Interview Series

Florida resident Audrey Landers is an accomplished actor, singer, writer, director, composer, producer, and businesswoman. After majoring in Psychology at Columbia University and Barnard College and studying music theory at Juilliard School of Music, she embarked on a legendary career in the entertainment industry highlighted by her memorable role as "Afton Cooper" for eight years in the iconic television series "Dallas" along with countless other starring and guest roles in films and television series. Audrey wrote and recorded her first hit record at age 14 followed by a career as a multi-gold and platinum recording artist and songwriter, earning 10 gold singles, 4 gold albums and 2 platinum albums. She also created Landers STAR Collection® with her mom Ruth, a women's clothing and accessories company, offering affordable glamorous fashion to women across the globe. She continues to act, produce, write, direct and sing. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Nicole Perry, MFA, CLMA, CID/C is a dance choreographer as well as an award-winning movement professional working as a Certified Intimacy Director and Certified Intimacy Coordinator with Intimacy Professionals Education Collective (IPEC), a SAG-AFTRA accredited intimacy training program while also serving as the Director of Praxis for IPEC. Nicole is a founding member of Florida Intimacy Professionals, creating community and standards for staged intimacy work in the state. Additionally, Nicole is the founder of Momentum Stage, Inc., which offers professional development for artists, arts educators, and arts organizations and has delivered trainings for dancers, actors, and teachers at universities and organizations around the world. We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Andrew Byrd is an accomplished film producer with extensive expertise in budgeting, scheduling, and production management while bringing both creative insight and operational efficiency to every project. Specializing in feature films, award-winning festival shorts, and select television pilots, Andrew's work has been licensed to major distributors and platforms including HBO, Showtime, Hulu, Tubi, Comcast, Roku, and Amazon Prime-demonstrating both commercial appeal and wide audience reach. Andrew has been a member of the Producers Guild of America since 2015 and currently teaches pre-production in Florida, where he shares his industry experience and passion for independent storytelling with the next generation of filmmakers. We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Writer, Producer and Director Joseph Greco (https://joegreco.com/) is a Florida native and graduate of the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts. His first feature film, “Canvas,” starred Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden & Emmy Award winner Joe Pantoliano and is a personal story that focuses on a family dealing with mental health. Prior to that Joe learned the business working for Oscar winning director James Cameron and garnered awards of his own with his short “Lena's Spaghetti,” which premiered in the Telluride Film Festival. We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Jason Fisher is the Founder and CEO of StageRunner, an online platform created to empower soundstage owners and to serve as a growing platform for the broader production community. Jason created StageRunner after recognizing the need for a centralized hub connecting filmmakers with ideal production spaces. Beyond being a marketplace, their goal is to build a thriving ecosystem that supports the entire film and television industry. Prior to StageRunner, Jason was the Vice President of Production at ABC Studios, overseeing blockbuster shows "Lost", "Desperate Housewives" and "Grey's Anatomy" and was the SVP and Head of Production at AMC overseeing hit shows including "Mad Men", Breaking Bad" and "The Walking Dead" and he was also the EVP and Head of Production at Paramount Television. We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Richard Botto is the creator of Stage 32, an online platform and marketplace designed to democratize the entertainment industry. Launched in 2011, the Stage 32 community has grown to over 1 million entertainment creatives and professionals worldwide. In addition, Stage 32 has curated the world's largest educational library with over 3,000 hours of webinars and classes designed to help all film, television and digital content creators and professionals hone their craft and navigate the industry. RB is also an accomplished actor, screenwriter and producer. We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Jamie Clemens is the Senior Account Executive for Tampa-based Vū Studios. After owning his own production company for six years Jamie joined Vu in 2022 where he now helps clients realize their creative vision using Vū’s products and services. Vū was a pioneer in Virtual Production technology and has evolved from being just a service provider to now offering a full portfolio of hardware and software solutions giving clients at any level one platform and endless possibilities for production and engagement. We talk Jamie’s background, the origins of Vū, the evolution of the company, the future of virtual production and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Mark Pentecost went from being a high school teacher to becoming a billionaire entrepreneur, a nationally recognized philanthropist, a world-renowned thought leader and filmmaker. Today, Mark is the founder of It Works!, a worldwide wellness company and a best-selling author. He’s also a riveting keynote and motivational speaker, focusing on helping people and companies achieve their dreams. Mark’s more resent goals include helping find cures for cancer and Executive Producing “Florida Wild,” a western filmed on the Pentecost Ranch in Florida. We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Todd Wiseman, Jr. is a Florida native writer, producer, director and all-around filmmaker. Besides being a wonderful advocate for filming in Florida, Todd is taking on one of the larger Florida-based projects in recent years, adapting the novel “A Land Remembered” into a television series. We talk to Todd about the history of “A Land Remembered,” his steadfast desire to base the production in Florida, his goals for the television series, challenges and opportunities, why he’s such an advocate for filming in Florida in general, and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Shane Brady and Emily Zercher-Brady are Florida-based Filmmakers. Shane is a Tampa native writer, actor and graduate of Florida State University. Emily is a producer and actress. They turned a 2021 tragedy into a film. Based on true events, after being victims to wire fraud and losing $20,000 while trying to buy their first home, the system failed them—police, banks, and title companies were no help. What started as a nightmare became a therapeutic revenge story that combines true events with fictional parody in the film “Hacked.” We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

