[ Festival Seminars/Coffee Chats ]

The round table Coffee Chats are an open forum discussion that revolve around the industries perception of the role of women in Films today and what they are really about and where films are going in the next decade.

We will be hosting five of these chats with FEMALE and MALE experts on the topics listed below. Our hope is that the attendees leave with a more tangible understanding of the different approaches one can do to make the types of films that will bring in a strong audience base and not just be considered a female film but one that is a strong

Entertaining Artistic Venture that has COMMERCIAL appeal on a global basis. Our experts will be giving strong advice and background on how they have broken through the barriers to film production, financing, and distribution in a still male oriented industry.

2007 Seminar Info
  • SAG Panel: Ageism in Hollywood
    Thursday, Oct 11th 7pm-9pm Fine Arts Theatre, 8556 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills
  • WGA West Presents: Girls Gone Genre: Women Writing Action, Animation and Adventure
    Saturday, Oct 13th 10am-12pm SAG James Cagney Room 5757 Wilshire Blvd., 7th Floor
    Los Angeles
    • MODERATOR: Sonya Gay Bourn, Co-Chair of the WGAW Committee of Women Writers
      Laeta Kalogridis, Alexander, Pathfinder, X-Men, Birds of Prey
      Rita Hsiao, Toy Story 2, Mulan
      Marti Noxon, Private Practice, Prison Break, Buffy the Vampire Slayer

  • Marketing/Distribution Panel – How to Get Your Film Sold!
    Sunday Oct 14th 10am-12pm Gay & Lesbian Center, Renberg Theatre, 1125 No. McCadden Place, West Hollywood
  • Finance Panel – How to Get the Money
    Sunday Oct 14th 12pm-2pm Gay & Lesbian Center, The Village at Ed Gould Plaza, 1125 No. McCadden Place, West Hollywood


Vivian Sobchack
Vivian Sobchack is Professor in the Department Film, Television, and Digital Media and former Associate Dean at the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. She was the first woman elected president of the Society for Cinema and Media Studies and is on the Board of Directors of the American Film Institute. She has published essays in journals such as Film Quarterly, Film Comment, Quarterly Review of Film and Video, Artforum International, and camera obscurax, and her books include An Introduction to Film; The Address Of The Eye: A Phenomenology Of Film Experience; Screening Space: The American Science Fiction Film; and, most recently, Carnal Thoughts: Embodiment And Moving Image Culture. She has also edited two anthologies: The Persistence Of History: Cinema, Television And The Modern Event and Meta-Morphing: Visual Transformation And The Culture Of Quick Change.

Beverly Graf
Beverly J. Graf has served as the Vice President of Development at Abilene Pictures since 1996 while also working in association with New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Her credits include Primal Fear starring Richard Gere, Fallen starring Denzel Washington, Frequency starring Dennis Quaid, Hart’s War starring Bruce Willis and Colin Farrell, Fracture starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling and the soon to be released on Untraceable starring Diane Lane.

In 2004, Abilene partnered with Steven Bochco to produce the television pilot NYPD – 2069 and more recently she partnered with Warner Brothers Television to produce the television project Wanted. She has also worked as story analyst for Creative Artists Agency, Triad Agency and several other production companies. Some of Beverly’s other credits include Young & Younger, Salmonberries, Rosalie Goes Shopping and two k.d. lang videos.

In addition, Beverly has a Ph.D. from Princeton University and has taught both Producing and Film Genre Studies at UCLA as well as classes at Princeton University. She is also a writer hip-pocketed at CAA.

Stacy Smith
Stacy L. Smith (Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara, 1999) joined the USC Annenberg Faculty in the fall of 2003. Her research focuses on children’s responses to mass media portrayals (television, film, video games) of violence, gender and hypersexuality. Dr. Smith has written roughly 40 journal articles and book chapters on content patterns and effects of the media on youth. Further, she has received multiple "top paper" awards for her research from the Instructional Developmental Division of the International Communication Association.

Most recently, she has been working with a team of graduate and undergraduate students to assess portrayals of males and females in children’s media. This body of work is funded by See Jane a program started by Academy Award winner Geena Davis.

While research is important, Dr. Smith is most passionate about teaching. She currently teaches the undergraduate COMM 203 – Introduction to Mass Communication course at USC Annenberg. Dr. Smith has been recognized for her outstanding teaching, receiving multiple awards from different constituencies on campus. In the spring of 2006, she received the Outstanding Professor Award from the Annenberg Students Communication Association, the Greek Professor of the Semester Award and was recognized as an Honorary Member of Lambda Pi Eta.

