BOARD OF TRUSTEES
SUSAN CARTSONIS (WIFF Chair)
In 2000 The Hollywood Reporter named Susan Cartsonis one of the top five grossing producers of the year for her box office record-breaking film, WHAT WOMEN WANT, and WHERE THE HEART IS adapted from the best-selling novel, starring Natalie Portman, Ashley Judd, Sally Field and Stockard Channing. Both films were developed and packaged and supervised by Cartsonis from manuscript (WHERE THE HEART IS) and pitch (WHAT WOMENT WANT) through release.Cartsonis most recently produced the young adult film AQUAMARINE, based on the novella by Alice Hoffman for Fox 2000. Cartsonis executive produced the soon to be released NO RESERVATIONS (a remake of the German film MOSTLY MARTHTA) starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhardt for Warner Brothers. She also developed and exec produced the indie film MISTRESS OF SPICES, adapted by Gurinder Chadha (BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM), which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival fall of 2005 which Miramax will release in 2007.
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ILENE KAHN POWER (WIFF Vice Chair, Co-Chair Legacy Program)
Emmy award winning producer Ilene Kahn Power was Executive Producer on the acclaimed GIA. The film received three Golden Globe Awards, six Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Motion Picture For Television. She was also nominated by the Producers Guild of America for the Laurel Award as Outstanding Producer for long-form television in 2001 for her work on the film. Ilene Kahn Power was most recently the creative producer on CBS’ ELVIS, USA Networks' 'TRAFFIC', and Hallmark’s "THE DEAD HOLLYWOOD MOM’S SOCIETY" based on Lindsay Maracotta’s book of the same name. Kahn Power was instrumental in the establishing of HBO Films. In her ten years as Vice President of HBO Pictures, Kahn Power supervised the development and production of over sixty films.
ROBIN SCHORR (WIFF Vice Chair)
Robin Schorr is head of creative production for Bill Pohlad’s River Road Entertainment, an independent film production company dedicated to quality theatrical film. The company is best known for co-producing Academy Award winner, Brokeback Mountain, as well as A Prairie Home Companion and the upcoming Sean Penn directed film, Into the Wild, based on the best-selling book by Jon Krakauer and starring Emil Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, William Hurt and Catherine Keener. Schorr recently served as President of Production for Lionsgate-based Sobini Films, producing the upcoming Universal release Peaceful Warrior starring Nick Nolte, Scott Mechlowicz and Amy Smart and based on the bestselling novel by Dan Millman. She also produced the Paramount/Lionsgate co-production The Prince and Me, starring Julia Stiles, among other titles.
CAROL CHACAMATY (WIFF Treasurer)
Carol Chacamaty was born and raised on a dairy farm in Northern Illinois. She moved to NYC in 1970 and started her career in entertainment working as a photo stylist and photographer’s assistant. Ms. Chacamaty moved to Los Angeles in 1975, working for various agents, directors and producers. In 1978, she began her continuing association with Steve Tisch and Jon Avnet. She is currently Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration for Brooklyn Films, Jon Avnet’s production company. Additionally, Carol is responsible for all financial and administrative aspects of Jon and Steve’s multiple companies, ranging from real estate to Broadway shows.
GLENDA GRANT (WIFF Secretary)
From 1995 to 2004, Glenda was President of HEP, a division of The Hearst Corporation and is one of the largest and most successful independent television production companies with a strong record of quality programming. She was originally recruited into HEP as Sr. Vice President to manage sales and development of television movies and mini-series. Within one year she was promoted to President of division with expanded duties to include supervision of production as well as staff of in-house producers. In 1995, she was promoted to President of company and assumed all executive responsibilities previously handled by two co-chairmen. Before HEP, Glenda served as Vice President of Administration & Operations at ITC Productions, Inc. Glenda handled all human resource matters for company including hiring of all non-executive staff. In 1985, she moved into the creative area ultimately assuming responsibility as Vice President, Television for all television movie and mini-series development and production.
PATRICIA BARRY
Although Miss Barry is best known for her many roles in motion pictures and in television, (having garnered five EMMY nominations along the way), her career began on Broadway. Born in Davenport, Iowa, the daughter of a prominent surgeon, she attended Stephens College, where she trained for the theater with Maude Adams. She then studied with Sanford Meisner in New York and was soon appearing on Broadway as co-star to Steve Allen in Pink Elephant. Many other Broadway appearances followed, intermingled with such road tours in Kind Sir, co-starring John Forsythe; Mame, the musical; and Goodbye Again, with Tony Randall. In Los Angeles, she starred in the West Coast premiere of the Thomas Babe play Taken in Marriage and in A.R. Gurney’s Perfect Party. During a tour of Holiday, she met her husband, TV producer Philip Barry, son of the playwright.
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DEBBI BOSSI
Debbi Bossi is a highly respected Post Production Supervisor. Some of the films she has supervised include: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: III, ASK THE DUST, ELIZABETHTOWN, WHITE CHICKS, TIMELINE, VANILLA SKY, MEET JOE BLACK, WITHOUT LIMITS< THE POSTMAN, EXECUTIVE DECISION, and FAIR GAME. She is currently supervising Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez’ upcoming film, GRINDHOUSE.