For more than twenty-five years, Freestyle Picture Company partners Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri have developed and produced award-winning film, TV, theater, and branded content with many of the industry’s most talented individuals and entertainment companies. Their films have played at major festivals around the world and have been represented at the industry’s biggest award ceremonies. Prior to Freestyle, Francesca was at Moxie Pictures from 2000 to 2006, where she launched and led their Film and TV Group, with a specific effort to develop relationships in the feature film and TV industries. Kevin’s previous film company Cineblast was listed in The Hollywood Reporter short list of top NY production companies each year in its existence, until its sale at the end of 2000. We talk about all of this, their long relationship with Sean Baker and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Katie Pryor and Tony Armer are the co-founders of FilmUSA, a national non-profit trade organization representing all film commissions across the United States. FilmUSA is dedicated to the enhancement of the Film, TV, and Digital Media production industry across the country. They partner with film commissions, filmmakers, and industry stakeholders to help connect the community and drive production across the states. We talk to them about their day jobs, how FilmUSA came to be, the mission and goals for the future and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

South Florida’s Wil Shriner is a comedian, director, actor, writer, host & emcee. He began his career as a standup comedian in Los Angeles. After dozens of appearances with David Letterman, Jay Leno and Johnny Carson, Wil was tapped to host his own national talk show, "The Wil Shriner Show" in the late 1980s where he earned three Emmy nominations. In addition to his acting credits, he has directed hundreds of hours of television and film, including episodes of "Frasier," "Everybody Loves Raymond," "My Wife and Kids," "Gilmore Girls," and many more. Working closely with Florida legend Jimmy Buffet, Wil wrote the screenplay and directed the movie "Hoot," which was filmed in Florida and based on a Carl Hiaasen book. Hoot was inducted into the Museum of Modern Art’s collection in New York and was named by the Smithsonian Museum one of the top five environmental films. We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

South Florida’s Marietta Carter-Narcisse is an internationally renowned, very accomplished, award-winning Department Head Makeup Artist and Global Educator with more than 30 years in the industry. A few of her credits include "Ghost," "Boyz n the Hood," "Malcolm X," "Dangerous Minds," "Whitney," "Tina: What’s Love Got to Do With It?" and "Beverly Hills Cop III" just to name a few. She is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a member of the Make-Up Artists & Hairstylists Guild I.A.T.S.E Local 706 and she runs Marietta's Virtual Makeup Academy, a groundbreaking online training program specifically created for the professional Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist to bridge the gap between Makeup and Hair School and working on set. We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Steven Demmler is a writer/producer, Founder of St. Petersburg-based Talon Entertainment, and one of Variety’s “New Leaders in Hollywood” for 2024. He's written, directed, or produced films that have screened in festivals around the world and has spent more than a decade working in finance, facilitating deals for globally distributed investors. Prior to that, Steven worked for many years on the Emmy-winning crew of Saturday Night Live. He’s also a founding partner of MUTANT, a pop culture-centric art and collectible venture, alongside Mondo founder Tim League and Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah. Additionally, Steven is a strategic advisor and member of the board of directors for Elijah and Noah’s SpectreVision. We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill. Please note there were challenges with the audio recording during this episode, we apologize for the inconvenience.

