The Owner

Xavier Agudo is a Berlin-based Venezuelan filmmaker. He graduated from the School of Arts of the Central University of Venezuela in 2002 and received Master of Arts in Germany in 2009. He has worked as editor and producer for the HBO Latin America Group and as a freelance editor for many independent production companies. As a filmmaker he has developed short films, documentaries and image films. His latest short film “The Line” has screened in international festivals in Turkey, Ukraine, Switzerland and Germany.

He has also experience as theater actor with Venezuelan companies like Taller Experimental de Teatro (TET) and Contrajuego in plays like Shakespeare's "Hamlet", Chekov's "Anniversary" and Dostoevsky's "Devils".

Mr. Bender earned his undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University and his Juris Doctor Degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 1980. Mr. Bender was research attorney for the Ingham Circuit Court and State Court of Claims for three years; and served as corporation counsel, board secretary and vice president of a multi-state service corporation for seven years with annual sales exceeding $42 million.

He practices in the areas of business organizations, transactions, commercial real estate, trademark and copyright, securities law, labor-management relations, municipal law and commercial litigation winning a $1.4 million verdict in December, 2002. In 2006, he obtained a judgment of $2 million in a business litigation case.
Mr. Bender is also an arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (formerly NASD). In addition to his corporate and commercial work, Mr. Bender has experience in the entertainment industry representing motion picture and theatrical talent including film producers and above-the-line talent, television and recording artists, and writers. He has served as production counsel on several made for television productions and independent feature films.

Mr. Bender is "AV" rated by Martindale-Hubbell, a nationally recognized peer review and rating service of all attorneys in the United States. AV is "Very High to Preeminent" in his legal ability and is the highest level of professional excellence.

Mr. Bender has been published on a wide range of topics including "The New Net Profit Challenge" and has lectured for the Arts, Communications, Entertainment, and Sports Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and at various law school symposiums and seminars. He is also an adjunct professor of law at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Entertainment Law. Mr. Bender is admitted to practice before all state and federal courts in Michigan and the District of Columbia. He is a member of the Business Law Section, International Law Section, and Arts, Communications, Entertainment & Sports Law Section of the Michigan Bar Association and D.C. Bar Association.

Ian graduated from Michigan State University with a Computer Science degree and a Film Studies Specialization. He has since free-lanced as an editor, web designer, and a computer forensics specialist. His filmmaking partnership with Marty Shea began over ten years ago and has resulted in dozens of screenplays and seven short films including the award winning “21 Carbs” and “The Planning Lady.”
His short story “Raymond the Elephants” was published in Madison, WI based literary magazine, “The Styles”.

Michael Canzoniero (New York City Segment) A graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the New York University Graduate Film Program, Michael's work has played at many of the major film festivals across the United States including Sundance, Tribeca and the New York Film Festival at Lincoln Center.

His first feature film “The Marconi Bros” (distributed as “Wedding Bros” by Universal/ScreenMedia) premiered at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival. The film stars Tony Winner Dan Fogler (Balls of Fury, Take Me Home Tonight, Mars Needs Moms), Brendan Sexton III (Welcome to the Dollhouse, Boys Don't Cry) and the feature debut of Zoe Lister-Jones (Breaking Upwards, NBC's Whitney).

In 2009. Michael co-produced the horror/comedy feature “Hysterical Psycho” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival that year. In 2011, he produced “Pizza Connection” for acclaimed director Abel Ferrara and is currently co-directing the comedy “Don Peyote” with Dan Fogler, Jay Baruchel, Anne Hathaway and Wallace Shawn.

Francois Coetzee (27) currently works in the South African film industry and completed his first feature film “Finale” in 2008. “Finale” along with his previous short films “Diesis” and “Tacet” had the fortune of being screened locally and internationally. Francois is currently in pre-production on his next experimental short film ‘Carrion” and head writer of a new Afrikaans feature film “Troukoek” currently in its financing stages.

Mairtin has worked in various guises in the film and TV industry over the last 11 years, mainly as a location manager. He was director of a film commission from 2005-2008, which he left to concentrate on his own work. Mairtin has directed 5 music videos, one of which is award winning, one picked up for distribution and 2 further shortlisted for awards. His 12 minute short “Tart” has won 2 awards to date, and he is working on follow-up short films as we speak.

Nicolas is a 35 year old French emerging feature filmmaker. He has been directing films since 1996. Primarily working on a dozen music videos for UNIVERSAL MUSIC & WARNER, three TV commercials and numerous high end corporate films for prestigious clients such as BNP PARIBAS, ACCOR & REMY COINTREAU, Nicolas has also directed two short films (one of them in 48h for a contest). After directing the french segment of Collabfeature, Nicolas wants to focus on his fiction projects (he is developing three TV series projects, a documentary on close encounters of the 3rd kind and three feature scripts)

Yango González, born in Bogotá Colombia, has studied film direction at the Politécnico Grancolombiano in Bogota and at the FAAP in São Paulo Brazil. He has written and directed several short films as “Reflect Addiction” in 2007 in Colombia, and “God is Dead”, a coproduction between Colombia Brazil and France, filmed in São Paulo in 2009. He has acted in theather since 2006. Now, he is working as prodution designer for concerts and director of other inernational short films.

