Curtiss Clayton

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“RICK”

Directed by Curtiss Clayton

Written by Daniel Handler

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Michael Roban Jeremy Walker/Christine Richardson CONTENTFILM JEREMY WALKER + ASSOCIATES 419 Lafayette Street, 7th Fl. 171 West 80th Street, #1 New York, NY 10001 New York, NY 10024 T: 646-602-5700 T: 212-595-6161 THE CAST

BILL PULLMAN...... Rick AARON STANFORD...... Duke AGNES BRUCKNER...... Eve SANDRA OH...... Michelle DYLAN BAKER...... Buck PAZ DE LA HUERTA...... Vicki MARIANNE HAGEN...... Laura EMMANUELLE CHRIQUI...... Duke’s long-suffering wife THE FILMMAKERS

Director...... Curtiss Clayton Written by...... Daniel Handler Producers...... Ruth Charny ...... Jim Czarnecki ...... Sofia Sondervan Executive Producers...... Edward R. Pressman ...... John Schmidt Director of Photography...... Lisa Rinzler Editor...... Curtiss Clayton Costume Designer...... Alysia Raycraft Casting by...... Amanda Mackey About The Story

Rick (Bill Pullman) is the sort of guy you probably once really liked: A devoted husband and a loving father, he lives in a lavish Park Avenue apartment paid for by a high-powered corporate job. He has a sharp sense of humor and enjoys a cold, well-prepared martini.

But the world’s gone wrong for Rick. His wife is dead. His teenage daughter Eve (Agnes Bruckner) is distant as she approaches womanhood. His job gets more and more degrading with each passing day: his young boss Duke (Aaron Stanford) is an aggressive punk who forces Rick – literally – to his knees, and spends his time talking dirty in Internet chat rooms, while Rick has to do the dirty work. And it seems you can’t even have a martini in this town without getting a curse from an enemy…or a sinister proposal from an old friend.

No wonder his sense of humor is getting a little nasty.

A satirical look at today’s increasingly sinister corporate world, “Rick” marks the directorial debut for Curtiss Clayton, who is perhaps best known for his work as the editor on films by Gus Van Sant. Clayton directs the film from Daniel Handler’s original screenplay.

Rick works at Image, the kind of Wall Street company that might have flourished at the turn of the millenium but is struggling today, stuck in a decaying universe of cathedral ceilings, marble lobbies and wood- paneled corner offices. As “Rick” opens, our hero, perhaps an echo of the self-loathing Manhattan executive once conjured by writers like John Cheever, interviews a woman hoping for a job at Image: Rick is looking for a new assistant. But instead of interviewing the applicant, Michelle (Sandra Oh), Rick badgers and humiliates her, finally throwing her out of his office, as disgusted with her as he is with himself.

That evening, after work, Rick gives a blow-by-blow of the interview to Duke, over a round of martinis served by…Michelle, the object of that morning’s humiliation. When Michelle refuses to serve Rick and Duke, she’s fired on the spot, and she retaliates by cursing Rick: “You are an evil person with an evil soul, and it will come right back at you.”

When Duke leaves the bar, Rick is approached by Buck (Dylan Baker), and old buddy from business school who has found a lucrative niche in the new corporate economy, “taking the rat race to a new level.” Not until the next morning, when Rick receives news of the mysterious death of a high-profile Wall Street executive, does it dawn on Rick that Buck has offered, for a price, to murder the young, brash Duke.

As the atmosphere at Image becomes increasingly nightmarish as the office Christmas party approaches, a murder scheme seems like a sick joke. But Rick’s always liked jokes, and by the time he learns that Duke has been seducing Eve in the chatrooms, he’s ready to make the call.

Duke has grand plans for the party: a big speech to the troops, and an in-person meeting with Eve once the celebration gets into full swing. But Rick has a plan of his own. As the slogan says in Image’s lobby: We Can Do This. ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

“Rick” marks the feature directorial debut for Curtiss Clayton, who has worked as a film editor on over twenty features including Gus Van Sant’s “Drugstore Cowboy,” “My Own Private Idaho” and “To Die For.” He has also edited such films as Vincent Gallo’s “Buffalo '66,” Jonathan Kaplan’s “Brokedown Palace,” Lisa Krueger’s “Committed” and Jon Favreau’s “Made.”

