ASHOK AMRITRAJ -
Chairman & CEO,
Hyde Park Entertainment As Chairman and CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment, Ashok Amritraj is one of the most successful producers in Hollywood today, and recently produced the box office hit, Bringing Down The House, starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah. Bringing Down The House is the first in a long line of high-quality, star-driven features being produced by Amritraj in the upcoming year including: Raising Helen starring Kate Hudson and John Corbett, directed by Garry Marshall and Shop Girl starring Steve Martin, Clare Danes and Jimmy Fallon, both to be released by The Walt Disney Studios; additionally, Amritraj is producing Walking Tall starring The Rock, to be released by MGM.
As Chairman and CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment, Ashok Amritraj produced the box office smash BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, starring Steve Martin and Academy Award-nominee Queen Latifah, and is regarded as one of the most successful producers working in Hollywood today. Currently in release through Sony is Amritraj’s thriller PREMONITION, starring Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon, which has been a box office hit. Upcoming releases are the action film DEATH SENTENCE, directed by James Wan (SAW) and starring Kevin Bacon, Kelly Preston and John Goodman, to be released by 20th Century Fox August 31, 2007 and the horror/thriller ASYLUM, directed by David Ellis (SNAKES ON A PLANE, FINAL DESTINATION 2) and starring Sarah Roemer (DISTURBIA), to be released by MGM. Starting principal photography this fall are STREET FIGHTER, based on the extremely popular video game and to be released by 20th Century Fox, and THE OTHER END OF THE LINE, the cross-cultural romantic comedy to be released by MGM. Amritraj’s recent releases include DREAMER, starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning through Dreamworks SKG, which opened in the number 2 spot at the U.S. box office, and SHOPGIRL starring Steve Martin and Claire Danes through The Walt Disney Company, which opened to rave reviews. Additionally, Amritraj enjoyed a successful box office with the Kate Hudson feature RAISING HELEN, which was directed by Hollywood legend Garry Marshall and WALKING TALL, which starred The Rock. Amritraj has grown Hyde Park Entertainment into a cutting-edge option to the traditional Hollywood studio system for filmmakers by making it one of the few progressive independent companies that encompasses most elements of a full-fledged studio. The Company is capable of developing, producing and financing projects as well as handling their international sales and marketing. Hyde Park Entertainment has a first look deal with 20th Century Fox, and a second look deal with The Walt Disney Studios. Through The Walt Disney Studios, Amritraj released the critically acclaimed drama/romance MOONLIGHT MILE, directed by Brad Silberling, starring Academy Award winners Dustin Hoffman, Susan Sarandon and Holly Hunter. Through MGM, Amritraj also produced ORIGINAL SIN starring Angelina Jolie and Antonio Banderas and the Golden Globe nominated BANDITS, directed by Barry Levinson starring Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett. During the span of his 25-year career, having produced or executive produced over 90 films with a worldwide gross in excess of $1 billion, Amritraj has worked with every major Studio in Hollywood . The stars who have worked with Amritraj include Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Angelina Jolie, Cate Blanchett, Dustin Hoffman, Steve Martin, Antonio Banderas, The Rock, Kate Hudson, Kurt Russell, etc… In 2005 the Indian International Film Academy presented Amritraj with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2004 Amritraj received the Producer of Vision Award from the Hollywood community and the prestigious Pride Of India Award from the American India Foundation. Amritraj served on the Foreign Film Board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was a member of Los Angeles Board for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the International Council for the Emmy Awards. |
BONNIE ARNOLD -
Producer,
"How to Train Your Dragon" Bonnie Arnold is the producer of the DreamWorks Animation feature “How to Train Your Dragon,” slated for release on March 26, 2010. An accomplished filmmaker in nearly every genre, she is also a producer on the Sony Pictures Classics release “The Last Station,” which has recently garnered two OSCAR nominations as well as award nominations from the Screen Actors Guild; the Golden Globes; and the Independent Spirit Awards, including a nomination for Best Picture. In addition she produced the 2006 DreamWorks release “Over the Hedge,” the Disney blockbuster “Tarzan” and the history-making film “Toy Story,” which combined have earned more than $1 billion in worldwide box office revenue.
Arnold’s previous production credits include a list of titles, among them the Oscar®-winning epic Western “Dances with Wolves” and the hit comedy “The Addams Family.”
Arnold’s interest in journalism led to her first entertainment industry assignment as the unit publicist for American Playhouse’s debut production, “King of America.” Following that, she worked with several independent filmmakers via the American Film Institute and the Atlanta Independent Film and Video Festival. Her work in promoting independent films influenced her decision to pursue a career as a producer. Arnold is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as well as the Producers Guild of America.
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MICHAEL ARRINGTON -
Senior Analyst US Video,
Screen Digest Michael Arrington has extensive experience in a wide range of media, entertainment and high-technology markets including cable, consumer devices, film entertainment, graphics hardware and software, interactive television, the Internet and online services, personal computers, satellite communications and software development. Michael has previously served as an analyst at Penton Digital Media Research and Paul Kagan Associates. He began his career as a linguist and intelligence analyst for the US Army and National Security Agency.
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FRED BARON -
EVP of Feature Production,
Twentieth Century Fox, & PGAward Producer of the Year Award winner for "Moulin
Rouge"  Fred Baron is currently Executive Vice President of Feature Production at
Twentieth Century Fox. With Fox since 1990, he has overseen the production
of feature films that include: KNIGHT & DAY, DATE NIGHT, THE DAY
THE EARTH STOOD STILL, LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD, BORAT, Ridley
Scott Crusade epic KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, I ROBOT, THE DAY AFTER
TOMORROW, LAST OF THE MOHICANS, GRAND CANYON, EDWARD
SCISSORHANDS, HOT SHOTS, BROKEN ARROW, ROMEO AND JULIET,
ALIEN RESURECTION, and BULWORTH.Fred took a hiatus from Fox from 1999-2001 to produce the critically acclaimed film MOULIN ROUGE with Baz Luhrmann, which won many awards including The PGA’s Darryl F. Zanuck Producer of the Year Award, the Golden Globe for best picture, and received a Best Picture nomination from the Motion Picture Academy. Prior to 1990, Fred worked as a Producer and executive at HBO Pictures and left HBO to become a Producer on the award winning Cable TV series “Tales From The Crypt,” for Executive Producers Richard Donner, Joel Silver, Walter Hill, and Bob Zemeckis. Before working at HBO, Fred held various positions in feature film production ranging from Production Assistant to Assistant Director and Associate Producer, working with such directors as the, Paul Schrader, Michael Apted, Tony Scott, Garry Marshall, and Carl Reiner, and producers Jerry Bruckheimer, David Picker, and Bill Badalato. Fred began his movie career in the mailroom at Universal Studios. |
PETER BART - VP & Editorial Director, Variety He served as a reporter and columnist for The New York Times and as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and the Chicago Sun-Times prior to entering the film business.
Starting in 1967 Bart worked as an executive at Paramount Pictures, rising to vice president in charge of production. He played a key role in such films as Rosemary's Baby (1968), True Grit (1969), Harold and Maude (1971), The Godfather (1972) and Paper Moon (1973). After eight years at Paramount he become senior vice president for production at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and president of Lorimar Productions, where he was involved in such films as Being There (1979) and The Postman Always Rings Twice (1981). Bart also served as a co-producer on such films as Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) and Islands in the Stream (1977). He joined Variety as editor-in-chief in 1989. In 2007 Bart appointed Tim Gray to become his successor as editor with the understanding that he would stay on as columnist, blogger and consultant.[2] In April 2009 it was announced that Bart was moving to the position of "vice president and editorial director", characterized online as "Boffo No More: Bart Up and Out at Variety".[3] He served as executive producer and screenwriter of the documentary film, Boffo! Tinseltown's Bombs and Blockbusters (2006) shown on the HBO television channel. Through the years Bart has published eight books, including five non-fiction and three fiction. |
BOB BERNEY - President, FilmDistrict Bob Berney has been a preeminent force in the international film world for more than two decades, bringing a multitude of smart, challenging and entertaining films to the screen.
He has an eye for performances and material, as evidenced by such award-winners as Marion Cotillard and Charlize Theron, Best Actress Academy Award winners for LA VIE EN ROSE and MONSTER, respectively; and PAN’S LABYRINTH, Y TU MAMA and MEMENTO from Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuaron and Chris Nolan, respectively, all of whom have gone on to be among the biggest and most successful directors working in the industry today. He also has a proven track record for acquiring material that audiences want to see, including THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST and MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING. He began his career in exhibition, managing and owning movie theaters in Texas, including the Inwood Theater—one of the reigning art houses in the United States and moved into marketing and distribution. |
JOE BILMAN - EVP, Global Products, Fox Mobile Group Joe Bilman is Executive Vice President, Global Products for Fox Mobile Group (FMG), the mobile industry’s largest vertically integrated mobile entertainment company, wholly-owned by News Corporation. He is chief architect behind Bitbop, the first wireless subscription service to deliver on-demand mobile TV and movies directly to U.S. consumers’ smartphones. In addition to this role, he is responsible for advancing FMG’s consumer services globally.
Previously, he served as Chief Product Officer for Thumbplay, where he set the company’s consumer service strategy and directed the design and development of its web and mobile channels. During his tenure with Thumbplay, the company enjoyed meteoric growth in revenue, subscribers and market share and was widely recognized for delivering an innovative and engaging mobile entertainment experience to consumers. Before joining Thumbplay, he served as Vice President, Subscription Services at Rodale Inc., where he was responsible for Rodale’s online diet and fitness subscription business. Among his accomplishments in this position, he successfully partnered with NBC to create and manage The Biggest Loser Club, an online diet and fitness companion to the hit television show. Mr. Bilman has also held product development positions at Columbia House and CDNOW, and co-founded Squishy FX, a computer software company that developed graphics technology licensed by Microsoft. Prior to his career in web development, he worked in multimedia production at Black Hammer Productions, an interactive media company and at HT Medical where he created interfaces for real-time surgical simulation funded by the U.S. Department of Defense at HT Medical. He earned his Master’s of Fine Arts in computer art and a Bachelor’s degree in film and video from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. |
JASON BLUM - Founder, Blumhouse Productions Jason Blum opened Blumhouse Productions in the fall of 2000. Throughout his career, he has cultivated a reputation as a tireless advocate of independent film, and as a skilled producer adept at securing compelling new material and cutting-edge talent and forging deep relationships with studio executives, agents, writers, directors and actors. Since opening his own company, Blum has produced six feature films that demonstrate his unique taste and creative sensibilities. With keen business savvy, and a sharp eye for art house fare, he is constantly striving to expand the Blumhouse Productions slate of films.