Deborah Gilels
Deborah Gilels currently is a media consultant representing screenwriters, directors, actors, production companies and book authors. Consulting duties include project development and packaging, production, public relations and marketing.

From January 2002 - August 2004, Deborah was an executive/consultant for Media Design Institute, a Japanese/American media company where she was instrumental in the creation of a video-on-demand/satellite network financed by NTT-Data, the content coming from the Lion’s Gate and Echelon Entertainment, as well as acquired film/television product for the Japanese territory (Television, Video/DVD). Deborah also created and produced MAJESTIC STUDIO, an entertainment talk show for Japan television. MAJESTIC STUDIO premiered in Japan October 2003, and is now being shown on SkyPerfect TV and Coming Soon TV, as well on several networks in Korea.

In 1986, Deborah moved to Los Angeles, where she worked in motion picture and television development for producers Kent Bateman and David Permut, studios such as Tri Star and Twentieth Century Fox, as well as The Agency, Innovative Artists and Leading Artists (UTA). In 1988, she was a producer on NBC’s CROSSING THE MOB, which starred Jason Bateman.

In 1990, Deborah became Vice President of Production at Blue Ribbon Films, supervising the company’s television deal at Warner Brothers and feature film distribution deal at foreign sales company PFG Entertainment. While at Blue Ribbon she also developed film projects for JVC, LIVE Entertainment (Artisan), Disney/Hollywood Pictures and Republic Pictures, as well as for actors Jean Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and the late Brandon Lee. Among the projects she produced and developed are: SHOWDOWN IN LITTLE TOKYO (Warner Brothers/1992), PENTATHLON (LIVE/1994) and SPECTRE (Hollywood Pictures), a WWII action drama written by the late Donald Stewart.

In 1995, Deborah founded Torch Productions and currently has several projects in various stages of development and production. Among her collaborators are actors Robert Duvall, Reese Witherspoon, Rachel Leigh Cook and Bill Pullman; writers and directors Hossein Amini (WINGS OF THE DOVE), A. Scott Berg, John Lee Hancock (THE ROOKIE), Allan Scott, Gail Gilchriest, John Bishop, Michael Hirst (ELIZABETH), Nicholas Meyer, Jay Russell (LADDER 49), Rusty Cundieff and Paul Verhoeven. Companies and producers she has been in business include Lucas Foster/Warp Films, Touchstone/Hollywood Pictures, Hearst Entertainment, ESPN, Phoenix Pictures, Baltimore/Spring Creek, Wind Dancer Films, DIC, Talent Entertainment Group, Alive Entertainment, First Look International and New Line Cinema.

An avid sports enthusiast, Deborah created and executive produced a documentary for ESPN in association with Hearst Entertainment entitled BEARING THE TORCH: A HISTORY OF POLITICS & THE GAMES, which aired as the network’s Olympic special in June of 1996. The show featured celebrities such as Henry Kissinger, Mark Spitz and David Wolper.

A noted script doctor, Deborah is avidly sought out by many of the industry’s top producers, directors and actors in the development process. Projects that she has consulted on include TNT’s A SLIGHT CASE OF MURDER, Touchstone’s ENEMY OF THE STATE and Showtime’s A COOLER CLIMATE.

Deborah has also lead seminars for the USC Film School Writer’s Program and been a guest lecturer at UCLA Extension School and LA Film School.

In 2003 - 2004 she also was Wesley Clark's Presidential campaign chairman for the San Fernando Valley. In this capacity she put together fundraisers, seminars and campaign rallies on his behalf. Up until the Iowa Caucus, Wesley Clark was the front running candidate in the California primary race.


Ana Clavell
Long-time Vice President of Production and Post-Production for Taurus Entertainment, Ana Clavell is currently helming Bandit Cinema, a new distribution company. Ms.Clavell is also a producer, director and writer. Her films include Girls Fight Tonight, Day of the Dead 2, and Creepshow 3. Given her expertise in post-production and all digital media, Ms. Clavell supervises all deliverables, and oversees marketing and distribution for both companies.

Tamara Stuparich De La Barra
Tamara Stuparich De La Barra joined FORESIGHT UNLIMITED in November 2004 where she currently serves as Senior Vice President and oversees all feature films from development through post-production and distribution. Most recently she was the Co-Producer on Captivity directed by Roland Joffe and starring Elisha Cuthbert.