Saul Blinkoff is a filmmaker and former Florida resident who has worked for numerous high-profile clients including Disney, DreamWorks and Netflix. He was a Disney Animator on the films “Pocahontas,” “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Mulan” and “Tarzan” and directed “Winnie the Pooh,” “Kronk’s New Groove” and the hit show “Doc McStuffins” and also produced the award winning Dreamworks series; “Madagascar: A Little Wild.” Saul travels the world sharing practical tools for success, meaning and fulfillment in all aspects of life and hosts the inspirational podcast; ‘Life of AWESOME!’ We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Donny Herran is a graduate of UCF and an accomplished Producer, Production Executive and Executive in Charge and is currently a Senior Vice President of Production for Paramount. Early in his career he produced content for Disney, ABC, FOX and Discovery Channel while venturing into independent filmmaking, including being a part of the Oscar Winning Film, “Monster.” For the second half of his career Donny joined the production team at Paramount (formerly Viacom), overseeing hit premium scripted shows such as "Yellowstone," “Lioness," and "Mayor of Kingstown," along with unscripted franchises "The Challenge," "Love & Hip Hop," "Martha & Snoop Potluck Dinner Party,” and “Basketball Wives.” We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill. For more about or to donate to the Jeremy E. Evans Student Films Fund, visit https://foundation.ucf.edu/FSdonate?bg=2 then search for Jeremy E Evans and select The Jeremy E Evans Student Films Fund, NSCM000108.