Blumhouse Productions has a two year first-look deal with HBO and Blum has thus far produced two films for HBO. In addition Blum has three films in development at HBO - Untitled Bernie Project to be directed by Richard Linklater, River Road written and to be directed by Andrew Niccol, and Generation Slut to be directed by Miguel Arteta. Blum is currently in post-production on Icon Entertainment's upcoming film, The Darwin Awards, starring Winona Ryder and Joseph Fiennes. He also serves as executive producer on Alexandra Shiva's documentary Stagedoor, which is premiering at South by Southwest 2005. Blum is producer of The Fever, starring Vanessa Redgrave, Angelina Jolie, Michael Moore and Joely Richardson, to be released by HBO in 2004; producer of Easy Six, starring Jim Belushi, Julian Sands, John Savage and Fisher Stevens to be released in 2004; producer of Emmy-nominated Hysterical Blindness, starring Uma Thurman, Gena Rowlands, Juliette Lewis and Ben Gazarra, which ran on HBO in 2002 and earned Thurman a Golden Globe; and producer of Hamlet, starring Ethan Hawke, Kyle McLachlan, Julia Stiles, Bill Murray, Steve Zahn and Sam Shepard, which was theatrically released by Miramax in 2000 Prior to becoming an independent producer, Blum was co-head of the Acquisitions and Co-Productions department at Miramax Films in New York from 1996 to 2000, where he oversaw 23 people in Los Angeles, New York and London. Under his aegis, the company acquired such films as The Others, Smoke Signals, Mrs. Brown, Ideal Husband, Walk on the Moon, House of Yes and Kolya. Prior to joining Miramax, Blum was Executive Vice President of Arrow Entertainment, where he bought over 60 films including My Life's in Turnaround and Bandit Queen. While at Arrow, Blum was also the Producing Director of the Malaparte Theater Company, whose members included Calista Flockhart, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, Steve Zahn and Josh Hamilton. Blum's first film and break into the movie business was Kicking & Screaming, which he associate produced. |
JAMES BOWER - President, MasterImage 3D James Bower is the president of MasterImage 3D, LLC and was instrumental
in the formation of MasterImage’s parent company Symphony 3D, an
investment and holding company focused on the wider 3D ecosystem. Since
joining MasterImage, Bower has built on the company’s explosive growth in
cinema (they’ve gone from zero to 20% worldwide market share in 18
months) and is driving development with multiple manufacturers worldwide to
make glasses-free 3D mobile devices commonplace in 2011.
Prior to MasterImage 3D, Bower was a senior executive at its sister company N4D, a provider of 3D software and production services. In addition, he served as COO of the international trade association Tradebank; co- founded a television shopping network; and managed divisions and business lines for companies in the telecommunications industry. |
CHRIS BRUSS - Producer, Funny Or Die Chris Bruss, is a producer at Funny Or Die, overseeing branded entertainment development and production. Prior to working at Funny Or Die, Chris worked in the Business Development group at the Creative Artists
Agency (CAA) - working with their digital team to help package premiere online video content (both branded and talent-driven) and working as an entertainment strategy consultant for emerging Web 2.0 start-up companies.
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JEANETTE BUERLING - President, Magnet Media Group (MMG) Jeanette Buerling has worked in all areas of the entertainment industry including writing, development, production, acquisition, international sales, international co-productions, and entertainment finance. Her career started in 1989 at RTL Television in Cologne, Germany. For the next 5 years she worked in the Entertainment Department, which aired, on average, 15 – 20 daily shows per year. She then left to produce 52 episodes of the one-hour daily show “Fun” for the Leo Kirch network DSF. In 1993 Jeanette moved to Munich, where she produced various television films and series, as well as feature films for ARD/WDR (BR) and PRO SIEBEN. The ARD/WDR series “Wildbach” was one of the networks highest ranking weekly one-hour drama series for 5 consecutive years. The PRO SIEBEN thriller “Kreis der Angst” (aka “Circle of Fear”) launched the career of Germany’s top director, Thomas Jauch.
Her development, packaging and co-production capabilities were the reason for her cooperation with WARNER BROS’ international feature film department. In 1999 Jeanette started her own production company in Los Angeles and produced the WARNER BROS turnaround comedy project “Timeshare” starring Nastassja Kinski, Timothy Dalton and Kevin Zegers (distributed by FOX and CONSTANTIN FILM). In 2004 Jeanette was hired by FAR EAST NATIONAL BANK to run their equity film finance fund HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FINANCE. The fund invested into 38 films and 2 television series. With HOLLYWOOD INTL. FINANCE, Jeanette produced, executive produced, acquired and/or financed films and television products for HBO, ABC, DISNEY, LIONS GATE, and USA NETWORK. Such product includes “Harvard Man” (Lions Gate Films) with Sarah Michelle Gellar and Adrian Grenier, “Rent Control” (ABC/DISNEY) with Melissa Joan Hart, “A Case of Evil” (USA NETWORK) with Gabrielle Anwar, Vincent D’Onofrio, etc. In May of 2008 Jeanette Buerling and Maggie Monteith formed their current film finance and production company MAGNET MEDIA GROUP LLC. In November of 2008, Buerling and Monteith produced their film, “13”, a thriller starring Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke, Sam Riley, Ray Winston, Michael Shannon and 50 Cent (Paramount Vantage). In June of 2009 MMG financed and produced “The Experiment” starring Adrien Brody, Forrest Whitaker and Cam Gigandet (Sony). The MMG team is currently preparing various projects in the budget ranges of $10 to $60 million per film. Jeanette Buerling holds a MBA from University FH Cologne, a business degree from IHK Aachen, and studied screenplay writing at USC, Los Angeles. She is furthermore the US Correspondent for the German entertainment magazine “Professional Production”. Jeanette Buerling was born and raised in Cologne, Germany. In 1999 she and her daughter Verenice immigrated to the United States. |
DARLENE Caamaño Loquet - Founder, Blumhouse Productions Darlene Caamaño Loquet is President and COO of NALA Films, where she supervises and produces the financing and production company’s film slate. Caamaño Loquet most recently produced Ceremony, starring Uma Thurman, and the supernatural thriller Shelter starring Julianne Moore. In 2007, she produced In the Valley of Elah, starring Tommy Lee Jones and written and directed by Academy Award winner Paul Haggis. Caamaño Loquet also executive produced Dan in Real Life starring Steve Carrell, and served as producer on The Air I Breathe, with Jieho Lee directing a stellar ensemble cast. NALA Films fully financed and produced Shelter and The Air I Breathe and is continuing to produce and finance 3 to 5 feature films a year.
Recently named one of the top 10 Most Powerful and Influential Latino Women in Hollywood by The Hollywood Reporter and Nielsen Ratings, Caamaño Loquet began her career in the newsroom of the Spanish-language network Univision, Channel 34. She segued into the film industry through Trimark Pictures, assisting in the development of Frida starring Salma Hayek and Eve’s Bayou starring Samuel L. Jackson. She then turned her efforts to developing feature film animation projects at DreamWorks-based Patchwork Productions, including Chicken Run and Shrek. Next up, Caamaño Loquet ran director Gregory Nava’s production company, El Norte Productions; while there, she was responsible for developing feature film projects and television series, including the feature film Bordertown starring Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas and the PBS TV series American Family. |
PETER CARANICAS - Managing Editor, Features, Variety Peter Caranicas is Managing Editor-Features. Prior to joining
Variety he was editor of Below the Line, a newspaper that covers film and TV technology, crafts and crew issues. Previously he has served as editor of several magazines covering entertainment and media, including Film & Video, Shoot, Millimeter and Videography.
He is a frequent guest at industry panels and has freelanced for such publications as TV Newsday, World Screen, and the New York Times Encyclopedia of Television. |
DIANE CHARLES - Partner, Intelligent Life Productions As a Partner in Intelligent Life Productions (ILP), Diane Charles serves as Chief Creative
Officer for a studio dedicated to developing unique experiences using innovative
storytelling that allows for the convergence of brands and evolving media platforms.
For the last three years, Diane and her business partner, Ron Qurashi, have been working
with Lexus and Team One Advertising as the exclusive content providers and executive
producers of more than 150 pieces of original content for www.LStudio.com, including
the series THR called “One of the 10 Best Web Series to Watch” - “Web Therapy”
starring Lisa Kudrow, and directed by Don Roos. It also received a Webby Award for
“Best Comedy Series” in 2010.Currently, ILP has three multi-platform reality series they’re packaging for pitch. They are lining up sponsors and will be pitching to networks this Fall 2010. Additionally, they are launching a mini-studio, MYTHE - a partnership between Intelligent Life Productions, motion comics creators, and Ken Atchity (“Ripley’s Believe It or Not” – Jim Carrey), created to capitalize on the evolving opportunity in Motion Comics. Diane has worked with Ron Qurashi, CEO/Executive Producer of ILP, for over 10 years developing documentary and reality projects for The Learning Channel, Discovery, and National Geographic, with subjects ranging from animal emotions to the events detailed in Black Hawk Down. Previously, Diane received a Bachelors Degree from Indiana University in Telecommunications/Journalism and a Masters Degree in Psychology from Antioch University. She worked as a psychotherapist for 12 years, where her clientele consisted primarily of entertainment industry professionals. Besides working in development and production, and as a psychotherapist, at times simultaneously, Diane has been a motivational speaker, a successful actress, and the producer of a 30-min. weekly series for a #19 NBC-News affiliate. Current member: PGA, SAG, AEA, AFTRA |
MAREN CHRISTENSEN - EVP & General Counsel, Universal Studios Maren Christensen is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Universal Studios. She supervises the worldwide legal operations of the theatrical motion picture, home entertainment, consumer products and theme park businesses.
Ms. Christensen obtained her undergraduate degree from UCLA and her law degree from the University of Southern California Law Center. Before joining Universal, she was a litigation partner at the law firm of Rosenfeld, Meyer and Susman in Beverly Hills specializing in intellectual property litigation. She joined Universal Studios in 1997 as its Senior Intellectual Property Counsel and became its General Counsel in January, 2005. She has served as president of the Los Angeles Copyright Society and has served on the board of the Intellectual Property Section of the State Bar of California. She speaks frequently on intellectual property protection and various other copyright policy issues. For example, she recently chaired an anti-piracy panel at the World Jurist Association’s meeting in Kiev. The Beverly Hills Bar Association recently honored Ms. Christensen as its 2009 Entertainment Lawyer of the Year. The Hollywood Reporter named Ms. Christensen one of the 100 most powerful women in the entertainment industry in 2008 and 2009. Among her many philanthropic interests, Ms. Christensen serves on the board of Bet Tzedek, a legal services organization that provides free assistance to the neediest members of our community in areas such as employment rights, consumer fraud, government benefits and nursing home advocacy. |
DAVID COHEN - Associate Editor, Features, Variety David S. Cohen is a journalist, editor and photographer who has covered entertainment, arts, science and global business for publications around the world. He has been a frequent contributor to
Variety's special reports since 1999, joining the newsroom as a copy editor in 2002, becoming a film reporter in 2004 and a V Plus features editor two years later. Besides his V Plus duties, he covers visual effects and post-production as a news reporter. Before turning to journalism, he worked in showbiz for more than twenty years, as everything from casting agent to off-off-broadway stage director and even as a writer for "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." His book "Screen Plays: How 25 Scripts Made It To a Theater Near You -- For Better or Worse," based on his popular "From Script to Screen" articles in Script magazine, was published by HarperCollins in Feb. 2008.
