Robert Mandel | Dean
Mandel graduated from AFI in 1979 and is an award-winning director with credits including FX, SCHOOL TIES, BIG SHOTS and THE SUBSTITUTE. He has also directed numerous television movies for HBO, Fox, ESPN, Lifetime and A&E, as well as episodic television such as THE X-FILES (pilot), LOST and PRISON BREAK. He won an Emmy Award for his first after-school special, ANDREA'S STORY. Mandel began his career as a stage director, with productions at The Manhattan Theatre Club, The Roundabout and The Public Theatre, where Joseph Papp was his mentor. He has MFA degrees from both Columbia University and AFI. Mandel has taught at City College of New York and has been a directing mentor at the Sundance Institute. Mandel received the Alfred Hitchcock Award when he was at AFI and his thesis film, NIGHT AT O'REARS, received first prize at FILMEX in LA, first prize at USA Film Festival in Dallas, and was shown as one of three short films selected by the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center.

Joe Petricca | Executive Vice Dean
Petricca holds an MFA in screenwriting from AFI and a BFA in film production from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. He is responsible for oversight of administrative functions for AFI Conservatory, national workshops and special projects. He directly oversees the Directing Workshop for Women and Sloan Foundation-funded programs such as the Catalyst Workshop. As a screenwriter, Petricca has had feature screenplays optioned, has written for Robert Osborne on Turner Classic Movies, and has taught or spoken at film festivals, trade shows and colleges around the world. As a film critic, he wrote for KCET online. As an art director, Petricca has worked on numerous TV, film, music video and commercial projects. As a producer, he has produced short films, industrials and music videos. He also volunteers as a teacher of screenwriting and filmmaking for at-risk Los Angeles teenagers.

Frank Pierson | Artistic Director, Distinguished Filmmaker-in-Residence
Pierson, one of the most respected writer/directors in film and television and a recognized leader in the profession, is a primary counselor to the overall artistic leadership of the Conservatory and its programs. Pierson wrote CAT BALLOU, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Adaptation. He was nominated again for COOL HAND LUKE and, in 1976, he received an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for DOG DAY AFTERNOON. Directing credits include KING OF THE GYPSIES and A STAR IS BORN (1975). CITIZEN COHN and TRUMAN, both for HBO, won numerous Emmy nominations; Showtime's DIRTY PICTURES won a Golden Globe for Best Picture; and A SOLDIER'S GIRL was nominated for an Emmy. HBO's CONSPIRACY was nominated for 10 Emmys, winning Best Writing for a Miniseries; it also won the Best Movies for Television Directing Award from the Directors Guild of America. A former president of the Writers Guild of America, West, Pierson is currently a member of the teaching staff of the Sundance Institute and was president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 2001-2005.

Roger Birnbaum | Artistic Director
Birnbaum is co-chairman and CEO of Spyglass Entertainment, the production and finance company he founded with partner Gary Barber. Educated at University of Denver, Birnbaum built a successful career as vice president of A&M Records and Arista Records before entering the film business as a producer. His company's box office hits range from THE SIXTH SENSE - the ninth highest grossing film in history, with six Oscar nominations — to BRUCE ALMIGHTY, which has grossed over $480 million to date. Other Spyglass Entertainment productions include: SEABISCUIT, THE INSIDER, UNBREAKABLE, THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, REIGN OF FIRE, SHANGHAI NOON and its sequel SHANGHAI KNIGHTS, and THE RECRUIT. Prior to founding Spyglass, Mr. Birnbaum, through Caravan Pictures, was responsible for such box office hits as RUSH HOUR, SIX DAYS/SEVEN NIGHTS, INSPECTOR GADGET, GROSS POINTE BLANK, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD and WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING. Before joining Caravan, Birnbaum was president of worldwide production at Twentieth Century Fox, where he developed such films as HOME ALONE, SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, HOT SHOTS, MY COUSIN VINNY, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, DIE HARD 2 and MRS. DOUBTFIRE. Prior to that, Birnbaum was president of production for United Artists, where he developed Oscar-winner RAIN MAN. Earlier in his film career, he produced a number of theatrical and television movies, including Rob Reiner's THE SURE THING and Emmy award-winner ALL THE KIDS DO IT.

Phillip Linson | Vice Dean, Production and Post-Production; Director, AFI Sony Digital Arts Center; Senior Filmmaker-in-Residence: Editing
Linson oversees production and post-production support operations for AFI in general and of the AFI Conservatory in particular. Linson's professional editing career stretches over all manner of projects for film and television. He worked with Agnes Varda and Haskell Wexler on documentaries and later was associate editor on Wexler's feature film, LATINO. His theatrical film editing credits include DEADFALL, AFTER MIDNIGHT and Sean Penn's THE INDIAN RUNNER. His theatrical sound editing credits include HOT SHOTS, TOMBSTONE and Allison Anders's GAS, FOOD AND LODGING. In addition, he helped produce the Finnish film LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO AMERICA.

Sheila Sullivan | Vice Dean, Fellow Affairs
Responsible for managing and coordinating the academic operations of the AFI Conservatory, including faculty support services, Sullivan also coordinates the professional development aspects of the curriculum and serves as the chief liaison for Fellows regarding program matters. Sullivan has worked for TriStar, Interscope, Le Studio Canal Plus and Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope.

Betsy Pollock | Director of Production Services
Pollock has worked as a producer, line producer, production manager and assistant director over her 25-year career in the motion picture industry. She co-produced TWO SOLDIERS, which won the 2004 Academy Award for Best Short Dramatic Film. She was involved in the production of WIND, STEALING HOME, LADY IN WHITE, GOOD BURGER and many other features, commercials and documentary films. She co-founded the PSA Committee of Women in Film, which produces and distributes public service announcements for local non-profit groups otherwise unable to publicize their services. Pollock was the head of the Producing discipline at the North Carolina School of the Arts.

