2017 Panelist Biographies As of 11/13/2017
Phil Contrino currently works as the Data and Research Manager for the National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO). In this role, Phil has conducted custom research on movie-going habits with a special focus on millennials. In August 2016, Phil started a Young Members Committee within NATO in order to help young talent in the exhibition industry prosper. Before joining NATO, Phil was the Vice President/Chief Analyst for Boxoffice.com. During his time at Boxoffice, Phil built a data/prediction business, maintained relationships with trade publications in India and China, and was quoted regularly by CNN, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Vox, Wired, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, and many others.
Joan Darling was the first woman nominated for an Emmy® for television direction. She was nominated four times winning both the Emmy® and the DGA Award. She is considered the first woman director of the modern age. She is widely recognized for her talents as a director and actress. In the early 1970s, Joan had a recurring character role in the television series OWEN MARSHALL, COUNSELOR AT LAW. In her early directorial career, Joan directed the pilot and many other episodes in the first season of the hit TV series MARY HARTMAN, MARY HARTMAN. She also directed episodes of M*A*S*H*, RICH MAN, POOR MAN, and MAGNUM P.I., among others. She directed the “Chuckles Bites the Dust” episode of THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, which was named “the number one TV episode of all time” by TV Guide. The New York Times named it “the funniest episode ever on TV”. Her first film, FIRST LOVE, was released in 1977, and was named one of the year’s ten best by CBS. Joan created the Directing the Actor workshop for the Sundance institute and has taught directing at the Sundance Lab for 20+ years.
Deborah Riley Draper is an award-winning filmmaker and advertising agency veteran. Variety Magazine named Draper to their “2016 Top 10 Documakers to Watch“ list. Her 2016 documentary, OLYMPIC PRIDE, AMERICAN PREJUDICE, tells the untold story of 18 African Americans who defied Hitler and Jim Crow in 1936 and is a 2017 nominee for the NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Documentary Film, qualified for the 2017 Oscars, and had a successful festival run. Her debut film, VERSAILLES ’73: AMERICAN RUNWAY REVOLUTION, opened New York Fashion Week and Toronto Fashion Week in 2012. It is the first intimate look at the infamous Palace of Versailles fashion show fundraiser, which catapulted the American ready-to-wear designers to global prominence. The film was released theatrically and premiered on Viacom’s Logo TV in September 2015. Director Tate Taylor (THE HELP, GIRL ON THE TRAIN) optioned VERSAILLES ’73 and Draper will serve as executive producer of the upcoming feature film. Draper’s leadership in advertising can be seen in campaigns for Lamborghini, Coca-Cola classic, FedEx, and Adidas. She has earned two regional Emmy® Awards, a Gold Effie, and several Addy Awards.
Otessa Marie Ghadar is a digital storyteller who uses writing, filmmaking, photography, and technology to share her narratives and build communities. As one of the web series medium’s earliest adopters, Otessa is a true forerunner of digital media. Starting in 2006, Otessa’s web series ORANGE JUICE IN THE BISHOP’S GARDEN is now the longest, continually running show online, with an audience in more than 145 countries. Otessa founded the DC Web Fest (one of the first of its kind and now in its 6th year) out of the need for digital content creators to showcase their works, inspiring creativity and innovation. A newly-initiated Google Next Generation Policy leader, Otessa works diligently to increase technology awareness and innovation among minority and marginalized communities. As an Adjunct Professor at AU, and through additional guest lecturing, Otessa uses her passions to guide the next generation of digital storytellers. Stemming from her knowledge and expertise, she published the world’s first new media textbook called The Wild West of Film. She is currently working on her next trans-media project – the Young Adult Science Fiction series, LEMMA.
Bob Hone has had award-winning careers as documentary filmmaker (Peabody, Emmy®) as well as an interactive/game designer (Codie, Prix Mobius). Currently, Bob runs the Game Studio, part of American University's Game Lab, where he designs and manages collaborations with external organizations such as the NIH, ETS, WGBH, and the World Bank. Prior to AU, Bob was the Creative Director of Red Hill Studios, a boutique developer of innovative educational and health software and games. An accomplished grant-writer, Bob has received grants totaling $8M for a wide range of interactive and video projects.
