May 12th 2018 | 6-11pm

Best of NFMLA 2018

On Saturday, May 12th, 2018, join NFMLA and its Board of Directors to celebrate!

A spectacular night recognizing the best talent in independent cinema from around the globe.

The evening will honor 115 films, writers and performers, nominated in 15 Award categories including new media, animation, documentary and narrative. The nominees are largely comprised of films from the NFMLA diversity initiative, InFocus.

Schedule
6:00pm VIP Reception
6:30pm Red Carpet
7:00pm General Arrivals
8:00pm Awards Show
10:00pm After-Party

Check out the 'Best of NFMLA' nominees from our 11th film festival edition.

Feature

Winner

Where Florence Sleeps
Documentary Feature

Winner

Bobby Sands: 66 Days
Documentary Short

Winner

Charlie
New Media

Winner

Kinesthesia
Animated Short

Winner

Finishing Touches
Foreign Comedy Short

Winner

The Nation Holds Its Breath
Foreign Drama Short

Winner

Cocoon
Drama Short

Winner

GAME
Comedy Short

Winner

Don't Mess with Julie Whitfield
Screenplay

Winner

La Madre Buena (The Good Mother)
Performance, Drama

Winner

Delinquent
Performance, Comedy

Winner

The Sixth Lead

Tickets

Advance tickets until April 27
$75 VIP purchase (includes admission, food & drinks)
$50 General Admission Advance

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Best Screenplay

Brooke Purdy

Brooke Purdy

Quality Problems

Sin Hong Chan

Sin-Hong Chan

何日花再來 (Where Have the Flowers Gone?)

Pieter Goethals

Pieter Goethals

About the Boy Who Ate an Oakwood Chair

Sarah Clift

Sarah Clift

La Madre Buena (The Good Mother)

Tuan Le & John Bellina

John Bellina

Eventually

Douglas Cushnie

Douglas Cushnie

Neemkomok'

Jørgen Færøy Flasnes

Jørgen Færøy Flasnes

Generation Mars

Alex Hardy & Lizzie Mason

Alex Hardy & Elizabeth Mason

Soldier Bee

Ali Eagle & Dominique Roberts

Ali Eagle & Dominique Roberts

Emerald City

Edgar Baghdasaryan

Edgar Baghdasaryan

The Simon's Way

Best Short Foreign Film, Drama

Cocoon

Cocoon

Director: Liying Mei

Producer: Xu Zhang

Frigid

FRIGID

Director: Joe Kicak

Producer: Cat McCormick

Roxy

Roxy

Director: Emile Schlesser & Fabien Colas

Producer: Emile Schlesser

Generation Mars

Generation Mars

Director: Alexander Armas Turpin

Producer: Elisa Pirir Ruiz

2500KM

2500KM

Director: Daniela Arguello

Producer: Daniela Arguello

Neron

NERÓN (NERO)

Director: Rubin Stein

Producer: Rubin Stein

The Simon's Way

The Simon's Way

Director: Edgar Baghdasaryan

Producer: Ruben Jaginyan

My Cousin Klara

My Cousin Klara

Director: Aviva Neuman

Producer: Jorge A. Alfaro

Soldier Bee

Soldier Bee

Director: Alex Hardy

Producer: Cameron Wauchope

Emerald City

Emerald City

Director: Scott Coffey

Producer: Ali Eagle, Dominique Roberts & Edwina Forkin

Best Feature Film

How To Get Girls

How To Get Girls

Director: Omri Dorani & Zach Fox

Producer: NA

Knowing Nothing Cold

Knowing Nothing Cold

Director: Jeff Kao

Producer: Ali Hanson

Homestate

Homestate

Director: David Hickey

Producer: Blaise Miller

Where Florence Sleeps

Where Florence Sleeps

Director: Katsuto Kobayashi & Kenji Kobayashi

Producer: Hayato Mitsuishi

Quality Problems

Quality Problems

Director: Brooke & Doug Purdy

Producer: Jen Prince

Best Performance, Comedy

Zach Fox

Zach Fox

How to Get Girls

Brooke Purdy

Brooke Purdy

Quality Problems

Sam Keeley

Sam Keeley

The Nation Holds Its Breath

Brian George

Brian George

Fanny Pack

Rick Glassman

Rick Glassman

The Sixth Lead

Christine Nangle

Christine Nangle

So F*cking Happy For You

Whitney Rice

Whitney Rice

NAMCAR Night Race

Maya Ferrara

Maya Ferrara

Eventually

Henry van Roden

Henry van Roden

Eventually

Mary Elizabeth Ellis

Mary Elizabeth Ellis

Don't Mess With Julie Whitfield

Best Performance, Drama

Timmy Hart Barron

Timmy Hart Barron

Cry It Out

Blaise Miller

Blaise Miller

Homestate

Alex Shaffer

Alex Shaffer

Delinquent

Nitzia Chama

Nitzia Chama

Neemkomok'

Scarlet Moreno

Scarlet Moreno

Dolores

Kika Magalhães

Kika Magalhães

Leslie

Luke Bedsole

Luke Bedsole

Hush

Riley Bodenstab

Riley Bodenstab

The Road Between

Shauna Macdonald

Shauna Macdonald

Soldier Bee

William Lee

William Lee

The Cage

Best Documentary Feature Film

Bobby Sands

Bobby Sands: 66 Days

Director: Brendan Byrne

Producer: Trevor Birney

Delicate Balance

Frágil Equilibrio (Delicate Balance)

Director: Guillermo García López

Producer: Pedro González Kühn

Arlette

Arlette. Mut ist ein Muskel

Director: Florian Hoffmann

Producer: Peter Spoerri

Laddie

LADDIE: The Man Behind the Movies

Director: Amanda Ladd-Jones

Producer: Rich Buhrman

Do You Want It

Do U Want It?

