Don Hertzfeldt

	Don Hertzfeldt made his first animation films, Ah I’Amour (1995), and Genre (1997) as a film and media studies major at UCSB. These two short films gave him a passionate cult audience. In 2001 he was nominated for an Oscar for Rejected. As a student a UCSB, Hertzfeldt learned in his classes how to animate films using paper, a pen, and a camera. This trio of fundamental elements remain his implements of choice despite the advantageous technology available to animators today. Hertzfeldt is a tremendously passionate individual who is dedicated to his work and his ideas.
His latest project, Everything Will Be Ok received a best short film award at Sundance this year.There was a screening of Everything Will Be Ok in Santa Barbara, where he currently resides.  To see some of Hertzfeldt’s work go to www.bitterfilms.com.  For the feature article on Everything Will Be Ok click below!  http://independent.com/archives/2006/06/stick_figure_masterpiece.html Read the Chicago Reader article on Don Hertzfelt's "Everything Will Be OK"

Erik Martinez

It's almost something out of a movie: Small-town guy travels to ultra-hip New York City. It's his first time on a plane. He'll pitch his screenplay to movie industry bigwigs. In this case, the small-town guy is played by Arvin's Erik Martinez, 29. He and his co-producers are going to the Tribeca Film Festival to meet with film industry executives and potential investors later this month. Martinez's screenplay, "Beyond the Mat," is part of Tribeca All Access, a program that gives minority filmmakers one-on-one meetings with Hollywood's movers and shakers. These meetings could lead to financial backing to make a full-length film, parts of which may be filmed in Kern County, Martinez said. The story is among 32 projects chosen from more than 300 entries for the all-access segment of the festival. "Beyond the Mat" is a coming-of-age tale about two best friends in a small town, minority experiences in America and high school wrestling. The story idea came from director Van Pham, who Martinez knows through film school. To read the complete article from the "Bakersfield Californian" Click here.	Photo by Casey Christie

Doug " Doog" Bresler

	Doug Bresler otherwise known as “Doog” of doogtoons.com, holds a film and media studies degree from UCSB.  Bresler’s career began while he was a UCSB student living on el Sueno road in Isla Vista.  From his house Bresler created his cartoon series Nick and Haig based on interviewing and animating his roommates and fellow UCSB students, Nick and Haig.  Bresler’s work was instantly well received in Santa Barbara and after graduation he moved to L.A.  Bresler continued with cartooning and used the internet and video podcasting to launch his career. Gradually, Bresler began having enough success with video podcasting to make it his full time job.
Bresler is currently working on a “Super Music Video” with Weird Al Yankovic!  To continue reading the feature article on Doug Bresler Click here! To view Bresler’s work visit his website www.doogtoons.com

Tara Miele

From Daily Variety

source:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117960647.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

New Line takes on successful woman

Comedy illustrates scientific study By DAVE MCNARY New Line has snapped up an untitled romantic comedy pitch by the scripting team of Tara Miele and Kristine Skeie and set it up with Jon Shestack Prods. Mini-major made the purchase preemptively. Story -- loosely based on recent scientific studies showing it's more difficult for a successful woman to land a mate than someone lower down the ladder -- follows a high-level executive as she pretends to be her own secretary in order to attract the man of her dreams.

link to Tara's Independent Women Flimmakers page

Miele and Skeie penned the comedy "Cougars," set up at Gold Circle Films with Gil Junger directing, and "Tits," set up at Silverwood Films, with Miele attached to make her directing debut. The Miele-Skeie pitch, brought in by Ginny Brewer, is the second project New Line has acquired for Shestack since he signed a first-look deal following romantic comedy "Ghosts of Girlfriends Past," with Matthew McConnaughey starring.