Gill Dennis | Master Filmmaker-in-Residence: Thesis Production
A screenwriter and teacher, Dennis is responsible for the overall creative guidance of thesis productions to ensure consistency and excellence. His credits include RIDERS OF THE PURPLE SAGE, ON MY OWN, HOME FIRES, RETURN TO OZ and I WALK THE LINE. He has also directed numerous plays, receiving the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for Distinguished Direction. With Tom Rickman, he ran the screenwriting program at Squaw Valley Community of Writers for ten years, and has taught at Cal Arts, the Northwest Film and Video Center, for the Australian Film Commission, and at workshops in Portugal and Ireland.

Abby Singer | Distinguished Filmmaker-in-Residence: Production
Singer works with all thesis productions, serving as a creative guide and ensuring overall consistency and excellence. His television production manager credits include DIAGNOSIS MURDER, COLUMBO, MAJOR DAD, BOB NEWHART, THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, ST. ELSEWHERE, HILL STREET BLUES, SOMETHING FOR JOEY, HITCHCOCK THEATER and GUNSMOKE. Feature credits include DEATH OF A SALESMAN, THE WILD ONES, THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT, SADIE THOMPSON and THREE STOOGES. Singer also received the Frank Capra Award from the Directors Guild of America.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

Stephen Lighthill (ASC) | Senior Filmmaker-in-Residence
During the 1960s, while shooting for CBS News and 60 MINUTES, Lighthill created one of the first shoulder-held news cameras. His film, SONS AND DAUGHTERS, about the Vietnam War, launched his career filming social issue documentaries. Among the hundreds of documentaries he has filmed are GIMME SHELTER and BERKELEY IN THE '60s. His cinematography credits for independent features include OVER-UNDER, SIDEWAYS-DOWN; HOT SUMMER WINDS; and SHIMMER, for PBS's AMERICAN PLAYHOUSE. Lighthill served as director of photography on the TV series VIETNAM WAR STORY for HBO, EARTH 2, NASH BRIDGES, THE HUNTRESS and many made-for-television features. In 2005 he returned to documentaries with HBO's BOFFO! TINSELTOWN'S BOMBS AND BLOCKBUSTERS. In 2000, the Society of Operating Cameramen honored him with its President's Award.

Bill Dill (ASC) | Senior Lecturer
Dill holds a BA in Communication Studies from Oberlin College. His cinematography credits include SIDEWALK STORIES, B.A.P.S., DANCING IN SEPTEMBER, the Showtime TV series SOUL FOOD, and the American Playhouse production of FIRES IN THE MIRROR, based on the Pulitzer-nominated play. Among many productions he has filmed for HBO are the Ace Award-winning children's program MOMMY BUY ME THAT and comedy specials for Robert Townsend, Damon Wayans and Whoopie Goldberg. Dill also lensed a Clio award-winning commercial campaign for Nickelodeon Television Network.

Frederic Goodich (ASC) | Lecturer
Goodich's feature cinematography credits include G.I. JESUS, SURVIVING EDEN, THE AFFAIR, LAY OF THE LAND, FEAR NO EVIL and FOR LOVE OF THE GAME (2nd unit). He is an award-winning director of photography for commercials, having shot over 900 of them. Goodich has also lensed cable movies, fashion and music videos, documentaries and dramatic shorts. BOARD AND CARE won an Academy Award for Best Dramatic Short. Goodich chaired Newport Beach Film Festival's Cinematographers Forum for two years, and serves as associate chair of Cinematographers Day, formerly at Palm Springs International Film Festival, currently at Bangkok International Film Festival. He has co-chaired events celebrating the work of Dante Spinotti, Laszlo Kovacs and others. Educated at CCNY, Goodich credits his career path to an early love for foreign and silent cinema, a job as film handler at New York's MOMA Film Library and his admiration for American cinema of the 1970s.

Larry Mole Parker | Lecturer
Executive vice president of Mole-Richardson Co. and the grandson of the company's founder, Peter Mole, Parker was instrumental in designing such familiar cinema lights as the Baby 10K and Baby 1K in the mid-'60s, as well as the Softlite line and the Litewate Banded Cable System. Parker regularly conducts workshops and seminars for film students, on the Mole-Richardson soundstage. He is an associate member of the American Society of Cinematographers.

Robert Primes (ASC) | Lecturer
Primes is a cinematographer and director, known as a pioneer of digital cinematography. He won cinematography Emmys in 1995 (MY ANTONIA) and 2000 (FELICITY), the ASC award in 2003 (MDs) and has had five other major nominations. His feature film credits include BAADASSSSS,VEGAS BABY, MURDER OF CROWS, MONEY TALKS, ASPEN EXTREME, THE HARD WAY and BIRD ON A WIRE. His television credits include THIRTYSOMETHING, QUANTUM LEAP, MY ANTONIA, FELICITY, MDs and NIGHT STALKER. He has taught at many major American film schools and has served on the boards of the American Society of Cinematographers, International Cinematographers Guild, National Film Preservation Board, Wide Screen Film Festival and the Los Angeles Art Institute.

Charles Rose | Lecturer

Mark Woods | Lecturer
Woods started his career in 1968 as a still photographer, practicing street and studio photography in Berkeley. For seven years, he only shot black-and-white, using Ansel Adams's Zone System. In 1971 he earned a BA from the University of California at Berkeley in anthropology, with an emphasis in photo-ethnography (documentary photography that acknowledges the photographer's role as a participant observer). For nine months in 1970 - 71, he studied one block of Telegraph Avenue that was the focus of many student protests and home to a thriving subculture of street craftsmen, drug dealers, junkies, bikers, etc. The University sponsored a one-man show of this work after Woods graduated in 1971, and became his first big client. In 1973 he moved back to Los Angeles to work with his grandfather, a film director/ producer/distributor probably best-known for having produced and distributed REEFER MADNESS. Since 1973, Woods has been director of photography on over 1000 TV commercials, winning numerous awards, including a Cable ACE and a New York Festival Silver World Medal in 1996.