Diana Kerew is a producer and executive producer of films and mini-series for television, with over 50 produced projects to her credit. She is the recipient of two Emmy® Awards, the Peabody Award, a Christopher and a Humanitas, and the NAACP Image Award. In addition to this personal recognition, her films have garnered every major award in the industry: 10 Emmys®, Golden Globe nominations, 26 Emmy® nominations, and multiple nominations and wins for the DGA and WGA Awards. She produced BLIND AMBITION, a multi-Emmy- nominated 8-hour miniseries about Watergate: JOHN HERSEY’S THE WALL, about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (Emmys®, Peabody Award) and THE BUNKER, about Hitler’s last days, for which Anthony Hopkins won the Emmy® for Best Actor. She also developed several films for the big screen: BUFFALO BILL AND THE INDIANS, directed by Robert Altman, and OH, GOD, written by Larry Gelbart and starring George Burns. She was also involved with the oversight of ALICE DOESN’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE and FORT APACHE THE BRONX. She produced several films and miniseries for television, including a remake of NIGHT OF THE HUNTER and the film PARIS TROUT, starring Dennis Hopper. The latter screened at the Director’s Fortnight at Cannes. In addition to supervising a slate of more than 30 projects in development at all networks, she produced/executive produced several films and miniseries, including HITLER: The Rise of Evil (multiple Emmy® nominations, PGA nomination) and WHEN BILLIE BEAT BOBBY, starring Holly Hunter as Billie Jean King, written and directed by Jane Anderson. Diana now teaches The Development Process in Film and Television for the University of Texas/Austin UTLA program.
Matthew Lucas, currently a writer/director for WILL Interactive, is an award-winning independent filmmaker and playwright in Washington, DC. His blithe genre short films have screened in festivals in the US and overseas, and he has won awards for his work as a director, screenwriter, and editor. He was a 2016 CINE Golden Eagle finalist, and a four-time Gold TIVA Peer Award winner. He is co-author and composer of SASQUATCH: THE MUSICAL, which appeared Off-Broadway in 2014 at the West Village Musical Theatre Festival. His award-winning short film MOONSHOT is currently streaming on Amazon. He holds a BA in Theatre Arts from Marymount Manhattan College and an MFA in Film from American University. He works as a cinematographer and writer of interactive media.
Dara Marks, Ph.D. is a leading international script consultant, seminar leader, and author of one of the top selling books on creative writing, Inside Story: The Power of the Transformational Arc. She has specialized in the analysis of the modern screenplay for the past three decades, and Creative Screenwriting Magazine has consistently rated her one of the top script consultants in Hollywood. Dara has worked for most major Hollywood studios and her advice has been sought on a variety of films and television projects. Her groundbreaking work in this field continues to help writers engage more deeply and effectively in the creative writing process. Currently, Dara leads seminars world- wide and is an adjunct professor at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara.
Marina Martins has more than 25 years "on the set" practical experience covering each film production department. She line-produced MNEMOSYNE, edited OUT OF RAIN and TERROR AT TATE MANOR, produced SPIN, and written and directed many more projects. Her passion is international co-production and she has consulted for Entertainment Business Group, specializing in development, marketing and distribution. Marina’s company Pigmental Studios, which has offices in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, is home to a corps of renowned animation artists and technologists who produce groundbreaking work in cooperation with international production partners.
Derek McDaniel has started three video game companies, Black Lantern Studios, Graphite Lab, and Seamless Entertainment, during his career which combined have developed over 150 titles. Derek specialized in children and family friendly titles working with the top licensors such as Nickelodeon, Disney, and Cartoon Network through Activision, Vivendi, Tecmo, and more. In his role in business development and producing, he has worked on every aspect of development from initial game design to QA. He is best known for his work on DORA THE EXPLORER, WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE, and primetime shows such as IRON CHEF and DEAL OR NO DEAL. Derek now works with WILL Interactive making immersive videos for the military, government, and commercial sectors.
Carolyn McDonald is the award-winning executive producer of HBO’s AMERICA’S DREAM, the National Geographic documentary, BEARING LIGHT, TNT’s BUFFALO SOLDIERS and FREEDOM SONG. She has scripted works for 20th Century Fox, Propaganda Films, actor/director Glynn Turman, and a number of indie producers. Carolyn directed/produced the short film P.N.O.K. featuring Danny Glover and Elle Fanning, the documentary DESIGN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as several documentaries for the Nashville Film Festival, and an array of music videos and short films. In 2012, she penned her memoir Influentia: 50 Years on Earth As It is In Carolyn; and in 2013, she published her first book of photographs from her ongoing project Nouns in the Road, and has had several exhibitions around the country. In addition to producing/ directing the documentary BLACK IRISH BLUES, she is currently adapting the novel The Color of Hope for her feature directorial debut, and developing the TV series BODY BY BRET and MEAN LOVE. Beginning her career out of NYU in the marketing division of Warner Bros TV, she ran buyer screenings and developed publicity campaigns for such films as CHARIOTS OF FIRE, ROAD WARRIOR and the WB cartoon catalogue. Carolyn was a production executive at Cinecom Entertainment Group, and executive vice president of Danny Glover’s Carrie Productions. An alumni of Judith Weston’s Actor/Director Lab, Carolyn studied acting with the late Geraldine Page and Uta Hagen. Most recently she launched DigMeVision, an entrepreneurial development service for content creators.
