‘MOM’S DAY AWAY’
PRODUCTION BIOS
IRA PINCUS (Executive Producer) - Ira Pincus is an Executive Producer and head of the television movie department for Entertainment One Television, based in Los Angeles. Since joining the company in 2005 (then known as Blueprint Entertainment), Ira has produced almost 30 films for the company.
Films of note include: “When Love is Not Enough: The Lois Wilson Story,” starring Winona Ryder and Barry Pepper, for Hallmark Hall of Fame and CBS; “Window Wonderland,” starring Chyler Leigh and Naomi Judd, for The Hallmark Channel; the series “Til Death Do Us Part,” starring John Waters, for Court TV; “Absolution,” starring Samantha Mathis, for Lifetime; “The Road To Christmas,” starring Jennifer Grey; the western-themed movie franchise “Goodnight For Justice,” starring Luke Perry, for the Hallmark Channel; and “Reel Love,” starring LeAnne Rhimes and Burt Reynolds, for CMT.
Before joining Entertainment One/Blueprint, Ira Pincus Films was housed at Von Zerneck-Sertner Films, where Pincus produced “Vinegar Hill,” an Oprah Book Club Selection, starring Mary-Louise Parker, Tom Skerritt and Betty Buckley, for CBS; “I Do (But I Don’t),” starring Denise Richards and Dean Cain, for Lifetime; “Three Days,” starring Kristin Davis, for ABC Family; “Defending Our Kids,” starring Annie Potts and Michael O’Keefe; and “Killer Instinct: From the Files of Candace DeLong,” starring Jean Smart and A. Martinez.
Prior to producing, Pincus worked as a telefilm packaging agent at Creative Artists Agency, from 1996-1999, representing the agency’s top directors, actors and production companies. From 1990-1996, he was an executive at HBO’s Citadel Entertainment, where he was involved with the sales, development and production of approximately 12 films a year.
Pincus majored in Radio, Television & Film at the University of Maryland and California State University at Northridge.
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MARK JEAN (Director) – Mark Jean’s passion for filmmaking led him to San Diego State University, where he supervised the directing workshops of acclaimed screenwriting guru, Robert McKee. After receiving a B.S. in Telecommunications & Film from SDSU, he was awarded a full scholarship to The American Film Institute, where he earned a Master’s Degree in Directing.
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A versatile director, Jean has helmed independent features, MOW’s, television pilots, episodic dramas and comedies. He has directed a wide variety of genres, from the psychological thriller “Taken Back,” with Moira Kelly and Amanda Tapping, to the Christmas comedy “Finding Mrs. Claus,” starring Will Sasso and Mira Sorvino, to the true-life dramas “Finding a Family,” starring Kim Delaney, and “Duke,” starring Steven Weber.
Accolades for Jean’s directing include: The GEORGE FOSTER PEABODY AWARD for a series of interstitials for Fox Children’s Network; The Houston International Film Festival’s GOLD AWARD for “Homecoming,” starring Anne Bancroft and Bonnie Bedilia; numerous film festival awards including 1ST PLACE New York Film Festival, The Houston International Film Festival’s GOLD AWARD, and the Chicago International Film Festival’s GOLD AWARD for his Disney short “Who Owns the Sun?;” and BEST FEATURE FILM at the Sprockets Toronto Film Festival for the family comedy “Finn on the Fly.”
He has also written and co-written numerous screenplays, including the historical drama “Beast of Bataan,” for producers Mel Brooks and Jonathan Sanger, “Homecoming,” which garnered a WGA nomination for BEST LONGFORM ADAPTATION, and the adaptation of the young-adult novel “Gemini Summer.” A novelist himself, Jean’s fantasy-adventure “Puddlejumpers” was published by Hyperion Books in 2008 and won Voya’s TOP SHELF FICTION AWARD.
Jean’s film “Shuffleton’s Barbershop,” starring Danny Glover, aired on the Hallmark Channel in June 2013.
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NEAL & TIPPI DOBROFSKY (Screenplay) - Neal and Tippi Dobrofsky are a husband and wife writing team. They have written over a dozen movies for Hallmark, including the Luke Perry “Goodnight for Justice” franchise, “Window Wonderland”, “Operation Cupcake”, “Mail Order Bride”, “Chance For Romance”, “Plus One”, and the Walter Mirisch produced “Bridal Wave.” They have also written movies for the Up Network, Lifetime, USA Network, Sony, CBS, and MGM.
In the feature film world, they have developed projects with directors Barry Sonnenfeld, Ted Demme, Scott Hicks, Nick Cassavettes and Nigel Cole, who helmed their indie comedy “$5 A Day,” starring Christopher Walken and Sharon Stone.
Currently, they are writing the feature “Stonecliff” for Amber Entertainment, and the Season One final episodes of the Hallmark series “When Calls The Heart.”
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Before becoming a writer, Neal produced the 1980 Wild West show film “Bronco Billy” with Clint Eastwood. Tippi graduated UCLA Law School and practiced for 9 weeks before being fired, which just may be the shortest legal career on record. They fell in love at first sight - in a frozen yogurt line - and live in Santa Monica with their two sons.
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SPYDER DOBROFSKY (Original Story) - Spyder Dobrofsky was born into a family of filmmakers, actors and artists. He received his first handycam in grade school and has been making movies ever since.
At 13, he appeared on Jay Leno’s “The Tonight Show” for capturing a news-breaking Ferrari crash on camera. He later founded global website “Car-Parazzi” and his photographs have appeared in the LA Times and several magazines, including the cover of Pebble Beach's “Concorso Italiano.”
Currently, Spyder is 21, a graduate of UCSB's Film Department, and is the writer/director of a short film entering the festival circuit. He has also directed two music videos as well as a series of Kickstarter promotional videos that have collectively grossed over a half-million dollars.
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