DIRECTING

Jim McBride | Master Filmmaker-in-Residence
McBride holds a BA in film from NYU and also attended Kenyon College and the University of Sao Paulo (Brazil). In 1967, McBride made his first feature, DAVID HOLZMAN'S DIARY, which won a number of awards at festivals and ultimately was named to the Library of Congress's National Film Registry. His screenwriting/directing credits include BREATHLESS, THE BIG EASY and GREAT BALLS OF FIRE. Television directing credits include THE WONDER YEARS, THE TWILIGHT ZONE and FALLEN ANGELS, while cable credits include SIX FEET UNDER, THE WRONG MAN, THE INFORMANT, PRONTO and MEAT LOAF: TO HELL AND BACK.

Lesli Linka Glatter | Lecturer
Glatter began her directing career through American Film Institute's Directing Workshop for Women. Her first short film, TALES OF MEETING AND PARTING, was nominated for an Academy Award and won numerous awards in festivals throughout the country. Glatter made her feature film directorial debut with New Line's successful coming-of-age comedy, NOW AND THEN. Previously, she directed HBO's acclaimed STATE OF EMERGENCY, which received a Cable ACE nomination for Best Picture and nomination for the Humanitas Award. Her other HBO films include INTO THE HOMELAND and THE PROMISE. Glatter's television directing credits include episodes of HEROES, THE CLOSER, MAD MEN, STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, NBC's miniseries REVELATIONS, and numerous episodes of WEST WING, THIRD WATCH, NYPD BLUE, BROOKLYN SOUTH and ER. She has also directed various episodes of FREAKS AND GEEKS, Steven Spielberg's AMAZING STORIES and David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS — for which she received a Director's Guild Nomination. She has directed many television pilots, including GILMORE GIRLS, IN MY LIFE and NEWTON. Prior to her work as a director, Glatter was a modern dance choreographer working throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.

Peter Markham | Senior Lecturer
Markham holds a BA in drama and English from Hull University in the UK. He served as first AD on TRULY MADLY DEEPLY. After graduating from the BBC Director's Course where his final project, THE TABLE, was developed with and written by Anthony Minghella, Markham directed the extensive second unit on THE ENGLISH PATIENT. He directed THE CORMORANT and directed second unit on GANGS OF NEW YORK for Martin Scorsese.

Robert Markowitz | Lecturer
Markowitz directed about forty movies for television, including two movies (TUSKEEGEE AIRMEN and AFTERBURN) and a six-hour miniseries (A DANGEROUS LIFE) for HBO. He has adapted more than a dozen books into films, which include THE GREAT GATSBY, INTO THIN AIR and THE WALL. His movies cover almost every genre and include performances by major actors from the feature film world. He, his films, and the actors who performed in them, have been recipients of numerous nominations and awards, including the Golden Globe, the Emmy, the Cable Ace Award, the Christopher Medal, and Peabody Award. In his early career, Markowitz was a documentary filmmaker and winner of the Dupont Columbia Award, and his film on Eugene O'Neill was Oscar-nominated.

Karen Maruyama | Lecturer
In addition to teaching at AFI, Muruyama teaches improvisation, character development, and advanced sketch-writing classes at the Groundlings Theater in Hollywood. She also directs sketch shows at Groundlings such as "Shut Up and Eat Your Groundlings" and the the all-improv "Cooking With Gas." Her acting credits include THE BUCKET LIST, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, NIP/TUCK, STACKED, THE KING OF QUEENS and WHO'S LINE IS IT ANYWAY? Voiceover credits include THE SIMPSONS, THE FAMILY GUY and AMERICAN DAD.

Belita Moreno | Lecturer
Moreno began her career as a theatrically trained actress some 32 years ago. Her career encompasses roles in television, features and on stage. As an actress, she transitioned from stage to film through two years of work with Robert Altman. In the years that followed, she worked, as an actress, with such gifted directors as Jonathan Demme, George Armitage, Philip Noyce, Frank Perry, Marvin Chomsky, Ulu Grosbard, to name a few. Moreno has also been an acting coach. She has consulted with major filmmakers and many actors, working with such directors as Diane Keaton, Bret Ratner, Adam Shankman, Curtis Hanson, Nancy Meyers, Cameron Crowe, Scott Hicks, Joel Schumacher, Craig Bolotin, John Schlesinger and Amy Heckerling. Moreno recently finished a five-and-a-half year acting stint on the television show GEORGE LOPEZ, as George's overbearing mother. With her experiences in front of and behind the camera, Moreno is honored to be exploring and teaching about communication between directors and actors.

Robert Spera | Lecturer
Spera has an extensive background in both film and theater. His feature film credits include THE LAST CRY and FORBIDDEN BY LAW distributed by Columbia/TriStar and MUTUAL NEEDS distributed by Orion Pictures. Spera's theater credits include numerous productions in the United States and abroad. As resident director at the Tony award winning Actor's Theater of Louisville, he has directed over seventy-five productions. His play Tracks, which he wrote and originally directed, was hailed by the critics and enjoyed an extended run in Los Angeles. Mr. Spera's published works include Actors Write for Actors, Encore and the play The Field.

Andy Wolk | Lecturer
Wolk's directing career began with the much-lauded HBO movie CRIMINAL JUSTICE, which made Time's "Ten Best List," received the Silver Prize at FIPA in Cannes and was named Best Cable Movie of the year. He has since directed many dramas including the pilot of the long-running HBO hit ARLISS, along with numerous episodes of THE SOPRANOS, WITHOUT A TRACE, THE PRACTICE, CRIMINAL MINDS, NUMBERS, MEDIUM, NYPD BLUE, CLOSE TO HOME, DAY BREAK, THE DIVISION, TALES FROM THE CRYPT, THE GUARDIAN, CROSSING JORDAN, DRAGNET, EQUAL JUSTICE, HEIST, DELIBERATE INTENT and others. He received the Humanitas Award for directing the "Final Judgement" episode of THE PRACTICE. He won the Writers Guild Award for writing NATICA JACKSON, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, on PBS. He directed and wrote FIGHTING THE ODDS; THE DEFENDERS: PAYBACK; CHOICE OF EVILS; and TAKING THE FIRST. Wolk's other writing credits include HBO's Emmy-winning FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON, produced by Tom Hanks, and TALES FROM THE CRYPT. Wolk's career started in the theater in New York City. For Lincoln Center he directed Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT and THE WINTER'S TALE. He has written and directed plays at theaters such as Manhattan Theatre Club (where he worked on staff for five years), LaMama, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Camera Obscura, a touring theater company which he founded as a grad student in drama at Carnegie-Mellon University. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania. Wolk has also been a creative adviser at the Sundance Filmmaking Labs.