Stuparich De La Barra previously served as Director of Acquisitions at Media 8 Entertainment where she oversaw development and productions of M8 feature films. She acted as Associate Producer on the comedy Lovewrecked directed by Randal Kleiser and starring Amanda Bynes. At M8 she was also involved in the development, production and sales of numerous other film projects, including critically acclaimed Monster directed by Patty Jenkins and starring Charlize Theron, Running Scared directed by Wayne Kramer and starring Paul Walker, Havoc based on a screenplay by Stephen Gaghan and starring Anne Hathaway, and The Upside of Anger starring Joan Allen and Kevin Costner.

Before M8 Stuparich De La Barra was Manager of Acquisitions and Sales at MDP Worldwide and helped sell and develop films such as The I Inside starring Ryan Phillippe and 11:14 starring Hilary Swank.

Tamara Stuparich De La Barra has lived in Sweden, Italy and Chile prior to moving to the U.S. and speaks English, Swedish, Italian and Spanish fluently. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Film and Television.

Craig Serling
Nominated for three Emmy’s for his work in television, Serling brings a disciplined creative vision and an intuitive understanding of human drama to his work.. Mr. Serling started his career with a documentary of then unknown punk rock band, “Black Flag.” His unflinching portrait of punk maverick Henry Rollins earned him immediate acclaim in the indie rock community. His next documentary, ROSELAND chronicled the demise of amusement parks, turned into a scathing portrait of how gentrification can change a community. This nationally acclaimed documentary screened on PBS and earned Craig a scholarship in the directing program of the American Film Institute. His experience at AFI propelled him to fly to Bosnia during the siege of Sarajevo. His documentary about the war torn country, AMERICAN HEROES, was screened nationally on PBS and received national press for his work.

In 2001, Craig was hired as one of the original lead editors on the television sensation SURVIVOR. His work earned him three Emmy nominations as a non-fiction editor for one of the most successful franchises in television history. A departure from the editing world brought him another ambitious project. Craig directed the feature film, JAM. The script, which he wrote with writing partner Nicole Lonner, attracted critically acclaimed actors William Forsythe, Marianne Jean Baptiste, and Tess Harper. Recently, JAM won the ‘Best Narrative Feature’ award at the Santa Fe Film Festival. The film is currently screening around the country and is currently being distributed by STARZ MEDIA. Serling is in active development on his next feature THE DIVIDE.

Morris Ruskin
With acclaimed films such as GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FILMS, LAKEBOAT, PRICE OF GLORY, MARILYN HOTCHKISS BALLROOM DANCING & CHARM SCHOOL and THE VISIT to his credit, Morris Ruskin has established a successful and esteemed career in the film industry.

Morris Ruskin began his career as a development executive for Zupnik Enterprises, where he developed a number of projects with 'A'-list talent, including the likes of writers Terrence McNally, David Mamet and Tom Cole and directors Robert Wise, John Frankenheimer, Abel Ferrara and Irvin Kershner. Morris was duly promoted to Vice President of Zupnik Enterprises where he managed the productions and obtained financing for a series of independent films. In 1992, Morris garnered critical praise with Zupnik Enterprises by co-producing GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS. Morris was instrumental in developing GLENGARRY from a stage play into a motion picture, packaging the talent and securing its financing. Written by David Mamet, the movie earned numerable awards, including an Academy Award Nomination for Al Pacino as Best Supporting Actor.

Following the success of GLENGARRY, Morris established his own company, Shoreline Entertainment. He envisioned an entity that would allow him to not only continue to develop and produce feature films but moreover enhance his professional horizons. His aspirations came to fruition when he expanded Shoreline to include a sales and distribution arm in 1997. By always working with prominent writers and directors and by developing and acquiring projects that are attractive to the major studios, mini-majors, and foreign markets alike, Morris has ensured for over a decade that Shoreline remain a stable yet versatile and ever-evolving organization.
THE MAN FROM ELYSIAN FIELDS made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and its US premier at the Sundance Film Festival and was also theatrically released by Samuel Goldwyn. Directed by George Hickenlooper, ELYSIAN FIELDS featured an outstanding cast, including Andy Garcia, Mick Jagger, Juliana Margulies, James Coburn, Olivia Williams and Anjelica Houston.

