2nd annual film fest program

Special Thanks

In addition to our Sponsors, the Faculty and Staff of MCNY, and our Crew, who have worked tirelessly on coordinating the festival, we want to recognize and extend a special thank you to the following individuals, for their contributions to making the festival a success: President Dr. Vinton Thompson

Dean Humphrey Crookendale

Dean Steven Lenhart

Mayra Robinson

Mercedes Melendez

Steebo Varghese

Davinder Kaur

Douglas Long

Desi Robinson

Eric Torvinen

Deb Spohnheimer

Tina Georgiou

Christopher Johnson

The Office of Admissions

Facilities Staff

Security

For more information about MCNY or the Media Management MBA program visit us at www.mcny.edu or call (800) 33 THINK.

Executive Producers Cherice Monique Bedford is an actress, screenwriter, film editor, and filmmaker. She worked for several production companies and media events, including serving as a producer for the Metropolitan College of New York’s Inaugural Short Film Festival, which she co-created, in April of 2010.

She wrote and produced her first short film "Toya" that same year. Ms. Bedford divides her time now between co- executive producing the MCNY 2nd Annual Media Management Short Film Festival and transforming her short into a feature length film. In August 2009, Ms. Bedford received her Bachelor of Arts in communication. In August 2010 she received her MBA in Media Management at the Metropolitan College of New York.

George Kevin Jordan came to MCNY with more than 20 years of writing experience. After receiving his B.A. in Print Journalism from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in 1995, he worked within almost every genre of writing, working for such publications as The Milwaukee Journal – Sentinel, The Sunday Paper – Atlanta, and Bleu Magazine, where he served as EIC and Executive Editorial Director for three years. His debut novel “That Moment When,” was released worldwide in 2007 through Urban Soul / Kensington Publishing. His follow up effort “Hopeless,” came the next year in 2008. In August 2010, Mr. Jordan received his MBA in Media Management from the Metropolitan College of New York. Currently he is working on his third novel.

Judges

DENIS BLOT is Video Merchandising Manager at Columbia House/Direct Brands Inc where he provides insights into how best to promote DVDs and discusses DVD product with film studio representatives. A graduate of NYU’s prestigious Film Studies Masters program, he has participated in a variety of film related careers over the last ten years. Early in his career, he worked as a Film Research Assistant Manager for Archive Films/Archive Photos and then later Film Research Supervisor for Getty Images where he assisted producers in the advertising, documentary, and feature film markets with locating stock footage for use in their projects. He has taught cinema over the last eight years at Lehman College.

The Crew Nathasha Cresap

Cristiana Tudor

Fatima Pootrakul

Kawas Bhasin

Joline Napolitano

Paul Meyer

Nygil Fraser

Crystyn Wright

George K Jordan

Cherice Bedford

Sunay Tamashev

Andy Oh

Prof. Kristie Velasco

Daniel Simonette

Prof. Paula Landry

Prof. Alex Sepulveda

Thursday, April 7

VINCENT PRESTI is an attorney and co-founder of I Wanna Be On, Inc., a multi -media production company that has a first look deal with CBS to develop reality programming. Vincent was the former Director, Business Operations at Roundabout Theatre Company where he developed cross-platform concepts between theatre, television and music, including pitching the first, reality-based Broadwaytheme concept to CAA, and seeking American Idol talent for Broadway productions, and encouraging Las Vegas business interest in co-venturing in Broadway productions.

Friday, April 8

LA RIVERS is an actor/producer/filmmaker. She began her journey as a filmmaker working with a group of friends on a great script, which turned out to be the feature film DIRTY LAUNDRY, starring Loretta Devine and Rockmond Dunbar which she Co-produced. The film achieved much success at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) sweeping the festival and winning the audience award, and went on to be nominated for an NAACP image award in 2007. La also sat on the board for the African American Women in Cinema's 10th annual festival in 2007 arranging the opening feature at HBO. Current projects include Naomi Black, screening soon at HBO, LOVE in the ZODIAC, and FACADE.

Festival Schedule 6pm

Doors Open

6:15

Welcome

6:30

Film Industry Insiders Panel

7:45

Moderator: Prof. Kristie Velasco, Coordinator, Media Management MBA Program Special Film Screening

8pm

Roundtable Discussion Facilitator-Prof. Paula Landry Media Management MBA Program

6pm

Doors Open

6:10

Welcome

6:20

Screening of Short Films

8:15

Special Film Presentation

8:20

Feature Short TOYA

8:45

Presentation of Awards

Panelists NICOLE BUKOWSKI earned her MBA in Media Management from MCNY, and a BS from the RIT. Working as a first accountant and 1st assistant accountant in film and reality television, she is a member of IATSE Local 161, worked for JFA Accounting and has gone on to start her own production accounting firm. She produced several episodes of the TV series In the Now. Other credits include The Extra Man, The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, Shame, Win Win, An Invisible Sign, and Violet & Daisy.

