Mike Jackson
Mike Jackson is an Emmy® and Tony® Award-winning film, theater and television producer. As co-founder and managing partner of Get Lifted Film Co., a Los Angeles based production company who have developed projects with major networks including ABC, NBC, FOX, HBO, Showtime, Netflix, and MTV, Jackson harnesses his Philly hustle and unparalleled tenacity to bring elevated multi-cultural content to global audiences alongside Ty Stiklorius and EGOT-winner John Legend.
Notably, Jackson executive produced Damien Chazelle’s Oscar®-winning musical LA LA LAND, as well as NBC’s 2018 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE IN CONCERT with Get Lifted. The NBC special won both a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special Live and a Broadcast Critics Choice Award. Additionally, Jackson produced the film ALL RISE, which premiered in the Dramatic Competition at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and the documentary UNITED SKATES, which won the 2018 Audience Award at Tribeca Film Festival and was most recently nominated for an Emmy® for Outstanding Arts and Culture Documentary.
Most recently, Jackson executive produced the HBO docu-series ATLANTA’S MISSING AND MURDERED: THE LOST CHILDREN, which received the AAFCA TV Honor for Best Documentary, IFC comedy series SHERMAN’S SHOWCASE and SHERMAN’S SHOWCASE: BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPECTACULAR, a one-hour special on IFC and AMC, RHYTHM + FLOW for Netflix, which won the 2020 NAACP Image Award, and ABC’s “John Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Father’s Day.” Jackson and Get Lifted also executive produced Richard Tanne’s Obama romance, SOUTHSIDE WITH YOU, WGN America’s critically acclaimed drama, UNDERGROUND, Pop Network’s docu-series SING IT ON, HBO’s 2015 documentary SOUTHERN RITES and CAN YOU DIG THIS, which won the LA Film Festival’s Jury Award that same year. Their acclaimed Broadway productions include “Jitney,” the 2017 Tony Award-winning revival of August Wilson’s play.
Jackson’s forthcoming projects include David E. Talbert’s holiday film JINGLE JANGLE: A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY for Netflix, the documentary GIVING VOICE, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and will be available for streaming on Netflix later this year, the sports drama SIGNING DAY in partnership with Steph Curry’s Unanimous Media for Sony Pictures, a female-fronted film written by Adam Hoff about a modern-day Jerry Maguire, and PAPER GODS with Sony Pictures Television for ABC, written and executive produced by Tash Gray, starring Nia Long, who will also executive produce, and based off Goldie Taylor’s novel of the same name.
Lee Jessup is a career coach for professional and emerging screenwriters, a twice-published, best-selling author, whose consulting services have been utilized by Universal Writers Program, NBC International, and Final Draft’s Big Break contest. Lee’s clients include writers who have major spec, pilot and pitch sales under their belts, writers who have written major studio films, staffed TV writers on shows including DEAD TO ME, MRS. AMERICA, GOOD GIRLS, UNDONE and MANIFEST (just to name a few), TV writing program fellows, writers named to The Hit List, The Blood List, The Young & Hungry List and The Black List, major contest winners, as well as writers just beginning to chart their professional course. Lee is the author of BREAKING IN: TALES FROM THE SCREENWRITING TRENCHES (Focal Press) and GETTING IT WRITE: AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO A SCREENWRITING CAREER (MWP). She has appeared in countless screenwriting conferences and panels domestically, abroad,and online, is a contributor to Script Magazine, and has been the interview subject of countless podcasts. Never too far from the industry, Lee resides in Los Angeles with her family.
Bradley Joshua
Coming soon.
Jenny Jue
Jenny received Casting Society of America award nominations for KABOOM for Dir. Gregg Araki, and MY SON MY SON WHAT HAVE YE DONE? for Dir. Werner Herzog, and won the Casting Society of America award in 2009 for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS for Dir. Quentin Tarantino. Other projects include two feature films for Dir. Bong Joon Ho, SNOWPIERCER and OKJA.