EDITING

Donn Cambern | Senior Filmmaker-in-Residence
Cambern holds a BA in music from UCLA. Music editing credits include THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW, THE UNTOUCHABLES, I SPY and GOMER PYLE. Cambern edited EASY RIDER, THE LAST PICTURE SHOW, BLUME IN LOVE, CINDERELLA LIBERTY, HOOPER, CANNONBALL RUN, ROMANCING THE STONE, TWINS, THE BODYGUARD and THE GLIMMER MAN. Cambern is a member of the Motion Picture Editors Guild, the American Cinema Editors, the Directors Guild of America and the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. He served as Vice President of the Academy Board of Governors from 1990 to 1994 and from 1997 to 1999. In addition, he has held the position of president of the Motion Pictures Editors Guild since 1991.

Brian Chambers | Senior Lecturer
Holding a BA in film from UCLA, Chambers has extensive experience as an editor and co-producer and is currently manager of post-production for Twentieth Century Fox Television. Feature credits include DOWNTOWN, FRANKIE & JOHNNY, LETHAL WEAPON III, LITTLE NIKITA, MERMAIDS and MY STEPMOTHER IS AN ALIEN. Television work includes CRIME STORY, RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SLIDERS, AMERICAN GOTHIC, NYPD BLUE, GET REAL and JUDGING AMY.

David Cook | Lecturer
After having worked in movie theaters from elementary school through college and graduating from The North Carolina School of the Arts with a BFA in filmmaking, Cook has worked with acclaimed directors and producers such as James Cameron, Jean Doumanian, Terrence Malick, Edward R. Pressman, Roger Corman, David Gordon Green, William R. Greenblatt, Tony Goldwin, Joseph Sergeant, Sarah Pilsbury, Lisa Muskat and Norman Miller. His credits include GHOSTS OF THE ABYSS, ALL THE REAL GIRLS, CLOVER BEND, GEORGE WASHINGTON, THE JOYRIDERS, DOOMSDAY MAN, HEARSAY, SURFACING, RECKONING, THE SURPRISE PARTY, MAN AND DOG and UNDERTOW.

Bruce Green | Mentor
Green edited Garry Marshall's hit comedies THE PRINCESS DIARIES and RUNAWAY BRDE, as well as Marshall's THE OTHER SISTER. Green's other film credits include the hit comedy BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE, THE GURU, PHENOMENON, WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, COOL RUNNINGS, ANGELS IN THE OUTFIELD, THE VANISHING, YOUNG GUNS II, THREE FUGITIVES, WELCOME HOME, ROXY CARMICHAEL, PUNCHLINE and SQUARE DANCE. Born and raised in New York City, Green attended Bard College and then graduated from the California Institute of the Arts, where he studied painting and film. While pursuing a career in animation and documentary filmmaking, he began freelancing in a special effects house and working as an assistant cameraman. Green earned an assistant editing position on STAR WARS, where he was able to apply his knowledge of special effects. He moved to London and realized another goal through his work on documentaries. Returning to the United States, he met Michael Kahn, Steven Spielberg's editor, who became Green's mentor. Green worked as an assistant to Kahn on RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM, POLTERGEIST and TABLE FOR FIVE.

Danford Greene | Lecturer
Greene holds a BA in Film from USC. Editing credits include THAT COLD DAY IN THE PARK, MASH, WHO'S HARRY CRUMB?, PARTNERS, AMERICAN HOT WAX, ALOHA BOBBY AND ROSE, FUN WITH DICK AND JANE, WHICH WAY IS UP, 18 AGAIN, HEAD OFFICE, BLUE SKIES AGAIN, ROCKY II, MYRA BRECKENRIDGE, LOVE AT STAKE, THERE GOES MY BABY, OUTLAW BLUES, MASTER GUNFIGHTER and BLAZING SADDLES. Directing credits include THE SECRET DIARY OF SIGMUND FREUD.

Farrel Levy | Senior Lecturer
Levy attended the University of Michigan and Cooper Union as a fine arts major. Editing credits include DIRTY DANCING, NYPD BLUE, PRIMAL FEAR, BROOKLYN SOUTH (pilot), THE HAUNTED, ACROSS THE TRACKS, CONFESSIONS OF A SEXIST PIG, BLIND JUSTICE (pilot), THE UNIT (pilot) and CRIMINAL MINDS. Levy has also directed three episodes of NYPD BLUE.

Martin Nicholson | Lecturer

Sonya Polonsky | Mentor
Prior to film editing, Polonsky worked in book publishing and in both film and television production — most notably on the feature documentary WOODSTOCK. She spent the next 25 years as an assistant film editor and then editor, with credits including ANNIE HALL and INTERIORS (apprentice editor), RAGING BULL (assistant editor) and BABY IT'S YOU and MATEWAN (editor). Polonsky taught film editing at NCSA and Florida State University.

Stan Salfas | Lecturer
Salfas is an acknowledged writer, producer, director and editor of films that have won awards at film festivals worldwide and have been distributed on network television. As a feature film editor, he has worked with directors Steven Soderbergh, Phil Joanou, Keith Gordon and Matt Reeves, among others. He received an Emmy Award and two ACE nominations. Recently, he served as producer in charge of post-production on the series FELICITY and as a co-producer on the ABC drama series, MIRACLES.

Howard Smith | Senior Lecturer
A Directing Fellow at the AFI Conservatory in 1969, Smith studied at Northwestern University, where he made over 50 films. Smith's feature editing credits include BLADE TRINITY; TORQUE; CITY OF GHOSTS; THE CROW, SALVATION; GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS; AFTER DARK, MY SWEET; AT CLOSE RANGE; STRANGE DAYS; POINT BREAK; NEAR DARK; THE ABYSS; DANTE'S PEAK; BIG MAN ON CAMPUS; RIVER'S EDGE; TEX; and the creature-on-the-wing-of-the-airplane segment of TWILIGHT ZONE-THE MOVIE. Smith was associate producer and editor on the ABC-TV specials OSCAR'S BEST ACTORS and OSCAR'S BEST MOVIES. He also worked on six Academy Award shows, producing and editing all film segments.