BARBARA BOYLE
Film and Television Producer. Boyle’s credits include PHENOMENON, INSTINCT, BOTTLE ROCKET, EIGHT MEN OUT, MRS. MUNCK, and THE HI-LINE. Her company, Sovereign Pictures, Inc., financed and distributed internationally 25 films including, MY LEFT FOOT, CINEMA PARADISO, REVERSAL OF FORTUNE, IMPROMPTU, HAMLET and THE COMMITMENTS. Sovereign’s films were nominated for 14 Academy Awards and won 4. While president of Valhalla Motion Pictures, the company produced 22 episodes of ADVENTURE, INC., the documentary, TRUE WHISPERS, and feature films, CLOCKSTOPPERS and HULK. In 2003, she was named Chair of the UCLA Department of Film, Television and Digital Media. She serves on the Board of Project:Involve and is a past president of both IFP/West and Women In Film. Boyle has received, among others, a Vision Award from IFP, the WIF Crystal Award and the Alumni of the Year from UCLA Law School. She holds a BA from UC Berkeley and a JD from UCLA School of Law.
HOLLACE DAVIDS
Hollace Davids has spent most of her career planning and executing events from premieres for 5,000 to dinner parties for 10. Currently, she serves as Senior Vice President of Special Projects at Universal Pictures in the Feature Marketing Department. She is responsible for planning and implementing all Universal Premieres for the motion pictures, working on the Academy and Awards Campaigns as well as film festivals. She handles all special projects for the studio including the recent premieres of LEATHERHEADS, DEFNITELY, MAYBE, CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, AMERICAN GANGSTER, THE GOLDEN AGE, THE KINGDOM, and EVAN ALMIGHTHY, Motion Picture Group parties, dinners, retreats, tradeshows and Exhibitor Relations Meetings, Workshops and Film Festivals.
Davids served for three years (from 2000 to 2003) as the President of Women In Film (Los Angeles), the non-profit organization founded in 1973 with over 2,400 members both men and women in the entertainment industry. She also served as Vice President on the Board as well as co-chair of the 2003 30th Anniversary Crystal/Lucy Awards. Women In Film has a mentor program, internship program, award-winning PSA program, assists filmmakers with grants, provides scholarships and does a number of advocacy and outreach programs. Prior to her Presidency, she served on the Board of Directors for six years.
KAREN DILLON
Karen Dillon practices law in the entertainment, media and allied industries. Ms. Dillon has represented a number of prominent individuals and companies located worldwide in a variety of matters involving motion picture, television, music and sports contract disputes, employment and guild issues, as well as defamation, libel and privacy claims. Ms. Dillon is experienced in cases concerning a wide range of technical and business aspects of the entertainment industry, including financing and completion bonding, production and post-production, as well as distribution and profit participation accounting. Ms. Dillon’s clients also include talent agencies and personal managers, as well as talent, in commission disputes. She advises celebrities and companies communicating with the media in high-profile cases. Ms. Dillon is frequently called upon to consult with corporate attorneys, talent agents and business or personal managers to advise their entertainment clients. Before going into private law practice, Ms. Dillon was employed at a major international talent agency and later worked at motion picture studios in the Los Angeles area. Ms. Dillon obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Southern California Law School where she was a member of the Entertainment Law Journal. She is active in public interest and pro bono legal services and serves on various committees for the governing body of a major national sports organization.
LINDA FEFERMAN (Co-Chair Legacy Program)
Linda Feferman is a Guggenheim Fellow and Sundance award-winning producer, director, and writer. She was Series Producer and Director for the nationally broadcast Timothy Ferris PBS series, "Life Beyond Earth," a KCTS, PBS/Devillier Donegan co-production. Feferman was nominated for an Emmy for her episode of the PBS series, "The Astronomers," and a Grammy for a Sony Records music video. Her feature film, "Seven Minutes in Heaven" for Zoetrope and Warner Brothers Studios, received an audience award at the 1986 Sundance Film Festival.
For the past 10 years she has worked primarily in the field of science and technology. Feferman made "Simple Rules: Complex Behavior" the introductory film on Complex Adaptive Systems for the Santa Fe Institute. She also produced and directed evolutionary biologist Tom Ray's video, "Tierra--Evolution in Another Universe." Also in science, Feferman was in charge of the US research for the Errol Morris/Stephen Hawking feature length documentary film, "A Brief History of Time." In l991-92, she worked as a writer/director on the eight-part molecular biology series "The Secret of Life," for WGBH television in Boston.
Feferman has been awarded 21 fellowships and grants including 1982 fellowship to live and work in Japan. Her most recent educational short, "Missing: What to Do if Your Child Disappears" was lauded by Billboard Magazine as "an imperative video which succeeds brilliantly." She is known for the humor she instills in films and for tackling challenging material and making abstract subject matter accessible. Feferman works in film and video all over the world.
TARA GRACE
Coming soon
MADELYN HAMMOND
Madelyn Hammond is the Chief Marketing Officer, responsible for developing the global brand and marketing strategy for Daily Variety, Variety and Variety.com. Hammond is responsible for expanding the group’s worldwide partnerships with advertisers and brand marketers, as well as overseeing Variety’s corporate communications, publicity and promotion, research and event marketing. Hammond has held numerous positions within the organization, including associate publisher of Variety and publisher of the lifestyle publication VLife. Hammond also inaugurated the Variety Screening Series and was a key player in the “Night Before” event, a pre-Oscar fund-raiser that has raised more than $30 million for the Motion Picture & Television Fund. Hammond also serves as consulting producer and is involved with the production and marketing of AMC’s “Shootout,” a weekly show about current issues and people making a difference in the entertainment industry. Most recently, Hammond worked for Mark Cuban’s Landmark Theatres, where she was instrumental in the launch of its flagship location, the Landmark in West Los Angeles. She also developed a multiyear partnership with Samsung Electronics. Before joining Variety, she worked in various positions for Columbia Pictures, AMC Theatres, Turner Pictures, MGM/UA and Sony Pictures. Hammond’s first job was with The Coca-Cola Company.
