC's new series, Rocked with Gina Gershon . Ms. Crean produced and financed the soundtrack with producer Stephen Trask (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), rock legend Joan Jett, Sara Lee on bass (B-52's, Gang of Four, Indigo Girls), and drummer Samantha Maloney (Hole, Motley Crue). She also executive produced False Start, Charlie Minn's debut feature.

Ms. Crean was an associate producer on Emeril Live! and worked as assistant to producer Cary Woods at Miramax for the productions of Swingers, Scream, Citizen Ruth, Gummo, and Copland. Kelly began her work in production at MGM, CBS News, and Engel Brothers Productions. Ms. Crean's acting career has included 2 feature films, 8 short films and recurring roles on NBC's Another World and CBS's Guiding Light.

A former member of the U.S. Ski Team, Ms. Crean earned a degree in English Literature from Columbia University, studied film production at Columbia University's School of the Arts, and is a voting member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Kelly's affiliations include AFI, AFTRA, IFP, the Film Society of Lincoln Center, and Women in Film. Ms. Crean is recognized in the May, 2004 news issue of Women in Film for her extensive accomplishments in the entertainment industry.

Gwen Field 

Gwen Field began her film career in France as Jean-Louis Trintignant’s driver on Michel Deville’s, Love At The Top.  Directly afterwards, she became an assistant director on John Frankenheimer’s, French Connection II, which was shot in Paris and Marseilles.  Lonesome for hamburgers and apple pie, Ms. Field returned to California, where she became first a directing fellow and then a producing fellow at the American Film Institute.  After producing Paul Schneider’s, Sweetwater at AFI, which starred Diane Ladd, Ms. Field worked with Martin Scorsese on The Last Waltz, Sam Peckinpah on Convoy and Gene Wilder on The World’s Greatest Lover..

               

Since 1988, Ms. Field has been producing independent films.  Patti Rocks, an adult comedy about sex, competed in the Sundance and Venice Film Festivals and won Best Film at the Deauville Film Festival.  Mortal Passions, an MGM release also in competition at Sundance, starred Zach Galligan, David Warner and Sheila Kelley.  Ambition, a psychological thriller released by Miramax, starred Lou Diamond Phillips, Dr. Haing Ngor and Clancy Brown.  Ms. Field produced Charlton Heston Presents The Bible for A & E Networks, and in 1995 she produced Reflections In the Dark starring Mimi Rogers and Billy Zane.  Ms. Field co-produced Brainstorm Media’s Kid Cop, a family film, and Modern Vampyres starring Rod Steiger, Casper Van Dien, Natasha Lyonne and Kim Cattrell, a Lions Gate release.

               

In January 1999, Ms. Field founded BoldFace Films.  Under that banner, she developed Tony Bill’s Harlan County War, starring Holly Hunter and Stellan Skarsgaard; and produced Young Blades, a fresh look at The Three Musketeers, starring Hugh Dancy, Sarah-Jane Potts and Ben Cross.  Under her own shingle, Media Savant Pictures, Ms. Field is currently developing The Sunday MacaroniI Club, Nights Like This, Liberation of Paris, and Ordinary Miracles.   MSP’s production of Water’s Edge is slated for production in 2005 as is Oceanside, which recently inked a deal for production and distribution with Regent Entertainment.

               

Ms. Field served as Artistic Director of the Second Annual Women in Film Festival and was a Board Member for five years of the Independent Feature Project/West, where she helped found the Spirit Awards.  She has been a panelist at numerous industry conferences including Sundance and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences.  Prior to launching her film career, she worked in Paris as a journalist, interviewing celebrities such as, Steven Stills, Karl Lagerfeld and Marisa Berenson, and covering world events.  Ms. Field speaks fluent French and some Spanish and Turkish.

 

 

Darrien Michele Gipson

Darrien Michele Gipson is currently the Program Coordinator for SAGIndie and is an M.F.A. recipient from the Peter Stark Producer’s Program at USC, as well as a USC President Samples Fellows, a university honors program for Community Service, Darrien was formerly the Vice President of Production for DEF Pictures, where she helmed such films as Gridlock'd and How to be a Player.

She currently travels throughout the country to festivals and film workshops, educating filmmakers on SAG’s low budget contracts, and all ensuing budgetary and distribution concerns.  To date, she has traveled to more than 24 states, 3 countries, and over 55 festivals, to consult with independent filmmakers.  Darrien serves on the Board of Directors for both StepUp Women’s Network and The Friends of the Breast Program, benefiting the UCLA/Revlon Breast Center.  Combining her love of film and passion for non-profit work, SAGIndie provides Darrien with an exciting forum to help filmmakers fulfill their dreams.

 

Dahlia Waingort 

 

Dahlia Waingort was born in Miami, a student of England’s, Oxford School of Drama and through her distinguished associations with the likes of Richard Attenborough and Arthur Miller, Dahlia has caressed stages with memorable performances from London’s National Theatre production of Twelfth Night to the John Anson Ford Theatre’s production of Much Ado About Nothing in Los Angeles. Best known for her starring role alongside Ann Margaret and Sonia Braga as a CBS series regular on Four Corners and as a recurring guest star in Felicity, Dahlia went on to work with Burt Reynolds in Hard Time and co-starred in The Gift.