I am 25 years old, a Turkish filmmaker. I graduated from Kingston University’s MA Filmmaking course last November.I have several short films, and couple of them have been shown in some festivals, most of them in London. London is nice and alive but it’s impossible for me to live in this cold city for a long time. As a freelance filmmaker my plan is to make my name to be heard in the following years.

Aki Kaurismaki, Jim Jarmusch(especially his old works), Jean-Luc Godard, Françoise Truffaut, Alejandro Jodorowsky are five directors I really admire but there are more of them.

Nino Leitner is a film director, director of photography and artist born in Innsbruck/Austria. He finished his master studies of Multimedia Art in Salzburg in 2006 with merit and spent a semester at the film studies faculty of Solent University in Southampton, UK. He currently lives in Vienna (Austria) and mainly focuses on TV commercials, image films and international documentary productions with his film production company nino film.

Among his major works are the documentary “Every Step You Take” (A/UK 2007), narrative short films like “Auszeit” (A 2006) and a large range of TV and cinema commercials and image films – many of which were successful at film festivals and/or have received awards.

Reenita Malhotra is a freelance writer/producer based in Hong Kong. She has had more than 5 years of experience in film, radio, TV and video production and writing.

Aside from writing, developing and producing independent work such as "Inner Beauty," a documentary film about Ayurveda and "Gorilla in the Greenhouse," a green themed kids' animation, she has worked in the television industry developing stories and supervising scripts for Cartoon Network Asia and Disney India.

Currently, Reenita produces and co-presents "Money For Nothing," a financial news and analysis show on RTHK.

Just a small-time filmmaker trying to make a name for myself. I have been into cinema seriously for about 10 years now, but my love for it precedes that landmark. I enjoy all sorts of films from pure mainstream stuff to the more obscure kind. If I had to name one film that got me into this whole business, it would have to be ‘Jurassic Park’. I also frequently cite the Star Wars films as an influence on both my life and my work. My fascination with cinema is endless and you will find me either talking about it or thinking about it, depending on when you happen to catch me. For yours truly, cinema is family, fodder and friend.

Varun has written, produced, directed and composed music for several narrative and documentary films. He directed “This is India” a short film commissioned by AIESEC in India and Multimedia presentations for Top Travels and Tours for The Buddhist Pilgrimage and The Golden Triangle tourist circuit. He was cinematographer for “The Why Democracy? Project” which includes interviews with the likes of football legend Pele and legendary Jazz SaxophonistRobbie Janson.

Steve is currently Series Line Producing a 16 x 1 hour TV drama doc series for Discovery/ Animal Planet ‘I Shouldn’t Be Alive’.
Steve has spent the majority of his career in TV and film as an assistant director, recently working on ‘Jackboots on Whitehall’ a satirical puppet feature film. In addition to his work as a first AD, Steve directed his first feature film in 2008. Steve has also directed various second units on film/TV drama and the ‘Sorting It Out’ chapter of ‘The Backpack Project’

To be in the position of making a film, to tell a story, that forces people to think about something they ́ve never thought about, to learn something new, to laught or to marvel. To let them feel – thats my goal in making movies.

Over the years i ́ve developed from webdesign to 3d animation. At college i discovered the power of editing. The technique of putting pictures into the right or sometimes even the false order to give them a meaning. Finding the perfect balance between the image and timing, between what to show and what to hide. Directing is the logical step further. To have the actual control of what is in these pictures you use in the editing. Here you have the chance to even enhance every part of it. From the first thoughts, over the planning, the writing to finally producing. The work with the people who make this movie with you. The challenge to bring them together, so that everybody is making the same movie. The experiences with the actors, to get them in the right mood – everytime a different way. The choice of colours and framing. And the composition of all the single parts.
Its a long hard work, but its worth every minute.

Well, I am a writer/director/actor struggling to find a foothold, or make my mark rather in Indian Cinema (not necessarily Bollywood). I have written and directed two short films, one of which received a screening at the MAMI festival 2009.

I am also an enthusiastic thespian and have been practicing theatre in different aspects for the past 5-6 years. I have acted in a number of plays and directed one. I also tried to write one which didn’t work for me. I am working on my second. And apart from that I have been a regular theatre critic on mumbaitheatreguide.com. But criticism is something I enjoy doing the least. So I am trying to move away from that.

I am an instinctive poet and you can find my poems on absolutely

Currently I am working on my first feature. (I have been saying this for the past 3-4 months now and things haven’t moved an inch ahead.) But yeah, I like to believe I am working on it.