FELICIA HENDERSON
One of eight children, Felicia D. Henderson, grew up in Pasadena, CA, where she currently resides. She and her brothers and sisters had active imaginations and used to put on plays for the neighborhood kids. Her love of writing developed at a young age. She was always the one who wrote what the other kids performed. "My father still has my old writings: diaries, poetry, short stories. Sometimes I'll go through them and just 'crack up', Ms. Henderson says. "My poetry was so deep and morose for an eleven-year-old! I was always very sensitive, I still am," she adds. Although she always loved to write, Ms. Henderson didn't initially consider it as a career. She attended UCLA, where she majored in Psychobiology and minored in English Literature. "I was always good in math and science. I thought I would eventually get a Ph.D. and do research. I minored in English Literature because I loved stories and words," explains Ms. Henderson.
LYNN HIRSHFIELD
Lynn Hirshfield joined Participant Media in January 2007. Her responsibilities are to lead the development of strategic marketing partnerships and integrate these partners into social action and advocacy campaigns, as well as to launch a publishing division to support the company’s films and social action campaigns.
Prior to joining the staff of Participant, she consulted for the company throughout 2006 on the social marketing and outreach for the Academy Award®-winning documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH. Lynn has served in the same capacity for a number of internet content and technology start ups, with various studios and venture capital groups specializing in creating new verticals and generating strategic partnerships with corporate sponsors.
JOAN HYLER
Joan Hyler, former President of Women in Film is a talent representative whose career began in the talent agency business. As a Senior Vice President of the William Morris Agency and International Creative Management, she represented many icons such as Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan and Madonna and lauded actors , Madonna, Diane Lane, Ricki Lake, Karen Allen, Rutger Hauer, Eric McCormack, Amber Tamblyn many of whom she represents to this day as a manager and owner of HYLER MANAGEMENT.
Having produced Ladies Man, starring client Alfred Molina and Sharon Lawrence and the documentary "Get Bruce" Joan Hyler continued her association with Emmy winning relationship with writer Bruce Vilanch having also produced the Off'Broadway hit "Almost Famous".
A Visting Professor at USC for the last seven years, Joan Hyler is co head of Outreach for the Women in Film Foundation; created the non profit MorningStar Commission as an advocacy group for Jewish women's images in the media; created the Jewish Image Awards for the National Foundation of Jewish Culture and co-runs the Tel Aviv-Jewish Federation partnership partnering filmmakers in Israel with their international counterparts.
DAWN MILLER
A PR & marketing professional with more than 10 years experience working with global brands, leaders of industry & entertainment icons. Previous to moving to the US, Dawn Miller worked in Corporate Communications in-house for Sharp Electronics U.K and worked with Manchester United Football Club. Working with these two global lifestyle and entertainment brands, Dawn acquired a deep knowledge and understanding of global business, branding and marketing strategies, lessons which have provided a backbone for her business practice and expertise today. In 2002, Dawn moved to the US to work as a Director in an entertainment PR agency and after three years became President & COO. In 2008, she left to establish her own agency, Miller PR, where she employs a full-time staff of five. At her company, Dawn has built a diversified client base, working in the areas of corporate and digital entertainment with clients such as Xbox LIVE Independent Video Channel, Sony PlayStation’s Video Delivery Store, Gersh Agency, Kinsella, Weitzman, Iser, Kump and Aldisert LLP and New Wave Entertainment, filmmaker clients such as Peter Guber, Peter Safran, Stan Lee and Jay Chandrasekhar, and talent clients such as Paris Hilton and Sean “Diddy” Combs.
Dawn Miller is on the Board of Women in Film Foundation and Co-Chairs the WIF Marketing Committee. She is also a member of the PR Committee for the British Academy of Film, Television & Arts (BAFTA LA).
LISA OSBORNE
Lisa Osborne is supervising producer of the American Film Institute's Digital Content Lab. The 10-year-old R&D lab incubates digital entertainment content and products. Osborne recruits technology and creative professionals, places them on teams, and then works side by side with them to bring their ideas to fruition. She has produced lab projects for deployment on the web, TiVo, mobile phones, and game consoles.
Osborne earned a journalism degree from Northwestern University. Her career, predictably, began with jobs at two newspapers and a book imprint, before migrating permanently to digital media in 1995. As a senior editor & writer for Spiv.com, she was part of the launch team for Turner Entertainment Group's first website devoted exclusively to original content. She contributed to the movie, fashion, and music sections, while managing the sports section.
BETSY POLLOCK
Betsy has worked as a Producer, Line Producer, UPM and a 1st AD over her 25 year career in the Motion Picture Industry. In 2004 she was the Co-Producer of a short film entitled TWO SOLDIERS, which won the Academy Award for best dramatic short at the 2004 Academy Awards. As a film production professional she was associate producer of the feature film WIND, directed by Carroll Ballard; head of production for a film production company called Filmlink International; first assistant director on such films as STEALING HOME, LADY IN WHITE and GOOD BURGER, in addition to work on numerous commercials and documentary films. Betsy was the co-founder of the PSA Committee of Women in Film a group created to produce and distribute public service announcements to local groups unable to publicize their services in any other way. Betsy also served at one time on the Board of Directors of Women in Film. Betsy was the Head of the Producing Discipline at the North Carolina School of the Arts from 2000 through 2003 and while there produced a marketing video which has become one of the school’s primary marketing tools. She is currently Associate Dean/Director of Production Services at the American Film Institute and as such is responsible for overseeing over 100 short films each year.