PRODUCING

Neil Canton | Senior Filmmaker-in-Residence
With a degree in government and public administration from American University in Washington, DC, Canton first worked in Hollywood as assistant to Peter Bogdanovich on WHAT'S UP, DOC?, PAPER MOON and NICKELODEON. He then spent two years on Orson Welles's THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WIND before leaving to work with Walter Hill on THE WARRIORS. Producing credits include THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI!, THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK, BACK TO THE FUTURE (along with its sequels), TRESPASS, GERONIMO, MONEY TRAIN, DUETS, GET CARTER, ANGEL EYES, TRAPPED and INTERSTATE 60. Canton is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Producers Guild of America.

Richard Arlook | Senior Lecturer
Arlook has been at the Gersh Agency since 1990 and is currently a senior agent and head of the motion picture literary department, where he represents many top screenwriters and directors. Arlook's producing credits include AFTER MIDNIGHT.

Carol Baum | Lecturer
In 2005 Baum produced SEXUAL LIFE, CAROLINA and THE GOOD GIRL to outstanding reviews and four Independent Spirit nominations. She executive produced SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, David Cronenberg's DEAD RINGERS and James Foley's RECKLESS. She was also a studio vice-president at Twentieth Century Fox and Lorimar. Additionally, she developed Taylor Hackford's AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN and David Cronenberg's THE DEAD ZONE. Baum was the president of Sandollar Productions for ten years, where she produced such hits as FATHER AND THE BRIDE and its sequel, in addition to the Academy Award winning HBO documentary COMMON THREADS: STORIES OF THE QUILT, and the quadruple ACE award-winning HBO Showcase presentation TIDY ENDINGS. Her features with Sandollar include: IQ, JACKKNIFE, TRUE IDENTITY, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, GROSS ANATOMY, SHINING THROUGH, STRAIGHT TALK and KICKING AND SCREAMING.

Robert Cort | Lecturer
Cort has produced forty-seven feature films, which have grossed over 2.5 billion dollars in worldwide box office, including OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE, THREE MEN AND A BABY, THREE MEN AND A LITTLE LADY, THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE, COCKTAIL, CLASS ACTION, BILL & TED'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE, BILL & TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY, THE CUTTING EDGE, TERMINAL VELOCITY, OPERATION DUMBO DROP, BIRD ON A WIRE, JUMANJI, RUNAWAY BRIDE, MR. HOLLAND'S OPUS and SAVE THE LAST DANCE. Cort's HBO film, SOMETHING THE LORD MADE, became one of the most honored movies in television history, winning three Emmys, the Directors and Writers Guild Awards, and the Peabody Award. His five other television films have also won multiple honors, including the Emmy for Best Children's Programming for A MOTHER'S COURAGE: THE MARY THOMAS STORY (1991). Cort entered the motion picture industry in 1976 and one year later was named vice president of advertising, publicity and promotion for Columbia Pictures. In 1980, he became executive vice president of marketing for Fox. In his five years as a marketing chief, Cort planned and supervised the campaigns of such films as CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, MIDNIGHT EXPRESS, THE CHINA SYNDROME, ALL THAT JAZZ, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and NINE TO FIVE. He then served as executive vice president of production at Twentieth Century Fox, where he oversaw the making of ROMANCING THE STONE, BACHELOR PARTY and REVENGE OF THE NERDS. For the next eleven years, Cort was a partner and president of Interscope Communications. From 1996 to 2001, he was the managing partner of The Cort/Madden Company, a production unit with close ties to Paramount Pictures. In 2001, he formed Robert Cort Productions, an independent feature production company and renewed his relationship with Paramount. Prior to his career in the entertainment industry, Cort was a management consultant for McKinsey and Company, specializing in consumer marketing. He also served a two-year assignment in the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2003 Random House published Cort's first novel, Action!, which garnered outstanding critical reviews and became a bestseller. He holds BA and MA degrees in history from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Wharton School.

Jeff Freilich | Senior Lecturer
After graduating from Antioch College with a degree in psychology, Freilich attended USC School of Medicine. He began his career in filmmaking as the producer on Tim Hunter's AFI thesis project, DEVIL'S BARGAIN. After rewriting screenplays for Roger Corman and Sam Arkoff, he was signed to a series of long-term studio development deals, spanning twenty-four years, as writer, producer and director in episodic television, cable motion pictures and feature films. At Universal, he earned his first Emmy nomination and served as executive story consultant on BARETTA and QUINCY and as writer/producer of THE INCREDIBLE HULK. At Lorimar/Warner Bros., Freilich created three network television series and served as writer/director/executive producer on FALCON CREST, DARK JUSTICE, AGAINST THE GRAIN and FREDDY'S NIGHTMARES. For Showtime, he produced, in partnership with Norman Jewison, the Emmy and ACE award-winning PICTURE WINDOWS and the Emmy-winning RESCUERS: STORIES OF COURAGE, in collaboration with Barbra Streisand. At Paramount, he wrote/produced/directed NAKED CITY and CODENAME: PHOENIX and produced EXECUTION OF JUSTICE and MEAN STREAK. For Twentieth Century Fox, he produced SUZANNE'S DIARY FOR NICHOLAS, based on the novel by James Patterson. For Lion's Gate, he consulted on the production of THE CAT'S MEOW, directed by Peter Bogdanovich.

Michael Glick | Lecturer

Richard Johnson | Lecturer

Robert Kaplan | Senior Lecturer
An entertainment attorney and former independent film producer, Kaplan was executive in charge of business affairs at Warner Brothers in London, supervising all non-US production activities. Currently, Kaplan practices on his own and represents feature film writers, directors and producers, particularly in the arena of independent film financing. He also is a founding principal in ScreenBridge, a company specializing in packaging and financing independent films. Credits include KRUSH GROOVE (executive producer), NIGHT OF THE COMET, PAPILLON (associate producer), THE ADVENTURES OF AMERICAN RABBIT and SOUTHERN CROSS (executive producer).