Recent projects include the Netflix Original Documentary THE SOCIAL DILEMMA (2020), the Paramount Movie SPONTANEOUS (2020)
Paul is a serial problem solver and USAF veteran. He served as an intelligence officer and upon completing his service he moved to the film industry where he worked as Director of Sales and Acquisitions at Covert Media. UCSD and CSUF MBA alum. He co-founded Filmocracy to help democratize the imbalance of power in the entertainment industry.
Filming has a long history in Shasta County. With the abundant natural resources, ideal weather, experienced local cast and crew base, and the community’s warm welcome for productions, Shasta County continues to grow as an ideal destination for filmmakers.
Sabrina Jurisich has been the film commissioner for Film Shasta since January of 2017. Film Shasta provides free pre-scouts, permit information, local production support services, onsite monitoring, and the latest information about tax incentives for filmmakers. In addition to adding over 550 easily searchable film friendly locations, local cast and crew, and other resources to the Film Shasta site, she also launched a local incentive program to help inbound productions that film in Shasta County. Her commitment to providing high level service has led to exponential increase year over year for productions filming in Shasta County.
Her skill set has been recognized on the state level as well. Barely a year into her position, she was elected onto the FLICS (Film Liaisons in California Statewide) executive board as Secretary, only to advance to Vice President the following year, where she continues to serve. Sabrina serves as the Co-Chair for the California On Locations Awards show which recognizes the top location professionals who film in California. She also earned a rare accolade as a “Certified Film Commissioner” through an intense training program through AFCI (Association of Film Commissioners International), a certification fewer than 10% of the film commissioners in the world have earned.
Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
Coming Soon.
In the late 1960’s, Kaufman was enrolled at Yale University (where he would later present his Make Your Own Damn Movie Master Classes), diligently working on a respectable degree in Chinese Studies. However, Kaufman was destined for other things. As he explains in his hit book All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger (published by Penguin Putnam), “At Yale I was placed in a dormitory room with two film fanatics, and I knew everything had irrevocably changed.” In fact, Kaufman was infected with a love of movies from which he never recovered.
In 1971, Kaufman met his future partner Michael Herz at Yale. The Troma Universe was born in 1974 with a series of highly original, raunchy comedies such as SQUEEZE PLAY!, STUCK ON YOU!, WAITRESS!, and other titles ending with an exclamation point. These movies, independent precursors to such later smash hits as National Lampoon’s Animal House and Porky’s, did well financially, although Kaufman continued to work on such outside productions as ROCKY and SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. Kaufman’s relationship with mainstream Hollywood would not last long. “There were problems,” Kaufman said, “as I always wanted to do things my own way and my employers insisted I do things the correct way.” He continued to build up a list of impressive credits as well as some overpowering debts.
Kaufman proved his former employers wrong with his 1984 breakthrough movie, THE TOXIC AVENGER. This tale of a health club mop boy named Melvin who is transformed into a hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength struck a chord with audiences and critics alike, demonstrating that there were a large number of people who were interested in seeing things done Kaufman’s way. THE TOXIC AVENGER led to an animated television series, “Toxic Crusaders,” several different comic book titles (published by Marvel and, most recently, Troma’s own independent comic book imprint), and three sequels. The most recent film in the series is CITIZEN TOXIE: THE TOXIC AVENGER PART IV. The success of THE TOXIC AVENGER was followed by a string of commercial and artistic triumphs in a similar vein, blending fantasy, heavy action, comedy, and eroticism in a style that can only be described as “Tromatic.” These films, including the CLASS OF NUKE ‘EM HIGH series, SGT. KABUKIMAN, N.Y.P.D., and TROMA’S WAR, were often ignored or scorned by the intelligentsia of the time but spoke to an entire generation of young people who rejected the pandering, commercial films of the mid-to-late 80’s. Some of these Troma fans went on to become filmmakers themselves, including Quentin Tarantino, Kevin Smith, Mike Judge, Peter Jackson, and Trey Parker. Thanks to these admirers, Kaufman has been asked to make cameo appearances in films like Trey Parker’s ORGAZMO and Eli Roth’s CABIN FEVER. Lately, Kaufman and the Troma Team have begun to win respect from even their harshest critics. TROMEO AND JULIET became a surprise theatrical and critical hit, earning the grand prize at the Fanta Festival in Rome.