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NANCY RAE STONE
Nancy Rae Stone has worked as a producer, line producer and executive in the motion picture industry for over 20 years.
She recently completed a 9 year stint as the Executive Vice President of Production at Beacon Pictures, where she supervised the physical production of notable theatrical films, including “Spy Game”, “Bring It On”, “Family Man”, “13 Days”, “A Lot like Love”, “Emperor’s Club”, “The Hurricane”, and the HBO Premiere film, “PU-239”. Ms. Stone oversaw the production of films ranging from $4M to $90M dollars.
Prior to her position at Beacon, Ms. Stone was an independent producer and line producer, with credits such as “The Last Seduction” with Linda Fiorentino, “Femme Fatale” with Colin Firth, “Playing God” with Angelina Jolie, and “American Heart”, starring Jeff Bridges.
MICHELE ROBERTSON
Michele Robertson is a respected publicist and awards strategist who has worked on a broad range of feature films and clients. Robertson opened her own company MRC (Michele Robertson Company) seven years ago and has accumulated a long roster of award-winning films and clients including “Michael Clayton,” “The Departed,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,“ “Million Dollar Baby,” “Lost in Translation,” “The Constant Gardner,” “Far From Heaven,” and “Boys Don’t Cry.” As a vital awards strategist, the campaigns she’s worked on have garnered 91 Academy Award® nominations leading to 29 Academy Award® winners including ten Academy-Award® nominated Best Pictures. With her strong leadership skills and intuitive understanding of marketing, Robertson continues to make MRC one of the leading publicity firms for specialized film companies, major studios, and filmmakers.
MARION ROSENBERG, OBE
Marion Rosenberg graduated from the Universities of Manchester, England and Grenoble, France. She started her show business career in the Bands and Acts Department of MCA. From 1960 to 1976 she worked in production on both sides of the Atlantic, on such films as I COULD GO ON SINGING (Judy Garland), THE BEST MAN (Henry Fonda), WHERE EAGLES DARE (Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood) and THE MISSOURI BREAKS (Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson). In l976 she became head of EMI Films in Los Angeles, and set up such productions as THE DRIVER, CONVOY and THE DEERHUNTER, on which she served as Associate Producer. In l979 she became Vice President of The Lantz Office, a talent and literary agency, whose clients included Bette Davis, Milos Forman, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Shaffer, Daryl Hannah, Theresa Russell, Liv Ullmann and Nastassja Kinski.
CATHY SCHULMAN
Cathy Schulman has been an executive and producer in the film business since 1987. Currently, Schulman is President of Mandalay Pictures, founded by Peter Guber, as well as the recently established Mandalay Independent. Mandalay Pictures, as part of The Mandalay Entertainment Group, has produced and financed numerous films, including “The Score” (starring Marlon Brando, Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton), Tim Burton's “Sleepy Hollow” (starring Johnny Depp and Christopher Walken), “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (starring Jennifer Love Hewitt, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Ryan Phillippe), “Wild Things” (starring Matt Dillon, Kevin Bacon and Neve Campbell), and “Donnie Brasco” (starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino). From 2002 to 2005, Schulman and Tom Nunan formed Bull’s Eye Entertainment to produce independent film and television content. The company’s feature film, CRASH, won the 2006 Academy Award for Best Picture, garnering Schulman an Oscar for producing the film. CRASH, directed by Paul Haggis and starring Sandra Bullock, Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, and Terrence Howard was released in May 2005 by Lions Gate Films.
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MARION SPIEGELMAN
Marion Spiegelman is Senior Vice President of Business Affairs at Film Finances, Inc., the entertainment industry’s oldest completion guaranty company. Her entertainment career began in 1966 as a television Contract Administrator for the William Morris Agency. In 1978, she expanded into the motion picture field by joining Melvin Simon Productions as their Legal Administrator. In 1986, after a brief retirement for motherhood, she joined Entertainment Completions, Inc., as their Vice President of Business Affairs. In 1988, she joined Film Finances. She is a member of Women In Film and has successfully juggled the multiple careers of corporate executive, motherhood, PTA president, board member, and earth mother to independent producers.
CATHERINE SUGAR
Catherine Sugar was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario Canada, and graduated from University of Western Ontario w. an Honors B.A. in 1994. She received her Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1998.
Catherine started working at Endeavor Agency in the agent trainee program in Dec. 1998. She transferred into the business affairs department in August 1999, where she worked as assistant to (then head of TV business affairs) Rick Olshansky. In 2001, Catherine was promoted to be a business affairs executive and in 2006 was promoted to Head of TV Business Affairs. She is a member of the California state bar, and is married to Michael Sugar, a manager at Anonymous Content.
DEBORAH ZIPSER
Coming soon
CONSULTING TRUSTEES
ANNA BAUM
Anna Baum is a writer and director living in Los Angeles. Her plays have been read and produced in Boston, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. She is also a published poet and journalist, and wrote and co-produced the video Out of Reach. She received a 2001 grant from the Cambridge, Massachusetts Arts Council to write and produce a reading of the Persephone Project, a stage play based on the stories of survivors of domestic violence. She was previously Grants Manager at the Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles, and is now Director of Development at the CLARE Foundation.