Director: Josh Freund

Producer: Alex Mallonee

Best Short Film, Documentary

The Boxer

The Boxer

Director: Craig Cutler

Producer: Fela Cortes

Charlie

Charlie

Director: Kadri Koop

Producer: Kadri Koop

A Poem Of Glass And Steel

A Poem Of Glass And Steel

Director: Ryan Clancy

Producer: Ryan Clancy

Death Is My Last Chance

Paolo Pelosini: Death is My Last Chance

Director: Federico Possati

Producer: Giulia Trabaldo Togna

Soy Cubana

Soy Cubana

Director: Jeremy Ungar & Ivaylo Getov

Producer: Robin Miller Ungar

Cecil & Carl

Cecil & Carl

Director: Elvis Leon & Gastón Yvorra

Producer: Sasha Milonova

I Lived on Parker Avenue

I Lived on Parker Avenue

Philip Braun III

Producer: Benjamin Clapper

The Tables

The Tables

Director: Jon Bunning

Producer: Jon Bunning

Yi

Yi

Director: Jiacheng Xu

Producer: Lily Jiacheng Xu

The Duel

The Duel

Director: Sean David Christensen

Producer: Sean David Christensen

Best Short Film, Animated

The Bus Trip

The Bus Trip

Director: Sarah Gampel

Producer: Sarah Gampel

Where Have the Flowers Gone

何日花再來 (Where Have the Flowers Gone?)

Director: Sin-hong Chan

Producer: Sin-hong Chan

Angel

Angel

Director: Gregory Casares

Producer: Nicolas Burlet

The Meltdown

The Meltdown

Director: Connor Kerrigan

Producer: Connor Kerrigan

Space Face

Space Face and the Big Eye Crew

Director: Jose Alfredo Garcia & Coker Jones

Producer: Coker Jones

Contigo

Contigo

Director: Julia Quiceno

Producer: Julia Quiceno

Mosquito: The Bite of Passage

Mosquito: The Bite of Passage

Director: Brian Vincent Rhodes & Teng "Eric" Cheng

Producer: Ivan Bordas

Christopher Walken’s Coffee Shop

Christopher Walken’s Coffee Shop

Director: Leah Dubuc

Producer: Alan Snider

Bosatsu – Year of the Dragon

Bosatsu – Year of the Dragon

Director: Sid Ahl

Producer: Sid Ahl

Finishing Touches

Finishing Touches

Director: Jennifer Pham & Sarah Weaver

Producer: Jennifer Pham & Sarah Weaver

Best Short Foreign Film, Comedy

Quelle Vie

Quelle vie!

Director: Joakim Scheidegger

Producer: Joakim Scheidegger

The Nation Holds Its Breath

The Nation Holds Its Breath

Director: Kev Cahill

Producer: Joey Horvitz

Into The Ground

Into The Ground

Director: David Tuil

Producer: David Tuil

About the Boy who ate an Oakwood Chair

About the Boy Who Ate An Oakwood Chair

Director: Pieter Goethals

Producer: Pieter Goethals

The Machine

The Machine

Director: Adolfo Mena Cejas

Producer: Reynier Cepero

La Madre Buena (The Good Mother)

La Madre Buena (The Good Mother)

Director: Sarah Clift

Producer: Jorge Aguilera

The Little Truth

The Little Truth

Director: Stefan Mandachi

Producer: Stefan Mandachi

Is Sumiaty Going To Hell?

Is Sumiaty Going To Hell?

Director: Meshaal Aljaser

Producer: Ibrahim Mississippi

The Raisin

The Raisin

Director: Rob Carter

Producer: Sara Shulman

Cahide's Open Marriage

Cahide's Open Marriage

Director: Ali Kemal Guven

Producer: Seda Ozkaraca

Best Short Film, Comedy

Spaceman

SPACEMAN.

