Richard Abramowitz, founder and CEO of Abramorama, is an innovative leader in the distribution and marketing of independent films. His company?s focus is on music-themed and social impact film. Recent distribution projects include Ron Howard?s The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years; the 50th anniversary re-release of The Beatles Yellow Submarine;Mitangi/Maya/M.I.A.; Pearl Jam: Let?s Play Two; National Geographic?s Jane; Banksy?s Academy Award nominee Exit Through the Gift Shop, and Spirit Award?winning music documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil!
Abramowitz?s extensive work in music film also includes a 16-year relationship with Neil Young and projects with Stevie Nicks, John (Johnny Rotten) Lydon, Tony Bennett and Bob Dylan.
Abramowitz was a co-founder of Stratosphere Entertainment, the independent distribution and production company financed by Carl Icahn. Stratosphere?s releases included The Thief, Hideous Kinky, and Xiu-Xiu: The Sent Down Girl.
While President/COO of RKO Pictures Distribution, he handled the Shooting Gallery?s acclaimed first feature, Laws of Gravity, directed by SUNY Purchase alumnus Nick Gomez and starring SUNY Purchase alumna Edie Falco. Previously, as a senior executive at Cinecom Entertainment, he distributed John Sayles? The Brother from Another Planet and Matewan, Jonathan Demme?s Stop Making Sense and Swimming to Cambodia, Tom Stoppard?s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, and Merchant Ivory?s A Room with a View, among many others.
Abramowitz is a frequent panelist and juror at film festivals around the world, is on the Board of Directors of the Jacob Burns Film Center and the Advisory Boards of the SXSW Film Festival and The Hamptons International Film Festival.
Brianna Ancel's 16 years of experience representing talent is rooted in her own career in the world of entertainment. She began as a dancer at the age of five in her hometown in Northern California. By eighteen, she was performing, teaching, and choreographing across the United States. After earning her Bachelor?s in Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine, Brianna worked as an Assistant Director for a major talent competition.
In 1998, she joined Kazarian/Spencer & Associates as an assistant agent and was promoted to Assistant Director of the Dance Department in 2000. Equipped with several years? experience and a life-long passion for the fine arts, Brianna launched the Theatrical Department at Clear Talent Group in 2003.
She was nominated 3 consecutive years (2010, 2011 & 2012) by the Talent Manager?s Association for a Seymour Heller Award for Adult Theatrical Agent of the Year.
She is currently Vice President of Clear Talent Group as well as the Director of the Theatrical Department.
Jordan Ancel is an award-winning writer & director, serial entrepreneur, author, and artist with strong leadership skills and a commitment to inspiring success in others by providing CEOs, entrepreneurs, and artists with his unique brand of coaching and problem solving.
With over 20 years experience in the entertainment industry, startups, internet advertising, marketing, and branding, his profound understanding of these industries give him the tools to conceive and execute high-concept ideas with great success.
He currently sits on the advisory boards of the startup education platform MediaU.com, and developing theme park, Game Nation, Inc.
Jordan consults CEOs entrepreneurs, and artists on creative direction, growth, product development, cause-based partnering, and Social Media Marketing. A partial list of clients include The Actors Green Room, Smart Women Rising, Blu Jam Caf? Restaurant Group, True Remedies Beauty, Le French Butcher, Kettlebell Concepts, Inc., Adam Leipzig, among many others.
Previously, Jordan was integral in launching Amp?d Mobile, a cutting-edge multi-million dollar mobile entertainment company/MVNO/world-class e-commerce mobile media portal. He oversaw multiple teams, plus outside vendors, to produce the multi-million dollar website, including front-end design, back-end CMS, and original content by joint partners such as MTV, Warner Music, Sony Music, College Humor, Break. com, and BMI.
From Amp?d, Jordan joined 30sixty Advertising Director of New Media, a department he started, where he oversaw the production of online advertising campaigns for Paramount Pictures, Sony, Warner Bros., and HBO. He was also responsible for the creation and deployment of interactive games and websites to coincide with theatrical and DVD releases of feature films.