Shelly Mellott took over Script magazine in 1995 from her father, who founded the business in 1985. She secured a newsstand presence for the publication and grew Script into a well-respected industry magazine. From 1995 to 2006, she created additional services for scriptwriters including script coverage, pitching events, and quarterly screenwriting contests sponsored by major production companies. In 2006, she became a vice president at Final Draft overseeing the Big Break Contest, social media, events, and customer relations for the company. In 2015, she became Vice President of Sales & Marketing where she manages the professional and educational sales divisions, develops initiatives that drive sales across all retail channels, and manages marketing, events and customer relations.
Michelle Mower burst onto the global filmmaking scene with her 2016 acquisition of Imagination Worldwide. IWW is a Los Angeles based international sales and distribution company. Mower will be refocusing the company’s efforts by producing and distributing motion pictures directed by women and/or targeted to female audiences – thereby bringing more gender parity to the entertainment industry. Prior to heading up Imagination Worldwide, Mower was an acclaimed writer, producer and director whose work has been featured on Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network (LMN) and Nuvo Television. Her debut feature film, THE PREACHER’S DAUGHTER starring Andrea Bowen (DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES) garnered the highest ratings for LMN that year. After that success, Mower wrote, co- produced and directed two more telefilms for the network, THE PREACHER’S MISTRESS and THE PREACHER’S SIN. Mower was an Associate Producer, morning news, at Houston's NBC affiliate before joining Southwest Alternate Media Project (SWAMP) as Program Coordinator. Through her work with SWAMP, Mower started “Lights! Camera! Action! Summer Moviemaking Camp” for teens and the annual Business of Film Conference with takes place annually at Rice University.
Bruce Nesmith has a long and storied career in gaming. He began at TSR Inc. writing on Dungeons & Dragons adventures. He is probably best known for authoring the Ravenloft box set for 2nd edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, although he also worked on board games, card games, and even a miniatures game for TSR Inc. His years at TSR Inc. sharpened his love of board games and science fiction and fantasy stories. In the mid-90s, Bruce made the move to video game development. Signing on with Bethesda Softworks, he first worked on The Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall, Terminator: Skynet, and even a bowling game. More recently he worked on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3 and Fallout 4. He is best known for his work as lead designer of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. He plays and enjoys many types of video games.
Deb Norton is an author, writing coach and story analyst and the former Co-Artistic Director of Theater 150 in Ojai, CA. She leads writing workshops internationally, is a master teacher at Hedgebrook, and teaches immersive retreats in story structure and archetype. Her book, Part Wild: A Writers Guide to Harnessing the Creative Power of Resistance (Simon & Schuster/Enliven) helps writers and artists overcome obstacles to finish their most important work.
Dara Padwo-Audick is a seasoned media professional with 30 years of experience across a variety of genres in the media landscape. Dara’s genuine passion for telling impactful stories has taken her around the globe. Her journey to understand and share Himalayan culture took her to Bhutan in 2008 and again in 2017 to reveal the impact of Gross National Happiness in Asia and Europe. Dara is the creator of two nonfiction series, SHE’S GOT GRIT and 650,000 HOURS, and producer of the fiction series, VIZIONS OF ROCK. She has written, produced and directed many programs and series for such networks as Animal Planet, CBS, Discovery Channel, Discovery HD-Theater, Discovery Kids, ESPN, Fox, Home and Garden Television, Lifetime Television, Military Channel, National Geographic Channel, Outdoor Life Channel, PBS and Science Channel. Dara has been an adjunct professor in the School of Communication at American University since 2004 and is a devoted teacher to young people and adults in a variety of non-university classrooms. She serves as an Advisory Board Member to the PGA East and Chair of the PGA National Capital Chapter.