The David Mamet-penned drama, LAKEBOAT starring Robert Forster, Charles Durning, Denis Leary, Peter Falk, George Wendt and Andy Garcia, opened the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. The film also marked the directorial debut of Joe Mantegna.

FLIGHT OF FANCY, starring Dean Cain, Talisa Soto and Miguel Sandoval, won Best Family Film at the Hollywood Film Festival. Harvey Keitel, Joey Lauren Adams and Ed Quinn starred in the exotic action thriller, BEEPER, directed by Jack Sholder.

THE VISIT, starring Hill Harper, Obba Babatunde, Rae Dawn Chong, Billy Dee Williams and Phylicia Rashad, earned four Spirit Award nominations and won awards for Favorite Film, Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor at the Method Fest. THE VISIT was theatrically released by Urbanworld to rave reviews. PRICE OF GLORY, starring Jimmy Smits, was honored as the closing film at the Santa Barbara Film Festival and was theatrically released by New Line Cinema.

Morris’s productions have included the Sundance premiere MARYLIN HOTCHKISS BALLROOM DANCING & CHARM SCHOOL, starring Robert Carlyle, Marisa Tomei, John Goodman and Danny Devito; DARK CORNERS, an AFI Fest premiere starring Thora Birch; EVERYTHING’S GONE GREEN, a Toronto International Film Festival premiere based on a Douglas Coupland screenplay, starring Paulo Costanzo, and receiving a 2007 U.S. theatrical release by First Independent Pictures; BARSTOOL WORDS, adapted from the off Broadway play by Josh Ben Friedman; VOODOO LAGOON, with Ashley Hamilton, John Noble, Lara Cox; SHADOW PUPPETS, starring Jolene Blalock, James Marsters (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), and Tony Todd (FINAL DESTINATION); WEIRDSVILLE, which will open the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival and stars Scott Speedman (UNDERWORLD), Wes Bentley (AMERICAN BEAUTY) and Taryn Manning (HUSTLE & FLOW); SENSELESS, based on the novel by Stona Fitch and starring Jason Behr; THE FIFTH PATIENT, starring Nick Chinlund, Brendan Fehr, Marley Shelton, Isaach De Bankole and Peter Bogdonavich; and THE SIGNAL, which will premiere at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.

Amongst his many activities and honors, Morris has served as a Final Judge for the Cable Ace Awards, a panelist at the Hollywood Film Festival, a Judge at the Annual Manga Screenwriting Competition held in Tokyo, a Panelist for the Producer’s Seminar of the Santa Fe Screenwriting Conference, a Guest Panelist for the Women in Film Symposium and the Chairman of the Peter Stark Screenwriting Competition. It goes without saying that Morris remains ceaselessly active in the world of film.


Serge Rodnunsky
Serge Rodnunsky was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada and was raised in Canada and Los Angeles by very creative parents Albert (Symphony Conductor) and Patricia (Designer/Writer) Rodnunsky. With a very eclectic schooling in Physics and Dance, Serge early on in his career studied Quantum Physics at New York University while dancing in American Ballet Theatre under the direction of Mikhail Baryshnikov.

Eventually that led to dance in the "Fame" television series and the Broadway Show "Cats". After two years with the show "Cats" he started a series of successful Performing Arts Studios.

During this time he began writing, directing, choreographing and editing. Serge has since Written, Produced and Directed over 40 features and worked with many actors across many styles and disciplines of acting.

The combination of strong story telling combined with a thorough technical understanding of the many aspects of production and post-production has been the key to Serge's film success.


Lawrence Ulman
Lawrence J. Ulman is a partner of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Los Angeles, California and Co-Chair of the Media and Entertainment Practice Group. Mr. Ulman graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences. In 1975 he received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California School of Law. While at the University of Southern California School of Law, Mr. Ulman received the ASCAP Nathan Burkan Memorial Award in Copyright Law. Mr. Ulman also has a Masters of Business Administration in Management Information Systems from the University of California at Los Angeles. Mr. Ulman taught Entertainment Finance at the USC School of Cinematic Arts from 1992 to 1997.

At Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Mr. Ulman specializes in entertainment finance. He regularly represents film studios in their film distribution and financial matters and banks providing production financing for theatrical motion pictures. His expertise includes negotiating and documenting international tax advantaged film financing transactions; acquisitions of film rights for foreign and domestic film companies; representation of financial institutions in innovative and complex loan arrangements, including film securitizations and credit enhanced and "gap" lending arrangements; and representation of completion guarantors insuring the completion and delivery of independent and major theatrical motion pictures. He also has experience in product placement and marketing and representing sellers and buyers of film rights and negotiating output and other forms of film and television acquisition agreements. His clients include Universal Pictures, New Line Cinema, Twentieth Century Fox, GE Capital, AMBAC, Volkswagen and Constantin Film AG.

 

Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein
Devorah Cutler-Rubenstein has over thirty years of experience in the film industry and has distinguished herself as a development executive, film producer, screenwriter, artist and film director. Ms. Cutler-Rubenstein began her filmmaking career after graduating Cal Arts Film School. Ms. Cutler-Rubenstein started as assistant to legendary agent-turned-producer Jerome M. Zeitman at 20th Century-Fox. There she was involved in the development of numerous projects including the sci-fi thriller, DAMNATION ALLEY. She went on to hold various executive positions including Director of Literary Acquisitions for Mona Moore & Associates, Director of the Story Department for Marble Arch Productions, Director of Literary Affairs for Columbia Pictures Television and Vice-President of Promotion and Marketing for Connoisseur Video. While still a studio executive, she directed three theatrical world premieres and completed several short films, including TEA BREAK FOR MRS. PENROSE starring Annie Potts. Her first foray into producing was with a series of stage productions, including a revival of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE starring Ed Harris and DUSA, FISH, STAS & VI, which was lauded by L.A. Times critic Sylvie Drake as one of the best productions in Los Angeles that year.
For her first independent feature film, she partnered with actor/director John Saxon to co-write the thriller, DEATH HOUSE, starring Saxon, Dennis Cole and Anthony Franciosa for Nick Moreno Productions.

She next teamed with producer Steven Bakalar to form H2 Productions. The company developed and produced THE SUBSTITUTE, a $15 million feature for Live Entertainment on which she served as executive producer. The action-drama, directed by Robert Mandel, starred Tom Berenger, Ernie Hudson, Dianne Venora and Mark Anthony, and garnered the number two spot its opening weekend. She was also executive producer on THE SUBSTITUTE 2: SCHOOL’S OUT, starring Treat Williams.

Cutler-Rubenstein next co-wrote and directed PEACOCK BLUES, a short film shot on 35MM for Discovery. Starring William Forsythe and Poppy Montgomery, the film won Best Film and Audience Favorite at the 2000 Moondance International Film Festival. Academy Award nominee Ross Spears then chose her to direct the narrative sequences for the award winning PBS documentary TELL ABOUT THE SOUTH: VOICES IN BLACK AND WHITE.

She executive produced and wrote NOT AFRAID TO LAUGH, co-produced with Emmy award winning producer Roberta Cantow. The innovative documentary about using humor to heal won an Award of Distinction from the Communicator Awards 2000 and is archived at the Museum of Broadcasting. As a celebrity guest, her comedy writing and performing for THE POWER TO HEAL contributed to the program winning two coveted Tellys in 2002.

A respected member of the WGAw, she has collaborated with Emmy and Academy Award-winning writer-producer veterans, including Roger Lewis (THE PAWNBROKER, SHAFT) and comedy veteran Everett Freeman (MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR, SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY). Her film and television scripts have been optioned by Twentieth Century-Fox, ABC, Columbia Pictures-TV and Trimark Pictures, among others. Most recently she also developed, produced and directed the reality show, TATTOO U, for FX Networks.

Most recently she is on board as producer/director and co-writer of “e-BRIDE” a romantic comedy for VIKA FILMS,LLC. The project stars
Jonathan Lipnicki and Oksana Lada among others and is slated to start
Principal photography Spring 2008, shooting LA/Ukraine. She was on board as financier and sales rep for the project.

Cutler-Rubenstein has extensive creative and business relationships throughout the industry, including associations with acquisitions executives at companies such as Dreamworks SKG, Columbia-TriStar Motion Picture Company, Fox Searchlight, TNT, USA Films, and HBO. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker at international film festivals and markets and teaches screenwriting as an Adjunct Professor at USC. Her DVD, “The Insider’s Guide To Film Financing” and her book”What’s the Big Idea?Writing Award-Winning Shorts are available through The Writer’s Store among others. She founded THE SCRIPT BROKER ® which helps writers and entertainment creatives succeed in the marketplace.