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REX COOK - Founder & Executive Creative Director, AvatarLabs Rex Cook is the founder and Executive Creative Director of AvatarLabs, a Los Angeles based digital agency that specializes in the conception, design, and production of sites, online ads, mobile apps & games, social media, viral marketing, digital marketing strategy, content production and more. Some of the films that AvatarLabs has helped digitally market include “Alice in Wonderland”, “Avatar”, “Star Trek”, “Harry Potter &The Half Blood Prince”, “The Hangover,” “Dark Knight” and “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” to name just a few. Other brands AvatarLabs has worked with include Sony Corp, Coke Zero, Playstation, Lexus, Yahoo!, NFL, MLB, DirecTV and more. Rex Cook founded Avatarlabs in 2001. An award-winning designer and creative director with over 16 years experience in film advertising, motion graphics and online design, he has been responsible for a wide variety of high profile projects. Before AvatarLabs he designed the theatrical motion logos for Warner Brothers and Imagine Films, created trailer graphics for hundreds of major films such as "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Independence Day" and produced main titles for dozens of films including "Batman Forever", "Batman & Robin" and more. As Executive Creative Director, Rex utilizes the technological and creative expertise of his hand-picked team of designers and developers to provide inspired and exceptional solutions for the online & mobile channels. |
ROMAN COPPOLA - Producer, "Somewhere" Roman Coppola grew up in the world of filmmaking, and has developed his directing skills by working in multiple capacities: from sound recordist to cinematographer, to writer, producer and inventor.
He began his directing career with visual effects and second unit direction of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, which garnered a BAFTA Award nomination for Visual Effects. His first feature film, C.Q. premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and was well received critically. Roman lent his talents to 2nd Unit Direction on many productions, including: Lost In Translation, Marie Antoinette, Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic, and is a producer and co-writer of Wes’s The Darjeeling Limited. Roman is also the founder and owner of The Directors Bureau, a prestigious and award winning commercial and music video production company. It is here that Roman has directed his highly acclaimed and influential music videos and commercials, for bands such as The Strokes and Green Day, and for clients such as Coke, Honda and Comcast. His work earned him various industry honors including a Grammy nomination and two MTV Music Video Awards. Also, Roman’s stream-of-consciousness video for the Phoenix “Funky Squaredance” track was invited into the permanent collection at The Museum of Modern Art. Roman is a founding partner of the Photobubble Company, which markets a newly patented inflatable film enclosure. More details can be viewed at: www.photobubblecompany.com He has recently partnered with WTTW to produce his highly original children’s show, MISSION TO PLANET 429, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and is set for release on PBS in 2011. Not since, Sesame Street has the D.O.E. funded an educational show based on new teaching theories. Roman is also the President of the pioneering production company, American Zoetrope and most recently served as a producer as Sofia Coppola’s soon to be released film, Somewhere. |
PETER DEBRUGE - Features Editor, Variety Peter Debruge is a features editor and film critic for the
Daily Variety, where he covers everything from international animation and independent film, to stand-up comedians and "sprocket operas" (to borrow some of the Hollywood trade paper's unique "slanguage").
In high school, Peter dreamed of working for Pixar, but instead studied Film History and Criticism at the University of Texas at Austin, culminating in a dissertation on the aesthetics of film trailers. He has written for such publications as Creative Screenwriting, Premiere, Entertainment Weekly, Life, IndieWire, LA Weekly and The Miami Herald. Previously a jury member at the South by Southwest and City of Lights City of Angels film festivals, he drives a self-made “Catbus,” inspired by Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbour Totoro. |
JONATHAN DERN - Co-Founder, Executive Producer & President Cinedigm Entertainment Group A global strategic and business visionary, Jonathan Dern can be found regularly on industry panels, quoted in articles and consulted for his insights into both the past and future of the animation and entertainment business, particularly in the cutting edge area of 3D production and distribution of LIVE events.
Mr. Dern is the President and co-founder of Cinedigm’s Content and Entertainment Group, the world leader in digital theatrical distribution of targeted entertainment. Cinedigm’s Content and Entertainment Group is the exclusive provider of LIVE 3D, digital, in-theatre events through their CineLive™ program and in the last 18 months have produced (with Dern as Executive Producer) and distributed a variety of LIVE and RECORDED 3D sports events including LIVE 3D BCS College Championship Game 2009, LIVE 3D NBA All Star Saturday Night 2009, Dave Matthews Band 3D feature, Phish 3D feature, Bob the Builder 4D (at LegoLand) and the recent LIVE 3D NCAA Final Four 2010. Additionally, Cinedigm has recorded over 80 hours of 3D concert footage from: Mile High Festival, All Points West, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, as well as the recent WE ARE THE WORLD 25th anniversary/Relief for Haiti. Dern is one of the VERY FIRST Award winners in the 3D arena, having gotten the 2009 Global Media Award For Advancing 3D Content and Distribution (Presented by The National Academy Of Television Arts and Sciences). Cinedigm Entertainment Group has a number of additional theatrical programs, including programs of opera, concerts, faith, urban, anime, Kidtoons and high-octane sports. |
RICHARD DOHERTY - Director of Media Technology Strategy, Microsoft Richard E. Doherty is the Director of Media Technology Strategy for the Media and Entertainment Group at Microsoft, and is currently working on the future of entertainment delivery at Microsoft, which includes contribution to product strategy and interoperability, content protection engagements, 3D video development, technical oversight of licensing deals, leadership in standards’ engagements, and enhanced online delivery of entertainment. Richard is currently Microsoft’s representative to AACS, DVD Forum, DVD CCA, and the HPA.
Before joining Microsoft, Doherty was the managing director of Blu-ray and Professional A/V at Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory, and was tasked with developing new A/V products for the professional and consumer market. Prior to Panasonic, Richard worked at the startup Cineform, where he was an architect of the Aspect HD real-time editing system. Additionally, Doherty has had engineering management and marketing roles as a founder of the film matchback software company FIlmMatch, the internet entertainment company Zodo, and as a founder of the company Silerity which delivered datapath optimization software tools for the design automation market. Doherty is also an award-winning film director, with a dozen film festival awards. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology, and a MFA in Film and Television Production from the University of Southern California. |
ILLEANA DOUGLAS - Actress, Writer, Producer Douglas is known for her part in Martin Scorsese's Cape Fear (1991) – one of four Scorsese films in which she has appeared – plus her starring role as singer-songwriter Denise Waverly in Allison Anders' Grace of My Heart (1996) and supporting roles in To Die For (1995) and Ghost World (2001).
On television, Douglas appeared briefly as Garry Shandling's love interest on The Larry Sanders Show, starred in the series Action (1999) with Jay Mohr, guest starred on Seinfeld , Frasier and The Drew Carey Show, and has played a public defender on several episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit in 2002 and 2003. She appeared in two episodes of the critically acclaimed HBO TV-series Six Feet Under, both of which earned Emmy nominations for Guest Actress in a As such, R.J. has become one of the country's leading authorities on marketing to today's youth and spotting trends before they happen.Drama. In 2006 she starred in the Lifetime TV movie Not Like Everyone Else and played herself in Pittsburgh opposite Jeff Goldblum. In 2007, Douglas was added to the cast of Ugly Betty, playing Sheila, an editor for MODE magazine.[9] At the Walt Disney World Resort in the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park, Douglas plays Aerosmith's manager in the preshow video for the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster attraction. She later appeared in an Aerosmith music video as Liv Tyler's mother. Douglas has tried her hand at writing and directing, with a comedy short The Perfect Woman (1993), the documentary Everybody Just Stay Calm—Stories in Independent Filmmaking (1994), and the satire Boy Crazy, Girl Crazier (1995); and she has been the producer for several projects including Illeanarama, a collection of her short films for the Sundance Channel. |
NATALIE FARSI - Head of Mobile, Warner Bros. Digital Distribuition & Warner Bros. TV Group Natalie Farsi is a seasoned digital media executive with more than a decade of experience in creating and marketing content on every digital distribution platform including cable, broadband, game consoles and mobile for both Internet and traditional media companies. She presently oversees the mobile business efforts for Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Bros. TV Group. In this role, Farsi has expanded the development, distribution and marketing of a diverse portfolio of mobile products, including ad-supported mobile web sites, applications, mobile games, video services and messaging products, for the Studio's films, television series, home video releases and web sites. She is Warner Bros.'s key negotiator with wireless carriers and mobile service providers. Additionally, Farsi works closely with and provides counsel to the global sales and business development teams at Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and Warner Bros. International Television Distribution. Prior to being named to this position, Farsi had served as a mobile consultant to the Studio since September 2007. Among other accomplishments, she was part of the team that profitably launched a multi-format mobile product suite for TMZ, including a popular iPhone application, a cross-carrier mobile web site – establishing TMZ as #1 for Mobile Celebrity News, according to The Nielsen Company – and video licensing deals with Verizon VCAST and AT&T, among others. In this role, Farsi also spearheaded the launch of the company's first ad-supported mobile products, working with third-party mobile ad networks. Before that, Farsi was Senior Vice President, Content and mCommerce, for Fox Mobile Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, overseeing Fox Mobile Studios and the company’s direct-to-consumer mobile entertainment service. While there, she broadened and diversified the group's content offering through deal making and partnerships, as well as overseeing content production, development and distribution. Prior to joining Fox, Farsi served as Vice President of Media at m-Qube, a pioneer in the mobile entertainment space which was acquired by VeriSign. Based in New York, Farsi developed strategic business partnerships with a number of leading media companies – including CBS, Warner Music Group, MTV Networks, Universal Music Group, Samsung and many more – to launch new mobile products and direct-to-consumer entertainment services. From October 1997 to November 2003, Farsi maintained her own independent media consultancy, advising clients such as AOL, AT&T and TCI on the multiplatform distribution of interactive entertainment and music. Before that, she held management positions at America Online and Prodigy, where she ran ad-supported direct-to-consumer entertainment and music channels and helped launch a number of innovative interactive programming franchises. She began her entertainment career producing news programming for ABC and CBS owned-and-operated television stations in San Francisco.