SUSAN BAERWALD
Susan Baerwald is a producer of television movies and mini-series. Her company, Susan Baerwald Productions, has produced over twenty hours of television longform, including Emmy-nominated, four-hour adaptations of Joe McGinniss' books, CRUEL DOUBT and BLIND FAITH. Prior to that, she was Vice President, Mini-Series and Novels for Television at NBC for 9 years, overseeing projects like SHOGUN, WALLENBERG, MURDER OF MARY PHAGAN, FATAL VISION and PETER THE GREAT. She currently teaches The Profession of Television at AFI and runs the intern program for the Conservatory. Baerwald also runs a Non-Profit Alliance honoring organizations within LA. She has served for ten years on the board of LA Goal, a non-profit group dedicated to providing opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities, where she also volunteers her time. Baerwald served two terms on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for the Producers Peer Group and as Chair of the National Emmy Awards Committee. On the Foundation Board for WIF, she has served as Chair of the Film Finishing Fund and the Nominating committees.
DANA BELCASTRO
Dana Belcastro has worked in the film industry for almost 20 years. Her first job was in France for three years, working on the French-British-American co-production of the television series, THE ADVENTURES OF WILLIAM TELL. From there, she went to feature film work, as the assistant to the producer of GREEN CARD and production associate on THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE. She started production managing on the film ROOMMATES, and from there was the production manager/supervisor on such films as TITANIC, SPEED 2 and HI-LO COUNTRY. She started working at New Line Cinema in 1999 and is currently a Senior VP of Physical Production. She has overseen production of the films ABOUT SCHMIDT, THE NEW WORLD, and AFTER THE SUNSET among many others. She is presently independently producing an updated version of MACBETH, to be directed by Tim Blake Nelson.
MARTHA COOLIDGE
After studying at the Rhode Island School of Design and N.Y.U., filmmaker Martha Coolidge worked in Canadian television while making short films and documentaries. In 1975, she wrote, directed, and produced her first feature film, Not a Pretty Picture, focusing on the issue of high school date rape. It wasn't until 1983 that she would find her niche in comedies with the teen classic VALLEY GIRL starring a young Nicolas Cage. She stayed with teen movies for her next three projects: NATIONAL LAMPOON’S JOY OF SEX, REAL GENIUS and PLAIN CLOTHES. For the rest of the '80s, Coolidge directed several TV shows (including a few episodes of The Twilight Zone) and made-for-TV movies before returning to features in 1991 with the coming-of-age drama RAMBLING ROSE winning her Best Director at the Independent Spirit Awards. In 1992, she made the TNT movie CRAZY IN LOVE, featuring an all-star cast with Holly Hunter, Gena Rowlands, and Frances McDormand. She stayed with comedy dramas for her next two efforts: Neil Simons’ LOST IN YONKERS and ANGIE, starring GEENA DAVIS. She also directed including the Jack Lemmon/Walter Matthau comedy OUT TO SEA. Her television work earned her an Emmy nomination for her biopic INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE and a Director's Guild award for a segment of the anthology IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK 2 (the other segments were directed by Jane Anderson and Anne Heche. Most recently, she directed THE PONDER HEART, THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS, and THE PRINCE AND ME. A longtime associate of the DGA, Coolidge became the group's first woman president in 2002.
NANCY GATES
Nancy grew up in and around New York City and attended Barnard College at Columbia University. Two years after graduation she went on to The Graduate School of Business at the University of Texas where she was awarded a Masters in Business Administration. Following business school, Nancy worked at the South Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation as a director of development. Her job focused on raising money from investment and retail banks for the improvement of the South Bronx. After two years and recognizing that this was not to be a life long profession, Nancy picked up and moved to Los Angeles. Following the advice of a brother who had been in the "business" for years, Nancy started her entertainment industry career in the mailroom of United Talent Agency. Eighteen months later and armed with experience in both the television and feature worlds, Nancy was promoted to talent agent at UTA. April 15th marked Nancy's 11th year at UTA where she co-runs the television area of the talent department. In addition to Nancy’s involvement with WIFF, she was one of the founding board members of STEP UP Women’s Network. Nancy is also active in the UTA Foundation, NOW and the Barnard College Alumni organization. She is most proud of her daughter Morgan and her husband Stephen Gates who she lives with in Los Angeles.
JAN OXENBERG
Jan Oxenberg is a respected writer of film and television. Some of the television shows she has written for include: COLD CASE, ONCE AND AGAIN, CHICAGO HOPE, and ROBBERY HOMICIDE DIVISION. She has written numerous specs for film, including MY DARK PLACES. Oxenberg began her career as an experimental filmmaker.
DORIS ROBERTS
This versatile character player of TV and films has been equally adept at playing sympathetic roles as well as hard-boiled dames, gossips, nags and ethnic types, yet always comes across as if she is too savvy of the ways of the world to be fooled by anyone. Doris Roberts is best known as Marie Barone, the strong-willed mother of the title character in the CBS sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" (CBS, 1996-2005). Others may remember her memorable supporting roles as the mother to the married-rich Donna Pescow on "Angie" (ABC, 1979-80) or as the slightly overbearing Mildred Krebs on "Remington Steele" (NBC, 1983-87) or for her memorable, Emmy-winning performance as a bag lady in a 1982 episode of NBC's "St. Elsewhere". Roberts was one of those New York stage veterans who didn't break into TV and film in a big way until they were tired of playing eight shows a week. Born in St. Louis, but raised in Manhattan by a single mother, Roberts would often cut school to attend the movies or theater.