She is the President and CEO of Noble House Entertainment, which she founded in 1992 to develop and produce material that is both entertaining and enlightening, as well as, financially viable.

 

Grace Zabriskie
Grace was born and grew up in the French Quarter, in New Orleans. Her father started and ran two cafes there:” Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop” and then “Lafitte’s in Exile.” Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal and Truman Capote were among the many interesting people who frequented the café during the 40’s and 50’s, and Grace doesn’t really remember them, but does remember dolls they gave her, when her father brought them home to meet his family.

She began doing theatre in New Orleans, and then she did some theatre in New Brunswick, N.J. at Douglass College, Rutgers University. She took no theatre courses, but had a double major in art and French. She then did lots of theatre in Atlanta, where she lived for 13 years before moving to L.A. in 1979. She had also done films in Atlanta, notably Norma Rae , which got her an L.A. agent.

She has worked steadily in film and television since arriving in L.A., and has also done theatre there and in New York.

She is currently appearing in the HBO series “Big Love,” can be seen in David Lynch’s latest, “Inland Empire,” and in “License to Wed.”

Several new films will be appearing in festivals during the next few months, including “Brothel,” “Bob Funk,” and a short in this festival.

She is a visual artist, an actor, and a writer. Her daughter, Marion Lane, is a painter who lives and works in Venice, CA.


Ann Marcus
Writer and Executive Producer of FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE is Ann Marcus the Emmy Award-winning writer (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and the writer/producer of numerous TV shows and plays).

After graduating from Western College in Ohio, Ann Marcus got a job on the New York Daily News – one of the first young women to become a copy “boy”. In a matter of weeks she was promoted to reporter, and parlayed her first byline story to a job on Life Magazine where she worked with famed photographers such as Alfred Eisenstadt.

Tapped by Norman Lear, Ann co-created and head-wrote the satirical soap, "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman", winning an Emmy in 1976. She also co-created Fernwood 2-Nite, All That Glitters, and Julie Farr, MD. Other soaps she has helmed were Days Of Our Lives, Love Of Life, and "General Hospital". receiving several Emmy and WGA nominations along the way. Between headwriting and creating soaps, Ann has written TV movies including Women at West Point (TV), Letters from Three Lovers (TV), and Having Babies, II (TV). She was also supervising producer of 'Falcon Crest', and 'Knots Landing' and co-wrote the Knots miniseries, "Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac" (mini). She also developed and wrote many comedy and drama pilots during stints at Columbia TV; Embassy; and Lorimar. Ann's favorite endeavor was the syndicated satirical soap she co-created and executive produced with her husband, Ellis Marcus, 'The Life And Times Of Eddie Roberts' – sixty-five episodes of which aired on Metromedia.

Ann has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Writers Guild of America seven times and served as Secretary/treasurer from 1992-1994. She was presented with the Morgan Cox Award for distinguished service to the Guild in 2000. She has also served on the steering committee of the Caucus for Writers, Producers, and Directors, and is a former Governor of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

 

Gloria Morrison
Gloria’s natural charm and straightforward business style led her from project to project. From working actress to young producer to becoming the owner of her own company, for 16 years, Unistar Pictures International Inc. (which she is now re-establishing) where she produced over 15 films, and developed with major networks and Studios over 34 projects in full development. For three years she had a ‘first look’ deal with Hearst Entertainment -- Gloria had become the ‘go to’ producer when you needed the rights to true life stories. Spy Magazine called her the “Queen of True Stories”

Gloria started her film career as an actress at the age of five and she never looked back, with over seventy-five stage plays in leading roles and numerous guest appearances on episodic television such as Harper Valley PTA – with the recurring role of MAX – “You Again” with Jack Klugman where she meets Garry Marshall. Garry has been a mentor for Gloria during her producing years, they also have had several projects together where he was attached as a Producer/Director. “Auntie Mame” with Lucille Ball, “Alligator” with Robert Forester – “Happy Days”, “Dynasty”, “Here Come The Brides”, “Looking to Get Out” with Angelina Jolie and Jon Voight, Gloria and Jon built the “Annex” theatre on Sunset. Her vast resume of leads in legitimate stage include – “The Women”, Macbeth, “Calamity Jane”, “Othello” , “Cheaper By The Dozen”, “The Miracle Worker” – where Lucille Ball saw her and cast her in Mame. “The Robe,” etc. Gloria also had a stint in the Las Vegas show at the new MGM Grand – Don Arden’s “Hallelujah Hollywood” –She played Clytemnestra for a over a year in Los Angeles, others too numerous to mention..