Kaufman’s following opus, TERROR FIRMER, inspired by the book “All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger” played for six months in Los Angeles alone. In addition, Kaufman has been an honored guest at various international film festivals and Troma retrospectives around the world. The San Sebastian Film Festival, the British Film Institute, the Cinematheque Francaise, the American Cinematheque, the Chicago International Film Festival, the UCLA Film Archives, the Tokyo Film Festival, and the Shanghai International Film Festival are just a few of the venues to have showered Kaufman with praise and free booze. Kaufman has received the Lifetime Achievement Awards at the Fantasy Film Festival of Amsterdam, Sitges Film Festival, Brussels Festival of Fantasy and others.
In January 1999, Kaufman founded the TromaDance Film Festival. Determined to give independent film back to the people, Kaufman established a festival where there is no entry fee to filmmakers to submit their films, nor is there any admission charged to audience members. The TromaDance Film Festival presents a broad spectrum of films and film styles, creating an opportunity for everyone to put their own personal vision on film and have it seen.
Kaufman is also a tireless innovator, constantly using new developments in technology to foster the growth of independent art. Troma has a dynamic web presence with Troma.com, TromaDance.com, and Troma Now. All three sites provide news and entertainment, as well as providing an outlet for Troma to sell videos, DVDs, clothing, Tromabilia, and other products from the Troma Universe directly to their fans. Troma has also been ahead of the curve in DVD production, releasing feature-packed titles since 1997. Kaufman has also earned the respect and trust of his peers in the independent filmmaking community. He was elected to two terms as Chairman of the Independent Film & Television Alliance (http://www.ifta-online.org/), the trade association of the independent entertainment industry. During Kaufman’s chairmanship, IFTA successfully lobbied in Washington D.C. to require that Comcast NBC Universal open its ranks to independent producers.
Kaufman’s most recent publication is Sell Your Own Damn Movie! (published by Reed Elsevier/Focal Press), the latest installment of his acclaimed series of books on guerrilla filmmaking that includes Make Your Own Damn Movie! (published by St. Martin’s Press), Direct Your Own Damn Movie! (published by Reed Elsevier/Focal Press) and Produce Your OwnDamn Movie! (published by Reed Elsevier/Focal Press). The books have inspired Kaufman to teach a successful series of Master Classes at colleges and institutions across the country and the world! In addition, he created 20 half-hour television episodes for England’s Channel 4. The series, “Troma’s Edge TV,” brought UK viewers all the Tromatic superheroes, cutting-edge humor, and great music they’ve come to expect from Troma movies. Kaufman’s recent cellu-Lloyd masterpiece POULTRYGEIST: NIGHT OF THE CHICKEN DEAD, a satire about the fast food industry, opened to sold out crowds in New York City and became the #1 grossing film, per screen average, over its opening weekend. Entertainment Weekly called Poultrygeist “Genuine sick fun.”
Lloyd has just completed his latest film, #SHAKESPEARE’S SHITSTORM, his iteration of Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST. #ShakespearesShitstorm premiered at Fantasia Fest 2020 in Montreal.
Jeremy Kay is Americas editor of the international trade publication Screendaily. He usually travels to the major markets and festivals on the calendar, and this year has enjoyed reducing his carbon footprint by doing it all from his living room in Los Angeles. Besides festivals and markets, Kay reports on production and financing, studios, the impact of streamers on the independent movie landscape, and awards season.