“Rick” was shot in March and April, 2003 on location all over New York City, from the canyons of Wall Street to the Waldorf Astoria to the brownstones of Harlem to the high-tech bar Remote Lounge to the legendary restaurant Lespinasse, at the St. Regis Hotel, shortly before it closed its gilded doors. It is the third ContentFilm production to be shot in New York in the last year.

For Clayton, shooting “Rick” on location in New York was essential to both telling the story properly.

“I think the unusual look of the film is a direct result of the stimulating New York environment,” Clayton says. “The very first day I arrived for pre-production I took a walk around the Wall Street area and the expressionistic ‘Fountainhead’ concept for the film came together for me. It was easy after that to make decisions about what locations, actors and even crew people were right for the production because that particular aspect of the city's character defined what I was looking for. I think Daniel Handler instinctively knew this when he set the story in New York, and I think that the film would be quite ordinary were it set anywhere else.” On those early location scouts, it dawned on Clayton that Wall Street, in this post-September 11th world of zero-growth economy and mass layoffs, was on the verge of becoming what he calls an “urban ruin.”

Along with cinematographer Lisa Rinzler, whose credits include “Pollock,” “Three Seasons,” “Dead Presidents” and “Menace II Society,” Clayton set out to avoid “the typical look of a film set in the business world, which usually involves modern glass skyscrapers and sleek preppy types in three-piece suits,” he explains. “It was important for me that the film seem dislocated in time, even though it's clearly set in the present day. I wanted the environments to express something of the way capitalists see themselves, and when you look at the monumental buildings that were constructed in Lower Manhattan in the twenties, it's clear that their owners thought of themselves as royalty. But there's also something ghostly about them -- the companies that originally inhabited them are long gone and the buildings are either refurbished or partially abandoned, so even though they're still being used there's an anachronistic quality about them.

“To me, their atmosphere of ruined grandeur evoked the corruption at the heart of the capitalist system, which is such an important idea in ‘Rick.’”

Once the “marble mausoleum” of Rick’s workplace was established, the filmmakers were faced with the challenge of finding a space where the plot and tone of the film could take a deadly turn: the bar where Michelle curses Rick and he meets Buck for the first time. Says Clayton, “I wanted the bar to be over-the-top futuristic, to dislocate the audience and thwart their expectations. Remote Lounge is a place that feels unreal yet actually exists in New York City. I found the voyeuristic atmosphere of the place to be really useful, because it amplifies the paranoia that Rick is feeling. Anyone who's thinking about doing something forbidden feels that everyone around them can read their thoughts. At Remote Lounge it seems like the whole place has its eyes on you.”

During that first scene between Rick and Buck, careful viewers will notice a short, violent clip from Mary Harron’s acclaimed film “American Psycho” bursts across the Remote Lounge’s TV monitors. “It’s a little joke, of course,” says Clayton. “Seconds after declaring Buck to be a psychopath, Rick is confronted with an image of what he'd like to do to Duke. The more we try to repress our fears and desires, the more urgently they leap into our consciousness.”

Then Clayton adds, “We also have a clip from ‘Santa Claus Conquers the Martians,’ which contains the real key to the film.”

In addition to directing “Rick,” Clayton has also served as the film’s editor, double-duty he wouldn’t recommend to all directors. “Speaking as an editor who’s worked with a number of really talented filmmakers, my general feeling is that if a director doesn't have a background as an editor, he or she shouldn't try to edit their own movies, any more than I should try to light a set.

“One of the main reasons I wanted to direct a film is so that I could edit it myself,” Clayton continues. “I can't think of a more satisfying creative activity, especially after the intense, exhausting experience of working with so many people on the set and in pre-production. After so many years of editing movies, I'm really not able to separate my directing mind from my editing mind; all my decisions on the set were guided by my expectation of what I would do in the cutting room and my knowledge of what is possible in editing. But I think I made the right decision to do my own editing, and hopefully the results confirm that.”