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MIKE FARAH - President of Production, Funny Or Die Mike Farah oversees the creative day to day operations at Funny Or Die’s Hollywood offices. He has been with the site for close to 2 years, and has produced the award-winning video “Prop 8: The Musical,” the Ron Howard directed “Presidential Reunion,” and Marion Cotillard’s “Forehead Tittaes,” among many others. Under Farah’s leadership, the creative team produces approximately 5 original videos per week and averages about 20 videos per month. As Funny Or Die’s President of Production, Farah has a leadership role in future television and movie projects.
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JASON FELTS - CEO, Virgin Produced As one of the youngest CEOs within the Virgin Group of companies, producer Jason Felts was born in 2002 (everyone knows you don’t give your real age in this town). At the ripe age of 2, in Hollywood years, he and his business partner Justin Berfield co-founded J2 Pictures & J2TV proving quickly to have a keen eye for concept, story and talent. More importantly was their priority of fostering a creative environment for writers, directors and actors. First out of the gate was some trainwreck reality tv and then ROMANCE & CIGARETTES, the John Turturro motion picture in which they co-produced and helped finance. Not a bad bet, since the film starred James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet, Christopher Walken and others. As J2, Felts then went on to package and produce a few more films and television including FOX's latest Sunday night sitcom, SONS OF TUCSON. Although the show was highly regarded by the critics, it was ultimately cancelled as good shows often are. Don't worry, Jason dusted himself off, had a shot and is now leading the Virgin charge into Hollywood.
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DAVID FENKEL - Co-Founder, Oscilloscope David Fenkel is a founder and partner of Oscilloscope Laboratories, Adam Yauch's film production and distribution company. Started in 2008, O-Scope recently released Academy Award nominees Oren Moverman's The Messenger (Best Supporting Actor Woody Harrelson and Best Original Screenplay) and Burma VJ (Best Documentary).
Previous O-Scope films include Kelly Reichardt's Wendy and Lucy, featuring Michelle Williams; Kurt Kuenne's documentary Dear Zachary; Flow: For Love of Water; and the Academy Award-nominated documentary The Garden. Upcoming films include Sundance Film Festival opening night film Howl starring James Franco and Jon Hamm. Prior to forming O-Scope, Fenkel was Vice President of THINKFilm where he distributed the Oscar-winning documentary Born into Brothels; the Oscar-nominated Half Nelson, starring Ryan Gosling; the Oscar-nominated documentaries Murderball, Spellbound, The Story of the Weeping Camel, The Aristocrats and Bright Young Things. |
DAVID FRIENDLY - PGAward winner for “Little Miss Sunshine” & Producer of “Big Mama’s House” franchise David T. Friendly has been a film producer and motion picture executive for over 20 years. He is also an Academy Award nominee for producing “Little Miss Sunshine” which was a Best Picture nominee in 2007. He produced the original “Big Momma’s House,” “Big Momma’s House 2 (which have grossed $300 million worldwide) and is currently in production on the latest installment of the franchise, “Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son.”
While the titles may seem incongruous, Friendly sees those movies as having a lot of common ground. "Movies enlighten or entertain and occasionally do both," says the producer. "They feed different needs and desires for the audience. What the 'Big Momma' franchise does and what ‘Little Miss Sunshine’ does is to provide entertainment. I don’t want to be limited to one genre." Friendly’s many other producing credits include the critically acclaimed “Courage Under Fire” and the worldwide blockbuster “Doctor Dolittle.” He also produced the films “Soul Men,” “Meet Dave,” “Daylight,” “Out to Sea,” “Here On Earth,” “ Laws of Attraction” and “The Honeymooners” and was executive producer on the independent drama “Digging To China.” In addition, Friendly executive produced the features “My Girl,” “ For Love Or Money,” ”My Girl 2,” “Greedy” and “The Chamber” while working for Imagine Entertainment, where he eventually rose to President of Production. Other films he oversaw while at Imagine include “The ‘burbs,” “The Dream Team,” “Kindergarten Cop" and “Backdraft”. After his stint at Imagine, Friendly went on to join Davis Entertainment as President. A three-year, first-look producing deal at 20th Century Fox followed and, in 2000, Friendly partnered with financier Marc Turtletaub to form Deep River Productions and in 2006 he formed his current production company, Friendly Films. Friendly, who is the son of legendary journalist, news producer, and CBS-TV President Fred Friendly, also began his career in journalism and, at age 22, was named a staff writer for Newsweek. He then specialized in entertainment reporting for The Los Angeles Times, where he worked until 1987. |
STEVE GAYDOS - Executive Editor, Variety Variety executive editor Steven Gaydos directs the planning and production of the nearly 250 "Vplus" editorial feature sections in
Variety, Daily Variety and on Variety.com. This includes all of the "Eye on the Oscar" sections and other awards season feature sections, as well as sections throughout the year covering the international entertainment business, music, home entertainment, technology, independent film, ie the entire gamut of entertainment business journalism. Among the numerous features projects Gaydos has launched, he created
Variety's internationally recognized "Ten to Watch" series, which spotlights emerging talents in directing, acting, producing, writing, comedy and cinematography, as well as the "Impact" series which chronicles individual achievements in various sectors of the business, such as the influential "Women's Impact," "Youth Impact," "Music Impact" and "Comedy Impact" reports.
In addition to directing the features editorial operations, Gaydos directs Variety's fast-growing Custom Publishing operations. He also served for five years as international managing director of Variety, overseeing the global editorial operations from the London office from 2000-2005. Gaydos serves on the board of the British Independent Film Awards and is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and the European Film Academy. Gaydos is author of the Variety/Putnam book, "The Variety Guide to Film Festivals," "Movie Talk from the Frontlines" (McFarland) and "Cannes: 50 Years of Sun, Sex and Celluloid" (Miramax/Hyperion). Gaydos also appears frequently as an entertainment business authority on CNN, MSNBC, NPR, BBC, Sky News, etc. |
SIBYL GOLDMAN - Vice President, Entertainment, Yahoo! Entertainment As vice president of Yahoo! Entertainment, Sibyl Goldman oversees the continued growth and success of Yahoo!’s Movies, TV, omg! and Shine, properties. Under her leadership, these properties have experienced all time highs in unique users, trailer streams and premiere partnerships. Sibyl was at the helm of the development of omg!, Yahoo's celebrity news and gossip site. omg!, which launched in June 2007, has become #1 in its Comscore category and has received over 16 million unique visitors in some months, making omg! the number one entertainment news destination on the Web (beating TMZ and People.com). Sibyl played a key role in differentiating omg!’s celebrity news format by aggregating unique, light-hearted, and up-to-the-moment content. Prior to joining Yahoo!, Sibyl ran Lifetime Television's interactive group. She worked closely with studios to produce video diaries on behalf of Lifetime's movies, as well as tapped into the powerful and often ignored audience of female gamers with a series of original Flash-based games that promoted Lifetime's slate of shows. Sibyl also created Girls on Film (Girls On) in 1995, a ground-breaking website featuring fan friendly perspectives on pop culture, which was acquired by Oxygen in 1999. Sibyl co-authored Girls On Film: The Highly Opinionated, Completely Subjective Guide to the Movies published by Harper Collins in 1999. omg!, TV, Movies and Shine continue to expand their content offerings, advertising opportunities, and unique and returning users under Sibyl’s guidance and are each premiere destinations in their respective categories. |
JEFF GOMEZ
- President and CEO,
Starlight Runner Entertainment Jeff Gomez is the world’s leading producer of transmedia entertainment properties. He is an
expert at incubating new story worlds, strategic planning and production for cross-platform
implementation. As CEO of Starlight Runner Entertainment, a New York-based digital production
company, Jeff also extends niche properties such as toys, animation or videogame titles across
multiple platforms, which in turn generate multiple revenue streams for Starlight Runner’s
partners and clients.
Jeff has worked on such blockbuster universes as Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean and Tron Legacy, James Cameron's Avatar, Microsoft's Halo, Hasbro’s Transformers, Mattel’s Hot Wheels and Coca-Cola's Happiness Factory. Jeff is a board member of the Producers Guild of America East, and sits on the advisory board of the PGA New Media Council. |
JOHN GRIFFIN- Director of Connected Electronics, Dolby Laboratories As Director of Dolby Laboratories' Connected Electronics business, John Griffin oversees the management and marketing of Dolby's CE product portfolio. He works with a wide range of Dolby customers and partners on home theatre, online, Blu-ray, and connected entertainment products and services. Previously, Mr. Griffin served as Dolby's Director of Games marketing. |
DAVID GUY LEVY- President & CEO, Periscope Entertainment David Guy Levy founded Periscope Entertainment, through which Levy has produced a wide variety of unique films that are non-genre specific. His films include AUGUST from writer/director Austin Chick, starring Josh Hartnett, Adam Scott, Naomie Harris, with David Bowie and Rip Torn, which was released by First Look Pictures on July 11, 2008. Levy also recently released the comedy TAKING CHANCES, directed by Talmadge Cooley and written by Annie Nocenti, starring Justin Long, Emmanuelle Chriqui and Rob Cordry. Lionsgate is distributing.
Levy is also currently co-producing the remake of the seminal 80s film "Monster Squad" along with Michael Bay and his team at Platinum Dunes for Paramount Pictures. Projects in development/pre-produciton include MARCHING POWDER, based on Thomas McFadden’s Marching Powder: A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine, and South America’s Strangest Jail, which Levy is producing alongside Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt and Benjamin Goldhirsch; LONDON FIELDS, based on Martin Amis’ novel of the same name, will be directed by Michael Winterbottom and was adapted by Martin Amis, Roberta Hanley and David Cronenberg; THE WAIT, from M. Blash’s screenplay; and TERRI, Azazel Jacob's follow-up to his 2008 independent sensation MOMMA'S MAN. Prior to forming Periscope, Levy began his career as an intern for David Ladd Films, before working in the MGM Story Department. Levy produced his first feature film SEXUAL DEPENDENCY while receiving his B.S. in Cinema and Photography at Ithaca College, which went onto screen at the Telluride, Toronto, Hamptons and Locarno Film Festivals before becoming Bolivia’s official selection for the Academy Awards. Born in New York, Levy grew up living in between Manhattan and Africa, where his parents made their living as wildlife photographers and filmmakers. |
DANA HARRIS - Editor of Strategic Projects, Variety Dana Harris is the editor for Variety.com. Since joining the paper in 2000, she's covered all aspects of the Los Angeles film industry including studios, agencies, indies, film festivals, film financing and pornography. She also spent 18 months overseeing
Daily Variety's lifestyle section, Variety Weekend.