Kostas Kefalas
Kostas Kefalas was born in Athens in 1968. He studied physics in Athens and film in Athens and Stockholm. Since 1994 he has been working as a line producer and a production manager in feature films. He has worked in more than 30 productions shot in Greece, including The Weeping Meadow by T. Angelopoulos, Brides by P. Voulgaris, Attenberg by A. Tsangari, The Lobster by G. Lanthimos, Before Midnight by Richard Linklater, The Little Drummer Girl by Chan-wook Park. He was part of the producing team of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2004 Olympic Games. In 2009 Kostas was elected assistant professor on Film Production at the School of Film Studies at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Since 2012 he is Head of physical production in Faliro House Productions, a leading Athens-based production company, focusing on providing production services to quality international film and TV productions. Recent collaborations include the manhunt thriller Born to be Murdered, produced by Luca Guadagnino and starring John David Washington and Alicia Vikander, as well as TV series Treadstone, currently airing on USA Network.
Jim Kleverweis
Jim Kleverweis is currently an executive producer of the fifth season of HBO’s Insecure. He resides in Los Angeles with his husband, Kris, their twins, Griffin and Chella, and a golden retriever, Harley.
His producing credits include INSECURE (HBO seasons 2-5), SILICON VALLEY (HBOseasons 1-6), EUPHORIA (HBO season 1), THE COMEBACK (HBO season 2), TOGETHERNESS (HBO season 2), RED BAND SOCIETY (FOX pilot), I AM VICTOR (NBC pilot), BODY OF PROOF (ABC seasons 1-3), GILDED LILYS (ABC pilot), GCB (ABC pilot), UGLY BETTY (ABC seasons 3 & 4).
He also has numerous feature and television credits as a unit production manager, assistant director, DGA trainee and production assistant, including A League of Their Own, Groundhog Day, Early Edition, and Strong Medicine.
Based in Los Angeles, he has had extensive location shooting experience, including Mumbai, London, the Bahamas, Mexico, New York City, Halifax, Vancouver, Boston, Providence, Atlanta, Wilmington, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington DC, Detroit, New Orleans, San Francisco, North Carolina, Florida, Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, and Kansas.
A 1990 graduate of Northwestern University, he completed the Directors Guild of America assistant director training program in 1994.
He is an active member of the Producers Guild of America and the Directors Guild of America.
He is represented by Janet Carol Norton and Zach Hardin of ICM Partners.
Jason Kelley leads IBM Global Blockchain Services, partnering with client organizations and consortia to unleash the exponential business value of blockchain technologies and reinvented business process. His teams provide the thought leadership and consultative capabilities needed to design, develop and rapidly adopt digital ledgers, digital identity, trust and transparency with IBM Blockchain offerings and solutions.
Mr. Kelley has been a successful entrepreneur, as well as a business unit creator for IBM having led IBM Global Business Services Solutions, Design & Innovation, and helping clients transform to differentiate and lead in the market through digital reinvention with the application of Agile, DevOps and innovative technology. His teams bring endless energy, creativity, and outcomes for IBM clients around the world, delivering unique business capability with the marriage of analytics, automation/robotics, Watson, and cloud technologies.
Panos Kouanis
Panos Kouanis has worked in both the private and public sector, in Greece and abroad, and since 2017 he occupies the position of Chairman & Chief Executive Officer at the National Centre of Audiovisual Media & Communication. He has a Ph.D. and a B.S. in Economics from the School of Economics, University of Athens, and a M.Sc. in Broadcasting and Film from the College of Communication, Boston University. Panos Kouanis has extensive experience in all aspects of the Media industry including film and television production, marketing, distribution and sales, new media, and information communication technologies. Besides his considerable academic/teaching experience, he has published several research papers in national and international periodicals and participated in numerous conferences and international organizations all around the world.
