PRODUCTION BIOS
BRAD KREVOY (Executive Producer) – Brad Krevoy co‐founded the Motion Picture Corporation of America (MPCA) in 1986 and has played a key role in the finance, development, production and distribution of more than 100 motion picture and television projects that have grossed more than 500 million USD and have garnered multiple Academy Award®, DGA, Golden Globe®, WGA, Emmy®, and Humanitas awards and nominations.
His producing credits include the smash hit comedy “Dumb and Dumber” starring Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels, the Peabody Award-winning TV movie “Annie,” Kevin Spacey’s directorial debut “Albino Alligator,” “A Love Song for Bobby Long” starring John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson, “Kingpin” starring Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid and Bill Murray, “Jungle 2 Jungle” with Tim Allen and Martin Short, the Chris Farley comedy “Beverly Hills Ninja” and “Taking Chance” starring Kevin Bacon, which was the most watched HBO Original film in five years when released and which received multiple Emmy®, Golden Globe®, WGA, DGA, SAG, and Humanitas awards and nominations.
In 1996, Krevoy sold MPCA and became co-president of Orion Pictures, where he released such films as Victor Nunez’s critically acclaimed “Ulee’s Gold” starring Peter Fonda and director Sergei Bodrov’s “Prisoner of the “Mountains,” an Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominee for Best Foreign Language Film. Krevoy’s revitalized Orion Pictures was sold to Kirk Kerkorian’s MGM/UA in 1997.
Krevoy subsequently restarted MPCA. The new MPCA’s recent productions include “Taking Chance” and Disney’s “Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2,” which was the best-selling DVD release worldwide when released. Krevoy has also produced “Arena” starring Samuel L. Jackson and Kellan Lutz, “Meeting Evil” starring Luke Wilson and Samuel L. Jackson and “Weapon” starring Jean Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins. MPCA is prepping “Resurrection,” an English remake of the hit Japanese film “Yomigaeri,” with DreamWorks and “What Would Kenny Do?” to star Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber, with Sony Pictures and Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment.
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FRANCISCO J. GONZÀLEZ (Executive Producer) - After beginning his career in worldwide sales and distribution at Saban International, Francisco J. González joined MPCA in 2001 to spearhead the company’s acquisitions arm and oversee worldwide sales and distribution.
Since joining MPCA, González has worked closely with all the major studios in North America and international distributors to negotiate and manage the worldwide distribution agreements for such MPCA films as “Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet,” “Boat Trip,” “Blast,” “Slipstream,”
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“National Lampoon's Barely Legal,” “The Hard Corps” and “Second in Command.” In addition to overseeing the distribution of MPCA’s own titles, González has also acquired and overseen distribution for such commercial and award-winning films as Tim Allen’s “Crazy on the Outside,” Broken Lizard’s “The Slammin’ Salmon,” “Killer Movie,” “7 Days” and “Hot Tamale.”
González has also leveraged his vast experience in international markets and sales to oversee the development, production and financing of the films “Moondance Alexander,” “The Package” and “One in the Chamber.”
He attends all major international film markets, including the Berlin International Film Festival/European Film Market, the Festival de Cannes/Marché du Film, the American Film Market, MIPCOM and MIPTV.
González holds a BBA in Finance from Loyola University and an MFA from the University of Miami.
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REUBEN LIBER (Executive Producer) - Reuben Liber began his career with Twentieth Century Fox International Television in 1998 before moving into independent production and distribution at MPCA. After joining MPCA, his responsibilities quickly encompassed the entire range of the company's activities, ranging from negotiating co-production financing to concluding the sale of MPCA’s 250-title motion picture library.
As MPCA's Senior Vice President, Production & Development Operations, Liber serves as a broad-based production and business affairs executive on such films as “Stephen King’s Riding the Bullet,” “Boat Trip,” “Joe and Max,” “National Lampoon Presents Barely Legal,” “The Breed,” “The Elian Gonzalez Story,” “Annie,” “Undisputed,” “Borderline,” “Second In Command,” “The Hard Corps” and “3 Strikes.” His areas of expertise include development, talent packaging, production, sales, financing and distribution, including the arrangement of co-production and distribution strategies with studio and international financiers and distributors, and sales and distribution, having negotiated rights for such films as Tim Allen's “Crazy on the Outside” and Broken Lizard's “The Slammin’ Salmon.”
