women filmmakers initiative 2013 mentees and mentors sd · 5900 wilshire blvd. suite 800, los...

5900 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 800, Los Angeles, CA 900361825 Three Kings Dr., Park City, UT 84060180 Varick Street, Suite 1330, New York, New York 10014

Women Filmmakers Initiative 2013 Mentees and Mentors

Mentees Mentors

Brenda Coughlin -‐ Producer Ava DuVernay – Writer/Director/Distributor

Jordana Mollick -‐ Producer Suzanne Todd – Team Todd

Kim Sherman -‐ Producer Rowena Arguelles – CAA

Mari Heller -‐ Director Jill Soloway – Writer/Director

Marta Cunningham -‐ Director Nicole Holofcener – Writer/Director

Shola Lynch -‐ Director Lydia Dean Pilcher – Producer


Meet the Mentees

Brenda Coughlin – Producer Brenda Coughlin is co-‐founder of the non-‐profit media company Civic Bakery and is a director at the BRITDOC Foundation. Her most recent project with Civic Bakery is the feature documentary DIRTY WARS, which won the Cinematography Award for Documentary (United States) at the Sundance Film Festival 2013 and is currently in worldwide distribution. She was a fellow at the 2012 Sundance Institute Creative Producing Lab. Coughlin is also a producer of THE PEOPLE SPEAK 2009 original U.S. special (with executive producers Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Howard Zinn, Chris Moore, and Anthony Arnove) and the 2010 UK adaptation (co-‐directed by Colin Firth). Both premiered on The History Channel. Additional international adaptations are in development. With the late historian Howard Zinn, she co-‐founded the non-‐profit organization Voices of a People’s History, which runs performing arts and education programs in communities and schools through the United States. For the last fifteen years, Coughlin has worked with non-‐profits and foundations and has

been part of social justice movements in a range of areas, from criminal justice reform to antiwar organizing. She completed undergraduate studies in Caribbean History and Literature at Harvard University and pursued doctoral studies in Sociology at Columbia University. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Jordana Mollick – Producer Jordana Mollick began her career in Theater in New York and later transitioned into film by working at the Endeavor Agency and then as the film development executive for writers Brian Koppelman and David Levien (Rounders, Runaway Jury, Ocean’s 13). She then moved to Los Angeles where she lives currently and formed her own literary management and production company with producing partner Brendan Bragg called Black Sheep Management and Productions, which aimed to develop and produce a diverse slate of films and manage a carefully curated array of writers and directors. In May of 2013, Black Sheep merged with Haven Entertainment. Jordana created the Unscreened play series, an annual development and presentation of four world-‐premiere short plays by some of Hollywood’s fastest-‐rising screenwriters and television writers featuring a multi-‐star cast. Through this annual project, Jordana has produced work written and directed by Leslye Headland, Dahvi Waller, John Whittington, Michelle Morgan, Will Graham, Susanna Fogel & Joni Lefkowitz, and Robbie Pickering, among others. Now under Haven, Jordana just wrapped on LIFE PARTNERS directed by Susanna Fogel and starring Leighton Meester, Gillian Jacobs, and Adam Brody for which Jordana was a 2012 Creative Producing fellow with the Sundance Institute and is now a Sundance Alumni. Under Haven, she is also producing Beth Schacter’s feature film A Virgin Mary, which will star Abigail Breslin, Addison McQuigg’s SONATA starring Zachary Quinto, and Steven Feder’s Hooking Up starring Ray Liotta.


Kim Sherman -‐ Producer Kim Sherman is a Midwest based filmmaker and musician. Most recently, Sherman produced festival favorites A TEACHER (dir. Hannah Fidell, Sundance 2013), SUN DON'T SHINE (dir. Amy Seimetz, SXSW 2012), V/H/S (segment dir. Adam Wingard, Sundance 2012), and the highly anticipated home invasion thriller, YOU'RE NEXT (dir. Adam Wingard, Toronto 2011). Sherman’s production work has come with high recognition, including a fellowship with the 2011 Sundance Institute’s Creative Producing Labs and a spot on Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces List of 2012. She is currently wrapping up post-‐production on WILD CANARIES (dir. Lawrence Michael Levine) and development on director Sophia Tekal's latest feature, ALWAYS SHINE.