Adam Krentzman
Most recently, Mr. Krevoy has been responsible for some of the most watched and successful films and shows produced for Netflix and The Hallmark Channel, including Netflix’s A CHRISTMAS PRINCE trilogy, THE PRINCESS SWITCH, starring Vanessa Hudgens, and HOLIDAY IN THE WILD, starring Rob Lowe and Kristin Davis. Netflix is also premiering a sequel to THE PRINCESS SWITCH in 2020, along with OPERATION CHRISTMAS DROP, starring Kat Graham and Alexander Ludwig. In addition to the more than 40 Hallmark films he has recently produced, Mr. Krevoy has the longest-running and highest-rated series on the Hallmark Channel, WHEN CALLS THE HEART, going into its eighth season, as well as a spin-off, WHEN HOPE CALLS, which was the second-highest-rated cable show during its broadcast run.Prior to his work for Netflix and Hallmark, Mr. Krevoy produced the emotional true story TAKING CHANCE starring Kevin Bacon, one of the highest rated HBO Original Films, which premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. TAKING CHANCE was nominated for 10 Emmys, winning one, and won a Golden Globe (Best Actor, Kevin Bacon), along with SAG, WGA, DGA, and Humantis awards. In addition to inspirational stories, Krevoy found a market in family films starting with 2011’s BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA 2.Among his many earlier works, Mr. Krevoy produced the blockbuster Farrelly Brothers’ comedy DUMB AND DUMBER starring Jim Carrey, and the Farrelly’s follow-up, KINGPIN, starring Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, and Bill Murray. Mr. Krevoy also produced BEVERLY HILLS NINJA starring Chris Farley and JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE with Tim Allen. Mr. Krevoy’s moderately budgeted 1994 production THREESOME, starring Stephen Baldwin and Lara Flynn Boyle (and released by TriStar Pictures), remains one of the most profitable independent films to this day.
Noam Kroll is a micro-budget narrative filmmaker & creative entrepreneur based out of Los Angeles. Over the past decade his personal filmmaking blog (www.noamkroll.com) has grown into a burgeoning resource for DIY creatives, spawning a popular podcast (Show, Don’t Tell) and newsletter (micro-budget weekly), which collectively reach millions of filmmakers each year. He also runs the commercial production company Creative Rebellion, as well as the color grading platform cinecolor.io. Currently, he is in development for his third feature film which is slated to shoot in summer 2021.
Brent Lang
Brent Lang is Variety’s New York Bureau Chief, as well as Executive Editor, Film & Media. In that capacity, he covers the major Hollywood studios and their corporate parents. Lang joined Variety in 2014 and has contributed analysis pieces on the rise of streaming services, the threats facing the theatrical exhibition landscape and the impact of the #MeToo movement on the film and television business. He has also penned dozens of cover stories on the likes of Michael B. Jordan, Hugh Jackman, Kathryn Bigelow, Kevin Hart, Al Pacino, Alfonso Cuarón and Mindy Kaling.
Lang was previously a senior reporter at TheWrap. He has written extensively about politics, business and culture and his work has appeared in Forbes, CBSNews.com, The Patriot-Ledger and the Providence Journal.
Lang is a graduate of Brown University and the Columbia University School of Journalism.
Kate Langrall Folb
Kate Langrall Folb, M.Ed., is director of Hollywood, Health & Society (HH&S), the flagship program of the University of Southern California Annenberg School Norman Lear Center, and a veteran for more than 20 years in the entertainment education field. At HH&S, she leads a team of public health and media professionals to connect entertainment content creators with experts in health, medicine, science, safety and security to ensure accuracy in their depictions. Her team also conducts research on the impact of TV storylines on viewers’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. After an early career in television and music production, Kate joined the Scott Newman Foundation as director of special projects where she worked with top TV shows and films on portrayals of alcohol and other substance abuse, developed a media literacy program for middle and high school students and produced the foundation’s annual public service announcements (PSAs). Later, she served as director of The Media Project, a partnership of Advocates for Youth and the Kaiser Family Foundation, working with entertainment on storylines about HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy prevention, condom use and sex education. She also produced the annual SHINE Awards for sexual health in entertainment and developed a cutting-edge media campaign for Viacom to normalize condom use and encourage healthy relationships. From 2001-2012 Kate led Nightingale Entertainment, an independent consulting firm garnering celebrity involvement, producing PSAs and coordinating national media events for a variety of health-related causes. She joined Hollywood, Health & Society in July of 2012. Kate speaks fluent Spanish, holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver, and a master’s degree in education from UCLA.