“Rick” is produced by Ruth Charny and Jim Czarnecki with ContentFilm’s Edward R. Pressman, John Schmidt and Sofia Sondervan serving as executive producers. ABOUT THE CAST

BILL PULLMAN – “Rick”

Born in Hornell, New York to parents in the medical profession, Bill is one of seven children. While most of his siblings followed in their parents’ footsteps, Bill abandoned technical school for drama and earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in directing from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Bill went on to produce plays and teach at Montana State University, where he ran their theatre department for two years.

Following his stint in Montana, Bill worked for several years in New York studying acting and performing in Off-Broadway and regional theatres. He then came to California to work with the Los Angeles Theatre Center and soon made his debut in feature films with the hit comedy RUTHLESS PEOPLE.

Bill Pullman’s ability to play a wide range has led him to star in such diverse roles as the President of the United States in the world-wide blockbuster INDEPENDENCE DAY, as an eccentric private detective in the critically acclaimed ZERO EFFECT, and as the troubled musician in David Lynch’s LOST HIGHWAY, to name a few.

Bill starred opposite Bridget Fonda in the comedic thriller LAKE PLACID (Twentieth Century Fox / written by David E. Kelley) for director Steve Minor, LUCKY NUMBERS with John Travolta, for director Nora Ephron and THE GULITY for director Anthony Waller. Bill also starred in the political thriller BROKEDOWN PALACE (Twentieth Century Fox) for director Jonathon Kaplan (“The Accused”), in which he portrayed an American attorney hired to aid two young students (Claire Danes and Kate Beckinsale) imprisoned in Bangkok.

Bill garnered critical acclaim when he made his directorial debut in 2000 with the TNT original Western THE VIRGINIAN, in which he also starred and produced under his Big Town Productions banner. In the film, an adaptation of Owen Wister’s classic Western novel of the same name, Bill portrays the Virginian, a laconic Wyoming cowboy with an unwavering sense of justice. During most of 2002, Pullman starred in Edward Albee's "The Goat or Who is Sylvia?" on Broadway. Pullman created the role of Martin. His performance received wide critical acclaim. He was nominated for the Outer Critics Circle Award and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor. "The Goat" won the 2002 Tony Award, New York Drama Critics' Circle Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Play.

In the fall of 2002, the independent film IGBY GOES DOWN opened; it had been shot well before he did "The Goat", but that's the way independent films work! Written and directed by first-timer Burl Steers, IGBY GOES DOWN got great reviews from the venerable entertainment reviewers and garnered Bill good notices for his small role as the schizophrenic father in the dysfunctional family.

Some of Pullman’s additional film credits include WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, CASPER, MR.WRONG, SOMMERSBY, SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE, WYATT EARP, MALICE, THE LAST SEDUCTION, SPACEBALLS, THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW, THE ACCIDENTAL TOURIST, SIBLING RIVALRY, LIEBESTRAUM, and THE END OF VIOLENCE. Pullman's amazing range as an actor coupled with his uncanny ability to create richly textured distinct characters combine to make him an unusually talented and creative actor. His work is invariably fascinating to watch.

AARON STANFORD – “Duke”

Upon graduating from the acting program at Rutgers University, Aaron landed the role of Oscar Grubman in TADPOLE. Aaron starred opposite Sigourney Weaver and Bebe Neuwirth and received critical acclaim for his performance at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. Other film appearances include roles in Woody Allen’s HOLLYWOOD ENDINGS and Spike Lee’s 25TH HOUR. Last year Aaron had a recurring role on NBC’s “Third Watch”. Aaron can now be seen in the role of Pyro in Bryan Singer’s X-MEN 2. This Spring he filmed WINTER SOLSTICE with Anthony LaPaglia, and he just completed filming David Mamet’s, SPARTAN.

AGNES BRUCKNER – “Eve”

Nurturing an impressive body of work that encompasses film and television, Agnes Bruckner is quickly emerging as one of Hollywood’s most promising new talents. Recently honored by the Motion Picture Club as the Female Star of Tomorrow, Agnes most recently appeared in the coming-of-age independent film BLUE CAR, which made its debut at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. The film was picked up for distribution by Miramax Films and was released in April 2003.