Alexandra Rose | Senior Lecturer
Rose holds an MA from the University of Wisconsin and L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. She began her film career with a three-year stint working for Roger Corman, where she oversaw film distribution, acquisition, post-production and marketing. She then formed her own independent film company. Producing credits include THE BIG WEDNESDAY, EXIT TO EDEN, FRANKIE & JOHNNY, I WANNA HOLD YOUR HAND, NORMA RAE, NOTHING IN COMMON, THE OTHER SISTER, OVERBOARD and QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER.

David Streit | Filmmaker-in-Residence: Production
Streit's production credits include JURASSIC PARK III (UPM); SPECIES (executive producer/UPM); INTERNAL AFFAIRS (co-producer); THE RIVER'S EDGE (co-producer/UPM); ROCKERS (co-producer/UPM) and many others.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

Joseph Garrity | Senior Filmmaker-in-Residence
An AFI graduate, Garrity has designed many feature films including RUNAWAY TRAIN (art director), WEEDS, MY GIRL, DROP DEAD FRED and IMAGINARY CRIMES. He met Christopher Guest in 1988 and was chosen to design his directorial debut feature THE BIG PICTURE and has designed all Guest's subsequent films, including WAITING FOR GUFFMAN, BEST IN SHOW, A MIGHTY WIND, and FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

Robert Boyle | Distinguished Lecturer
Boyle holds a BA in architecture from USC. He has earned four Academy Award nominations in the art direction category for his work on NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), GAILY, GAILY (1969), FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971) and THE SHOOTIST (1976). His many art direction credits include IN COLD BLOOD, MARNIE, SABOTEUR, SHADOW OF A DOUBT, THE BIRDS and THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS. Boyle received an honorary degree from AFI in 1996 and he was the subject of the Academy Award-nominated documentary short, THE MAN ON LINCOLN'S NOSE. Most recently, he was awarded an Honorary Academy Award "in recognition of one of cinema's great careers in art direction."

Todd Cherniawsky | Lecturer
A graduate of AFI, Cherniawsky has more than 10 years of solid experience in feature film and television production. He began his professional film career as a dolly grip, key grip, electrician and carpenter, then worked his way up through the art department as a conceptual illustrator, set designer and assistant art director. Todd served as production designer for GINGER SNAPS and GINGER SNAPS II and set designer on OCEAN'S THIRTEEN. Todd has developed advanced computer skills working as a set designer in the digital art departments of SUPERMAN RETURNS, MONSTER HOUSE, WAR OR THE WORLDS, LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS, THE POLAR EXPRESS, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK and THE HULK.

John DeCuir, Jr. | Lecturer
DeCuir has designed film, television and themed attractions throughout the world. He started his film career as a student intern working on THE KING AND I and SOUTH PACIFIC. He received a degree in architecture from USC and accepted a post-graduate teaching position at the Institute of Building Research and Technology. He continued his film apprenticeship as an art director working in Rome on the films CLEOPATRA, AGONY AND THE ECSTACY, THE TAMING OF THE SHREW and DR. FAUSTUS. He served as a producer/director in the U.S. Coast Guard's documentary film division and subsequently conceptualized and planned major portions of Disney's EPCOT/World Showcase. Later, he returned full time to film as art director on the film GHOSTBUSTERS. DeCuir became a production designer in 1985 designing such films as TOP GUN, TURNER & HOOCH, SISTER ACT 2 and the NBC television series PROVIDENCE. He lectures in the UCLA Performing Arts Program, has taught at USC's School of Cinema, holds a seat on the Art Director's Guild Board of Directors and acts as chairman of their education committee.

Suzanne Feller-Otto | Senior Lecturer
Feller-Otto received her degree in architecture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Before her film career, she lived in Tokyo and worked on the Puroland Theme Park. Her set design credits include five seasons of SEINFELD, episodes of ALLY McBEAL, 8 SIMPLE RULES and the feature films OUT ON A LIMB and TRIAL AND ERROR.

Ernie Marjoram | Senior Lecturer
Marjoram holds a BS from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He has been a registered professional architect for more than 15 years and has been working as a free-lance designer/illustrator in advertising and entertainment since 1995. He has developed concepts for Walt Disney Imagineering, created sketches for Steven Spielberg's Movie Magic, executed concept design of the Lost World of Jules Verne theme park and handled visual development for Spagna 2000.

Lauren Polizzi | Senior Lecturer
Polizzi received her BA from UCLA's Theater of Fine Arts where she discovered a love and aptitude for set design. She has since honed her design skills on many diverse feature films, including: DEATH BECOMES HER, JURASSIC PARK, FORREST GUMP, DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS, AUSTIN POWERS 3, SECONDHAND LIONS, LEMONY SNICKET and PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2 and 3. In1994 she became an assistant art director and worked on such films as: THE TIME MACHINE, PANIC ROOM, SPECIES, AMISTAD and INDEPENDENCE DAY. Her art director credits include the feature films THE LOST WORLD, BE COOL, THE ALAMO and DR. SEUSS'S HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS; and the THE X-FILES television series. Lauren received an Art Director's Guild Award and Emmy nomination for her work on season six of THE X-FILES, an ADG and Oscar nomination for HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS and an ADG nomination for AMISTAD.

Richard Reynolds | Senior Lecturer
Reynolds holds BA and MA degrees in Theatre Arts-Stage and Lighting Design. His film work includes 3D computer pre-visualization and set design on PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN 2 and 3, THE TERMINAL, SKY HIGH, MINORITY REPORT, TERMINATOR 3, PLANET OF THE APES, PEARL HARBOR, SOLARIS, ENVY, MISSION TO MARS, SUPERNOVA, THE NEGOTIATOR and GODZILLA; set design for BLADE and VOLCANO; and visual effects art direction for BATMAN AND ROBIN and INDEPENDENCE DAY. Reynolds has served as assistant art director for the Academy Awards and has art-directed and production-designed all formats of television from sitcoms and one-hour episodic, to miniseries and musical awards shows. His particular interests are 3D computer design to previsualize sets within the art department and in the relationship between classical architecture and contemporary design.