RALPH SCOTT has been a pioneer and advocate for Black films, particularly in the short film genre.

He has toured all around the world creating film festivals that highlight amazing films, particularly those from the African and African American Diaspora. He is best known as the executive producer of BET-J’s The Best Shorts and the creator and Executive Producer of Lens on Talent, the premiere location for black short films. He is now owner of Social Cinema, LLC a socially conscious film company.

ROSLYN L. PATTERSON leads Novartis Corporation Brand and Corporate Reputation efforts in the United States as well as the Novartis US Foundation. She has served as Vice President and Managing Director for UniWorld Health, a division of Uniworld Group, Inc., and was responsible for UniWorld Group’s business development. global communications to commercialization. Currently a member of the adjunct faculty at MCNY’s School of Management, her education includes an M.B.A. from Baker University and a B.A. in Communications – Radio, TV, and Film, with a minor in advertising from the University of Missouri – Columbia.

Judges STEPHEN R. GREENWALD is the co-author of This Business of FILM, and has served as an executive, financier, consultant, and lawyer with companies including Presto Productions; G&H Media; Odyssey Pictures and Vision International; and De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, where he served as Chair and CEO, releasing over 20 films, including Blue Velvet and Crimes of the Heart. From 1999 to 2007, he was president of Metropolitan College of New York and is currently President of Aurelius Capital PLC.

SEAN CAZADES is Vice President of Development and founder of Caeruleas Entertainment and has over 15 years experience in film and television as a director and actor. He has produced over 30 live Off and Off-Off Broadway events, as well as several PSAs and television commercials for non profits and local NYC businesses.

In addition Sean co-founded and was Managing Director of Absolute Theatre Company NYC for 5 years; was Line Producer and Production Coordinator for Villains Commercial Productions, and ZTV, LLC; was Marketing Associate at Reuters America; and an Account Executive for Endeavor Marketing New York .

MAURICE CARR (Reece) is Vice President of Production for Caeruleas Entertainment who has worked in the film and music industries as a director, writer, producer and musical composer. He has written for MTV, produced, directed, and acted in independent film projects including Gravesend by Oliver Stone, and Ashes, written and directed Ajay Naidu, as well as co-wrote and performed music in the award winning film Bella. A professional drummer, Reese has played at Lincoln Center and The Apollo Theater, and has recently recorded and toured Europe with Italian singer Amalia Gre’ for EMI records. He is currently collaborating with The Apollo Theater on rhythm workshops for it’s educational program.

RICHARD E. PELZER II is currently the President and CEO of MEGA Management Inc. a NYC Business Development Management Firm he founded in 1994. Clients included; The NYSE Diversity Council, Sephora, Essence Magazine, Jones Magazine, Bleu Magazine, Celebrity Makeup Artist Sam Fine, Musical Duo Les Nubians, International Artist Emmanuel Jal, and African American Women in Cinema Film Festival. He prides himself on the ability to cultivate creative partnerships and long lasting relationship to stay within budget in our current economic climate. He was also casting director for the feature film Dirty Laundry.

Children’s Aid Society Student Filmmakers/Actors

Briana Marquez Sharoya Evans

Kayla Sutton Kayla Avey Donavan Jones

Alize Bradford

(camera shy)

Nashay Daniels Jordan Williams The Door, which was produced, directed and stars these young people, is a short film about molestation; it teaches young children how to speak out and say something if something were to happen to them…

The Dunlevy Milbank Children’s Center of the Children’s Aid Society provides the area’s most renowned and comprehensive community facility offering an indoor heated swimming pool, a gymnasium with vertical moving walls, a health clinic, a computer technology lab, an arts and crafts room, a kitchen designed for teaching, a library, picnic area and soccer pitch field.

Milbank provides an array of services including family activities, after school programming, Saturday program, Summer Camp, Youth Development Services and wrap around services for the entire family.

Campus Director: Casper Lassiter M.S.W. Acting Teachers: Cherice Bedford, Anwar Hannon

Panelists BERNARD H. JACKSON, III is currently producing entertainment content and practicing law, combining his 20 years of legal experience with the filmmaking skills he has acquired throughout his career. Formerly counsel in the NY office of Dewey & LeBoeuf's Entertainment and Media Group, he worked with many celebrities (Michael Jackson, Rosie O’Donnell, Lil Kim, Mos Def, Harlem Globetrotters) often performing additional tasks outside his legal role including album/music video/television and motion picture production budgeting, production coordination, talent procurement as well as drafting and editing television/film treatments and scripts. Bernie has previously lent his legal and business expertise as a partner of JDW Entertainment, Inc., a music production company that had a record distribution arrangement with RCA Records and was one of the executives of the management team for several recording artists signed to major labels including multi-platinum recording artist Mary J. Blige. Bernie received a J.D. from New York Law School, an M.Ed from City College of New York, and his BS from Boston University.