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LORI H. SCHWARTZ
As Director of Emerging Media, Lori provides consultation and solution recommendations for the latest in broadband, wireless, and emerging media solutions for the U.S. client base of MRM Partners and Universal McCann, including Sony, Microsoft and Avery Dennison. Lori has produced a number of broadband solutions for General Motors, Reebok, Nautica, and Park Place Entertainment and enhanced television-marketing solutions for Sony Pictures. An active member of the new media industry, Lori has led a project for AFI’s Enhanced Television Workshop, is a member of the Interactive Peer Group for the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, sits on the Board of Governors for the Producer’s Guild of America’s New Media Council and participates in number of advanced advertising standardizations groups. Lori’s background in live action (Glengarry Glen Ross, Godfather III and Hudson Hawk), combined with her producing experience in a wide variety of areas (Broadcast Motion Graphics for Novocom and Rezn8, Visual Effects for Sony Image Works – Contact and Starship Troopers and 3D Animation for Namco’s Tekkon 3) gives her a deep understanding of production pipelines and content creation.
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SHELLEY ZALIS
Shelley Zalis is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of OTX (Online Testing Exchange), one of the first market research companies established to maximize the potential of the interactive medium. Under Zalis’ leadership, OTX continues to be the leader in developing a portfolio of research tools designed to help marketers gain deeper consumer insights in a cost-efficient, and timely fashion. With OTX, Zalis has taken the field of market research to a new level, using the interactive medium in innovative ways to communicate with consumers. OTX’s state-of-the-art research tools have made it the leading next-generation full-service research company , and has continued success in helping advertisers and motion picture companies connect to their customers today. Shelley has served to validate online research techniques as a highly credible and compelling alternative to traditional “old-school” offline methods. Zalis pioneered the online research business over 9 years ago, creating proprietary capabilities for testing full-screen videos securely over the internet.
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LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (WIFF ADVISORY BOARD)
DIANE ASSELIN BAERDiane Asselin Baer is an Emmy-Award winning producer of family and children’s programming for network and cable television. Some of her notable television projects include: “Growing Up Together, hosted by Leeza Gibbons; “Touch the Future: Be a Teacher,” “Count on Me” for PBS, and eleven one-hour family specials for ABC and CBS. Diane has also served as a professional mediator for the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer Affairs, the U.S. Postal Service, the Los Angeles County Superior and Municipal Courts, and the Los Angeles County Bar Association Dispute Resolution Services. She was a co-founder and administrator of the Women In Film Foundation’s prestigious Film Finishing Fund, and is the president of Asselin Productions, Inc.
STEPHANIE AUSTIN-THALER
Stephanie Austin produced the critical and box-office successes TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY and TRUE LIES, both for writer-director James Cameron, as well as the action-thrillers THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT, directed by Renny Harlin, and SAHARA, directed by Breck Eisner. She was an Executive Producer for John Davis Productions and 20th Century Fox on BEHIND ENEMY LINES, starring Gene Hackman and Owen Wilson and an Executive Producer for Spyglass Entertainment on SHANGHAI KNIGHTS, starring Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson. Austin began her career at New Line Cinema, before leaving to pursue independent production. After working in various production capacities on feature films, she joined Robert Papazian Productions, Inc., where she was soon promoted to Vice-President of the company. She served as associate producer on over thirty television movies and miniseries, including the controversial telefilm THE DAY AFTER and the twelve-hour miniseries NORTH AND SOUTH BOOK II and later moved into producing television movies under the Papazian banner.
CANDACE BLOCK
Candace Block, Investment Manager, Morgan Stanley & The Block Network. Candace Block is a marketing, and business development professional with expertise in financial, entertainment, sports, and cause-related, marketing ventures. Ms. Block began her accomplished career at Rogers & Cowan Public Relations. She has achieved renown through various assignments and partnerships including: Director of Public Relations for Price, Stern & Sloan, a Los Angeles based Publisher; Account Executive with Don Smith Consultants, a New York based sports PR and Marketing firm; Managing Partner, for Block Gordon Communications; Managing Partner, at Wallach, Smith & Block; and General Partner at Duff/Medavoy/Block Marketing and Communications. Her previous accomplishments have included, coordinating, marketing, and managing several international corporate events including: Virgin Atlantic’s "Transpacific Balloon Challenge"; the Virgin Inaugural/LA London Flight; and the Virgin Megastore opening in Los Angeles. She was also responsible for the management of media relations and environmental tie-ins for Richard Branson. Recent marketing and sponsorship projects have included "Women In Film Vision Awards"/Sundance Film Festival and "Women In Film Lucy Awards", "Think Quest Awards", an international web-site competition for kids, One World Networks, a celebrity marketing company, and Yachtstore.com.
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LORAINE DESPRES
Long-time Women In Film member, Loraine Despres is a best-selling novelist and recovering screenwriter. She’s written pilots, movies of the week, features films, and numerous TV episodes, for such series as THE HIGHLANDER, CRIME STORY, DYNASTY, THE WALTONS, FAMILY, LOVE BOAT and THE EQUILIZER. But she’s best remembered for writing that icon of pop culture, the “Who Shot J.R.?” episode of DALLAS. As an International Screenwriting Consultant she taught workshops, supervised the writing staff, and helped develop new series in Germany, Spain, Sweden and Canada and taught in UCLA=s Professional Program in Screenwriting. She was still getting assignments when she decided to stop to fulfill a life-long ambition to write a novel. The Scandalous Summer of Sissy Leblanc was published by William Morrow/HarperCollins 2001 and became a national best-seller. It was a Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club selection, and a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Pick. Its companion, The Southern Belle’s Handbook, Sissy Leblanc’s Rules to Live By was published a year later. In October 2005 William Morrow published The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell. Loraine is a former Board Member of Women in Film and long time Trustee of the Women In Film Foundation. She lives in Beverly Hills with her husband, writer-producer Carleton Eastlake, where she continues to enjoy bad behavior. She can be reached at www.LoraineDespres.com.