Her film journalism career includes the Hollywood Reporter, serving as managing editor of the Independent Film and Video Monthly and as a film critic and feature writer for the Star-Ledger in New Jersey. However, she was also associate editor for Fine Cooking, restaurant critic for New Times and chef for a now-defunct Dallas restaurant, which explains why she spends her free time writing The Knife, a blog she created for Variety to cover Hollywood's culinary and dining concerns. |
SCOTT HETTRICK - Editor-In-Chief, 3DHollywood.net & HollywoodInHiDef.com Scott Hettrick has covered the entertainment industry for more than 25 years. He is editor-in-chief of 3DHollywood.net, which he launched in 2009 as a companion to the HollywoodInHiDef.com site that launched in 2007.
Prior to that, Scott was an editor and reporter for Daily Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, and editor-in-chief at Video Business for a combined 15 years, covering everything from home entertainment, cable/satellite, and digital entertainment to visual effects and location-based entertainment. He has been interviewed as an industry expert on “60 Minutes” and dozens of other programs and publications, including this Monday in USA Today about the 3D industry. |
MARK HUTCHISON -
Tax Principal,
Rothstein Kass Mark Hutchison is a tax principal based in the Firm’s Beverly Hills office and he
has over 18 years of experience at the tax partner level. Mark specializes in
entertainment industry taxation, real estate and personal financial planning
for owners and executives of closely-held businesses. He is a certified public
accountant in California.Mark built his career over the course of more than 25 years while working for “Big Four” accounting firm, KPMG. He joined Rothstein Kass as a tax principal in January 2006 to assist with leading a growing team of West Coast based tax professionals. His experience covers a broad range of tax matters including federal taxation for service, production and distribution companies in the entertainment industry, mergers and acquisitions, multi-state income, public companies, income tax planning for pass-through entities and franchise tax matters. He also assists high-net worth individuals with federal, state and local tax issues, as well as estate planning and representation before federal and state tax authorities. A native of California, Mark earned a B.A. in accounting from California State University at Northridge and received his M.S.T. from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Mark is a member of the Motion Picture and Television Tax Institute, an influential trade group comprised of tax professionals in the entertainment industry. He is also the co-author of a book titled, “Film Financing and Television Programming: A Taxation Guide.” The book describes commonly used film financing structures along with their commercial and tax implications for production and distribution in 28 countries and several states in the U.S. |
RUBEN IGIELKO-HERRLICH - Founding Partner, Propaganda Entertainment Marketing In 1990, Ruben Igielko-Herrlich founded PROPAGANDA GEM a company specialized in product integration and promotions for feature films, television productions, music videos and video games.
Thanks to Ruben, Neo (Keanu Reeves) used a Nokia cell phone to move between “The Matrix” and the “real world” – making Nokia a youth favorite in the process. He is also credited for such placements and promotions as Audi’s much-touted RSQ integration in the Will Smith blockbuster “I, Robot” and the Panasonic placements in the highly successful Lara Croft feature films. Summer 2009 saw blockbusters such as Star Trek and Transformers Revenge of the Fallen showcase PROPAGANDA clients – helping to boost the “cool factor” of their respective brand identities. PROPAGANDA is the only entertainment-marketing agency with a truly global presence. Headquartered in Geneva and Los Angeles, PROPAGANDA also has offices in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Shanghai, Beijing, Moscow, Sydney, and throughout Europe (London, Madrid, Rome, Copenhagen). With a wide range of prestigious clients, including Audi, Bang & Olufsen, Bvlgari, Casio, Lacoste, Lamborghini, MV Agusta, Nasdaq OMX, Nespresso, Nokia, Panasonic, Piaget, and Santoni, PROPAGANDA is at the vanguard of entertainment marketing, on a global as well as local level, creating symbiotic associations, integrated communication and tailor-made strategies between the client and the program. PROPAGANDA is acknowledged as being one of the pioneers of Branded Entertainment, recognizing and developing innovative communication tools for global corporations by associating them with feature films, television programs, music videos and video games. Ruben Igielko-Herrlich was born in Havana Cuba, and is now a citizen of Switzerland domiciled in Los Angeles California. He is fluent in 5 languages, obtained his MBA with honors from Emory University in Atlanta in 1983, after receiving his BSBA from HEC at Lausanne University in Switzerland in 1981. |
TODD JADWIN -
Head of the Media and Communications Group,
Houlihan Capital
Todd Jadwin is a Senior Managing Director at Houlihan Smith & Co. and Head of the firm's West Coast Investment Banking and Media & Communications Groups. Mr. Jadwin possesses more than 20 years of business and investment banking experience and has led or been instrumental in over $20 billion of successful mergers and acquisitions and financings for corporate clients. He has held senior positions at both global, bulge-bracket and specialty investment banks. Mr. Jadwin's experience spans large-capitalization and middle-market companies in a variety of industries including media, communications, the Internet, retailing, consumer products, healthcare, business services, technology, energy, aerospace, real estate and manufacturing. Over the years, his clients and transactional experience have included Fox Entertainment, MGM, Paul Allen, NBC, AOL, USA Networks, Ticketmaster, Charter, DreamWorks SKG, Starwood Lodging, Public Storage, Realty Income, Watson Land, Hollywood Park, Summa/Howard Hughes Corporation, 99 Cents Only Stores, Nestlè, Dole Food, Wickes and Tosco.
At Houlihan Smith, Mr. Jadwin's leads client services on the West Coast in a host of industries. As Head of the Media & Communications Group, he leads the firm's efforts nationally in serving clients in specific segments such as content, distribution, the Internet, videogames, publishing, cable/satellite, streaming video, broadband and communications. Prior to joining Houlihan Smith, Mr. Jadwin was a Senior Managing Director and Head of both the Media & Communications and Consumer/Retail Groups at Alexander Dunham Securities. Mr. Jadwin's experience also includes serving as a Managing Director for Banc of America (BofA) Securities' Media & Communications Group and Co-Sector Head of its Diversified Media and Sector Head of the Internet Group. Mr. Jadwin joined BofA's predecessor NationsBanc Montgomery Securities where he opened and ran its Los Angeles office. Before BofA, Mr. Jadwin was a Senior Managing Director of EVEREN Securities and was promoted to head EVEREN's National Consumer Group practice, which included specialty retail, direct marketing, restaurant, consumer product and service companies. Mr. Jadwin also served on EVEREN's Corporate Finance Operating Committee. Prior to joining EVEREN, Mr. Jadwin was a Vice President at Bear, Stearns & Co. where he spent more than seven years. Mr. Jadwin has held Advisory Board positions for several emerging companies and has been a private investor in many technology, communications and media companies. Mr. Jadwin currently sits on the Advisory Boards of UCLA Extension's Certificate in Finance Program and Santa Monica College and was a member of the National Association of REITs (NAREIT). Actively involved with charitable and community organizations, Mr. Jadwin is the founder, sponsor and lead advisor to a local charitable fund and high school scholarship program. Mr. Jadwin frequently appears in the media including CNBC, Dow Jones, the Los Angeles Times, The Hollywood Reporter and the Los Angeles Business Journal. Mr. Jadwin received a B.S. in Psychobiology from UCLA and an M.B.A. with Honors from the University of California at Berkeley. |
FRANKLIN LEONARD - Director of Development, Universal Pictures Universal Pictures director of development Franklin Leonard is the creator of the Black List and co-creator of Blcklst.com, a yearly publication highlighting Hollywood’s most popular unproduced screenplays and its ongoing home on the web. Prior to Universal Pictures, Franklin ran Los Angeles-based film development for Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella's Mirage Enterprises during the final year of its existence. He has done similar work at the production companies of Leonardo DiCaprio and former Paramount Pictures president John Goldwyn.
Before Los Angeles and all things film related, Franklin was - at different times - a business analyst at McKinsey & Co., a weekly columnist for the Trinidad Guardian in Port-au-Spain, Trinidad, and the communications director for John Cranley's 2000 campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives in Ohio's first district. He’s a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University. In 2010, he was selected as one of Black Enterprise magazine’s “40 Emerging Leaders for Our Future” and Fast Company’s “100 Most Creative People in Business.” |
JACK LERNER - Clinical Asst. Professor of Law & Director, USC Intellectual Property & Technology Law Clinic Jack Lerner is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Law and Director of the USC Intellectual Property and Technology Law Clinic.