Antonia McCutcheon has been with the Tampa Bay Community Network for close to three decades and is currently the Executive Director. TBCN is the last public access television station in Florida and they help Tampa Bay’s diverse community by offering accessible media resources and innovative specialized training and workforce development for the video production industry while providing access for the community to air their shows. We talk all things TBCN and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Michael Wesley has been a Location Manager and Scout for close to thirty years. He’s been a member of the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) for over a decade and is currently a Board Member for LMGI. Some of Michael’s credits include “Transformers” 2, 3 & 4, “Inception,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Booksmart” and “The Terminal List.” We talk about his career, the evolution of the locations craft, his Master Class in Location Scouting and Managing and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Jonathan Olsberg is the Founder and Executive Chair of Olsberg-SPI, a leading international creative industries consultancy that specializes in the global screen production sector. For the last 30 years, Olsberg-SPI has helped clients plan, design and deliver sustainable growth, evidence impact, and evolve and expand in a highly competitive and fast-moving screen sector. Jonathan’s previous roles in production, distribution and finance have facilitated SPI’s practical understanding of the screen sector that helps deliver focused consultancy services to governments and businesses around the world. Jonathan is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the British Screen Forum and the European Film Academy. We cover a wide range of topics on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Miami-based Alexis Garcia is the Founder of CAT5, a finance and production label for action films focused on building a better machine for filmmakers and financiers. He sees CAT5 as a turnkey financing and production option for filmmakers, leaning in on content with strong commercial appeal. CAT5 targets independently financed and/or produced action films in the $10 - $50 million budget range. Alexis is an entertainment executive with 20+ years of domestic and international dealmaking experience including roles as lawyer, agent, producer and now founder. We talk about all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Stefan Roesch emigrated to New Zealand in 2003 to embark on the world’s first PhD in Film Tourism. Since then, he has 20 years of experience in market research and is a leading expert on film tourism and has consulted with various destinations on film tourism projects around the world. In 2023, he earned the designation of Certified Film Commissioner and is on the Board of Directors for the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI). We talk to Stefan about the origins of film tourism, where his interest started, the global economic impacts of film tourism and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Artie Malesci is an Emmy and SAG Award nominated Stuntman and Stunt Coordinator. Artie has worked on close to 150 major titles including some of the biggest Florida-based projects including “Bad Monkey,” “Moonlight,” “Burn Notice,” “Miami Vice” the series and the movie, “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “The Waterboy,” “Ace Venture: Pet Detective,” “My Girl,” and “Parenthood” among many others. We talk to Artie about his stunt work, the evolution of his craft, some great behind the scenes stories, his acting work and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Dominic Giannetti is the founder of Florida-based Giannetti Films and an award-winning director, writer, and producer. With more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Dominic has worked on over 100 professional TV, Movie, and Music video sets including producing more than a dozen feature films, many of them in Florida helping launch the careers of dozens of professional filmmakers and actors. We talk to Dominic about his professional journey, producing faith-based films, some of his favorite behind the scenes stories and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Shawn Davis has been the Executive Producer of the Film Independent Spirit Awards for 22 years. The Film Independent Spirit Awards is the premier awards event for the independent film and television community. Shawn is a two-time Emmy nominated Producer for his work on the Spirit Awards. Prior to his current role, he was the Director of Events for the Los Angeles Film Festival for 18 years. We talk to Shawn about the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the importance of the independent film community, his personal ties to Florida, and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Sam Read is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance. SEA is a consortium of the world’s leading studios, streamers, and industry leaders dedicated to advancing sustainability initiatives through advocacy, education, and innovation. Sam works collaboratively with SEA’s member companies to reduce environmental impacts within the global entertainment industry and inspire a sustainable future. We talk to Sam about SEA and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Amy Paskow is an award-winning visual effects artist with credits on some amazing projects including "The Lion King," "Suicide Squad," "The Legend of Tarzan," "The Jungle Book," "Maleficent," "Rescue Me" and "Boardwalk Empire" just to name a few. We talk to Amy about the evolution of visual effects, her career, her newest venture as Owner and CEO of New Wave Colour and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Based in South Florida, Jacobo Rispa and Damián Romay are award-winning producers and directors with close to 200 credits between the two of them. Both have produced titles all over the world with projects airing on Netflix, NBC, Amazon, HULU, BET, Tubi, Lifetime, Paramount, Great American Family & UpTV. Their company, Sunshine Films, is a South Florida-based film and television production company with a successful track-record making movies and TV series from original ideas through post production and delivery. We talk to Jacobo and Damián about all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Here’s my conversation with Jacobo Rispa and Damián Romay from Sunshine Films. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Joe Chianese is the Senior Vice President & Production Incentives Practice Leader at Entertainment Partners. In his role at EP, Joe provides production and legislative consulting, financial, tax, and administrative services for domestic and international production incentives. He has over 30 years of accounting, government affairs, production and tax experience including positions at Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company, the ABC Television Network, Paramount Pictures and Ernst & Young. Today, he is recognized as a leading expert on production incentives for the global film industry. We talk to Joe about all things EP and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Terry Olson is the Co-Founder, Creative Director and Chief Instigator of FusionFest in Central Florida. Previously, Terry was the Director of Arts & Cultural Affairs for the Orange County Government. His purpose is to help create dynamic events which celebrate, unite, enliven and empower people, with the primary conduit being the arts. We talk to Terry about his background, his time with the County, FusionFest, his passion for the arts, the evolution of the arts & culture scene in Central Florida and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Susan Fox is the Founder & CEO of Casting Workbook. For over two decades, Casting Workbook has been driving the industry forward with leading-edge enterprise casting software by bridging essential communications between production, casting, agents, and their talent. Casting Workbook’s global network consists of offices all over the world with production, casting, agents, managers, and talent in 62 countries with services are offered in English, French, and Spanish. We talk to Susan about her background, all things Casting Workbook and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Aaron Gilman is the CEO of Steamroller Studios in Central Florida. Prior to his current role, Aaron worked in the animation and visual effects departments on such films as “The Matrix Revolutions,” “The Avengers,” “Iron Man 3,” “The Hobbit” franchise, and “Avatar” among others. But arguably Aaron’s biggest passion is in providing leadership and creating the culture at Steamroller Studios that has allowed the independent animation studio to grow and flourish while providing exceptional service to clients and creating their own intellectual property in an area of the industry in constant flux and transition. We talk about all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Born in Detroit but raised in Florida, actor Tom Nowicki has more than 160 film and television credits, including a major role in the new series “Bad Monkey” on Apple TV+. We talk to Tom about his numerous roles in Florida-based projects, stories from his most well-known projects, how he got his start in the industry and advice for young actors. Tom also runs Hip Dog Canine Hydrotherapy, a small organization that does swim-therapy for injured and disabled dogs. We talk about all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Film Florida Podcast Episode 127- Based in Miami, Marco Mall is the Executive Producer of the Florida Film House, the Founder of World Wide Urban Distribution, 1st Take Youth Film Program and Urban Film Festival and an Executive with the Urban Streaming Network. Marco has spent more than a decade mentoring young talent, developing an in-house team of filmmakers, and vertically integrating their business from service productions to their own six feature films. We talk to Marco about all of these endeavors and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Film Florida Podcast Episode 126- Traci Deen is the President and CEO of Conservation Florida. Conservation Florida is an organization working on your behalf to protect Florida’s land, water, wildlife, and way of life. Chad Crawford is the Creative Director of Crawford Entertainment. Established in 2010, Crawford Entertainment specializes in producing award-winning branded entertainment programs, and they also distribute that content for millions to see. Together, Crawford Entertainment and Conservation Florida produced “Protect Our Paradise,” a six-episode docuseries that explores Florida’s wild, wonderful places and exposes environmental issues that threaten their existence. Chad and Traci talk about Florida, the environment, the docuseries and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill. For more about Conservation Florida visit https://conservationfla.org/ For more about "Protect Our Paradise" visit https://conservationfla.org/cflnews/2023/6/26/protect-our-paradise-streaming-now Clip from "Protect Our Paradise" https://youtu.be/Wh2dSkUqvjo  Traci Deen explains the Florida Wildlife Corridor https://youtu.be/Hcuna5GNDi8