SCREENWRITING

Tom Rickman | Senior Filmmaker-In-Residence
One of 18 Fellows in the first class of AFI, 1969-71, Rickman's short film, WHAT FIXED ME, won first prize in the National Student Association Festival and was selected for the New York Film Festival of 1971. His screenwriting credits include COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER, for which he received nominations for both the WGA and Academy Award; EVERYBODY'S ALL-AMERICAN; W.W. AND THE DIXIE DANCEKINGS; HOOPER; THE WHITE DAWN; THE LAUGHING POLICEMAN; KANSAS CITY BOMBER; and THE RIVER RAT, which also was his directing debut. In television, Rickman's writing and directing credits include TRUMAN, WRONGFUL DEATH, CRASH COURSE, THE REAGANS and TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE (winner of WGA and Humanitas Awards). He has received several Emmy nominations. Rickman was a charter member of the board of trustees of the Sundance Institute and has participated in the Institute's Screenwriting Laboratory since its inception. He also founded the Squaw Valley Screenwriters Workshop. His has taught screenwriting at the University of Southern California, as well as numerous workshops in Australia, Cuba, Hungary, Ireland, France and other countries.

Sandra Berg | Lecturer

Tom Blomquist | Lecturer
Blomquist is an award-winning writer, producer and director. His episodic television credits range from science fiction (FARSCAPE, QUANTUM LEAP, SWAMP THING) to action adventure (THE A-TEAM, WALKER TEXAS RANGER, HUNTER) to family drama (FAME L.A., TWICE IN A LIFETIME, CATHERINE MARSHALL'S CHRISTY). He also served as executive producer and writer of the critically acclaimed miniseries sequel to CHRISTY, as well as director of the comedy featurette PRISON LIFE, which was cited by the Houston Chronicle as one of the 10 best short films of the year. Blomquist directed the music videos for singer-songwriter Kellie Coffey's I Would Die For That and Walk On. A graduate of Southern Illinois University, he was formerly a program development executive at MTM Studios, Artemis/Orion Television and Foote, Cone & Belding Advertising, where he worked on THE HALLMARK HALL OF FAME series.

Michael Ellis | Senior Lecturer
Ellis holds an MFA in screenwriting from AFI and graduated from NYU's film school. Ellis and his writing partner, Pam Falk, wrote THE WEDDING PLANNER and were consulting producers on JAKE IN PROGRESS for ABC. They currently have movies in development at Universal and Working Title Films.

Allen Estrin | Senior Lecturer
Estrin's television, film and radio writing credits include multiple episodes of Emmy Award-winning TV shows THE PRACTICE, BOSTON PUBLIC and TOUCHED BY AN ANGEL. In addition, he has written film history (The Hollywood Profession, Volume 6: Capra, Cukor and Brown), educational and corporate videos, and has directed the highly praised documentary ISRAEL IN A TIME OF TERROR (2002). Estrin's first novel, Heaven's Witness, was published in 2004 by Toby Press and named one of the best mysteries of that year by The Weekly Standard and became a CBS Special Event movie in 2006.

Karen Janszen | Senior Lecturer
Janszen holds a BA in anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, an MA in anthropology from Harvard and an MFA in screenwriting from AFI. Her screenwriting credits include DUMA (2005), A WALK TO REMEMBER (2002), THE MATCHMAKER (1997) and DIGGING TO CHINA (1998); television credits include an episode of FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON (1998). In 1999, Variety named her one of "Ten Screenwriters to Watch."

Patricia Meyer | Lecturer
Meyer holds a BA in history and literature from Harvard University and MA in fiction writing from Boston University. For the past 20 years, she has had a diverse career as a motion picture and television screenwriter and producer. With her passion for dark comedic true crime stories, she has had the privilege of writing numerous screenplays for Martin Scorsese, Harry and Mary Jane Ufland, Brillstein-Grey and Robert De Niro's Tribeca Productions. She has also written projects for every major studio as well as the networks, including a CBS movie and miniseries. Meyer's first production, the ABC miniseries THE WOMEN OF BREWSTER PLACE starred Oprah Winfrey and received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Miniseries in 1989. Throughout the 1990s, she developed and executive produced multiple network movies. She made her directorial debut in 2003, with THE LIST, a short tragic-comedy starring Corbin Bernsen and Ashley Williams. Before joining the AFI faculty, she taught screenwriting and development at Chapman University.

Del Reisman | Senior Lecturer
Holding a BA from the University of California, Berkeley, Reisman worked as story editor on the original PLAYHOUSE 90, after working on NBC MATINEE THEATRE. His first filmed show was the original TWILIGHT ZONE, where he worked as story editor for Rod Serling. He went on to write scripts, produce episodes and story edit for such TV classics as THE UNTOUCHABLES, RAWHIDE, PEYTON PLACE, THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO and CAGNEY AND LACEY. His long-form TV writing credits include THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, EROS IN LOVE and KILLER INSTINCT. Feature credits include THE TAKE (starring Billy Dee Williams) and THE MORNING MAN AND THE EVENING WOMAN. Reisman served on the Board of Directors for the Writers Guild of America, west, from 1979-87; was their Vice President from 1987-91; and served as President from 1991-93. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Writers Guild Foundation and of the National Film Preservation Board.

Anna Thomas | Senior Lecturer
Thomas holds an MFA in film from UCLA. An Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, as well as a producer, director and author, Thomas is producer and co-writer of the film EL NORTE, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and was elected to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress in 1995. She is the co-writer and producer of the acclaimed MY FAMILY, MI FAMILIA. Thomas made her first feature in 1977 when she wrote, produced and directed THE HAUNTING OF M as her Master's thesis film. Other film credits include the 1986 drama A TIME OF DESTINY, which she co-wrote and produced. She recently wrote two episodes of the PBS one-hour drama series AMERICAN FAMILY. Thomas is a founder of the IFP West.