Professor Lerner received a B.A., with distinction, in English from the University of Kansas and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He clerked for Judge Fred I. Parker on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Judge G. Thomas Van Bebber in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas. He practiced IP law with the Palo Alto, Calif., firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, P.C. and in 2004 was a research fellow with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School. Before joining USC, Professor Lerner was Clinic Fellow at the Samuelson Law, Technology, and Public Policy Clinic at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. Among Professor Lerner’s publications are “Intellectual Property and Development at WIPO and WHO,” (American Journal of Law and Medicine 2008), “Taking the ‘Long View’ on the Fourth Amendment: Stored Records and the Sanctity of Home” (with Mulligan) (Stanford Technology Law Review 2007), “Legal Issues Facing Election Officials in an Electronic Voting World” (with Burstein, Dang and Hancock) (2007), and amicus curiae briefs in Hepting v. AT&T, Inc.; United States v. Martingnon; and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. Professor Lerner leads law students in the USC Intellectual Property and Technology Clinic as they counsel and represent policymakers, artists, innovators, nonprofit organizations, and others on a range of IP and technology issues. Among other things, under Professor Lerner’s supervision Clinical Interns have sought an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act on behalf of a wide coalition of documentary filmmakers that, if granted, will help filmmakers exercise their fair use rights, and worked with policymakers in the developing world to conduct a major survey of copyright limitations and exceptions among Pacific Rim economies. Prior to joining the USC Law faculty, Professor Lerner was a visiting clinical assistant professor from 2007-09. |
FREDRIK MALMBERG -
Co-Founder & CEO,
Paradox Entertainment Fredrik Malmberg has thirty years of experience in the entertainment and consumer
products industries. He started a publishing business in his early teens in his native
Sweden and grew it into a multi-million dollar business. A serial entrepreneur
at heart, Malmberg took his knowledge of the business of game publishing and
translated it into such complimentary areas as retail stores, toys, publishing,
videogames, and film and television concepts.His path led him to Hollywood when he made a deal with Edward R Pressman to produce a film based on MUTANT CHRONICLES, an internationally popular game developed by his company. He subsequently created a merchandising program based on this and other IP developed by Target Games. He served as Executive Producer on the film which starred Thomas Jane and Ron Perlman. Malmberg’s international networking, packaging and development skills also resulted in the production of 40 half-hour episodes of the computer-animated “Heavy Gear” series for SONY Pictures Entertainment which he executive produced. He co-founded Paradox Entertainment Inc. in 1999 with the intent to develop and produce entertainment in cross-media platforms, using the power of entertainment to drive successful merchandising concepts. In 2002, PEI purchased Conan Properties International, and Malmberg applied his experiences to reboot the “Conan” character into comics, videogames, toys, feature films, and more. A new “Conan” film is now in post-production for a 2011 theatrical release by Lionsgate and stars Jason Momoa, Rachel Nichols, Steven Lang, Ron Perlman and Rose McGowan. Malmberg served as Producer for Millennium Films/Nuimage. PEI then purchased the entire library of more than 800 stories, novels and poems of the late author Robert E. Howard, best known for creating Conan. The works include “Solomon Kane” which has been made into a film starring James Purefoy from Davis Production, as well as “KULL The Conqueror”, “Dark Agnes”, and others currently in development at Paradox. The company also works with IP owners to develop and produce entertainment opportunities such as the feature film “Speed Demon” to be directed by Peter Winther. Malmberg is executive producer of the soon to be released, “Let Me In”, based upon the successful Swedish film, “Let The Right One In”. Additionally, Paradox uses its expertise to develop global merchandising programs for 3rd party owners, including “The Expendables” and Starz Entertainment’s original series’ “Spartacus” and “Camelot”. |
DANIEL MANDIL - Senior EVP, General Counsel & Chief Content Protection Officer, Motion Picture Association of America Daniel Mandil oversees all legal affairs for the Motion Picture Association of America and all its projects and programs relating to copyright theft and intellectual property protection on a global basis. He also serves as the Association's corporate secretary whose members are Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Paramount Pictures Corporation, Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Universal Studios LLLP, and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Before joining the MPAA, Mr. Mandil served as Executive Vice President, Global General Counsel & Secretary of Sony BMG Music Entertainment, the world's second largest recorded music company. For many years before that, Mr. Mandil was a litigation partner in the New York offices of Covington & Burling and its predecessor firms where he litigated a wide array of commercial, IP and securities matters. A native of Minneapolis and current resident of Los Angeles, Mr. Mandil is a graduate of Harvard College, the Harvard University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and Columbia Law School where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Law Review. Mr. Mandil began his legal career as a judicial law clerk to then-Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit followed by a judicial clerkship with Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor at the United States Supreme Court.
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MICHELE MARTELL - COO, Cinedigm Entertainment Group Michele Martell is the COO of CINEDIGM ENTERTAINMENT GROUP, the world leader in digital theatrical distribution of targeted entertainment. Cinedigm’s Entertainment Group is the exclusive provider of LIVE 3D, digital, in-theatre events through their CineLive™ program and in the last 18 months has produced, distributed and marketed a variety of LIVE and RECORDED 3D theatrical including LIVE 3D BCS College Championship Game 2009, LIVE 3D NBA All Star Saturday Night 2009, Dave Matthews Band 3D feature, Phish 3D feature, and the recent LIVE 3D NCAA Final Four 2010.
Michele manages CEG’s strategic partnerships with exhibitors, content producers, sponsors and technology partners, utilizing innovative marketing techniques made possible by digital cinema to connect brands with audiences. Co-founder of The Bigger Picture, which was sold to Cinedigm in 2007, Michele developed and produces the long-running Kidtoon Films program, bringing G-rated entertainment for families to theatres around the country. As The Bigger Picture, Martell theatrically released films in partnership with Fox Faith targeted to Christian and urban audiences, Anime titles with FUNimation, a series of HD Operas with San Francisco Opera, as well as other independent films. Prior to founding The Bigger Picture, Michele held executive positions with Sabella Dern Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company and Turner Network Television. |
RICH MARTY -
VP of New Business Marketing,
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Rich Marty is Vice President, New Business
Marketing of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment,
a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. In this capacity, Mr. Marty is responsible for the
marketing and strategy of the next generation optical format, Blu-ray Disc, and oversees the
SPHE Blu-ray release schedule along with retail marketing efforts. Additionally, he is involved in
Sony cross-divisional initiatives and represents SPHE on the BDA marketing/promotions group.
Having worked in the Home Entertainment industry for the past 11 years, Mr. Marty joined Sony Pictures Home Entertainment in 1999 to support the rollout of DVD into SPHE's international territories. In his previous role as Vice President, International Operations, Mr. Marty was responsible for the management of DVD manufacturing and distribution throughout SPHE's operating and licensee territories. Based three years in London, Mr. Marty played a key role in developing SPHE's European DVD business. Mr. Marty is a graduate of the University of San Diego (with international studies in both Germany and Mexico). |
TOMMY MCGLOIN - Head of Industry, Media & Entertainment, Google Tommy McGloin is Head of Industry, Media and Entertainment, at Google. He leads a team that sells Search, YouTube, Mobile and the Google Display Network to movie studios, TV networks and other media marketers. Tommy spent 10 years at AOL where was part of the team that founded Digital City, and went on to be SVP & GM of popular Web brands MapQuest and Moviefone.
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BILL MECHANIC -
Founder,
Pandemonium Films Through his company, Pandemonium Films, respected industry veteran
and independent producer, Bill Mechanic continues to produce high quality
films with directors such as Henry Selick (Coraline), Terence Malick, David
Fincher and Walter Salles (Dark Water). He also recently co- produced the
82nd Academy Awards with Adam Shankman.
Prior to Pandemonium, Mechanic was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fox Filmed Entertainment for seven years. As Chairman and CEO, Mechanic oversaw all operations of the studio including worldwide feature film production, marketing and distribution activities, as well as all worldwide operations for Fox Video, Fox Interactive, Licensing and Merchandising, and Fox Music. During Mechanic’s tenure at Fox, Mechanic revitalized the comic book genre with X MEN, the first successful adaptation in nearly a decade. Under his reign, the company produced such hit films as Cast Away, Titanic, Independence Day, Entrapment, Big Momma’s House, What Lies Beneath, Men Of Honor, Never Been Kissed, There’s Something About Mary, Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition, Braveheart, Boys Don’t Cry, Quills, Mrs. Doubtfire, Speed, True Lies, Die Hard With A Vengeance, The Full Monty, Dr. Dolittle, The X-Files, Me Myself And Irene, The Thin Red Line, Ever After, William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Broken Arrow, Courage Under Fire, Soul Food, Anastasia and Waiting To Exhale. Twentieth Century Fox also released Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace, the new chapter in George Lucas’ epic saga, in 1999. Greenlit by Mechanic, but released after his departure from Fox, were Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, Tim Burton’s reinterpretation of Planet Of The Apes, and Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, starring Tom Cruise, as well as sequels to the franchise projects Mechanic had greenlit, most notably the X-Men franchise. Under Mechanic, Twentieth Century Fox in 1998 was the number one studio in worldwide box-office gross. That same year, Fox Music produced five of the top ten selling soundtracks: Titanic, Hope Floats, Doctor Dolittle, Bulworth, and Ally McBeal. In addition, Fox has produced six of the top ten grossing movies of all time, and six of the top ten selling live action videos – both domestically and internationally – including the best selling video in history, Titanic. For three years of Mechanic’s tenure, Fox produced the number one grossing movies worldwide with Die Hard With A Vengeance, Independence Day and Titanic, shared the Best Picture Oscar for two years (Braveheart and Titanic), and won the Best Actress Award for Boys Don’t Cry. In all, Fox earned 42 Oscar nominations and 2 Best Picture Oscars under Mechanic’s tenure. |
ROGER MINCHEFF - SVP, Branded Entertainment, Fox Digital Entertainment Roger Mincheff is the Senior Vice President of Branded Entertainment for Digital Content at Fox Filmed Entertainment, a division of News Corporation.
Roger joined Fox after serving as CEO of Spacedog Media, a full-service digital marketing agency he founded in 1998. Under his guidance, Spacedog utilized new media to develop engaging brand experiences across Internet, mobile, digital signage, print and event platforms. The company developed entertainment content opportunities for major brands including Qantas Airways, Carls’ Jr., Hardees, Mazda, Harley-Davidson, Universal Music, HBO, Boost Mobile, McDonalds, and others. |
MIKE MONELLO - Co-Founder & Executive Creative Director, Campfire CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Mike has been intimately involved in the creative development of every project that has come through Campfire's doors. From Beta-7 to Frenzied Waters, he's led work that has been awarded top honors at the One Show, Clio, Mixx, ad:Tech, and Addy awards. A vocal force in the world of transmedia storytelling, Mike has spoken at many prestigious events, including Futures of Entertainment at M.I.T. and leading panels at SXSW Interactive.
Prior to co-founding Campfire, Mike was a co-creator of 'The Blair Witch Project'; a movie that changed the way marketers approached the Internet. Before that, he worked at the Florida Film Festival for five years, where he did everything from selling tickets to acting as program director. Mike graduated from the University of Central Florida with a BA in Motion Picture Technology. |
CHASE NORLIN -
CEO,
AlphaBird Chase Norlin is the CEO of AlphaBird, a leader in online video syndication, and has spent the last 15 years in the Internet industry as an entrepreneur and distribution executive. Prior to AlphaBird, Mr. Norlin was the founder and CEO of Pixsy, a pioneer in syndicated video search funded by TVGuide-Gemstar (now Rovi - NASDAQ:ROVI). Previously he served as a senior executive at ValueClick (NASDAQ:VCLK) where he managed publisher distribution for the display advertising network, paid search, and comparison shopping divisions.
Prior to ValueClick, Mr. Norlin held the position of Senior Consultant to InfoSpace (NASDAQ:INSP) charged with publisher distribution for the paid search division. Previously, Mr. Norlin developed Sony's first online photo sharing venture and founded the web's first online video sharing company ShareYourWorld. Mr. Norlin also served as a new venture consultant in launching Boeing's (NYSE:BA) online video and image licensing division. Mr. Norlin began his career in the media business in the mailroom at Paradigm Talent and Literary Agency. Mr. Norlin serves on the advisory boards of EgoTVOnline, AdBidCentral, Kerosene and a Match, PickupPal and Adgregate Markets. Additionally, he serves as Chair of the Video Committee at the Internet Content Syndication Council. He received his BA from UC Berkeley and MA from The University of Chicago and is a regular speaker on video syndication, online advertising, and search. Recent speaking engagements include the Goldman Sachs 9th Annual Global Media Conference, NATPE, NAB, ad:tech, and PubCon. |
ROB PARIS - Producer of “The Maiden Heist” and “Dirty Girl” |
ANDY PARSONS -
Chair of the U.S. Promotions Committee, Blu-ray Disc Association
/ SVP Advanced Product Development,
Pioneer Andy Parsons has worked in the optical disc industry for more than 30 years.