Agnes’ passion for the art of acting keeps her drawn to independent features and her career continues to evolve with exciting and challenging projects. She recently completed production on STATESIDE with Rachel Leigh Cook and THE LONG SUNSET with Anne Archer and Kip Pardue. Her other film credits include the psychological thriller MURDER BY NUMBERS alongside Sandra Bullock, Columbia Pictures THE GLASS HOUSE and HOMEROOM with Erika Christensen and Holland Taylor.

Segueing effortlessly between the big and small screen, Agnes starred in the HBO film “The Shrunken City” and was a series regular on CBS’ award winning daytime drama, “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Her other television work includes roles in the pilots “Minor Threat” for Warner Brothers, “Hell House” for MTV and “National Lampoon” for Fox. Agnes has guest starred on “Alias,” “Pacific Blue,” “The Fugitive” and “Touched by an Angel.”

SANDRA OH – “Michelle”

Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada, Sandra Oh started ballet at the age of four and started her first play The Canada Goose at the age of ten. She started working professionally at age 16 in television, theatre and commercials. After three years at the prestigious National Theatre School of Canada, she beat out more than 1000 other hopefuls and landed the coveted title role in the CBC television film “The Diary of Evelyn Lau” based on a true story of a tortured poet who ran away from home at 14 and ended up a drug addict and prostitute on the streets of Vancouver. Her performance brought her a Gemini (Canada’s Emmy) nomination for Best Actress and the 1994 Cannes FIPA d’Or for Best Actress.

Sandra won her first Genie (Canada’s Oscar) a year later for her leading role in DOUBLE HAPPINESS, a bittersweet coming-of-age story about a young Chinese-Canadian woman – a performance that brought her much acclaim and secured her place as one of Canada’s rising young film stars. She moved to Los Angeles in 1996 to begin the first of six seasons as Rita Wu, the smart and sassy assistant on the HBO comedy series “Arliss,” for which she won the final Cable Ace award for Best Actress in a Comedy.

Sandra remains busy working in both comedic and dramatic roles in motion pictures, television and theatre. Her films include BEAN, GUINEVERE, THE RED VIOLON, WAKING THE DEAD, PRINCESS DIARIES, and PAY OR PLAY. She also has a starring role in Michael Radford’s improvised DANCING AT THE BLUE IGUANA, a bleak and raw view of life in a strip club in L.A. Her performance in LAST NIGHT, a Canadian film about the end of the world, led to her winning a second Genie Award for Best Actress in 1999.

In television – along with her regular starring role on “Arliss” – she has been lauded for her work on HBO’s “Six Feet Under,” Showtime’s “Further Tales of the City,” and her recurring role on “Judging Amy.” Never straying far from her theatre roots, in recent years, Sandra has also starred in the world premieres of Jessica Hagedorn’s “Dogeaters” at the La Jolla Playhouse and Diana Son’s “Stop Kiss” at Joseph Papp’s Public Theatre in New York, a role for which she won a Theatre World award. She can currently be seen in the Vagina Monologue’s in New York.

Sandra resides in Los Angeles. She has no pets but one boyfriend.

DYLAN BAKER – “Buck”

Dylan Baker was most recently seen in HEAD OF STATE with Chris Rock, CHANGING LANES and ROAD TO PERDITION, and he will next be seen in HOW TO DEAL with Mandy Moore and the new TNT original movie THE BIG TIME.

Baker was honored with an IFP Gotham Award and an IFP West Independent Spirit Award nomination for his starring role as ‘Bill Maplewood’ in the critically acclaimed film HAPPINESS. Directed by Todd Solondz, the film wowed audiences and took the Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Born in Syracuse, NY, Baker spent his childhood in Lynchburg, Virginia. Upon graduation from Georgetown Prep School in Rockville, Maryland, he attended William and Mary College, where his interest in the theater was born. He earned his B.F.A. at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and his M.F.A. at the Yale School of Drama. While at Yale, he appeared onstage in such Yale Reparatory productions as Rum and Coke, Tartuffe, About Face, and Richard III. Baker earned Tony Award and Drama Desk Award nominations for his role as ‘Prince’ in the Broadway production of Eastern Standard and an Obie Award for his performance in the Off-Broadway production of Not AboutHeroes. Most recently he was seen in the Tony Kushner’s Off- Broadway play “Homebody/Kabul” and Off-Broadway’s production of That Championship Season at the Second Stage Theatre.