Fernando Ferro is an Emmy-nominated Venezuelan Film and Television Producer. At 24 he became show runner to the first bilingual political satire show, ``Rick Sanchez``. Since then, he has produced ``telenovelas``, alternative programming, and in 2016 - 2017 produced his first film, ``Vandal``. In late 2016 he formed his own banner ``LA Familia Productions``, which main focus is to finance, develop, and produce content for the Hispanic voices in the United States and abroad. Fernando is represented by Paradigm Agency.
Ulli K. Ryder, Ph.D. is an award-winning educator, consultant, writer, editor and thinker. She facilitates discussions of race, ethnicity, identity formation and media to foster diversity and create open dialogue.
Her expertise has been sought by institutions such as the University of Southern California, University of California Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University, University of Rhode Island, Emerson College, and Brown University. She has been a Visiting Scholar at Brown University since 2009 where she has taught courses on ethnic Los Angeles history and multiracial identities as well as served as an advisor, editor and grant writer.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Ryder is an expert on diversity outreach and was selected as the Graduate Student in Residence for Diversity Outreach by the University of Southern California?s Graduate School and was Program Coordinator for the Summer Humanities Institute at UCLA. She is currently a member of the Commission for Health Advocacy and Equity with the Rhode Island Department of Health.
Dr. Ryder earned her Ph.D. in American Studies & Ethnicity from the University of Southern California, where she was named a Top Graduate. She also holds a Master of Professional Writing (USC), a Master of Afro-American Studies (UCLA) and BA from Simmons College in English and African American Studies
Adam Fratto is a seasoned producer and creative executive with proven track records in TV development & programming, production, and features. With a specialty in genre storytelling, he is experienced in crafting international business models and launching creative strategies. Adam recently joined international mini-studio Reel One Entertainment with the mission of launching a division that will develop, produce and distribute high-quality, globally commercial TV series. Before that, he was Head of Drama for Pukeko Pictures, affiliate of New Zealand's Weta (LORD OF THE RINGS, AVATAR, DISTRICT 9). The first of these, the award-winning CLEVERMAN, airs on Netflix, SundanceTV, BBC3, and Australia's ABC.
As an independent producer and consultant, Adam consulted with clients from tech startups to established networks. He Executive Produced YA movie SEA CHANGE for Lifetime TV and was co-EP of HAVEN, a hit supernatural drama based on Stephen King?s ?The Colorado Kid,`` for Syfy and NBCU Global Channels.
Originally from New York, Adam is a graduate of Harvard College and USC?s graduate program in Film & TV Production, where he produced Emmy-winning documentary WALKING WITH GIANTS.
After starting his exec career at Michael Douglas's Furthur Films (WONDER BOYS, SWIMFAN), Adam joined Piller/Segan as V.P. in 2002, working on hit series THE DEAD ZONE, WILDFIRE, GREEK, and indie feature BICKFORD SHMECKLER?S COOL IDEAS. From 2008 to 2011, Adam helped launch Atticus Entertainment, managing sports icon Jim Lampley?s HBO-based operation.
He is a member of the TV Academy, HRTS, and the Producers? Guild. He is also co-Founder of Harvardwood, a group of 7,000+ alums in arts, media and entertainment (harvardwood.org). A lifelong sinophile, he has lived in Beijing, Taipei and Hong Kong.
Adam Leipzig has been a producer, distributor, or supervising executive on more than 30 films that have disrupted expectations, including A Plastic Ocean, March of the Penguins, God Grew Tired of Us, Amreeka, Kekexili: Mountain Patrol, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Dead Poets Society, and Titus. His movies have won or been nominated for 10 Academy Awards, 11 BAFTA Awards, 2 Golden Globes, 2 Emmys, 2 Directors Guild Awards, 4 Sundance Awards and 4 Independent Spirit Awards. He looks forward to working with you!
Bio coming soon!
Peter is a filmmaker and film directing coach originally from Vancouver, Canada. He has worked in the Film and Television Industry for over 40 years as a Film Director, Television Producer, First Assistant Director and TV Series Creative Consultant on both large budget Hollywood films and independent films. He is a graduate of Ryerson University in Toronto, the author of Making the Magic Happen: The Art and Craft of Film Directing (2017) and two other published works on film. Peter publishes a monthly blog, The Director's Chair, and delivers training seminars in the art and craft of directing around the world.