BONNY DORE
Bonny Dore is President of her own film and television company, Bonny Dore Productions and the sister company Bonny Dore Management. Dore is former President of Women in Film Los Angeles, a former Chair of the WIF Foundation, co founder of the WIF Lucy Awards, Winner of the WIF Founders Award and currently serves on the WIF Foundation's Leadership Council.
Her company produces award winning television network and cable mini series, movies of the week, and series. These include the sweeps-winning 7 hour miniseries for CBS "SINS", the multi-award winning musical/comedic mini series for HBO "Glory,Glory", The NBC sweeps winning movie of the week "The Jill Ireland Story", the ABC movie of the week ratings winner "Captive", The 2 hour movie of the week for ABC and Lifetime "The Sinking of the Rainbow Warrior" (later released theatrically), and "First Impressions" a 1/2 hour situation comedy series for CBS among many others.
Prior to running her own company Dore was Executive Vice President for Sid and Marty Krofft Entertainment producing and or developing theatrical feature films, television network series, movies of the week and syndication including, "Barbara Mandrell and the Mandrell Sisters" series for NBC, "The Krofft Supershow" series for ABC, "SideShow" the movie of week for NBC, and theatrical feature film "Middle Age Crazy" among others. Prior to the Kroffts Ms. Dore was the head of Primetime Variety Programming for ABC television network and head of ABC West Coast Children's Saturday Morning Programming and After School Specials.
JUDEE FLICK
Judee Flick started her career at Paramount Studios as a film editor. She moved into development working with Dan Curtis on Winds of War and War and Remembrance before leaving to develop her own films. She currently owns a post production company with Academy Award winning Sound Designer Stephen Flick and is writing her first book.
MOLLIE GREGORY (WIFF Historian)
Mollie Gregory began toiling at different jobs to get through Cinema Studies at New York University. She graduated, got a Masters, and wrote scripts for nonfiction film producers, such as, Songs From The Fourth World, Off The Edge, Discovering the Art of Korea, Welfare: Exploding the Myths. She also made her own documentaries, many on social issues. She was teaching a course on the knotty problems of raising money and making films when she decided to write a book. That turned out to be Making Films Your Business.
By that time, she’d moved to Los Angeles and had joined the Writers Guild of America. She continued to write nonfiction films, and to teach screenwriting and documentary film production at the University of Southern California, California State University Northridge, San Francisco State University, and a course she created, "Movies as Role Models.”
AMY HANDELSMAN
Amy Handelsman is a bi-coastal producer and executive who has developed feature films, network and cable movies, television series, and plays. A New York native and Harvard graduate, she started her career in the East Coast literary department of ICM before working as a story analyst at Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures and as a copy editor for various Time, Inc. publications (Sports Illustrated, Fortune, People). Handelsman did research for the Broadway musical LEADER OF THE PACK, then moved to Los Angeles to work as a development executive for the reincarnated Disney Sunday Movie (ABC). She went on to develop and produce feature films for Cannon and Gary Hendler’s production company at Tri-Star; a series on ethics for PBS; and movies and pilots for Warner Bros., ABC, CBS, Showtime, and HBO.
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IRMA KALISH
Irma Kalish is an award-winning television writer and producer, with credits on over 300 scripts for both comedy and dramatic shows. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Syracuse University, she has been installed on the Wall of Fame of the Newhouse School of Communications, and has received the George Arents Pioneer Medal, Syracuse University's highest honor for alumni. Ms. Kalish is a past Vice President and current Board member of the Writers Guild of America, West, who honored her with their Morgan Cox Award for her service to the Guild. She is also a Past President of Women in Film, Los Angeles, and serves on its Foundation Board of Trustees. In September 1997, she received WIF's Founders Award. In addition, she is an officer and Trustee of the Motion Picture & Television Fund, and serves as a director and officer of the Motion Picture & Television Fund Corporation. Currently Ms. Kalish is writing a book and a screenplay and is developing projects for television. She and her husband, writer-producer-director Austin Kalish, have two grown children and reside in Encino, California.
WILLETTE KLAUSNER
Willette Klausner is hailed as one of the first prominent African American women in the arena of Broadway production, having served as the President of Edgework Productions, producers of Broadway shows. Formerly Vice President of Marketing and Marketing Research at MCA Universal Studios, Klausner serves on the Board of Directors of the American Cinema Foundation, and has served on the Boards of Directors of the Los Angeles Music Center, the Audrey Skirbal-Kenis Theatre, and the Constitutional Rights Foundation. She is also a member of The Women's Trusteeship for the Betterment of Women and the National Women's Forum. Most recently, she produced the hit musical show “Three Mo’ Tenors.”
JOHNNA LEVINE
Johnna Levine was the first woman to serve as Vice President of Legal Affairs at ABC in the 1970’s. She produced the film VENUS RISING, and was formerly a Vice President of Business Affairs at Warner Bros.
SHARON LAWRENCE
You may know her from her multiple EMMY nominated and SAG Award winning portrayal of ADA Sylvia Costas Sipowitz in the ground breaking NYPD Blue or as a stay-at-home prostitute in DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, a murderous realtor on MONK or a sociopathic serial killer on LAW AND ORDER:SVU.
She has headlined her own comedy series FIRED UP produced by Kelsey Grammar for NBC and starred with class acts Alfred Molina, Betty White and Dixie Carter in CBS’s sit com LADIES MAN.