Liber is a producer of “Linewatch” starring Academy Award® winner Cuba Gooding Jr., for Sony Pictures, executive producer of “Pumpkinhead: Ashes to Ashes” and “Pumpkinhead: Blood Feud” for the Syfy Channel and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, co-producer of “Slipstream” for Syfy/Universal and Lionsgate and associate producer of “Pavement” and “Consequence” for HBO and “Blast” for Blockbuster and MGM/UA. He more recently executive produced the sci-fi action thrillers “Hardwired” starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Val Kilmer and “Ticking Clock” starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and Neal McDonough, both for Sony Pictures and “Mothman” and “Witchville” for the Syfy Channel and Lionsgate. He recently executive produced “Arena” starring Samuel L. Jackson, Kellan Lutz and Daniel Dae Kim, “Meeting Evil” starring Samuel L.
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Jackson and Luke Wilson, “Assassination Games” starring Jean Claude Van Damme and Scott Adkins.
Liber holds a B.A. summa cum laude from Brandeis University.
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JAMES TOWNSEND (Executive Producer) – James Townsend executive produced the movie “Meeting Evil” (starring Samuel L. Jackson) and is currently executive producing “The Saint.”
Townsend began his career in 1991 working for regional investment banking firms starting in retail sales, then served in branch manager capacities and eventually as national sales manager. In 1996 Townsend began focusing on investment banking. His duties included oversight of all sales force operations, capital raising, firm profit and loss management and regulatory compliance. During his career, Townsend participated in numerous public offerings, private placements, mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructurings and syndicate formulations. As national sales manager, Townsend was responsible for raising capital through the existing sales force as well as coordinating investment syndicates.
In 2006, Townsend went to work as Chief Operating Officer of a publicly traded REIT. Duties included managing compliance with SEC regulations, oversight of all personnel, Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, financing, corporate strategy, business development, formulating corporate defense strategies, cultivating institutional investors, public relations, shareholder relations, working extensively with legal issues and interacting with Wall Street.
In 2008 Townsend started a consulting business focused on strategic planning, share repurchases, capital raises and debt restructuring.
Townsend graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in finance.
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MICHAEL DAMIAN (Director/Writer/Producer) — In 2005 Michael Damian formed Riviera Films with his wife Janeen Damian to develop and produce independent films.
Since the company’s founding, Damian has served as director, writer and producer of all the company’s completed feature films, including “Moondance Alexander,” starring Don Johnson, Kay Panabaker and Lori Loughlin and the crime comedy “Hot Tamale.” Damian recently helmed 20th Century Fox’s “Flicka 2” and is the writer and director on “Marley And Me: The Puppy Years.”
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Prior to founding Riviera Films, Damian wrote and directed the film “Finders Keepers” and television pilot “Red Eye” for Tf1. Damian has also enjoyed a prolific on-camera career and is most widely known for his eighteen year run on the #1-rated daytime drama, "The Young and the Restless."
He also starred as Joseph in the Broadway production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which broke box office records in both Los Angeles and on Broadway and earned Damian a Grammy nomination. In addition to his Broadway career, Damian has released five albums and has had eight Top 40 hits including the #1 single "Rock On," which earned him gold records in the US, Canada and Japan. He won the BMI Song-writing Award for his hit single "Was It Nothing At All” and also has two tracks on the “Flicka 2” soundtrack.
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JANEEN DAMIAN (Writer/Producer) — Janeen Damian co-founded Riviera Films with her husband Michael Damian in 2005. Since the company’s inception, Damian has served as the writer and producer on “Moondance Alexander,” which won her Best Screenplay honors at L.A. Femme Film Festival. She served as executive producer on 20th Century Fox’s “Flicka 2” and wrote and executive produced the family comedy “Marley And Me: The Puppy Years.”
Before Riviera Films, Damian started as a classical dancer. At the age of 14, she landed a scholarship to Balanchine’s School of American Ballet. She then moved to Los Angeles and began her career on camera as a lead dancer on the television series “Solid Gold.”
Damian also choreographed the television series, “Party Machine” as well as serving as its lead dancer. She then won the role of Tiffany on the CBS daytime drama “Capitol.” Some of her other on camera credits include; “Bugsy,” directed by Barry Levinson, “Annie,” directed by John Huston, “Captain Eo,” directed by Francis Ford Coppola, “Footloose,” directed by Herbert Ross and “Basic Instinct,” directed by Paul Verhoven.
With growing interest in the production side of the industry, Damian then joined TLC Booth Casting, working with award winning directors Joe Pitka and Scott Miller and casting commercials for clients such as Levi’s, Campbells, Sears, McDonalds and Coca Cola. She went on to partner with her husband Michael Damian where she produced numerous music videos and the films “Finders Keepers” and “Death’s Handwriting.” She also wrote and produced the international television pilot “Red Eye” for Tf1.
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