 

Dahlia was part of the producing unit on Changing Hearts (Faye Dunaway, Tom Skerritt, Lauren Holly) in which she also had a supporting role opposite Lauren Holly.  She co-produced the feature film Live to Ride due out Spring 2006 (William Forsythe, Casper Van Dien, Patrick Muldoon, Theresa Russell, Mickey Rourke). She stars in and co-produced Swing (Jacqueline Bisset, Jonathan Winters, Innis Casey, Tom Skerritt, Mindy Cohn, Nell Carter).

 

Dahlia produced the documentaries Counting In Paradise and Medicine Man, shot in Santo Domingo.

 

Currently, Dahlia is co-producing National Lampoon’s Cattle Call and is producing the feature film Dog Stories.

 

Dahlia is President of Elena Films and Executive VP of Development and Production at Sunset Pictures she is a member of SAG and a distinguished member of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts.

 

 

Ins and Outs of Pitching.  Walk, Talk, and Chew Gum!

 

 Ins and Outs of Pitching: 6pm-8pm

Detail: Our panelists will give you the advice from their wisdom on pitching scripts to Hollywood Executives. Our experts will give you the tools and techniques they use to get that winning “Green Light” for your entertainment projects. You will get advice from their “War Stories” and hear points of view from both sides of the “Pitching Table”. We will also give attendees a chance to pitch to the panel and receive an on the spot critique.

 

 

Special Guest (Moderator) TBA

 

Sally J. Champlin

 

Sally Champlin has sold the screenplays Little Merchants and Family Secrets (See http://www.porchlight.com to view a trailer);  Family Secrets, which Ms. Champlin also directed, stars Pamela Bellwood, Angela Jones, Tim Redwine, Lisa Amsterdam, Kaye Ballard and Edward Bunker.  She also produced, wrote and directed three feature shorts – Spirit Catcher, Jivin’ The Night and Eating Alone.

 

Sally has written two novels, a musical comedy, a full-length play entitled Don’t Say Anything, a miniseries about Gustav Mahler called “Alma”, over fifteen screenplays (four of which have been produced) and two television pilots.  Sally and her collaborator, Maurice N. Carrière, have completed their original screenplay, Maxie’s Palace (which is Part I of The Belle Trilogy.  In development is Part II:  The Belle Of New Orleans and Part III:  Birth Of The Belle); they are also writing a feature film trilogy of the life of Louis Armstrong (Part I:  Little Louie, Part II:  Satchmo, Part III:  Pops).  Pops is a three-film narrative fiction based on historical research and not a documentary.  In 2003, Sally was a judge of the screenwriting competition of the prestigious Cinequest Film Festival.

 

Ms. Champlin’s credits as a performer include Crossing Jordan, Dick Wolf’s Dragnet, The District, Becker, Frasier, a recurring role on Murphy Brown, Love and War, The Young And The Restless, Designing Women and L.A. Law, among others.  Sally also co-starred in the cult film, Ed Gein (with Steve Railsback and Carrie Snodgress).  Ed Gein won festival awards in Europe and was released domestically in 2001.

 

Directors Sally has worked with include Christopher Guest, Harold Prince, Daniel Sullivan, Tom Moore and Michael Lembeck as well as extensive study with legendary director, the late José Quintero.

 

Sally J. Champlin has been an active member of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for many years.

 

 

Rona Edward 
 

Rons Edwards is the co-author of the book, I Liked It, Didn’t Love It: Screenplay Development from the Inside Out. She runs Rona Edwards Productions (REP), a production company that produces and develops projects for feature film and television. She Co-Produced and/or Executive Produced Out Of Sync (VH1), One Special Victory (NBC), The Companion (USA/SCI-FI CHANNEL) which marked the long-form debut of director Gary Fleder, I Know What You Did (ABC) and for German television Der Murder Meiner Mutter (SAT.1). She served as Executive Producer on the documentary, Hope In Heaven and is currently co-producing and co-directing Johnny Got His Gun: The Passion Of Dalton Trumbo, a documentary with Barbara Multer-Wellin. She has a feature set up at Warner Bros. tentatively titled Matchmakers based upon an article she found in People Magazine. Ms. Edwards was Vice President of Creative Affairs for John Larroquette’s Port Street Films, Michael Phillips Productions and Brookfield Productions.  Edwards has had projects made and/or in development with many of the major networks and studios including a script deal at ABC, movies at CBS, ABC, NBC, Hearst Entertainment, VH1, HBO, Phoenix Television, Edward R. Pressman, Motor City Films, Warner Bros., and Wilshire Court, to name a few. She developed a television series entitled Zombie Squad for USA Network with producer Judy Cairo. She has been on panels, guest lectured and presented workshops all over the world. A contributing writer to The Beachwood Voice, Edwards is also the newspaper’s restaurant reviewer and freelances for Produced By, the official magazine of the Producers Guild of America. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America, IFP, the Nine O’clock Players and the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

 

 

Heather Hale
 
Heather Hale got on the Hollywood map in 2000 when  The Courage to Love, the $5.5 million dollar Lifetime Original Movie starring Vanessa Williams, Diahann Carroll, Gil Bellows and Stacy Keach (now available on DVD), was produced off her spec screenplay.