NANCY MALONE
Nancy Malone is a noted television director. She has directed many episodes of “The Guardian,” “Judging Amy,” “Resurrection Blvd.,” “Dawson’s Creek,” “Diagnosis Murder,” “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” Touched By An Angel,” “Melrose Place,” “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Cageney and Lacey,” among others. She was Emmy-nominated for directing episodes of “Sisters” (NBC) and “Trials of Rosie O’Neill” (CBS). Nancy has directed theater productions in Los Angeles and produced and directed many M.O.W.’s for ABC, NBC, and CBS. She was previously aa Vice President at 20th Century Fox Television, and has taught classes on acting and directing at many top schools around the country, including UCLA, the AFI Directing Workshop for Women, and the Stella Adler Conservatory. Nancy was one of the original co-founders of Women In Film, and is a member of the Director’s Guild and the Caucus of Producers, Writers, and Directors.
JUDITH PARKER HARRIS
Judith Parker Harris is currently developing and producing three multi-million dollar feature films as Vice President of Worldwide Entertainment. Her background writing, producing and directing over 3,000 TV commercials, and pioneering award-winning brand advertising in the Healthcare industry prepared her for film production. Judith is also President of Health-Esteem Intl. founded to inspire others to find what’s blocking them in order to make positive life changes just as she was able to beat the partial paralysis and sight loss of multiple sclerosis that almost stopped life as she knew it in 1985. Judith developed a 4-step system that helped her become and stay symptom-free since 1990. She then decided to sell her multi-million dollar advertising agency, and went on to become an author, an entrepreneur, and an Internationally know expert, teaching people around the world her proven methods to build both health-esteem and wealth-esteem, and to eliminate blocks in their lives in order to reach their life goals.
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DOROTHEA G. PETRIE
Dorothea Petrie has produced some of television’s most distinguished and award winning Movies of the Week. The Echo of Thunder, Captive Heart: The James Mink Story, Face On the Milk Carton, Secrets, Getting Out, Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232, The Perfect Tribute, Caroline?, Foxfire, Love is Never Silent, Angel Dusted and Orphan Train have received numerous awards including Emmy, Directors Guild of America, Writers Guild of America, Peabody, Cine Ace, MacArthur Media Owl, Humanitas, Monte Carlo Film Festival, and Christopher Awards. Underwritten by such sponsors as Hallmark Hall of Fame, Proctor & Gamble, General Motors, and Dupont, these films garnered not only critical acclaim but top ratings as well. Ms. Petrie’s most recent film, The Song of the Lark, was co-produced by her daughter June and is an adaptation of Willa Cather’s novel for the ExxonMobil Masterpiece Theatre’s American Collection. It was broadcast May 2 and 6, 2001, and again on January 7, 2002. Ms. Petrie began her career as an actress, and has worked in the industry as a casting director (for the Theatre Guild and the US Steel Hour) and agent (both literary and theatrical). She began her producing career with Orphan Train, based on a novel she co-wrote for Dial Press. Printed in many languages, it was chosen by Reader’s Digest as one of the twelve Best Novels of 1979. She produced Orphan Train as a three hour Special for CBS, and won the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Story written for television.
PAULA SILVER
Paula Silver is the former President of Marketing and Publicity at Columbia Pictures, and the marketing visionary behind such recent feature film hits as My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Silver synergizes complex marketing strategies with grassroots campaigns to support her projects. President/Founder of Beyond the Box Productions, Silver utilizes a multi-media approach to develop, produce and promote socially conscious projects through popular culture. She spearheads a number of key initiatives utilizing the skills she learned early in the film business in order to generate a broad impact for “Media That Matters.” In addition, she is producing a television series dedicated to facilitating productive, healthy dialogue between parents and adolescents through film.
DONNA SMITH
A respected film producer, Donna Smith most recently served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Cinema Completions International, based in Los Angeles writing completion bonds for movies. Smith, greenlit new business and spearheaded strategic planning, while providing managerial insight, guided by an extensive network of relationships with Hollywood studio executives, producers, filmmakers and creative talent. Prior to CCI, Donna served as Senior Vice President of Production and Post-Production for Universal Pictures. The first woman ever to serve as head of physical production for a major movie studio, Donna supervised every picture made at Universal from 1989-96. Following Universal, Donna served as CEO/President for the Entertainment Coalition, a management entity formed to coordinate full-service completion bond and insurance services for the entertainment industry worldwide. Smith entered the world of completion bonds after having established a sterling reputation as a "highly bondable" producer.
MARGOT WINCHESTER
Margot Winchester is a producer, developer/ writer, and consultant in the entertainment industry. She has had a diversified career in television, syndication, video, interactive media and has developed and produced projects in both fictional and documentary television during the past 25 years. Recently she started a production company called PHILANTHROFILMS, devoted to producing films, videos and multi-media for non-profit organizations and corporations. She is also a consultant to a London research company, TAPE, representing their interests in the U.S. as well as consulting to Intelligent Life Inc., an internet game company. Most recently she produced a movie for CBS entitled, A Husband, A Wife and A Lover starring Judith Light and Jay Thomas. Prior to that, she produced a movie for ABC in association with Hearst entitled, Brotherhood Of Justice starring Keanu Reeves. During 1991-1995 Ms. Winchester was Vice President of Development for The Hemisphere Group, an international co-production company, a division of ABC/Disney. When the company closed, she produced a reality pilot for New World Television entitled THE CORONER’S REPORT. She has also worked as a producer/director on several syndicated shows including Reunion and Special Reports.
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