Film Florida Podcast Episode 125- Established in 2013, White Elephant Group is a Miami-based film and media-tech collective of award-winning film and digital media artists innovating and challenging audiences with new film and VR stories to artistically address and elaborate upon the voices and experiences coming from minority and underserved communities in South Florida. We talk to Ronald Baez and Ashley Rose from WEG about storytelling, their collaborations, the WEG Short Film Lab and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill. For more about WEG visit https://www.wegfilms.com/

Film Florida Podcast Episode 124- Melora Hardin is an Actress, Producer and Director best known for playing Jan Levinson on "The Office" and Trudy Monk on "Monk" in addition to her roles in "The Bold Type," "Transparent," "The Blacklist," "The Rocketeer," "17 Again," "Hannah Montana: The Movie," "Transparent" and "The Hot Chick" among many others. We talk about her recent film “Golden Vanity,” her time at two film festivals in Florida, her advice for actors, her collage art, her home décor line “Storyboards by Melora Hardin,” on-set stories about Gene Hackman and Clint Eastwood, and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill. For more about Melora Hardin visit https://melora.com/ 

Film Florida Podcast Episode 123- Mario Garcia & Michael Alfieri are filmmakers, and graduates of the University of South Florida, together they made “The Throwback,” a comedy about an underappreciated and stressed supermom whose holiday-season mental breakdown causes her to believe that she is a college-age party girl. Michael produced and Mario wrote and directed the movie, filmed throughout the Bay area. They talk about their time at USF, their careers, being able to come back to Tampa and work together, and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Film Florida Podcast Episode 122- Jennie Jarvis is an award-winning Director, Writer, and Actress as well as the writer of the award-winning textbook "Crafting the Character Arc: A Practical Guide to Character Creation and Development." Jennie is also a judge for multiple major screenwriting and film competitions each year and served as the Artistic Director for the Orpheus Theater Group from 2006-2008. As an educator, Jennie has mentored over 400 student film projects, including several that went on to win or be nominated for major awards including Telly Awards, Suncoast Region Student Production Awards, Student Emmy Awards, and ASC Awards. We talk all of these topics and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Film Florida Podcast Episode 121- Kent Matsuoka is an award-winning creative line producer and location manager with over 25 years experience in the industry and more than 50 major credits to his name including "Hawaii 5-0," "Magnum P.I.," "Castle," "Dirty Sexy Money," "Medium," "Criminal Minds," "House" and more. Kent is a member of the Producers Guild of America and the Television Academy, he serves on the Teamster 399 Location Manager Steering Committee, and he formerly served as a Board member of the Location Managers Guild. He also works closely with the Association of Film Commissioners International and many of their affiliated film commissions around the world. Kent talks about his career, working all over the world, his advice for up and comers and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Hilary Momberger-Powers started in front of the camera at five years old, landing her first audition as Sally Brown in the Peanuts "Charlie Brown" cartoons. After taking a break in her teenage years to focus on her education, she decided that the film and television industry was in her blood. For the last 30 years+ Hilary has had a very successful career as a Script Supervisor, enabling her to learn from some of the greatest Directors and Actors. She is also a successful commercial actress, a print model, she guest stars on television and is a feature film actor. Hilary talks about all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Susan Gallagher is an award-winning actress, producer and writer. She has appeared in numerous films and television series, even if you might not recognize her in one of her more popular roles. In 2014 she formed Her Little Red Productions and has written and/or produced several award-winning short films. Susan talks about the evolution of her career, her memorable roles and stories, advice for actors and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Jackson George is a Senior Vice President in Creative Advertising for Disney. He has worked in entertainment advertising for more than 20 years and has managed the creative campaigns for some of the most iconic entertainment properties of the past two decades, including “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “The Last Jedi,” and “The Rise of Skywalker,” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Encanto,” “Frozen 2,” “Incredibles 2,” “Toy Story 4” and “The Mandalorian,” Seasons 1 and 2. Currently, he is responsible for creative advertising strategy and execution for all Pixar, Lucasfilm, and Walt Disney Animation Studios projects across theatrical and streaming, as well as creative strategy and management of the Avatar franchise. Previously, Jackson held positions at Universal Pictures, Overture Films & InSync Advertising, where he led the theatrical creative campaigns for “Despicable Me,” “Bridesmaids,” “Ted,” “The Lorax,” “Walk The Line,” “Cast Away,” and “Rocky Balboa,” among many others. Jackson talks about his career, some of his most memorable projects, his philanthropic efforts, and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Franklin Ritch is a Jacksonville resident and independent filmmaker focusing on writing, directing and editing. Collaborating with Emmy Award-winning cinematographer, Britt McTammany, Franklin's early short, "Bedridden," kicked off a number of short film productions. In 2018, Franklin was presented the Rising Star Award by the mayor of Jacksonville. In 2022, he released his debut feature film, "The Artifice Girl," starring sci-fi legend Lance Henriksen, which was screened at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal, where the film won the Golden Audience Award and later took top prize at its European premiere in Italy. The film was also screened at SXSW and The Florida Film Festival. Franklin has also been named one of the "25 New Faces of Independent Film" by Filmmaker Magazine. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Pete Zuccarini is a Cinematographer and Second Unit Director or Assistant Director. He’s most known for his underwater cinematography work on films like “Life of Pi” “Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” multiple “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, “Dolphin Tale” and “Dolphin Tale 2” to name just a few. Pete talks about his career, the extensive training, safety concerns and challenges involved in being an underwater cinematographer, favorite projects and experiences and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill

Katja Esson is an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker based in Miami. She is known for her character-driven documentaries tackling race, class, and gender. She was awarded the Simons Public Humanities Fellowship at Kansas University and her films have screened at the Museum of Modern Art, American Museum of Natural History, and the Smithsonian. Her work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Knight Foundation, and the Ford Foundation. And some of her most meaningful work has been done in and about Florida. She talks all of this and much more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Film Florida Podcast Episode 114- Jaimie Engle is a Florida-based novelist and screenwriter. After a decade as a critically acclaimed indie novelist, with 15 published books, she made the transition to screenwriting in 2021. And in a very short period of time, she sold her first feature length screenplay. Jaimie writes stories with a magic touch in books, streaming, film, and comics across multiple genres. She talks about her inspiration for writing, her career as a novelist, the transition to film and television, and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill. Jaimie's website: https://jaimieengle.com/ Jaimie's YouTube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@jaimieenglewrites "Just Jake" Trailer: https://youtu.be/-uQMfHCamjM?si=ejyOdC9KtGjM8w47

Film Florida Podcast Episode 113- Elsten Torres is a Cuban born, New York City raised singer-songwriter, having been credited as one of the prominent creators of the Latin Alternative Rock sound of the late 1990’s. His eclectic and unconventional sound has been heard for more than 3 decades now. Elsten is a multicultural bilingual artist who has performed on stages all over the world as well as being an award-winning songwriter with major international hits, earning two GRAMMY nominations, two BMI songwriting awards, and six Billboard top ten hits throughout his career. He talks about all of this, plus his strong ties to Florida, and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Film Florida Podcast Episode 112- David Tochterman is an Emmy-nominated executive and producer with a record of launching award-winning television and digital properties. His first job in Hollywood was the director's assistant on the pilot of "Seinfeld." He was the Executive VP of Will Smith's Overbrook Entertainment and Senior VP of the Carsey Werner Company, where he developed hit shows including "That 70's Show," "3rd Rock From the Sun," and was an Executive Producer of "Grace Under Fire." David has also been a digital strategy consultant for ABC, PBS and Starz, and a partner in the production company Pemberley Digital, winners of two Interactive Emmy Awards for video adaptations of literary classics on YouTube. He is the founder and CEO of Canvas Media Studios, providing storytelling expertise, video strategy and content production for any business looking to reach and influence audiences on digital platforms. And like most guests, David has strong ties to Florida. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Frank Patterson is the President & CEO of Trilith Studios in Atlanta, the largest purpose-built film studio in North America. Prior to Trilith Studios, Frank co-founded and served as the CEO of Pulse Evolution Corporation, a technology company that produces hyper-realistic digital humans for live and virtual reality applications. As an educator, Frank is still a faculty member of Florida State University’s College of Motion Picture Arts, where he served as dean from 2003 to 2016. Audio editing by Rob Hill.