Director: Christopher Oliva

Producer: Caitlin Morris

Eventually

Eventually

Director: Tuan Le

Producer: Steve Stringer

Bastard

Bastard

Director: Joe Mackedanz

Producer: Joe Mackedanz

The Fat Panda

The Fat Panda

Director: Ante Cheng & Reeyaz Habib

Producer: Monica Johnson

Cups & Robbers

Cups & Robbers

Director: Jim Simone

Producer: NA

Garbage

Garbage

Director: Tayler Vee Robinson

Producer: Arne Gjetlen, Francesca Smith & Kristen Laffey

The Best and the Loneliest Days

The Best and the Loneliest Days

Director: Qianzhu Luo

Producer: Don Ohmer

Fanny Pack

Fanny Pack

Director: Uttera Singh

Producer: Isabel Marden

Companion

Companion

Director: Matt Ferrucci

Producer: Alain Uy & Nick Mouyiaris

Don't Mess With Julie Whitfield

Don't Mess With Julie Whitfield

Director: Amy Barham

Producer: Priyanka Mattoo

Best New Media

The Sixth Lead

The Sixth Lead

Director: Rick Glassman

Producer: Rick Glassman & Randall Winston

A Field Between

A Field Between

Director: Mundo Sisters

Producer: NA

Namcar Night Race

NAMCAR Night Race

Director: Lance Khazei

Producer: Lance Khazei

The Cage

The Cage

Director: Ricky Staub

Producer: Dan Walser

The Lonely Whale

The Lonely Whale

Director: Sophie Tabet

Producer: Julia Roth

Shadows Of My Mind

Shadows Of My Mind

Director: Peter Harton

Producer: Peter Harton

Sherry

Sherry

Director: Eliane Lima

Producer: Eliane Lima

Single Mother Only Daughter

Single Mother Only Daughter

Director: Ellie Wen

Producer: Ellie Wen

Long Term Parking

Long Term Parking

Director: Lance Oppenheim

Producer: Lance Oppenheim

Where We Begin

Where We Begin

Director: Mitsuyo Miyazaki

Producer: Peter Maestrey

Kinesthesia

Kinesthesia

Director: Jesse Atlas

Producer: Jon Arpino

Killing A Tree

Killing A Tree

Director: Beau Jamieson

Producer: Beau Jamieson

Best Short Film, Drama

Neemkomok

Neemkomok'

Director: Douglas Cushnie

Producer: Shanshan Sun

Waste

Waste

Director: Justine Raczkiewicz

Producer: Justine Raczkiewicz

Dolores

Dolores

Director: Scarlet Moreno

Producer: Scarlet Moreno

Game

GAME

Director: Jeannie Donohoe

Producer: Joey Horvitz

Death in a Day

Death in a Day

Director: Lin Wang

Producer: Lauren Brooks

Leslie

Leslie

Director: Alejandro Montoya

Producer: Alejandro Montoya

Hush

Hush

Director: Michael Foster

Producer: Eric Casalini

The Road Between

The Road Between

Director: Brett Sorem

Producer: Jake Eagle

Jimbo

JIMBO

Director: Rodrigo Zanforlin

Producer: Rodrigo Zanforlin

The Was

The Was

Director: Tui Asau

Producer: Adam Ryan Rennie, Elizabeth Haley, Tui Asau, Clayton Cardenas & Richard Cabral

Jury

Ana Maria Bahiana

Ana Maria Bahiana

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, writer, journalist and author Ana Maria Bahiana has worked in the entertainment industry out of Los Angeles for over two decades. She is the author of nine books on film, music and pop culture, and has translated and edited the Brazilian edition of Peter Biskind’s Easy Riders, Raging Bulls and Michael Herr’s Dispatches .In addition to her work as a journalist and author, Bahiana is a lecturer, curator and consultant for film-related projects. Her first project as writer/producer, 1972, was co-produced and distributed in Latin America by Buena Vista.

A Deputy Editor of the website goldenglobes.com, she is currently working on a book about Brazil and Hollywood, and a documentary about the cultural connections between Rio de Janeiro and Los Angeles.

Anna Marie De La Fuente

Anna Marie De La Fuente

Variety Magazine
Film Journalist

Anna Marie de la Fuente is Variety's Chief Latin America Writer.

Based in Los Angeles, she began her career in journalism while living in Madrid where she was the Spanish Bureau Chief for the Hollywood Reporter.

She moved to Los Angeles in 1996 where she became a freelance media writer contributing to the Los Angeles Times, Variety Deal Memo, Billboard and Broadcast among others.

In 1998, she was appointed Latin America Bureau Chief for London-based trade Screen International where she covered the Latin American entertainment industry until she joined Variety.

She has served as a juror in multiple international film festivals, including the festivals of Cartagena (Colombia), Lima (Peru), Cuenca (Ecuador) and Palm Springs.

Bettina Fisher

Bettina Fisher

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS)
Director of Education

Bettina Fisher, Director of Educational Initiatives, currently leads all education programs for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She is responsible for the Academy’s public education and teacher professional development workshops, Media Literacy Program for middle school and high school students, the Academy’s Visiting Artist and Tours Program, as well as the panels and workshops for the Academy Gold internship enhancement and mentorship program. She’s also working to expand the Academy’s national education outreach initiatives, including the development of new online classroom curriculum for teachers.

In 2015, Bettina launched the Academy’s first annual Careers in Film Summit, an educational program to inform youth about the vast jobs in the film industry. Held in Los Angeles, California, the day-long event features industry panels on various careers. The program has now expanded to London as well as New York with half-day programs.

Carlos Aguilar

Carlos Aguilar

IndieWire, Variety Latino & MovieMaker Magazine
Film Journalist

Originally from Mexico City, Carlos Aguilar was chosen as one of 6 young film critics to partake in the first Roger Ebert Fellowship organized by RogerEbert.com, the Sundance Institute and Indiewire in 2014. Aguilar’s work has appeared in prestigious publications such as Indiewire, RogerEbert.com, MovieMaker Magazine, Remezcla Filmmaker Magazine, Variety Latino, Slate, Bustle, Americas Quarterly, among others.