Since then, she’s written and/or produced 45-hours of award-winning television including The Evidence, a news magazine docudrama series (along the lines of What the Bleep Do We Know?) that won “Best New Series Pilot” at the 2001 WorldFest Houston International Film Festival and Lifestyle Magazine, a holistic health talk show hosted by Clifton Davis (Amen, Any Given Sunday), that won two Tellys and a Gold Award from the 2001 WorldFest Houston.



Prior to that, Heather was on the writing staff of two PBS edutainment series: Psychology: The Human Experience, which won an Emmy Award for Best Instructional Series, a Bronze Telly Award, The Videographer Awards, International Film & Video and an Aegis Award of Excellence and Dollar$ & Sense: Personal Finance for the 21st Century which won an Emmy Award for Best Instructional Series and an Aegis Award of Excellence.


Heather served as the Director of Event Programming for the National Association of Television Program Executives which included producing NATPE ‘05 which attracted an estimated 8,000 attendees to the Mandalay Bay Resorts in Las Vegas to hear the over 200 speakers including Ted Turner, Charlie Sheen, Jon Cryer, and the CEOs and Presidents of virtually every major network, cable, and satellite station as well as converging digital technologies (AOL, Yahoo! TV, Microsoft, Verizon, etc.). Heather also programmed NATPE’ 2004 TV Producers’ Boot Camp..



Heather is a Jury Judge for RKO Picture’s Hartley-Merrill International Screenwriting Competition alongside Ivan Reitman (Ghost Busters, Stripes, Animal House) and Alan Ball (American Beauty, Six Feet Under). She has been a Judge or Judge’s Coordinator for The Scriptwriters’ Network’s Carl Sautter and Producers’ Outreach Programs, The American Screenwriters/Writer’s Digest International Screenwriting Competition and the Independent Feature Project, among others. She has taught workshops and sat on panels at various film festivals and conferences including The Screenwriters’ Expo, Selling to Hollywood, Slamdance, Moondance, and the Temecula Film Festival. She is scheduled to speak at the upcoming Vail Film Festival, the Austin Film Festival, and the Willamette Film Festival as well as The Great American Pitch Fest. She continues to teach classes at the Learning Annex, the Los Angeles Film School, Learning Tree University and online with TheIndustry.LA ("The Craig's List of Hollywood").



 She has just formed her own company, Heather Hale Productions, and is currently writing screenplays, treatments, and trying to finish her long-demanded non-fiction franchiseable book: PowerNetworking: The Secret Hollywood Code. She is producing a full development slate through various entities and is in preproduction for her independent feature directorial debut. She maintains a full schedule teaching screenwriting and PowerNetworking - and consulting private clients. With what's left of her time, she routinely volunteers with emerging screenwriters and producers, is a mentor for the Film Industry Network, as well as teaches 11-year old ADHD kids creative writing and improv through The Story Project and as a board member of the non-profit “Kids Making Movies,” mentors a group of home schooled children 5 – 17 who make independent films.



 Prior to working in the entertainment industry, Heather formed a privately held mortgage-banking corporation, Approved Mortgage. As CFO and a top producing loan officer, she was instrumental in taking the business from a start-up operation to a thriving business that funded over $2 million per month. Prior to that, she lived a year in Kobe, Japan teaching CEOs English.



 Heather received her Bachelors of Arts in Creative Writing from San Diego State University and completed UCLA’s sequential program in writing for Television and Film.

 

Heather Kenyon

 

Heather Kenyon is senior director of development, original animation at Cartoon Network, focusing on comedy series for children 6-11 years old.  Prior to joining Cartoon Network, she was editor in chief of Animation World Network (www.awn.com), the leading Internet publisher of animation news, information and resources, and was responsible for managing the site’s entire editorial and writing efforts.  After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a BFA from the Filmic Writing Program at the University of Southern California’s prestigious School of Cinema-Television, Heather began her career in animation at Hanna-Barbera Cartoons.  As Manager of the Production Information department, she was responsible for providing information and materials from current productions to all TBS departments worldwide, as well as artistic staffing and festival involvement.  In addition to working as a script consultant, she has contributed to numerous publications, including a chapter in the book, Animation in Asia, printed by John Libbey & Company, Ltd.  Heather has also been quoted on the status of the industry in many publications, including The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Independent in the U.K. and Newsweek magazine.  Heather is on the International Board of Women In Animation, the Graphics Art Council of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and on the Board of Trustees of Trees for Life, as well as a member of ASIFA International.

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      Gayl Murphy