Alana Sanko is an award-winning television writer and executive producer who has written and developed for comedy, drama, animated and digital series, as well as TV movies and network and cable pilots for ABC, CBS, Bravo, MTV, HBO, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, Cartoon Network and Nick at Nite. Her credits began with the critically acclaimed television series, MURPHY BROWN and include creating and writing ABC’s comedy pilot SEE JAYNE RUN, starring Heather Locklear, the Disney Channel’s Original Movie GET A CLUE, starring Lindsay Lohan and Nickelodeon’s series JUST FOR KICKS, which she developed with Whoopi Goldberg and earned a WGA Award for Outstanding Children’s Script. Currently, she's a Supervising Producer on the Amazon digital series, THE OTHER F WORD.
Laurie Scheer is a former vice president of programming for WE: Women's Entertainment. She has worked as an assistant, d-girl, and producer for ABC, Viacom, Showtime, and AMC- Cablevision. She has also been involved in producing series for the web, films for video games, and other digital based forms of entertainment. Laurie has been an instructor at numerous universities across the US from Yale to UCLA. As a professional speaker, she has appeared at annual conventions for NAB, NATPE, Realscreen, WIFV, FTX West, and the Willamette Writers Conference. Laurie has mentored many successful industry professionals throughout her career and is currently a Faculty Associate with UW-Madison’s Division of Continuing Studies. There she is the Director of UW-Madison’s annual Writers’ Institute, founding editor of the regional publication The Midwest Review, and a writing mentor to hundreds of students in-person and online. Her current interest is in exploring ways to preserve storytelling within the digital marketplace. Her book The Writer’s Advantage: A Toolkit for Mastering Your Genre is available on Amazon.
Sara Elizabeth Timmins established Life Out Loud Films to create quality, inspiring films that make a positive community impact and champion women in film. The company motto is “Don’t just make a film, make a difference”. She recently co-produced the feature COMING THROUGH THE RYE and produced WISH YOU WELL, based on the novel by New York Times best-selling author David Baldacci. She also produced LAKE EFFECTS starring Jane Seymour which can be seen on The Hallmark Channel and in more than 30 countries. She is in currently in development on several films including SHOELESS WONDERS, an inspirational sports drama inspired by real events. In 2010, Sara Elizabeth was inducted into the Opportunity Hall of Fame for her contribution through filmmaking to economic development in Virginia and in this same year was presented the Regional Advocate Award by the Smith Mountain Lake Chamber for her impact. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and a qualified independent producer for NBC Universal/IFTA.
David Uslan began his career even before graduating from college as an intern with D.C. Comics, Walter Cronkite’s production company and Wild Brain Animation Studios. After graduating from Indiana University in 2002, Mr. Uslan joined International Creative Management (ICM), one of the leading international talent agencies. In late 2003, armed with a passion for comic books, history, and creative development, Mr. Uslan went to work for his mentor and father, Michael Uslan. Beyond North America, Uslan is primarily focusing his time and energy on strengthening relationships between the US and Asian media markets, including the building of global franchises through international co-productions. Current partners include Huace, Signal Entertainment, KBS, MBC, JTBC, and Naver. David recently negotiated a joint venture between Banijay, Bunim/Murray Productions, Uslan Entertainment, and Signal Entertainment that was announced at MIP 2017. Michael and David Uslan, in addition to Jon Karas, are partners in Strawberry Pictures, a Hong Kong registered company, with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Los Angeles and New Jersey.
Dr. Michael Uslan is the Executive Producer of many award-winning movies, including BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE, THE LEGO MOVIE, and THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY: BATMAN BEGINS, THE DARK KNIGHT, and THE DARK KNIGHT RISES. He is also the Executive Producer of a wide range of TV movies, animated TV Series, and documentaries. He won an Emmy® Award for “Best Animated Series” with his production of WHERE ON EARTH IS CARMEN SANDIEGO? ® Dr. Uslan has served on many advisory boards, including the Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership, the Association of Film Commissioners International, the Center for Excellence in Education, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Dr. Uslan is a Professor of Practice at the Indiana University Media School and was the instructor of both the first accredited college course and correspondence course on comic books (Indiana University 1971), and the author of the first textbook on comics, The Comic Book In America. He has authored a wide range of books and graphic novels, including, America At War- A History Of War Comics; Mysteries In Space- A History Of Science Fiction Comics; Best Of Archie; The Comic Book Revolution, and his memoir, The Boy Who Loved Batman. He worked with his friend and mentor, Stan Lee, on many comic books, including their most recent initiative, Just Imagine.