Patrick Lee
A conscientious and professional Executive with extensive experience in the Nigerian Cinema Industry. Recent achievements include the implementation of Ozone Cinemas, the first cinema in the mainland of Lagos and the introduction the cinema reporting system, Comscore, while Chairman of the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria.
As the current Chairman of the Cinema Exhibitors Association of Nigeria (CEAN), I have overseen the following
- The introduction of a verifiable cinema reporting system (Comscore) for Nigeria and West Africa
- Advising the Censors board on guidelines for cinema standards and procedures in Nigeria.
- Developing a framework with the Distributors association of Nigeria for cinema development in Nigeria.
- Ensuring international acceptance of CEAN
- Increasing CEAN membership from four 4 in 2016 to 22 in 2019 and Nigeria’s cinema screens from 140 in 2016 to 218 in 2019.
- Secured CEAN membership of National Association of Theatre Owners and the Global Cinema Federation
- Developed Cinema Industry COVID-19 safe plan.
Franklin Leonard
Franklin Leonard is the founder and CEO of the Black List, the company that celebrates and supports great screenwriting and the writers who do it via film production, its annual survey of best unproduced screenplays, online marketplace, and screenwriter labs. More than 400 scripts from the annual Black List survey have been produced as feature films earning more than 250 Academy Award nominations and 50 wins including four of the last thirteen Best Pictures and eleven of the last twenty four screenwriting Oscars. He has worked in feature film development at Universal Pictures and the production companies of Will Smith, Sydney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, and Leonardo DiCaprio. He was one of Fast Company‘s 100 Most Creative People in Business and the 2019 Writers Guild of America, East’s Evelyn Burkey Award winner for elevating the honor and dignity of screenwriters. He’s a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and a member of both BAFTA and AMPAS.
Colin Levy is a writer/director based in Los Angeles, currently adapting his sci-fi short film SKYWATCH into an original TV series for NBC’s Peacock, with Seth MacFarlane attached as Executive Producer. His 2018 documentary MY GRANDFATHER’S MEMORY BOOK was published as a NYTimes Op-Doc, and the animated shorts he directed for the Blender Animation Studio have amassed 15M+ views online. Previously he worked at Pixar Animation Studios, where he contributed to seven projects including INSIDE OUT and FINDING DORY.
Beverly Lewis is the Director of the Placer-Lake Tahoe Film Office promoting Placer County to the entertainment industry since 1998. As the liaison between productions, the county and local communities, she expedites production needs over an astonishing diversity of a terrain – from 90’ to over 9000,’ a ski resort community, flat ranchlands, deep river canyons, and high-tech facilities.
Among the films she has shepherded through the county: the 2014 Academy Award winning film “Her” starring Joaquin Phoenix; “The Muppets;” the HBO TV movie, “Cinema Verité;” “JackAss 3D;” “XXX,“ “Almost Famous,” “Dragonfly,” “The Deep End,” a Sundance Award winner, and Disneyland’s IMAX film “California Adventure,” as well as independent productions, television programs, print photography and commercials including for the Superbowl and the Olympics.
She is a three-term past president of the Film Liaisons in California Statewide (FLICS), the state professional association for film commissions. Representing FLICS in the campaign that passed the successful California film & TV incentive program, revitalizing this major state industry.
Beverly is also the co-founder of the Film in California Conference, a joint FLICS and California Film Commission venture; and the Content Creation and Distribution Expo.
Beverly is a member of the Sierra College Press Advisory Board and has served on state media grants panels and moderated various media panels. Prior to her current position she worked at the Louisiana Film Office.
Beverly has a Masters of Fine Arts degree from UCLA Film School and produced and directed a number of critically acclaimed and awarding winning television documentaries prior to her current position. She received a BA in Anthropology from CSU East Bay.
