Hot Sheet December 2007
Akkad, Malek ’06 B.A. Production: of Trancas International Films will produce the horror thriller Hurt.
Apatow, Judd: will be honored at the 45th annual IGC Publicists Awards as 2007’s outstanding film showman for his string of successful comedies, which have grossed more than $270 domestically.
Barnz, Daniel ’95 M.F.A. Production: directed and wrote Phoebe in Wonderland, a feature drama that has been accepted by Sundance.
Bell, Elisa ’87 B.A. Screenwriting: is writing and executive-producing a pilot based in the world of high fashion for the CW Network. Isaac Mizrahi will serve as a consultant for the show and fellow alum Ian Sander will also produce.
Black, Todd ’82: of Escape Artists will produce No Impact Man, an upcoming book by Colin Beavan, for Columbia Pictures. He will also produce the thriller Knowing, starring Nicholas Cage.
Boukadakis, Joey ’01 B.A. Critical Studies: will write the made-for-TV movie for ABC Family entitled Three Twins. His comedic short film RUSHers recently won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the 2007 Method Fest Film Festival.
Braun, Ted ’89 M.A. Cinema: received the International Documentary Association’s Jacqueline Donnet Emerging Documentary Filmmaker Award.
Greenblatt, Robert ’87 M.F.A. Peter Stark: shepherded the development of the musical 9 to 5, which will premiere in fall 2008 at Center Theater Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in L.A.
Johnson, Victoria E. ’97 Ph.D. Critical Studies: her new book Heartland TV: Prime Time Television and the Struggle for U.S. Identity has been published by New York University Press.
Klugman, Don ’56 M.A. Cinema: his three vintage 1960s film spoofs won a prestigious national restoration grant from the National Film Preservation Foundation.
Merryman, Ashley ’90 B.F.A. Screenwriting: received the 2007 Science Journalism Award in the Magazine category from the American Academy for the Advancement of Science for a piece she co-wrote with Po Bronson for New York magazine about the effects of praise on children. They are also writing a non-fiction book on the cutting edge research into child development and parenting.
Milette, Wendy ’04 M.F.A. Production: is directing the My Hero Short Film Festival in Laguna Beach.
Miller, Henry ’99 B.A. Production: his first feature film Anamorph has been purchased by the IFC and will be released theatrically early next year. Fellow alums Geraud Brisson, Tom Phelan, and Richard Edlund also worked on the film.
Poll, Jon ’81 B.A. Cinema: directed the film Charlie Bartlett, which had its European premiere at the Torino Film Festival on November 23. Fellow alums Gustin Nash, Jay Roach, and Christopher Beck served as writer, producer, and composer respectively.
Reigle, Blake ’04 B.A. Cinema: wrote, produced, and directed Beneath the Surface, which won the Best Feature Award at the 2007 Sacramento Horror Film Festival this October.
Rosenberg, Melissa ’90 M.F.A. Peter Stark: adapted the screenplay Twilight, the thriller-romance based on Stephanie Meyer’s young adult novel.
Saunders, Quinn ’04 M.F.A. Production: is attached to direct in March 2008 his first film, the independent feature Remorse, starring Katherine Moennig and Eion Bailey.
Singleton, John ’90 B.F.A. Screenwriting: will direct the thriller Executive Order: Six, financed by Ryan Kavanaugh’s Relativity.
Todd, Jennifer and Suzanne Todd: will produce the 3-D films Alice in Wonderland and Frankenweenie with Walt Disney Studios, both of which will be directed by Tim Burton.
Westlake, Blair ’76 B.A.: of the media and entertainment group at Microsoft, received the Association of Media and Entertainment Counsels’ honorary Founders’ Award.
Films In Release
Charlie Wilson’s War Richard Edlund ’60 Visual Effect Supervisor
I Am an Animal: The Story of Ingrid Newkirk and PETA Steven Cantor ’95 Director
I Am Legend Neal Moritz ’85 Producer
Mama’s Boy Hank Nelken Writer
Sweeney Todd Tom Johnson ’81 Re-recording Mixer
Shows In Release
Crowned: The Mother of All Pageants Paul Wiesepape ’95 Editor
Games In Release
Empire Earth III Jared Yeager ’02 Associate Producer