Dan Vining | Senior Lecturer
After undergraduate work at the University of Florida, Vining was a Stegner Fellow in poetry at Stanford, returning the following year as Jones Lecturer. He also wrote and edited at Rolling Stone in its last San Francisco days. His credits as a screenwriter include the features BLACK DOG, PLAIN CLOTHES and LIGHTHOUSE and the television movies WILD HORSES, HER DEADLY RIVAL, IN MY SISTER'S SHADOW and the cable feature ESCAPE: HUMAN CARGO. Additionally, Vining has written screenplays for Universal, Paramount, Disney, MGM and NBC and he recently sold the action script AUTOBAHN. His mystery novels, The Quick and The Next are published by Penguin-Putnam.

AFI CONSERVATORY STUDIES
The Conservatory Studies curriculum is a series of interdisciplinary courses, seminars and workshops designed to provide Fellows with a broad and varied perspective on the contemporary film, television and digital media arts and professions.

Stan Brooks | Senior Lecturer
Holding a BA from Brandeis University and an MFA from AFI, Brooks enjoyed a successful run as president of Savoy Pictures Television, overseeing six production and development entities, after which he ran his own television film production company, Once Upon a Time Films, with a development slate of over 30 hours of movies, miniseries and pilots. Past films include BEHIND THE MASK, NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH, FALLING FOR YOU, A DREAM IS A WISH YOUR HEART MAKES: THE ANNETTE FUNICELLO STORY, SUBMERGED and TALKING TO HEAVEN.

Dorothy Fontana | Senior Lecturer
Fontana's screenwriting credits include the television series STAR TREK, BONANZA, THE WALTONS, THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO and DALLAS. Story editor credits include the original STAR TREK series, STAR TREK animated series, FANTASTIC JOURNEY, LOGAN'S RUN and STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, on which Fontana was also associate producer for the first 13 episodes. She is a member of Science Fiction Writers of America, Western Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, the Writers Guild of America and Writers Guild of Canada. She is currently writing for an online STAR TREK project, NewVoyages.com.

James Hosney | Senior Lecturer
Holding a BA in Anglo-American Literature from Occidental College, James Hosney created and taught courses in literature, American Studies and film at the Westlake School for Girls from 1970 to 1980, where he was director of the Film and Video Program. He created the film program at Crossroads School, where he has been teaching for 23 years, and currently teaches a two-year Honors English course, "Great Books of the Western World." He has published articles in Film Quarterly, South Atlantic Quarterly and the Los Angeles Times; and he has taught film classes for UCLA Extension. He has been teaching at AFI since 1980.

Joe Pichirallo | Senior Lecturer
Holding a BA from the University of California at Berkeley and an MFA from AFI, Pichirallo has worked as a studio executive for nearly 10 years and currently is executive vice president of production at Focus Features, a division of Universal Pictures. Among the films he has supervised are THE BROTHERS McMULLEN, QUILLS, THE SLUMS OF BEVERLY HILLS, ONE HOUR PHOTO, THE BANGER SISTERS and THE ANTWONE FISHER STORY. Pichirallo was formerly a reporter for The Washington Post.

Barry Sabath | Senior Lecturer, Senior Mentor: Thesis Production
Holding an MA and PhD in Cinema Studies from New York University, Sabath has nearly two decades of feature film development experience. He ran the film division of Marsha and Robin Williams's Blue Wolf Productions, whose productions include MRS. DOUBTFIRE, PATCH ADAMS and JAKOB THE LIAR. At Twentieth Century Fox, he was senior vice president of production for Paul Schiff Productions, where he oversaw MY COUSIN VINNY and was co-producer on GHOST IN THE MACHINE and PCU. He spent four years at Columbia Pictures, as executive story editor and vice president of production, and supervised FLATLINERS and IMMEDIATE FAMILY. Sabath also taught film history and criticism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Illinois State University.

Michael Urban | Lecturer
Michael Urban attended Florida State University as well as the Freie Universitaet in Berlin, Germany, before moving to Los Angeles. He is a graduate of the AFI Screenwriting program. His first feature film, SAVED! was written while he was a fellow at the AFI. He is currently adapting a novel for MGM and developing a screenplay for Fox 2000 and a series for HBO.

George Walczak | Lecturer
Holding an MFA in Screenwriting from AFI, Walczak was a recipient of the Alfred P. Sloan Award. As an AFI adjunct faculty member since 1997, he teaches the year-long development workshop and the screenwriting section of the Directing Workshop for Women. Walczak most recently wrote ZULU WAVE with writing partners Mark Rogers and Rob Ryder. Walczak also adapted the French bestseller, African in Greenland. In 2001, Walczak served as the director of the Ojai Film Festival.

Seth Winston | Senior Lecturer
Holding a BA in film from the USC School of Cinema, Winston participated in the Academy Internship Program at AFI and interned under Steven Spielberg on CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. He received an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short in 1992 for writing and directing Showtime's SESSION MAN. Credits include SHE'S OUT OF CONTROL; THE CURE; GAME DAY; IT'S MY CHILD, TOO; and THE COMMON COLD.

Cathy Wischner-Sola | Lecturer
Wischner-Sola holds a BA degree in humanities from The New School for Social Research, and attended Northwestern University and the American Conservatory Theatre Advanced Training Program. Wischner-Sola recently served as vice president of original programming at TNT, where she supervised an extensive slate of distinguished movies, miniseries and pilots, including the Emmy-nominated PIRATES OF SILICON VALLEY; Emmy-nominated KING OF TEXAS; ANIMAL FARM; and SMUDGE, winner of the Humanitas Prize for Best Children's Movie. Previously, she worked as vice president of creative affairs for Daniel H. Blatt Productions, at Warner Bros. overseeing feature, television movie, miniseries and series development. Her producing credits include COMMON GROUND, the Humanitas Prize-winning miniseries and the Emmy-winning SWORN TO SILENCE. As head of Beverly Hills Theatre40 Playwright's Workshop, she established the theater's first professional playwright's contract to develop new works and served as literary consultant for Showtime's Act One Productions and LATC. She began her film career as a story analyst for Tri-Star Pictures.