I come from an engineering background and my educational qualifications have got nothing to do with what I do today. I left it all behind 2 years ago when I decided to trod on this path without any external help. And so here I am, today amongst you chipping in my bit for a wonderful collaboration that Marty, Ian and all in their team have dreamed of.

Happy to be here!

Neha Raheja Thakker studied architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence R.I., U.S.A and Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute for Architecture & Environmental Studies, Mumbai, India. She made the switch from architecture to pursue a career in film with Genesis Film Production, a company headed by ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakar, where she worked as a set designer for over 5 years on over 30 television commercials. In 2003, she studied film at New York University SCPS. Her more recent work experience ranges from short films to video art to being an assistant editor on a Hindi feature film. Her video – art installation ‘Crossings’ was exhibited at Gallery Espace, New Delhi in 2006 and at the India Art Summit in 2009. Her short film ‘Erased’ has won awards and been screened at several international film festivals, and is currently being distributed by the Magic Lantern Foundation.

Alexander is a Berlin based filmmaker, director and editor born in Vienna, Austria. He graduated from the Digital Film Program at SAE Vienna and holds a Master of Arts degree from the Salzburg University of Applied Sciences where he studied Multimedia Art and graduated in 2006. For one exchange semester he attended the Southampton Film Institue where he shot a short film on 16mm and specialized in screenwriting. In his diploma thesis he got to the core of his love for film and cinema – an analysis of the combination of all the cinematic elements to one consistent unity which is able to affect the emotions of other people. During his studies and the production on several short films, music videos, documentaries and image films he gathered experience in all departments. After interning on major film productions for german television he works as a freelance director and editor and currently developes his first feature film.

Sabine Sebaali is an independent Lebanese Filmmaker with an educational background earned from ALBA (Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts). Sabine has won a training grant in Lighting and directing in Tunisia with the acclaimed Tunisian Director Nouri Bouzid granted by the CCF (centre culturel français). In Lebanon, Sabine acquired an experienced career as cinema assistant director and unit production manager in Euro-Lebanese films that earned high accolades in European Film Festivals.
Sabine has moved to Italy afterward to gain more experience in the TV industry to work as Live Staged shows Director/ Editor for ART (Arab Radio & TV). After a respectful directing career, She was chosen along 20 other Mediterranean media creatives for a screenwriting workshop by “Programme de formation Aristoste and Fondazione Mediterraneo” for a year course, to get back afterward as a teaching member at the ALBA where she got
graduated giving the cinema production course. In 2006, her reputation got her offered the Head of Promotion department at the Dubai Media Incorporated dmi.ae in charge of corporate and channel branding and TVCs. In 2010, Sabine pursued her passion for cinema and film industry, joining the international filmmakers of ‘Collabfeature’ to write and direct the Lebanese segment of “the lost backpack” movie. Sabine is currently working on writing new short movies and looking enthusiastically for keen producers in her subjects and she is targeting to move a step forward to direct feature movies on the international standard.

At the age of 15, I acted in my first play. I enjoyed theater and acting, so I continued to look at more opportunities. Since age 12 I had passion for movies but never knew until the age of 21 how to get into films, so then I started studying filmmaking thru books and internet. Later, I had an opportunity to take few workshops while I was in Houston, TX and got better idea of actually making film. So I did. From there I wrote and developed my first short film named “The Veil”. That, of course, was my kind of a difficult project. But a filmmaker’s first film is in many ways his most defining work. Even though there are many obstacles, there is still no excuse to create a weak piece.

Marty has co-written and directed several award winning short films with co-writer Ian Bonner. He is primarily a line producer and production manager but has worked in various capacities on over seventy projects including studio features, television shows (America’s Most Wanted, Oprah Winfrey’s The Big Give), national and local commercials (GM, Budweiser), music videos (Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Cash Money Millionaires) and independent films. He and Ian Bonner have been making films together for over ten years. Their latest shorts, “21 Carbs” and “The Planning Lady,” have won 7 awards and played at over two dozen festivals.

Brian Shephard is a professional freelance videographer and editor based in Orlando, Florida. He has more than 11 years of experience in film and video production, direction and editing.
After graduating from Full Sail Center for the Recording Arts with an Associate’s degree in Film & Video, Brian worked in the television industry in jobs ranging from master control supervisor, camera operator, floor director, technical director, and editor.
Most recently, Brian was Corporate Videographer/Editor for Adventist Health System, the largest protestant not-for-profit healthcare system in the United States. During his 7 years with AHS, he shot, edited and produced more than 300 videos – several of which have earned national awards and recognition – for 37 hospitals across the nation.

Rafael Yoshida is a 24 years old, Brazilian new director, graduated in radio and television, works with films and Commercials.

He started his career as a location scout, two years later got into Gatacine productions where he became director assistant, now he’s in New York to specialize in film direction.

Rafael directed two short films, one video clip and a internet serie named A.li.bi.

worked on commercials, some as director assistant, producer, location scout,editor and director (Small internet films and race/rally/sport events).