Mari Heller -‐ Director A director, screenwriter, actor, and playwright, Heller was a 2012 Sundance Directing and Screenwriting Fellow, and the proud recipient of both the 2012 Lynn Auerbach Screenwriting Fellowship and the 2013 Maryland Film Fellowship. Her theatrical production of DIARY premiered in New York to stellar reviews, and has recently been published by Playscripts.

With her writing partner, Heller has written pilots for ABC and 20th Century Fox, and is currently developing a number of screenplays. As a professional stage actor she has performed in theaters all over the world, from The Barbican Theatre in London, Soho Rep in New York, to Berkeley Rep. She received her BA from UCLA School of Theater, Film and TV, and a certificate in Shakespeare at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Marta Cunningham – Director Marta Cunningham is a native of Northern California. She was so moved by the story of Larry’s murder that she became embedded in the community of Oxnard and soon began filming those whose lives were touched by the tragedy. Her professional career began with dance. At the age of 14, Cunningham was performing with the company at The Peninsula Ballet Theater. Her career expanded into all areas of performance. She studied English literature at Georgetown University, where she was awarded the prestigious Baker Scholarship. On moving to Los Angeles she continued her career as an actress, writer, dancer and

choreographer, before exclusively focusing on directing and producing. VALENTINE ROAD is her first feature.

Following the success of the film at the Sundance Film Festival and in film festivals around the world winning awards and engaging with a wide reach of audiences from all walks of life.


Shola Lynch -‐ Director Shola Lynch is an award-‐winning American filmmaker who burst on the scene in 2004. Her eagerly anticipated second feature documentary FREE ANGELA & All Political Prisoners is a first hand account of the events that thrust Angela Davis into the national spotlight from a young college professor to a fugitive on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and will be released theatrically in the U.S. by Code Black and Lionsgate exclusively in AMC theatres on April 5th, 2013.

Shola’s first independent feature documentary, CHISHOLM ’72 – Unbought & Unbossed, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, aired on PBS’s POV series, and garnered two Independent Spirit Award nominations and a prestigious Peabody for excellence.

Shola honed her filmmaking skills as a visual researcher and Associate Producer for Ken Burns and Florentine Films. Her work on the two-‐part Frank Lloyd Wright documentary and the ten-‐part JAZZ series inspired her to pursue the craft of storytelling. Since then she has produced and scripted stories that have aired on BET, CNN, ESPN, HBO Sports, and PBS.

Shola also holds a graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University and is working on a book based on her new film. She lives in Harlem, NY with her husband and two young children, Julian and Violet.


Meet the Mentors

Ava DuVernay – Writer/Director Winner of the Best Director Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and the 2013 John Cassavetes Spirit Award for her second feature film MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, Ava DuVernay is a writer, producer, director and distributor of independent film.

She made her directorial debut with the critically-‐acclaimed 2008 hip hop documentary, "This is The Life." Winner of Audience Awards in Toronto, Los Angeles and Seattle, the film debuted on Showtime in April 2009.DuVernay’s directorial work also includes the critically-‐acclaimed dramatic feature I WILL FOLLOW, as well as the documentaries VENUS VS, THIS IS THE LIFE and MY MIC SOUNDS NICE. She is currently prepping for directorial duties on the Dr. Martin Luther King film, SELMA, for Pathe. DuVernay is founder of AFFRM, a film distribution collective dedicated to

African-‐American cinema. Based in Los Angeles, she is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as well as the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences

Suzanne Todd -‐ Producer Suzanne’s movies have grossed over two billion dollars worldwide. She runs the film production company Team Todd and has produced hits for nearly every major studio. Suzanne's films have been honored by the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Emmys. She has been personally nominated for four Golden Globes and three Emmys. Suzanne’s credits include ALICE IN WONDERLAND, CELESTE & JESSE FOREVER, MEMENTO, the AUSTIN POWERS trilogy, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, MUST LOVE DOGS, PRIME, BOILER ROOM and the HBO movies, IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK I and II. Suzanne’s next film is ALICE: THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS for Disney.