Besides his work in journalism, Aguilar regularly works as a screener for the Sundance Film Festival and a screenplay reader for Sundance’s Screenwriters Lab. Carlos Aguilar has also been on the jury at renowned festivals such the Palm Springs International Film Festival, the Gasparilla International Film Festival, the Louisiana International Film Festival, and the Los Angeles Indian Film Festival. He attributes his all-consuming passion for storytelling to his mother’s love for European films. Aguilar currently co-hosts, One Week Only, a weekly podcast highlighting independent and international cinema. He also regularly participates in panel discussions about the importance of people of color in film criticism and his experience as a DACA recipient working in the film industry.

Casey Minella

Casey Minella

Circle of Confusion
Film Literary Coordinator

Casey is currently the Film Coordinator at Circle of Confusion, a feature film & television production and management company with offices in NY and LA. She has also worked for an Academy Award winning Producer, and previously worked in TV and Film development for director/producer team Star Thrower Entertainment (THE POST, LBJ, JAMESY BOY), writer/director Josh Greenbaum (BEHIND THE MASK, THE SHORT GAME), and VP of Federation Ent (MARSEILLE). Casey graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in Television Studies, triple minored in Business, Communication, and Visual Studies. She dreams more than she sleeps.

Credits: BUSHWICK BEATS, MAYHEM, UNTITLED CHATEAU MARMONT DOCUMENTARY

Christine Davila

Christine Davila

Warner Bros: Stage 13
Creative Executive

Christine Dávila is currently a Creative Executive at Stage 13, a new, original, digital-first content brand of Warner Bros. Digital Networks. In this role she develops short-form episodic series like I Love Bekka and Lucy, which was the first digital series to ever screen at the SXSW Film Festival in 2017, and is currently being distributed online. Other shows include the critically acclaimed horror anthology series, Two Sentence Horror Stories, the upcoming action grindhouse series, La Quinceañera and comedy series,Incredible Life of Darrell. Prior to Stage 13, Davila established and ran the U.S. non-profit, Ambulante California, a traveling documentary film festival that originated in Mexico by Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal. She has over twelve years of experience in film programming at various top-notch festivals like Sundance Film Festival, where she has been a Programming Associate since 2008. Dávila is also a Programmer at the Curaçao International Film Festival Rotterdam, which focuses on discovering emerging Caribbean filmmakers. She tracks American Latino films and filmmakers, and the independent film festival scene on her blog chicanafromchicago.com.

Clint Bowie

Clint Bowie

New Orleans Film Society / Film Festival
Director of Programming

Clint Bowie is the Artistic Director of the New Orleans Film Society, where he has worked since 2010. In this role, he oversees the curation of content for all of the organization's year-round programming, including the Academy Award-qualifying New Orleans Film Festival, now in its 28th year. He also works with the organization's filmmaker development programs, including the Southern Producers Lab and the Emerging Voices Mentorship Program.

He has spoken on panels at the 2018 Center for Asian American Media Artists Convening; 2017 Champs-Élysées Film Festival in Paris; the 2016 Palm Springs International ShortFest; the 2015 ArtHouse Convergence conference in Utah; and has served on juries at the 2017 Atlanta Film Festival, 2017 River Run International Film Festival, 2016 Cleveland International Film Festival, 2015 Florida Film Festival, 2014 Dallas International Film Festival, the 2013 Denver Film Festival, and others.

He is a graduate of the University of Chicago, and before working in film was a print journalist, having worked at both daily and weekly newspapers around the country. He currently sits on the board of directors for the Film Festival Alliance, a professional organization of film festival organizers, founded as a program of the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP).

Deborah Del Prete

Deborah Del Pretee

Coronet Films
Producer

Deborah Del Prete is a veteran film producer. Her many producing credits include the hit Columbia Pictures comedy THE WEDDING PLANNER, starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey; Lionsgate’s THE SPIRIT, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Mendes, and Scarlett Johansson; GREEN STREET HOOLIGANS, starring Elijah Wood and Charlie Hunnam, winner of the SXSW Audience and Grand Jury Prizes; GREEN STREET 2, starring Ross McCall; Dimension’s BURIED ALIVE, starring Tobin Bell; the romantic comedy SUBURBAN GIRL, starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Alec Baldwin, based on the best-seller Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing; and the creature feature LIVING HELL for The SyFy Channel.

Under the label Coronet Films, she produced the film LIFTED, directed by Academy Award nominee Lexi Alexander, THE SUBMARINE KID, starring Emilie De Ravin and Finn Wittrock, and two recently completed films, LOCATING SILVER LAKE, starring Josh Peck and Aubrey Peeples and THE PAY UP, starring Scott Adkins and Louis Mandylor. In addition, Del Prete served as executive producer on Paramount Classic’s MEAN CREAK, starring Rory Culkin, which won both an Independent Spirit Award and a Humanitas Award; THE OPEN ROAD, starring Jeff Bridges, Justin Timberlake, and Kate Mara; Lionsgate’s FROM PRADA TO NADA, starring Camilla Belle and Alexa Vega; HBO’S HOSTILE INTENT, starring Rob Lowe; and ENDER’S GAME, starring Harrison Ford, Viola Davis, and Asa Butterfield for Summit/Lionsgate Entertainment.