He has held technical and senior management positions at Pioneer, Optical
Disc Corporation and Discovision Associates. His experience with optical
formats began with the early days of Laserdisc, and has progressed through
the launches of the CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats. Andy is currently
senior vice president of advanced product development and corporate
communications at Pioneer USA in Long Beach, California, and also serves
as a spokesperson and chairman of the Blu-ray Disc Association’s U.S.
Promotion Committee. |
DRAKE PRUITT -
SVP of Global Business Development
Ascent Media Drake Pruitt serves as Senior Vice President, Business
Development, at Ascent Media Group, where he leads
the team responsible for identifying and pursuing
broadly defined supply chain solutions with global
media companies, content aggregators, distributors and
digital service providers.
Pruitt came to Ascent Media after founding Disruptive Works Media, a consulting services firm building audiences for mobile application, casual game and entertainment content providers across all connected consoles. Previously, he served as CEO of Bocada, Inc., a software company providing data protection management to Fortune 500 corporations. Prior to Bocada, Pruitt served as vice president of sales for Aquantive Inc., a company that pioneered targeted online advertising and ad serving. Aquantive was purchased by Microsoft for $6 billion in 2007. Pruitt serves on the board of Yoursports Inc, and serves as board advisor for SpinSpotter Inc and RepublicProject. He is also a partner with Social Venture Partners, and a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Pruitt graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in economics. |
TOM QUINN -
SVP of Magnolia Pictures,
Magnet Releasing Tom Quinn has been at Magnolia Pictures for 7 years, where he's currently SVP. He's
responsible for creating Magnet Releasing, Magnolia's genre arm, the Six Shooter Series, as
well as the annual Oscar Shorts Program. He's acquired over 100 films including ONG BAK,
MAN ON WIRE, PULSE, WORLD'S FASTEST INDIAN, THE PUSHER TRILOGY, THE HOST,
LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, and WOMAN THOU ART LOOSED. His recent acquisitions include:
FREAKONOMICS, CENTURION, I AM LOVE, MONSTERS, FOOD INC. His productions
include: OUTRAGE, COCAINE COWBOYS 2, SPLINTER. Quinn is also a programmer having
worked for Atlanta, Woodstock, and ActionFest, a festival he was instrumental in creating.
Prior to joining Magnolia he was at Samuel Goldwyn for 7 years where he was responsible for
acquiring RAISING VICTOR VARGAS and SUPERSIZEME. |
RENA RONSON - Co-Head, UTA Independent Film Group Ronson, currently Co-Head of UTA’s Independent Film Group, is one of the pre-eminent packaging and finance executives in independent film, and brings with her 23 years of experience in the global marketplace, including a 12 year career in foreign sales, production and co-production where she cultivated and continues to nurture relationships with the top distributors overseas. Her extensive experience abroad and in the United States gives her powerful insight concerning the global film market and the expanding economics of this business, and has led her to put together some of the most important independent films of the last few years.
Prior to joining UTA, Ronson helped secure financing and distribution for more than 150 films during her eleven years at William Morris Independent, and has been involved in over 500 titles in her career, including library packages, feature films and documentaries. She has put together creative financing structures for diverse directors such as Gus Van Sant and Woody Allen, as well as raised financing and development funding for producers Lauren Schuler Donner and Mark Canton. Over the past few years alone, she was involved in the financing and/or distribution of several films that went on to receive Academy nominations, including Frozen River (Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress), Half Nelson (Best Actor), and Away From Her. (Best Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay). Ronson has also been instrumental in the sale of many other successful independent films, including the Thank You For Smoking, The Good Girl, Monster’s Ball, Hard Candy, The Cooler, and New York, I Love You., with directors Alan and Albert Hughes, Joshua Marston, Mira Nair, Brett Ratner, Bennet Miller, and Shekhar Kapur among others. An advocate and strong supporter of new voices in the independent film community, Ronson helped launch careers for many directors and their first films, including Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River, Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s Half Nelson, and Sugar, Sarah Polly’s Away From Her, Nicole Kassell’s The) Woodsman, Brian Dannelly’s Saved, Jacob Estes’ Mean Creek, and most recently, Cherien Dabis’ Amreeka, which went on to win the both the 2009 Fipresci Award in Cannes, and the prestigious Humanitas Award. In addition, Ronson has nurtured and represented several preeminent documentaries, including Louie Psihoyos’ THE COVE, Steven Walker’s YOUNG @ HEART (a 2008 Humanitas Award winner), Bunim-Murray’s AUTISM THE MUSICAL, and the recent feature documentary EVERY LITTLE STEP, which she was also involved in putting together. In 2008, Ronson helped launch the partnership with Screen Capital International to form the film financing entity Incentive Filmed Entertainment. Through this venture, she helped package and fund Don Roos’ Love and Other Impossible Pursuits, starring Natalie Portman, as well as Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine, starring Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams. Prior to joining The William Morris Agency, Ronson ran Lakeshore International, a division of Lakeshore Entertainment she helped launch after spearheading the sale of Trans Atlantic Entertainment to create Lakeshore International. She launched the company in October 1996, positioning it as one of the leading independent foreign sales companies, and oversaw its 350-picture library. In additional to her career in foreign sales and distribution, Ronson produced Twin Falls Idaho, which she developed with writer/director Mark and Michael Polish and served as Executive Producer on several independent features, including Susan Streitfeld’s Female Perversions , starring Tilda Swinton, and more recently, Don Roos’ Love and Other Imposible Pursuits, and Derek Cianfrance’s Blue Valentine. In 2006, Ronson received "The Independent Hero Award” by the Creative Coalition, and in 2008, she was honored by Women In Film (WIF) and presented with “The Business Leadership Award.” Ronson received an M.A. in International Educational Development and Media Studies at Columbia University. Her distinct background also includes employment and studies abroad in Spain and Latin America. |
HAL SADOFF
- Head of International and Independent Film,
ICM Hal Sadoff joined International Creative Management as Head of International
and Independent Film in December 2004, overseeing packaging, financing
and distribution for feature films. Over the past twenty-three years, Mr. Sadoff
has developed an extensive global network of relationships within the media,
entertainment, and financial communities through his involvement in numerous
financing transactions with film producers, distributors, production companies,
international film sales organizations and banks, as well as all of the major and
mini-major film studios. Mr. Sadoff has played an integral role in more than 350
film productions and financings totaling over $3.0 billion.Immediately prior to joining ICM, Mr. Sadoff served as an Executive Producer and financial consultant on several films including Hotel Rwanda, which was nominated for three Academy Awards. Before that, Mr. Sadoff spent four years as co-founder, partner and head of the Los Angeles office of Cobalt Media Group, a film financing and international sales company. At Cobalt, he was directly involved in structuring and arranging financing for over twenty-five productions including House of Sand and Fog, Open Range, Chicken Run, The World is Not Enough, Swimfan and Band of Brothers. Prior to forming Cobalt, Mr. Sadoff also served as Senior Vice President and Head of the Los Angeles office of London-based National Westminster Bank. After completing the bank’s training program in the New York and London offices, over the next thirteen years, he spearheaded the building of NatWest’s Los Angeles Media and Entertainment Finance Group. In this role, he structured and provided financing for companies such as MCA/Universal, Universal Studios Florida, New Line Cinema, Samuel Goldwyn, All American Communications, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, The Walt Disney Company, Twentieth Century Fox, Mandalay, Artisan, Live Entertainment, Republic Pictures and Cinergi Pictures. Single picture financing transactions include Wild Things, Lost in Space, In Love and War, Seven Years in Tibet, Les Miserables, Stargate, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Waking Ned Devine, Evita, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Much Ado About Nothing, and A Bronx Tale. |
BILL SANDERS -
Managing Partner, Imagine One Mobile Founding partner of Imagine One Mobile, Bill provides business strategy and mobile marketing and develops, designs and deploys solutions for the mobile user experience that bridge multiple ROI models for its consumer-facing and B2B clients.
As VP, Mobile Programming Sony Pictures Digital and International TV, Bill developed the successful Animax Mobile channel, the first mobile on-demand movie channel and Ripley’s and James Bond video clip services. While EVP, Big Ticket Television, Bill spearheaded the first interactive sitcom, Moesha and partnered with Microsoft to bring Judge Judy to WebTV. As VP, Original Programming, Sanders developed HBO’s first Emmy-winning, long-running hit, Dream On. |
DANIEL SCHEINMAN -
Senior VP and General Manager,
Cisco Media Solutions Group Daniel Scheinman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Cisco Media
Solutions Group, is responsible for developing and marketing the Cisco Eos ® software
platform that helps media-content owners create, manage and monetize content
experience for consumers. In this role, he reports directly to Cisco’s Chairman and CEO
John Chambers.
Scheinman has been with Cisco since 1992 and previously led Corporate Development, overseeing the merger and acquisition, venture investment, strategic alliance, and technology incubation functions within Cisco. Under his leadership, Corporate Development helped define how the network can serve as an innovation platform in emerging markets such as India and China. The group also completed more than 40 acquisitions, including Linksys and Scientific Atlanta. These acquisitions, in addition to Cisco’s partnering and internal engineering efforts, have positioned the Cisco Media Solutions Group as a valuable partner to companies navigating the digital disruption of the media and entertainment industry. Scheinman has been a long-time champion for developing new, network-based distribution models for digital content. One example of Scheinman’s sponsorship is News@Cisco, an online portal launched in 2000 with multi-media information on Cisco’s opinion, strategy and news. To better serve the three million annual visitors to News@Cisco, Dan oversaw the development of technology that became the basis for Cisco’s Digital Media Management business unit (DMMBU) launched in 2006 as part of Cisco’s Emerging Technologies Group. Prior to assuming the role of Senior Vice President of Corporate Development in 2001, Scheinman was the general counsel at Cisco. He holds a doctor of jurisprudence degree from Duke University Law School and a political science degree from Brandeis University. |
NED SHERMAN - CEO & Publisher, Digital Media Wire As
CEO and Publisher of Digital Media Wire, Inc., Ned Sherman
works at the center of the rapidly growing digital media
industry, where he brokers relationships and keeps a tab on
the most important developments shaping the industry.