Conference Organizer: Jane Barbara Writer/Producer, Testa Dura Media
After receiving a full scholarship from The Rockefeller Scholarship Fund, graduating with a Fine Arts Degree from Parson's School of Design, Jane went on to work as Costume/Set Designer for several Off-Broadway productions, a political illustrator (The New York Times), freelance graphic and book jacket designer, and Publications Designer for Exxon Corporation. After leaving Exxon, Jane was Partner/Art Director of Menu Makers Plus, a full- service design company located in New York City, which serviced the NYC metro area 16,000 restaurants and gourmet shops.
After moving to Maryland, Jane was able to combine her love of film, art, music, dance, and storytelling. She has completed five feature length screenplays, several shorts, and is currently working on developing several television series.
Along with producing partner, Oriana Oppice, Jane wrote and produced the comedy short, LOBSTER FRA DIAVOLO – The Movie, screened at the 2015 Cannes Court Metrage Shorts Film Corner, as well as other international film festivals. The LOBSTER screenplay was a finalist at the 2014 Moondance International Film Festival screenplay competition, and a 2014/ 2015 Roy W. Dean Grant Finalist. LOBSTER has received several awards for comedy, editing and best screen fight.
Oriana and Jane are in post-production on a dramatic short, inspired by the Women’s March, LEIA’S ARMY. Jane is Chair for Women in Film & Video’s Screenwriters’ Roundtable and Conference Organizer for ScriptDC, an annual filmmakers’ conference.
2017 Critique Panelist Biographies *Please note, these biographies reflect those who will only be panelists on the critiques. There are several conference speakers, whose bios are listed above, who will be joining the critique panels on Sunday.
Monica Lee Bellais is an award winning screenwriter / producer and a world-class media expert with considerable know-how that blends experiences in Hollywood, Washington, DC and international markets. As an Executive Producer at TPI she cultivated a worldwide network of multimedia professionals, leveraged knowledge of local cultures to develop authentic international programming, and conducted international business development in Egypt, Pakistan, Lebanon, France, Monaco, Italy and Thailand. She managed the development and production in the USA and United Arab Emirates in non-fiction programming initiatives for broadcast via film, television, and the web for audiences in the Middle East, Europe, North Africa and Asia.
Giovanna Chesler (http://www.g6pictures.com) directs and produces narrative and documentary films that address the body, sexuality, and gender. These have included documentary feature PBS / LOGO documentary OUT IN THE NIGHT (Producer) (http://www.outinthenight.com). Giovanna is an Associate Professor and Director of the Film and Video Studies Program (http://favs.gmu.edu/) at George Mason University.
Ian Fay views every creative endeavor as an interconnected, multi-disciplinary “production.” In 2006, Fay moved to the District and the intersection of visual communication and storytelling became his niche, leading him to form his first independent production company, Saint Gorilla. In 2012 Fay, with fellow filmmakers and friends, founded The Lookout, a creative co-working community and media production collective located in Adams Morgan. Fay has also served as producer or director of over twenty short films, three of which received critical acknowledgement at national film festivals.
Edward Fee has spent the last 15 years in Hollywood, traversing the worlds of studio filmmaking at Paramount, and indie film finance. He produced The Last Stand (2013) and Higher Power (2018).
Phylis Geller has spent most of her career as a producer and production executive for PBS. She was Sr. V.P. of Production at KCET/Hollywood, MPT and WETA. Her portfolio included drama, music, arts, and documentaries in history, science and public affairs. As President of Norman Star Media since 2005, she has produced and directed a variety of Emmy-winning or nominated documentaries for cable and PBS.
Libby Richman’s work history includes serving as Head of Production for two production companies, Half Yard Productions and Edelman Productions, where collectively she supervised more than fifteen series for ten different networks. She also developed shows including How the States Got their Shapes for History. Her television career started by being the 4th person hired to help launch National Geographic Channel. Prior to that, she burned the midnight oil on a dozen independent feature films, working with directors including Ang Lee, Hal Hartley and Tim Robbins.
Russell Max Simon is the founder and Creative Director of the micro-budget film studio 7k Films, which helps shepherd ultra low-budget projects to the screen. Russell's own feature film debut, #Humbled, was produced through 7k and will be released via Amazon Direct this November. The studio's second feature film, Us & The End, is currently in post-production.
Dan Sonnett directed, and produced film, video, digital media, and museum exhibit projects for the Smithsonian Institution, the National Geographic Society, the Discovery Channel, and PBS. He conducts storytelling workshops and has mentored screenwriters and producers both at American University in Washington, D.C. and through the CPB/PBS Producers Workshop at WGBH in Boston. He is currently writing a spec pilot for television and independent feature films.