Drew Tewksbury

Drew Tewksbury

GOOD Media
Contributing Editor

Drew Tewksbury is a Los Angeles-based cultural journalist, editor, photographer, and multimedia producer. He is currently a contributing editor at GOOD Media. Until 2017, Tewksbury was the managing editor of LA Weekly, Los Angeles' second largest newspaper and online platform. From 2012-2016, he was the managing editor / co-producer for KCET-TV's Artbound, an arts journalism online publication and Emmy-winning television show providing in-depth arts/culture coverage of 11 counties in Southern California as well as Northern Mexico. As a journalist, Tewksbury has written and reported feature articles or radio pieces for: NPR, Playboy, Time Magazine, Forbes, Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, KPCC Southern California Public Radio, NME, Billboard Magazine, Hollywood Reporter, among other publications. As an educator, Tewksbury has taught Entertainment Journalism at University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

Emily Best

Emily Best

Seed&Spark
Founder and CEO

Emily Best is the founder and CEO of Seed & Spark, an entertainment platform built to increase diversity and inclusion for filmmakers and audiences. Seed & Spark’s curated streaming platform is fed by its crowdfunding platform, which has the highest campaign success rate in the world. In 2011, she produced the feature film, Like the Water, starring Caitlin FitzGerald (Masters of Sex, UnREAL). Since then she has served as executive producer on a host of film and virtual reality projects that have played at festivals from Sundance to SXSW to Tribeca and beyond. Most recently she co-created and co-directed the web series F*ck Yes!, which Refinery 29 called, "The sex education you wish you had in high school." Emily was named a 2013 Indiewire Influencer, a 2014 New York Woman of Influence, was included on the 2015 Upstart 100 list, and graduated from the 2016 class of Techstars Boston. She has raised millions of dollars in traditional funding, equity crowdfunding, and rewards based crowdfunding, and contributed to over 300 crowdfunding campaigns to date.

Eroll Bilibani

Eroll Bilibani

DokuFest
Executive Director

Eroll Bilibani is a film producer, photographer and communications manager – currently the executive director of DokuFest, Prizren Kosovo. He is extensively involved in developing programs that use cinema and storytelling as platforms for social change, through creative educational packages designed to inspire young people. He is also involved in the promotion of documentary cinema in rural villages of Kosovo through DokuFest’s traveling cinema “Cinema at Your Door”.

In 2014 “New Europe 100” an initiative of Google, Res Publica, Visegrad Fund and the Financial Times, enlisted Eroll amongst 100 people who have inspired change in Central and Eastern Europe.

Jon Gann

Jon Gann

Reel Plan
Founder, Festival Consultant

Jon Gann is the a force in the film festival world, having created, consulted with and fostered dozens of events around the globe. In the past year, he has worked on AFI Docs, Key West FF, DC Environmental FF, Bermuda International FF, Port Townsend FF, SF IndieFest and the Woods Hole FF. He is a founding Board Member of the Film Festival Alliance, the first organization to professionalize the festival space, and sits on the Advisory Board at George Mason University’s School of Film & Video Studies.

Jon is the Founder of DC Shorts, a non-profit organization championing short filmmaking, and the creator of the DC Shorts Film Festival, one of the country’s premier short film showcases. He has also served as the Executive Director of CINE, a 60-year old organization that honors the best in film, TV and digital media with the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle Award.

Kelly Parker

Kelly Parker

Columbia College Hollywood & Independent Producer
VP

Kelly Parker, Vice President of Student Affairs for Columbia College Hollywood and Tribeca Flashpoint College in Chicago, IL leads both colleges' departments responsible for student services, career development, entertainment internships, career fairs, and guest speakers. Her team puts on an annual Student Film Festival to showcase emerging talent and introduce students and graduates to the entertainment industry. Kelly is a Chicago native who started her career as an actor and casting director for the stage and screen. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2017, outside of education, she has centered her focus on producing. Kelly is endlessly inspired by the amazing students on both her campuses, along with the creative minds she gets to collaborate with each and every day. She looks forward to continuing raising awareness for gender equality and global diversity in education and the entertainment industry.

Kristen Konvitz

Kristen Konvitz

ICM Partners - International & Independent Film

KRISTEN KONVITZ is an agent in the International and Independent film group at ICM Partners. She was most recently the Head of Production for New York-based film fund and production company, Stay Gold Features. Their first film was Sundance breakout, PATTI CAKE$ which sold in an all-night bidding war to Fox Searchlight. Other productions include David Robert Mitchell's upcoming UNDER THE SILVER LAKE to be released by A24 and SXSW award winner, THE STRANGE ONES.

Previous to Stay Gold, she was Director of Film for the world's largest crowdfunding platform, Indiegogo, where she was instrumental in transforming the platform from a virtual unknown in the film space. Prior to joining Indiegogo, she spent 6 years in acquisitions and production at Wild Bunch, one of the leading independent film sales, financing & distribution companies - working on films such as THE WRESTLER, TWO LOVERS and BACHELORETTE. She began her career working in acquisitions at The Weinstein Company and made the transition to Wild Bunch to assist in opening its first U.S. office. Kristen holds a B.S. in media studies from New York University and an M.F.A. in film producing from Columbia University.