According to the Wall Street Journal, “Publisher Ned Sherman
is more than the average pundit: He is an attorney and has
an inside grasp of what is happening.” Ned is
responsible for establishing DMW's partnerships with NYU's
Stern School of Business, Variety, the Consumer Electronics
Association and numerous other industry publishers,
associations and businesses. Future of Television Forum,
which he co-chairs with NYU's Professor Al Lieberman, is
widely considered to be the most prestigious event of its
kind, bringing together industry leaders from around the
globe twice annually in Los Angeles and New York to network,
do deals and discuss the industry's future. He also
co-chairs and hosts Digital Music Forum, the industry
standard among digital music industry events. Before co-founding Digital Media Wire, Ned spent seven years as a corporate and entertainment attorney. As a founding member of the iLaw Group in the Entertainment Department at Loeb & Loeb LLP in Los Angeles, he handled licensing and corporate transactions and financings for media and entertainment clients including Universal Studios and MGM and launched dozens of Internet and new media start-ups. Ned is a graduate of Brown University, with honors, and the University of Texas School of Law. |
BRIAN SHIN - Founder & CEO, Visible Measures Brian Shin is the founder and CEO of Visible Measures. Brian has co-founded several successful Internet software companies, including web-based collaboration technology vendor Creative Aspects, which was acquired by Medsite Inc. (now WebMD); and The Cambridge Intelligence Agency, a Web-based e-mail response management solution provider that was acquired by marketing services company MSGi. Brian also co-founded technology strategy consulting firm Infraweb, Inc., where he served as President, and was an early member of the team at Allaire Corp. which went public in 1999 and was subsequently acquired by Macromedia.
Brian enjoys trying new foods with his wife, occasionally updates Twitter and his blog, holds an undergraduate degree from Tufts University, and earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management as part of the dual-degree Harvard-MIT Biomedical Enterprise Program. |
GREG SILVERMAN - EVP, Creative Development & Production, Warner Bros. Pictures Greg Silverman serves as Executive Vice President, Creative Development and Production, Warner Bros. Pictures, a post to which he was promoted in January 2010. In this role, Silverman has full oversight of Warner Bros. Pictures’ development activities and budget and is further charged with seeking new opportunities to diversify and build upon the success Warner Bros. Pictures’ slate has consistently achieved. Warner Bros. Pictures has crossed the billion-dollar mark at the domestic and international box offices for the last nine years.
Prior to his current post, Silverman served as Executive Vice President, Production, Warner Bros. Pictures, where he shepherded the enormously successful and critically acclaimed “300,” “The Dark Knight,” last summer’s breakout smash “The Hangover,” and most recently, Christopher Nolan’s “Inception,” a critical favorite and box office hit around the world. He is overseeing such upcoming films as “The Town,” “Sucker Punch” and “Green Lantern.” Silverman initially joined Warner Bros. in 1999 as a junior production executive, where he worked on such films as “The Matrix,” “A Perfect Murder” and “Cats & Dogs.” Silverman then joined Revolution Studios as Senior Vice President, Production, overseeing “America’s Sweethearts,” “The One” and “The New Guy,” before returning to Warner Bros. Pictures in 2002 as Vice President, Production. He was promoted to Senior Vice President, Production in 2004 and then to Executive Vice President, Production in 2006. He has overseen production on such projects as “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The Lake House,” “The Bucket List,” “Beerfest,” “Batman Begins,” “Troy,” “Get Smart” and “Yes Man.” Silverman got his start in the industry working in craft services on the independent film “Two Guys Talkin’ About Girls” and then became an assistant at Tri-Star and Mandeville Films before joining Mad Chance as a production executive. Silverman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from Stanford University. |
ANDREW STEELE - Creative Director, Funny Or Die Andrew Steele serves as Creative Director of Funny or Die, and is the executive producer of “Funny or Die Presents,” the HBO television series which is currently in production in its second season. Steele is an award winning comedy writer, who spent 12 years with “Saturday Night Live” as writer, the last four as head writer.
While at ‘SNL,’ Steele worked and wrote with many great comedians, including Ferrell, Tracy Morgan, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, as well as favorite hosts, Tom Hanks, Alec Baldwin and Christopher Walken. Steele also penned many of the political parodies over the past 10 years, writing for Al Gore, Al Sharpton, Hillary Clinton etc. Prior to ‘SNL,’ Steele worked with John Stewart’s MTV and Paramount TV’s talk shows, as well as for MTV, Comedy Channel and Nickelodeon. He won an Emmy and a Writers Guild Award for his work on ‘SNL.’ |
NEIL STILES - President & Publisher, Variety Group As
President and Publisher of Variety, Inc., Neil Stiles is
responsible for the global business operations of the
Variety franchise including Variety, Daily Variety,
Daily
Variety Gotham, and Variety.com. Additionally, he oversees
market-leading publications Video Business, Tradeshow Week
and 411 Publishing, and has corporate responsibility for MarketCast, a leading provider of marketing research for the
film and television industries.
Neil, a native of Great Britain, has more than 30 years of experience in the magazine industry, beginning as a music industry journalist in the mid-1970s and moving into sales management positions throughout the 1980s. Before joining the Variety team in 2008, Neil played a large role in the success of sister company Reed Business Information-UK. As Division Managing Director, he oversaw a number of online initiatives, including the email marketing business, while managing the print and electronic portfolios of more than two dozen products including Personnel Today, Hairdressers Journal, Travel Weekly, Commercial Motor, Motor Transport, Truck and Driver and Utility Week. He also served as Chief Revenue Officer and launched the division’s digital advertising network. |
JAKE SZYMANSKI - Writer, Director & Actor, Funny or Die Jake was scooped up by Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and Chris Henchy to be their in-house Director for Funny Or Die. Jake has produced, written and directed hundreds of clips for FOD in the past 3 years, including some of their biggest hits, "Paris Hilton Responds to McCain", "Ron Howard's Call to Action", and "Zac Effron's Pool Party". He has also starred in his own videos, such as "High Five Montage" and "High Five Hollywood", bringing millions of viewers to the site.
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BRENT WEINSTEIN -
Head of Digital Media,
United Talent Agency Brent Weinstein is Head of Digital Media at leading Hollywood talent and literary agency
UTA, where he helped form the department in 2003 to oversee the agency’s digital
practice areas, including online entertainment, video games and digital consulting.
Weinstein leads the department’s team of dedicated digital media agents to identify and
evaluate opportunities for UTA clients: actors, writers, directors, producers, interactive
designers and recording artists, in addition to many business-to-business and consumer-
oriented technology and corporate clients.
Weinstein, with UTA co-founder and partner Jeremy Zimmer, also formed UTAOnline (www.utaonline.net), a dedicated broadband division that finds and represents the next generation of web-based content artists. Launched in October 2006, UTAOnline is the first of its kind among major talent agencies. During his tenure at UTA, Weinstein has made digital media deals for many of the most accomplished and well-known artists in both traditional and digital entertainment. Brent recently rejoined UTA in 2009 after spending the previous two years as the CEO of 60Frames Entertainment, a venture backed startup focusing on original programming for digital platforms. 60Frames was named one of OnHollywood’s Top 100 Companies in 2008 and 2009, having developed premium programming and partnerships with top Hollywood talent and partners including Warner Bros, NBC, MSN, Sony, HBO, MTV, and brands including McDonalds, P&G and Sprint. In 2008 Brent was named one of Variety’s 10 Innovators to Watch, and named to The Hollywood Reporter’s Next Gen list, honoring the top 35 entertainment executives under 35 years of age. He is a regular speaker at conferences including Digital Hollywood, Forbes MEET, iHollywood, CES, NATPE and others. Prior to joining UTA in 2001, Weinstein practiced corporate and business litigation in Los Angeles and Irvine, California. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he earned a Bachelors degree in Business Administration, and the University of San Diego School of Law. He is married and lives in Los Angeles. |
RON WHEELER - SVP, Content Protection, Fox Legal Group Ronald C. Wheeler is Senior Vice President, Content Protection, with Fox Entertainment Group (FEG) in Los Angeles. In this capacity, he supervises the negotiation of content protection technology licenses and the content security-related aspects of digital content licensing deals. and oversees the company's worldwide anti-piracy and copyright litigation activities. He also represents Fox at the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and in a number of multi-industry standard-setting efforts, and is closely involved in domestic and international legislative and regulatory issues regarding content protection.
Prior to taking his current position, Wheeler was Vice President, Legal Affairs for Fox’s Home Entertainment subsidiary, where he provided worldwide antitrust and anti-piracy counseling, litigation management and transactional work on a wide variety of acquisitions, licensing and distribution deals. He is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Minnesota Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude. tr> |
R.J. WILLIAMS - Founder & CEO, Young Hollywood Having started off on the other side of the camera as a child actor, R.J. Williams knows what celebrities like and dislike in regards to the media. He recognized the need to re-work and re-sculpt how the media interacted with celebrities. As a result, he created Young Hollywood- a multimedia entertainment company that creates video content that features A-list celebrities and introduces the next big stars and trends before they hit the mainstream.
Young Hollywood was established under R.J.'s production company, Arjay Entertainment, which he formed immediately after finishing his studies at USC Film school. Building upon his strong personal relationships, R.J. was able to secure exclusive interviews with the "who's who" of Hollywood's A-list celebrities. His unique vision allowed him to build an impressive client roster that included ABC, FOX, CBS, Showtime, TV Guide, and Yahoo. Arjay Entertainment quickly developed a reputation for providing the most cutting-edge celebrity programming, as they became the first and last word on everything to do with "Young Hollywood." In 2007 Williams expanded his reach to emerging platforms and launched YoungHollywood.com. Unlike the paparazzi, R.J.'s crews are not the cameras trying to get in, but are the cameras that are actually on the inside. The interviews are more organic and genuine, intimate and personal, catering to the subjects that matter to the celebrity. The Young Hollywood brand has received the trust of the entertainment community which is one of the reasons R.J. has become known as The Ultimate Insider® and one of the reasons Young Hollywood receives access unlike any other. As such, R.J. has become one of the country's leading authorities on marketing to today's youth and spotting trends before they happen. Williams has been recognized by his peers and the press. He has been profiled in such publications as The Los Angeles Times, Variety, LA Confidential, and selected to the Hollywood Reporters Digital Power 50. |
KEVIN YODER - Managing Director, Marketcast Kevin Yoder has served as Managing Director of MarketCast since 2008 where he is responsible for advising entertainment clients on marketing strategy throughout the lifecycle of their products, from early positioning through international and ancillary release windows. Before joining MarketCast, Mr. Yoder worked at NRG where, beginning as an intern, he rose through the company ranks to become its COO. A member of the California Bar, Mr. Yoder came to the entertainment industry after practicing law, with a focus on business transactions involving media and intellectual property. He received his MFA in Film from the Peter Stark Motion Picture Producing Program at the University of Southern California School of Cinema, his JD from the Gould School of Law at USC and his BA from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
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Many more to come...
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