NEFERTITI STRONG began in entertainment as a rapper with her acclaimed L.I.F.E. album. A feature role in Mario Van Peebles PANTHER took her into film producing and directing. She has worked on soundtracks for Black Panther, Above the Rim, Girlstown, the Rose that Grew from Concrete, Rap Mania, and is the soundtrack supervisor for PorVida starring Snoop Dog and Danny Glover. She has produced and directed Concert DVDs for Nelly, IceT and Juvenile. She was also a performer and co-writer with the Grammy Nominated Spanish rock band KINKY. Her award winning film, Phase 5 screened at Sundance. She studied Film Direction and Production at the Los Angeles Film School.

Round Table TEJU PRASAD completed his MBA in Media Management from MCNY in Fall, 2010 and is working on his second documentary film, Not a Feather, but a Dot. Teju has been making short films since 2004, and completed his first documentary in 2007, Creating Utsava, following the debut in the West of the performing group Taranga, a theatrical dance show drawing on Indian sacred stories. Creating Utsava is available on Indieflix.com. Not a Feather, but a Dot is an examination into the history and evolution of the Indian-American community, including an investigation into mainstream perceptions of the Indian community.

MELI PENNINGTON comes to producing from a background as an internationally acclaimed makeup artist. She has worked with an extraordinary range of photographers, from fashion heavyweights Patrick Demarchelier and Arthur Elgort to fine art innovators Ryan McGinley and Stephen Gill. Her work has been featured Allure, Glamour, Teen Vogue, and numerous international editions of Vogue. She holds a BA in Fine Arts from Syracuse University and an MBA in Media Management from MCNY. ALL THAT GLITTERS, Ms. Pennington’s first film, is a harrowing, suspenseful thriller with influences from ancient mythology all the way to modern quantum theoretics. The film is at once a gripping narrative and a layered menagerie of ideas that brings into question the very purpose of our existence.

PETER SCHELFHAUDT is a business entrepreneur with a unique capacity to spot creative talent and develop it into successful media and business collaborations. Before acquiring and leading Creative Partners, an integrated marketing communications network based in CT, Peter was head of Mergers & Acquisitions – Advertising and Communications for Monster Worldwide. Peter holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts from Univ. of Massachusetts at Boston and an MBA in Media Management at MCNY. FAILING BETTER NOW is a coming-of-age-at-thirty, offbeat comedy about a flaky writer who loses her sister's cat and falls for the aspiring rockstar who joins her on a wild search in the East Village. Awards include Winner 'Best Original Music' Charlotte Film Festival 2010, 'Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Dramatic' Amsterdam Film Festival, Winner 'Best Acting Ensemble' Fort Lauderdale Film Festival, Winner 'Best Romantic Comedy Feature Film' NY Independent Film & Video Festival.

Round Table PAZIT LEVITAN is a New York-based Internet marketer, instructional technologist and video producer who developed a global career around her passion for cross-cultural communication, media technologies, education and the arts. Pazit earned an MBA in Media Management from MCNY and is a Doctorial Candidate in Communication and Education at Columbia University.

CHERICE BEDFORD is an actress, screenwriter, film editor, and filmmaker. She worked for several production companies and media events, including serving as a producer for the Metropolitan College of New York’s Inaugural Short Film Festival, which she co-created, in April of 2010. She wrote and produced her first short film TOYA that same year. Ms. Bedford divides her time now between coexecutive producing the MCNY 2nd Annual Media Management Short Film Festival and transforming her short into a feature length film. In August 2010 she received her MBA in Media Management at the Metropolitan College of New York.

PARRIS MOORE holds an MBA in Media Management from MCNY, produced the film Black Ninja, and is an Associate Producer of the film KINYARWANDA, which debuted at Sundance in 2011 and won the World Cinema Audience Award in the Dramatic Category KINYARWANDA is based on true accounts from survivors who took refuge at the Grand Mosque of Kigali and the madrassa of Nyanza during the Rwandan genocide. It recounts how the Imams opened the doors of the mosques to give refuge to the Tutsi and those Hutu who refused to participate in the killing.

GERMAN JIMENEZ received his MBA in Media Management from MCNY in 2009 and is currently an Executive Manager as Independent Artist Management LLC. He is the producer of a web series called Dominion.