Liam Oznowich

Liam Oznowich

Abrams Artists Agency
Assistant Agent

Liam Oznowich is an Agent-In-Training at Abrams Artists Agency, working in the Film/TV literary department. After graduating from Oberlin College with a degree in film, he worked in film and TV development before transitioning over to the agency world.

Liz Manashil

Liz Manashil

Sundance Institute
Manager of Creative Distribution Initiative

Liz Manashil earned her B.A. in Film and Media Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, and her M.F.A. from USC's School of Cinematic Arts. Post graduation, Liz spent several years as a film critic for the PBS/Hulu series JUST SEEN IT (which she also helped produce and direct). Overlapping this, Liz worked with distribution guru Peter Broderick. Her debut feature, BREAD AND BUTTER, was called “an absolute must-watch for women everywhere” by HelloGiggles. It was released by The Orchard and can be seen on VOD nearly everywhere (including Hulu!). Liz is currently in post-production on her second feature film, SPEED OF LIFE, and lives in Los Angeles with her dog, Laura Palmer, and her partner, Sean Wright. She is the Manager of Sundance Institute’s Creative Distribution Initiative.

Lynnette Gryseels

Lynnette Gryseels

Film Collaborative
Director of Fiscal Sponsorship

Lynnette is passionate about film and helping filmmakers tell thought provoking stories that entertain, stimulate social change and support their filmmaking aspirations. Lynnette holds a BA in Film Studies and another in Media Studies and has a long history of working with notable film organizations such as the American Film Institute, Film Arts Foundation, Women in Film, Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, AFI Fest, and Hot Docs International Documentary Festival. Lynnette assists filmmakers in learning their craft through educational program design and project development support. At the Film Collaborative she developed and launched the fiscal sponsorship program and regularly advises filmmakers on fundraising strategies and sources, audience development and film distribution strategies during the development and production process of filmmaking.

Marina Moyses

Marina Moyses

APA Agency
Agent

Marina Moyses is an agent in APA's physical production department. She reps below the line department heads and is particularly passionate about discovering and developing diverse voices from all backgrounds in the physical production space. Originally from Sao Paulo, Brazil, Marina received her bachelor's degree in Communications, Radio and Television from Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado, Brazil’s top film school. She furthered her studies in Business Management of Entertainment and Production at UCLA. While a student in Los Angeles, she interned at Lionsgate Entertainment, eOne Entertainment and Untitled Entertainment. Prior to moving to the United States, she was a producer on a comedy TV show where she quickly discovered her passion for production. Marina began her career at APA as an assistant to the Co-Head of the physical production department and was promoted to the department coordinator shortly thereafter. After continuing to prove herself and rapidly rising through the ranks, she was elevated to agent.

Mitch Klebanoff

Mitch Klebanoff

Filmmaker/Writer

Mitch Klebanoff has sold nearly 40 Film and TV projects, working for Warner Brothers, United Artists, Universal Pictures, MGM, TriStar, Sony, Paramount, Disney Live Action and Disney Animation as a screenwriter. As a producer, he’s produced films in L.A. Vancouver and South Korea and 40 episodes of television for the Disney Channel.

His writing work led to the produced films: Oceans 11, Beverly Hills Ninja, The Dancing Ninja, Disorderlies, 36 Hours to Die and There Goes The Neighborhood. He’s consulted on many more, including A Cinderella Story, The Crush and others.

Noam Dromi

Noam Dromi

Legion of Creatives
Co-President

Noam Dromi is the President of Legion of Creatives (LOC), a fully integrated multimedia entertainment studio specializing in scripted and unscripted digital first programming that targets underserved audiences.

A veteran writer/producer, marketing executive and digital strategist, he specializes in cross platform content development and production for media companies, consumer brands and non-profits.

Noam is the winner of the 2015 Creative Arts Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media for his work with the Fox Broadcasting Company as producer of the Sleepy Hollow Virtual Reality Experience. He co-wrote the Warner Bros/Alcon Entertainment film Dolphin Tale starring Morgan Freeman, Harry Connick Jr & Ashley Judd. The film grossed $100 million at the worldwide box office.

Ranell Shuber

Ranell Shuber

International Documentary Association (IDA)
Programs Manager

Ranell Shubert is the Educational Programs Manager at the International Documentary Association (IDA) in Los Angeles, a membership organization dedicated to serving documentary filmmakers, artists and activists. She provides essential programming and operational support for IDA’s educational and conference programming. Ranell has managed IDA’s Conversation Series, showcasing interviews with prominent filmmakers; Master Classes, workshops about documentary storytelling and craft; What’s New sessions, spotlighting nonfiction leaders in the entertainment industry; and technical and virtual reality workshops. She has participated in planning and managing the IDA Getting Real Documentary Filmmaker Conference (2014, 2016 and 2018). She also manages IDA’s summer Internship program and serves as a mentor and advisor for international film festivals and markets. She received her BA in Film and Video at Columbia College Chicago with a focus in documentary film production.

Susie Kim

Susie Kim

NFMLA Co-Founder & Artistic Director, BiFrost Media Co-Founder & Producer

A Hollywood native born to Korean immigrants, Susie Kim is the Co-founder and Artistic Director of NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA), and wrapping up her position as Director of Programming after 11 years. She has dedicated most of her professional life working together with brands and organizations on initiatives that focus on supporting the arts and inclusion of all, including her brainchild, the NFMLA InFocus diversity program.