At the height of her theatrical career, fate intervened and thus began her path to the role of a producer. She realized Sony was interested in getting into the Film business and approached them and said “You have the money – I have the projects and I will not leave until we have a deal”! Well, two weeks later she had a deal… the result was Sony’s first film “Midnight” with Lynn Redgrave, Tony Curtis, Rita Gam & Frank Goshen. The film was made for under a million but is still sold on their Sony Website and has sort of a cult following to it. Then of course now Sony Studios.

Gloria also headed up the Development and Acquisitions department for Echelon Entertainment & Echelon Studios where she was responsible for building a 6000 title library in 3 years. With sales from these titles worldwide including Netflix, Starz Vongo, Google, Movie Link\Cinema Now, EZ Takes, Universal Home Video, HBO, Warner Bros. Home Video, Lionsgate, Blockbuster, Wal-Mart, etc.

As an Independent Producer and President of Unistar International Pictures, she produced such projects as; ABC’s, FIRESTORM, starring Jill Clayburgh, Michael Gross & Le Var Burton (Producer), Sony’s first feature, MIDNIGHT, starring Lynn Redgrave & Tony Curtis (Producer & Executive Producer), CBS -, WHAT HAPPENED TO BOBBY EARL with Kate Jackson USA’S, CONTAGIOUS, starring Lindsey Wagner (Producer). Other mentionable credits are ABC’s, GROUND ZERO, (Producer), “TERROR AT SEA” for Fox Television in association with Helios Productions, Cable feature, RAGE, (Producer) as well as producing the small Independent feature, BEACH FEVER and more recently RGH/LIONS SHARE, LIGHT IN THE FOREST as Executive Producer.

Gloria has also been responsible solely for the Limited Platform release of over 12 films in combination with the acquisition and distribution of these films. Unistar Int. Pictures theatrically releases films in select cities throughout the United States. Unistar Int. Pictures recent theatrical successes include the charming family comedy Our Italian Husband starring Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Brooke Shields and Chevy Chase; the drama Wake starring “Queer as Folk’s” Gale Harold and featuring screen legend Martin Landau; and the romantic comedy Fish Without a Bicycle starring “Freddie” and “Beverly Hills 90210” star Brian A. Green.

One of Gloria’s greatest talents is the developing feature film scripts among these are: AT THE MOMENT “EL DESTINO” The Mexican “Roots” is her pet project – a twelve hour mini-series that the Mayor of Los Angeles stands behind with several top Hispanic talents attached. SECRET SONG – THE BILLY TIPTON STORY, at both A&M Films with Dale Pollack and PolyGram, TIANANMEN was developed at MGM with Alan Ladd Jr.. She has also developed several projects such as “Bad Kitty” a funny horror film with Stan Winston attached for special effects, “THE GHOSTWRITER”, GAME OF KINGS, FIELDS OF FIRE and KID 58, as Executive Producer.

Ms. Morrison is now working on TRUE DETECTIVE (based on the magazine- where it was set up at USA Network), BAD KITTY, DEEP BLUE, TRUE STORY- THE MAGAZINE, BORDERGATE and her capstone project, EL DESTINO, the Mexican roots. All of which speaks to the strengths of Ms. Morrison’s ability to acquire and produce.

Her professional memberships include: Producer’s Guild of America, American Society of Composers, Women in Film, Screen Actors Guild, Actors Equity, AFTRA, Producers Alliance and Who’s who of American Women.


Jennifer Hughes
Jennifer Hughes is an Entertainment Attorney with the boutique Beverly Hills based law firm Funsten & Franzen. A graduate of USC Law School and its Entertainment Management Program, she specializes in the representation of independent film producers and production companies in all aspects of finance, production and distribution of independent film, as well as related areas of music and intellectual property (licensing, copyright, trademark, rights of publicity and privacy). Representative clients include the producer of festival favorite Jam (starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Jonathan Silverman, Gina Torres and William Forsythe); the producer of The Objective (written and directed by Dan Myrick, co-creator of The Blair Witch Project), distribution company Collaboration Entertainment, and the series host on a new Travel Channel show: Lawrence of America. Her work encompasses negotiating and drafting agreements relating to rights acquisition, chain of title, private equity, slate financing, co-production, security agreements, bank financing, collection agreements, talent agreements and distribution agreements.


 

 

 

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