Baker’s additional feature film credits include THIRTEEN DAYS, THE CELL, ALONG CAME A SPIDER, TAILOR OF PANAMA, CELEBRITY, RANDOM HEARTS, COMMITTED, REQUIM FOR A DREAM, SIMPLY IRRISISTABLE, TRUE BLUE, DISCLOSURE, PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES, TALK RADIO, THE WIZARD OF LONELINESS, THE LONG WALK HOME, DELIRIOUS, and PASSED AWAY.

Baker’s television credits include an arc on “The Practice,” Tom Hanks’ HBO mini-series “From the Earth to the Moon,” Stephen Bochco’s courtroom drama “Murder One,” “Feds,” the CBS MOW “Deadly Force,” the NBC mini-series “The Murder of Mary Phagan,” and the CBS mini- series’ “Mafia Marriage” and “Return To Lonesome Dove.”

Baker currently resides in New York. ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

CURTISS CLAYTON – Director, Editor

Curtiss Clayton has been a professional film editor since 1984. He has edited over two dozen features, including some of the best-known work of directors Gus Van Sant, Vincent Gallo, Gregory Nava and Jonathan Kaplan.

His major credits include DRUGSTORE COWBOY (1989); MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO (1991); and TO DIE FOR (1995), all directed by Mr. Van Sant; BUFFALO '66, directed by Mr. Gallo and presented at the 1998 Sundance festival; and BROKEDOWN PALACE (1999), directed by Mr. Kaplan. In 1997 Mr. Clayton made his directing debut with a half- hour short, THE MAN WHO COUNTED, starring Buck Henry and Shirley Knight. It won the Best Dramatic Short award at the 1997 Toronto Worldwide Short Film Festival. Mr. Clayton is married and lives in Los Angeles.

DANIEL HANDLER – Writer

Daniel Handler is the author of two The Basic Eight and Watch Your Mouth, as well as the forthcoming book Adverbs, and, as Lemony Snicket, a sequence of children’s books known collectively as A Series Of Unfortunate Events. The thirteen-book series, the tenth of which will be published in September 2003, has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide, and a film version, starring Jim Carrey as the villainous Count Olaf, is slated to be shot in fall 2003.

Besides adapting the Snicket books for the screen, Handler wrote the screenplay for Alan Taylor’s film Kill The Poor, based on the novel by Joel Rose, and is collaborating with Stephin Merritt, the singer/songwriter who leads the pop group The Magnetic Fields, on a movie musical entitled The Song From Venus.

LISA RINZLER – Director of Photography

Lisa Rinzler graduated from New York University Film School. Prior to that she studied painting at Pratt Institute. She has worked as a Cinematographer on feature, documentary and experimental films. Her feature films include: THE SOUL OF A MAN, directed by Wim Wenders; LOVE LIZA, directed by Todd Louiso; POLLOCK, directed by and starring Ed Harris; THREE SEASONS directed by Tony Bui for which she was awarded the 1999 Cinematography Prize at Sundance, and the 2000 Independent Spirit Award; TREES LOUNGE directed by Steve Buscemi; LISBON STORY; the New York sequences of BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB directed by Wim Wenders, and DEAD PRESIDENTS and MENACE II SOCIETY, both directed by the Hughes Brothers, for which she won the 1994 Independent Spirit Award. Rinzler’s documentary work includes WORLD WITHOUT END a film about prophecy and the millenium directed by Richard Kroehling, PROSTITUTES, PIMPS AND THEIR JOHNS, directed by Beban Kidron, and NO SENSE OF CRIME a film about women involved with men on death row directed by Julie Jacobs.