A world traveler, Susie shares her discoveries of emerging talent by producing innovative projects and experiences for the public. On her current documentary project, 'Into the Aurora', Susie is working with NASA, the Reykjavik University and the University of Puerto Rico around the cultural and scientific understandings of the aurora borealis.

Thom Geier

Thom Geier

TheWrap
Journalist

Thom Geier is an award-winning journalist who currently serves as Managing Editor of TheWrap News. He previously served as a senior editor at Entertainment Weekly for a dozen years, overseeing film and Oscar coverage among other areas of expertise. He served as a news editor there and before that as a film reporter at The Hollywood Reporter.

Timur Bekbosunov

Timur Bekbosunov

ACE Pictures
Associate Producer

Kazakh-American performing artist and film producer Timur Bekbosunov has recently worked with LA Philharmonic, LA Opera, American Repertory Theater, Budapest Palace of the Arts, Bang on a Can All-Stars and Prototype Festival NYC. His solo projects have appeared on many diverse platforms including BAM 2016 Next Wave Festival, Operadagen Rotterdam, REDCAT Theater, America's Got Talent, and Miami Light Project. In 2017, he became a creative director of ACE Pictures Entertainment, an investment company of Malaysian-based conglomerate ACE Group. The company is now funding three films in Hollywood, including "M for Magic" documentary about The Magic Castle, prison-drama "Clemency" starring Alfre Woodard, and a psychological thriller "Daniel" produced by SpectreVision.

Art Show

Art Show

How do you Dream?

PAST | FUTURE | NOW

With it's culturally diverse network of artistic communities and education, Los Angeles provides a unique space for innovation and the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive. It's foundation recognizes the legacy of the film and TV industry in Hollywood and its influence in the arts. As the creative capital of the world, LA leads the nation in the economy of the creative sector with one of every six people employed in a creative field. With so much possibility, is it any wonder that creators from around the world flock to LA to pursue their dreams?

Curators:

Jason Little | HFPA
Susie Ran Kim | NFMLA + Program12
Lynn Park Charveriat | The Untitled Art Gallery

PAST

Curated by Jason Little Hollywood Foreign Press Association

A nostalgic journey of the Golden Globes and the work of the HPFA foundation.

PRESENT

Curated by Susie Ran Kim NFMLA + Program12

(Photography)
Behind the scenes
Contributors:
Film LA
Deluxe with The American Society of Cinematographers
Canon
The Camera Division

(Paintings)
Julia Silverhoof
Lena Moross

(Environmental)
Michael Lin Design | Camerich LA

FUTURE

DREAMS A LA LAND Group ART Exhibition
Curated by Lynn Park Charveriat The Untitled Art Gallery

Contributors:
Juan Carlos Rivera (AR - Need image to include in program design)
Lynn Park Charveriat -Need painting of Lynns with Juan's AR piece
Christopher Charveriat
Eric Leiser
Igor Gusex
Adam Handler
Eric Leiser
Juan Carlos Rivera (AR - Need image to include in program design)
Brian Schwary

Board Members

Daniel Fisher

Daniel Fisher

Dan serves as Vice President of Acquisitions at Freestyle Digital Media. His previous posts include Senior Director of Acquisitions at Gravitas Ventures, Director of Worldwide Acquisitions at Entertainment One, and Assistant to James D. Stern at Endgame Entertainment. His acquisitions include Buddymoon, Folk Hero and Funny Guy, Billionaire Ransom, American Anarchist, and 11:55. Dan holds a master’s degree in film studies from The School of Cinematic Arts at USC and a bachelor’s degree in art history from he University of Notre Dame. He is a board member of New Filmmakers Los Angeles and teaches a course in the business of entertainment at UCLA Extension.

Danny De Lillo

Danny De Lillo

David Quan

David Quan

David is an independent filmmaker and screenwriter who daylights as the Director of Video Production for Blueprint Test Preparation, an LA-based educational company specializing in online higher education. He studied film at the University of North Texas where he gained a deep appreciation for documentary and non-fiction cinema.

He has worn multiple hats for NewFilmmakers Los Angeles, as an intern, Festival Consultant, and Screening Committee member. Currently he directs and produces their monthly Stage 5 interview series, featuring in-depth conversations with emerging local and international artists, which also serves as an educational opportunity for aspiring student filmmakers to gain valuable on-set experience.

Demian Lichtenstein

Demian Lichtenstein

Demian Lichtenstein is an international best selling author of Discover the Gift, a prodigious producer, director and writer with over 250 major media and music videos to his credit such as Sting, Eric Clapton, and Queen Latifah as well as feature films such as 3000 Miles To Graceland starring Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell. Demian is also a writer, producer, and director in the Video Game industry, with #1 hits such as the successful PAYDAY 1 & 2 video game franchise / Net TV series. Demian has built and sold five media, VR and gaming companies. During his tenure as US Studio Head for Starbreeze, Demian oversaw Production on the John Wick Chronicles VR Video Game, the Walking Dead VR Experience as well as Producing and Directing the PAYDAY Live Action 360 VR Experience. Currently Demian is building his new venture, Futurism: Where Technology and Entertainment meet.

Franco Sama

Franco Sama

Independent feature film producer Franco Sama boasts a remarkable and extensive history in public speaking, public relations and a decade of independent film development, production and financing.