Rowena Arguelles -‐ Agent Rowena Arguelles is a Motion Picture agent at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), based in Los Angeles with offices in New York, London, Nashville, and Beijing. Arguelles, based in the Los Angeles office, represents clients including directors Susanne Bier (SERENA; IN A BETTER WORLD), Joe Cornish (ATTACK THE BLOCK), Catherine Hardwicke (TWILIGHT; THIRTEEN), Justin Lin (FAST AND FURIOUS; BETTER LUCK TOMORROW), Robert Luketic (21; LEGALLY BLONDE), John Madden (BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL; THE DEBT), Michael Sucsy (THE VOW; GREY GARDENS), Edgar Wright (SCOTT PILGRIM; SHAUN OF THE DEAD); screenwriters Abi Morgan (IRON LADY; SHAME), Charles Randolph (LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS; THE INTERPRETER), Erin Cressida Wilson (CHLOE; SECRETARY), Brian Nelson (DEVIL; HARD CANDY); writer/directors Sacha Gervasi (HITCHCOCK; ANVIL), Patty Jenkins (MONSTER), Rebecca Miller (THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE; PERSONAL VELOCITY); producer

Bruce Cohen (MILK; AMERICAN BEAUTY) and actors Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman, Jessica Chastain, Katherine Heigl, Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts and Renee Zellweger.

Arguelles began her career at CAA as an assistant, was made a trainee in 1995, and worked for CAA president Richard Lovett before being promoted to agent in 1997.

Jill Soloway – Writer/Director Jill Soloway is a writer/director, currently in production on her pilot TRANSPARENT, a psychosexual family comedy about food, flesh and secrets. She won the US Dramatic Directing Award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival for her first feature, AFTERNOON DELIGHT. The film was released theatrically in the US by Film Arcade and Cinedigm in the fall of 2013. Jill is a three-‐time Emmy nominee for her work writing and producing SIX FEET UNDER. She authored TINY LADIES IN SHINY PANTS, a humorous post-‐feminist manifesto/memoir. She co-‐created theater experiences REAL LIVE BRADY BUNCH, MISS VAGINA PAGEANT, HOLLYWOOD HELLHOUSE and SIT N SPIN. She s a co-‐founder of the community organization EAST SIDE JEWS and lives with her husband and two sons in Silver Lake.


Nicole Holofcener – Writer/Director Nicole Holofcener grew up in New York and then Los Angeles, where she now lives. She wrote and directed WALKING AND TALKING, LOVELY & AMAZING, FRIENDS WITH MONEY and PLEASE GIVE. She has also directed episodes of SEX & THE CITY, SIX FEET UNDER, PARKS & RECREATION, and ENLIGHTENED. Her newest movie, ENOUGH SAID, starring Julia Louis Dreyfus and James Gandolfini, was released in September.

Lydia Dean Pilcher -‐ Producer Lydia Dean Pilcher is an American film and television producer and founder of Cine Mosaic, a production company based in New York City. Cine Mosaic has established itself as one of New York's leading independent production companies forging relationships with a wide range of talent and business partners in the US, Europe, India, Turkey, Africa and the Middle East. Recent productions include THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST, (IFC Films) directed by Mira Nair; CUTIE AND THE BOXER, (Radius-‐TWC) directed by Zachary Heinzerling; and THE LUNCHBOX, (Sony Classics) directed by Ritesh Batra.

In 2010, Pilcher was nominated for Emmy, Golden Globe, and PGA Awards for HBO Films' YOU DON’T KNOW JACK, directed by Barry Levinson and starring Al Pacino. Prior to that, Pilcher produced films including AMELIA, starring Hilary Swank as the famous aviatrix, Amelia Earhart; THE DARJEELING LIMINTED, directed by Wes Anderson; and THE NAMESAKE, directed by Mira Nair, released by Fox Searchlight. Pilcher was nominated in 2005 for a Golden Globe Award for the HBO feature film, IRON JAWED ANGELS directed by Katja von Garnier and starring Hilary Swank and Anjelica Huston. She was nominated in 2004 for an Emmy Award, Golden Globe and Producer's Guild Award for NORMAL with writer/director Jane Anderson and starring Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson.

women filmmakers initiative 2013 mentees and mentors sd · 5900 wilshire blvd. suite 800, los...

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