Rinzler’s cinematography on experimental films includes BLACK KITES a film based on a Bosnian woman’s journals during wartime, directed by Jo Andres, and URBAN FAIRYTALE a black and white nightmare directed by Michelle Mahrer.

Rinzler has collaborated on two films: DEATH BY UNNATURAL CAUSES, an homage to those suffering from Aids which she co-directed with Karen Bellone, and IN THE HOUSE three short autobiographical stories made in collaboration with Peter Stastny and teenagers at the Bronx Children’s Psychiatric Center.

Along with her ongoing work as a cinematographer, in 1992 Rinzler took up still photography. Initially her work was largely black and white, documentary street photography. She later began shooting unpeopled environments, landscapes and abandoned interiors, which she printed with the platinum palladium process. In 1999 Rinzler was in a two-person show called Still Moving at the New Alchemy Gallery in Los Angeles. Several of her images have appeared on CD covers, by artists including Mark Ribot, Congo Norvell and John Dee Graham. Rinzler is currently involved in a still photographic project for New York State based on suitcases found in an attic of a now defunct hospital which belonged to patients who lived and died there.

RUTH CHARNY – Producer

One of the most respected independent producers in New York, Charney's credits include MISTRESS, GRIEF, GRACE OF MY HEART, THE SLEEPY TIME GAL, and LOVE LIZA.

JIM CZARNECKI – Producer

Jim Czarnecki graduated from California Institute of the Arts' Post Studio program, earning him a BFA. Based in NYC, Him has worked in feature films, television, television commercials, and music videos.

Jim has produced two digital video feature films: JULIEN DONKEY- BOY and THE BIG ONE. JULIEN DONKEY-BOY was directed by Harmony Korine and was the first American film to receive the dogma certificate -- known as DOGMA 5 -- from Lars Von Trier. The film starred Ewen Bremner, Chloe Sevigny and Werner Herzog and was an official selection of the 1999 Venice, New York, Toronto, London, and Rotterdam film festivals. JULIEN DONKEY-BOY was released by Fine Line Features.

THE BIG ONE was Michael Moore's follow-up feature documentary to ROGER AND ME. It was shot in 20 American cities over the course of a month. It was shown at the Cannes, Toronto, Sundance, Cuban, and Berlin film festivals and released by Miramax in 1998.

Some of Jim's television and feature film credits in production include: SID AND NANCY, CANADIAN BACON, BARCELONA, WITHOUT YOU I'M NOTHING, “Pee Wee's Playhouse,” and “Saturday Night Live.”

Jim won an Emmy for Best Informational series for “TV Nation,” which was broadcast on NBC in 1994. He's been nominated for two other Emmys for his work with Michael Moore on Fox's TV Nation and Bravo's “The Awful Truth.”

As an actor, Jim has worked with Jean-Luc Godard on Rob Tregenza's INSIDE/OUT, which was an official selection of Un Certain Regard at Cannes. He was in OTHER VOICES, a competition film at Sundance 2000, and BROKEN VESSELS, which won Best Film at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival. He will next be seen in the upcoming film LIVE VIRGIN with Mena Suvari to be released by Lions Gate.

Jim’s music producer credits include music videos for such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Janet Jackson, REM, Lenny Kravitz, and the Talking Heads, among others. Jim also produced the video for Aerosmith’s "Pink", which won Best Rock Video of the Year at the 1998 MTV music video awards.

TV commercial producer credits include: Calvin Klein, American Express, Levi's and Gucci for directors Stephen Meisel, Jeff Preiss, Gerard de Thame, and Ellen von Unwerth.

Recently, Jim has been named Executive Producer and Creative Director at RSA – Ridley Scott’s New York-based television commercial production company.

Sofia Sondervan – Executive Producer

Sofia is currently Head of East Coast Production for Ed Pressman and John Schmidt’s ContentFilm where she produced “The Hebrew Hammer” as well as “Party Monster” and where she oversees all original East Coast and European productions. She is also producing David Bar Katz’ (Freak on Broadway, The Pest, To Wong Fu, With Love Julie Newmar…) feature film debut entitled “The Untitled British Spy Project” starring Lukas Haas, Nora Dunn and Charlotte Gainsbourg among others, which will shoot in the UK in the spring of 2003.