Bill Lischak
Bill is a film, television and technology executive known for innovation, building strategic relationships, driving growth and creating quality outcomes. Prior to joining RightsTrade, Bill consulted with various emerging media companies operating in the VFX, VR and gaming sectors. At the request of investment banking firm Houlihan Lokey, he assumed the senior executive role at a multi-national VFX production house and managed a sale process resulting in a 65% equity stake being sold to a UK private equity firm. Previously Bill held long term roles as President and COO at both OddLot Entertainment, a prominent production company founded by Gigi Pritzker, and First Look Studios/Overseas Filmgroup, a highly respected foreign sales and domestic distribution operation he took public on NASDAQ. During his tenure at OddLot he created strategic joint ventures with Lionsgate, STX and Sierra/Affinity (eOne); structured sophisticated capital transactions with partners as diverse as JPMorgan, international film funds and high net worth individuals; and executive produced award-winning films such as Hell or High Water, Drive and Enders Game. At First Look, he played the key role in diversifying and expanding business operations, growing the business from $6 million to $125 million in annual revenues; arranged countless project and corporate financings and funded the start-up of FilmTrack, the dominant film and television rights management SaaS company now owned by City National Bank, based upon technology initially developed at First Look. Following his education at NYU’s film and business schools, he began his career as a CPA where he developed a specialization in entertainment clients while earning a Master’s degree in Taxation. He is passionate about the evolution of the media industry and is a frequent speaker at industry events.
Brittany A. Little
Brittany A. Little currently serves as Vice President of Drama Development at Universal Television. In this role, she is responsible for the development of drama pilots and series for broadcast, cable, streaming, and digital buyers. Prior to Universal, Brittany worked in drama programming and development at FOX where she oversaw series including EMPIRE and STAR for the network. Earlier, Brittany worked for A&E Networks, where she developed and produced scripted, non-fiction and reality series, and TV movies for A&E, Lifetime Movie Network, and the BIO channel. A two-time Primetime Emmy nominee, Brittany began her career working in theater and in scripted production on LAW & ORDER: SVU and PRIME SUSPECT. Born and raised in Miami, Florida, she graduated with honors from The University of Chicago.
Agustina Lumi
Agustina Lumi is a film and TV producer, trained in the field of Social Communications at UBA (University of Buenos Aires, Argentina). She developed her career in the main Argentine production companies and broadcasters working on factual content for TV and several feature documentaries which toured and were premiered in different festivals and markets around the world. She was part of INCAA (National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts) in Argentina for almost ten years. As head of their Exhibition Department – and with a strong role as Media Content Manager for CINE.AR TV / CINE.AR PLAY (VoD) and INCAA’s public cinemas – she deepened in the development of audience strategies, public policies and promotion to help grow communities interested in Argentine movies and content. In addition to her audiovisual expertise, in 2009 she began teaching as a Professor for Social Communications in public high-schools and universities in Argentina, giving workshops on Journalism and Media Reading as well as Growing Audiences laboratories.
She is currently based in Madrid representing Argentine production companies and is part of the EUROVOD team as Tech Project Manager for the development of the professional platform EUROVOD PRO.
GREG LYON, a CPA by trade, started his career in film in 2009, writing a wide variety of scripts in all genres. In 2011, Greg wrote a short drama SUX2BME, starring Lisa Robin Kelly from That 70’s Show. The film was an official selection into the California Independent Film Festival and RXSM Film Festival.
Greg is perhaps best know for Pas a Vendre, a French Foreign short film starring Elsa Mollien (Crossing Lines), that was an official selection and winner of the Best Foreign Short Film in the Burbank International Film Festival. The film was also a selected into Cinequest International Film Festival, Paris International Film Festival, and Reno Tahoe International Film Festival among other festivals.
Gibby was his first venture of series of scripts to become a full-length feature film, which starred Shannon Elizabeth (American Pie), Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints), Vivica A. Fox (Independence Day), and Peyton Meyer from Disney’s Girl Meet’s World and Crystal the Monkey (Hangover II and Night at the Museum). Greg is a scriptwriting judge for a major film festival in his spare time.
Behind the scenes, Greg is actively involved in casting, production, post-production, marketing, and distribution to ensure the success of the films. In addition, where required, Greg will work with directors to help develop the vision of the scripts. His company – Half Moon Films, LLC has worked with several independent filmmakers to help get their films made and to market.