Sama has Executive Produced an impressive array of over twenty (20) independent feature films including most notably, “Guns, Girls and Gambling” starring Academy Award Winner Gary Oldman, Christian Slater and Dane Cook which is quickly becoming a cult favorite; this film was released into theatres on December of 2012 and, in January 2013, acquired a worldwide distribution deal from Universal Pictures.

Other films Sama has produced include; “Black Limousine” starring David Arquette and Vivica Fox, “Tooth and Nail” starring Michael Madsen and Vinnie Jones, "Paid," starring Corbin Bernsen and Tom Conti and “The Penitent Man,” starring “The Terminator’s” Lance Henriksen. Sama also serves as Executive Producer on the film festival darling “Petunia” starring Thora Birch, Brittany Snow and Academy Award Winner Christine Lahti.

John W. Fagerholm

John W. Fagerholm

Margaret Wu

Margaret Wu

Margaret is the founder of 3 Dots Entertainment that develops, produces and promotes content with focus on China-U.S. It also develops education programs on filmmaking for the China market.

3 Dots Entertainment is currently producing The Genesis Game, a feature documentary on artificial intelligent music. It is also responsible for the marketing/promotion of Better Angels, a feature documentary that focuses on the U.S. - China relationship. The movie is directed by a two-time Academy Award winning director, Malcolm Clarke and is set to be released in China and U.S. in 2018.

Before 3 Dots Entertainment, Margaret was a veteran in the advertising industry with over 20 years of experience in the U.S. and Asia-Pacific where she worked with blue chip clients such as Pepsi, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, General Motors, L’Oreal, American Express across different disciplines in different regions. Under her supervision, many of them were award-winning campaigns that produced tangible results. She was nominated by Campaign Magazine for “Account Person of the Year” in 2010 and 2011. She was also named one of the “Best Performing Professionals in Advertising in Asia-Pacific” by R3, a highly regarded brand consulting company in Asia. Having lived in China for 11 years, Margaret has a deep understanding of the country. She now lives in Los Angeles and still travels frequently to China for cross-border initiatives.

Steven J. Wolfe

Steven J. Wolfe

STEVEN J. WOLFE (Producer) is a seasoned film producer and President of Sneak Preview Entertainment, a production and talent management company he founded almost 25 yearsago. Steven has produced a diverse range of films throughout his career including Golden Globe® Best Picture nominee 500 Days of Summer starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt; Our Family Wedding with Forest Whitaker and America Ferrara, David E. Talbert's Baggage Claim, Phat Girlz starring Mo’Nique, A Dennis the Menace Christmas; Twin Falls Idaho and the Sundance Film Festival hit Relax, it’s Just Sex! starring Jennifer Tilly, Lori Petty and Mitchell Anderson.

Wolfe recently produced a musical re-imagining of the 1983 classic, Valley Girl with Matt Smith for MGM as well as acclaimed writer-director Alan Rudolph's Ray Meets Helen and writer-director Nnegest Likke's Everything But a Man, which is currently winning awards on the festival circuit. His vast list of producing credits such diverse films Miss March, The Secret Lives of Dorks, Tollbooth, Fast Sofa, When Do We Eat?, Beautiful Loser, Civilization of Maxwell Bright, Hellbent, Circuit, The Clean & Narrow, Bird of Prey, Only You, Scorchers and My Mom’s a Werewolf.

Varda Bar-Kar

Varda Bar-Kar

Varda Bark-Kar is a world traveler and an award-winning film director based in Santa Monica, California. Varda got her start in film production working as a Script Supervisor for maverick feature directors like Jim Jarmusch, Wayne Wang and Carrol Ballard. Varda’s short and long form films explore the breadth of the human condition. Her most recent feature documentary Big Voice chronicles a challenging year in the life of a determined high school choir director and his most advanced ensemble. Big Voice won the “Best U.S. Premiere” at the Heartland Film Festival, “Best Documentary” at New Filmmakers Los Angeles and “Best Family Documentary” at the South Dakota Film Festival. Netflix picked up Big Voice for distribution, and a broadcast version of the documentary is now airing on PBS stations across the United States.

Currently, Varda is in pre-production on the feature documentary Fandango At The Wall which will weave together music, dance and nature imagery to tell the stories of local musicians who gather once a year on the border of Tijuana and San Diego to celebrate family, community, and culture with a style of dance called fandango and music called son jarocho. During the festival the musicians and their families are inches apart but often unable to cross the international border.

Varda Co-Chairs the board of New Filmmaker Los Angeles, and a member of Film Independent, the Alliance of Women Directors & Film Fatales.

William Swann

William Swann

William currently heads entertainment for BBH-LA, the development arm of the global creative agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty. He has over a decade of experience in the studio space, including work at Disney and The Weinstein Company. He then went on to helm the content strategy for Coca-Cola Europe as their Content Director. William understands how brands need to align in partnership with Hollywood to execute prestige content to meet marketing objectives. During his tenure at the TWC, he managed all brand relations for the 13 time Emmy-nominated series Project Runway and all feature films, including The Artist, My Week With Marilyn, Silver Linings Playbook, Django Unchained, The Kings Speech, and more. While at Coca-Cola, he won a gold Cannes Lion for his first marketing campaign.

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