Previously, Sofia was Sr. VP of Acquisitions and Productions for POP.com, a joint venture between Dreamworks SKG and Imagine Entertainment, where she set the creative agenda and controlled all the programming while managing the company’s bi-coastal acquisitions and specialized production departments. Prior to POP.com, Sofia acted as a consultant for Sloss Special Projects, where she helped solicit, represent and sell a large slate of independent films at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.

Sofia’s industry experience also includes the post of Head of Acquisitions for Cary Woods’ Independent Pictures, where she oversaw all original feature acquisitions for the company while developing strong ties to innovative European filmmakers.

Sofia also served as Director of Business Affairs/Delivery Administration for Miramax Films for four years, negotiating delivery schedules for acquisitions and productions, and ensuring the clearance of legal rights for music, clips and chain of title.

A native of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Sofia earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film and Television from New York University where she directed and produced many short films and two features. She is fluent in Dutch and French languages and has a working knowledge of German.

EDWARD R. PRESSMAN AND JOHN SCHMIDT Executive Producers Pressman and Schmidt launched ContentFilm on September 7, 2001. A fully-financed production and distribution company based in New York, ContentFilm is financing and producing an initial slate of twelve to fifteen director-driven feature films that take advantage of new technology to keep budgets low.

ContentFilm has financed and produced a number of high-profile projects. The first ContentFilm production to play before an audience was THE GUYS, the film version of Anne Nelson’s acclaimed post-9/11 play of the same title starring Sigourney Weaver and Anthony LaPaglia. THE GUYS had its world premiere at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival, after which Focus Features acquired worldwide rights to the film. Other ContentFilm films include THE COOLER, starring William H. Macy, Maria Bello and Alec Baldwin. THE COOLER debuted at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, where it was acquired by Lions Gate Films and will be released November 2003.

ContentFilm also co-financed PARTY MONSTER, the chilling story of New York club-kid killer Michael Alig, starring Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green. Produced with Killer Films and Fortissimo, “Party Monster” is directed by Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey. Strand Releasing will release PARTY MONSTER in September 2003.

ContentFilm recently completed production on THE UNDERTOW, directed by David Gordon Green and shot on location in Savannah, Georgia. Set in a contemporary South untouched by time, the film is a dramatic thriller about two brothers who run away from home following the death of their father and the arrival of their greedy, troubled uncle. The film stars Dermot Mulroney, Josh Lucas, Jamie Bell and newcomer Devon Alan. THE UNDERTOW was acquired by United Artists.

ContentFilm recently completed principal photography on NEVER DIE ALONE, directed by Ernest Dickerson and starring DMX. ContentFilm recently acquired Milo Addica and James Marsh's screenplay THE KING, which Marsh will direct and in which Gael García Bernal is to star.

Other ContentFilm productions include: THE HEBREW HAMMER, a “Jewxploitation” comedy starring Adam Goldberg, and LOVE OBJECT a creepy psychological thriller starring Desmond Harrington and Melissa Sagemiller. ContentFilm recently completed principal photography on "Never Die Alone," directed by Ernest Dickerson and starring DMX and David Arquette and "Rick", directed by Curtiss Clayton and starring Bill Pullman and Aaron Stanford. ContentFilm recently acquired Milo Addica and James Marsh's screenplay "The King," which Marsh will direct and in which Gael García Bernal is to star.

Pressman is a veteran producer of over 60 films, from BADLANDS, THE BAD LIEUTENANT and WALL STREET to THE CROW AND AMERICAN PYSCHO. Schmidt was a founding partner of October Films.

Alysia Raycraft – Costume Designer

Alysia Raycraft is a costume designer of both stage and film residing in New York City. She began as a painter/sculptor classically trained moving from fine art into fashion ending with a M.F.A. in Costumes from N.Y.U.'s Tisch School of the Arts. Current projects include an Artist in Residency at The New York City Ballet with Ballet Master in Chief Peter Martins to assisting Deborah Scott on the film “Bad Boys II” in Miami. She is represented by Kara Baker-Young and The Gersh Agency in New York.