RIPFest #7

Bios

Dakkan Abbe (Director of Photography) shot, directed, produced, and edited the 6-part documentary series Inside the Tuscan Hills, which premiered on PBS in 2004 - called "visually stunning" by Variety. He's since directed music videos, short films and several documentaries.

Daniel S. Acquisto (Composer) MM in Composition, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Winner of the “New Voices” Prize. Works: Like You Like It (with Sammy Buck), Dancing in the Dark, Antigone: The Rock Musical, various children's musicals, RIMT, A-Train plays, USAF Band. BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.

Catherine Alexander (Producer), after slaving away under the dark, oppressive cloud more commonly known as 'Reality TV' for the past year, has once again managed to step out into the light of day. Amen.

Bengt Anderson (Director) has been working as a freelance Producer and Director in New York for around 3 years (MTV, TLC etc...). He thanks his team for being open, hungry and daring. He thanks his family for their undying support and love. “Find something in your life you love to do and make that your job”- his Parents. Bengt has no back-up plan.

Laura Baggett (Actor) is currently improving at the PIT. Theatre credits include: Roadhouse (roadhousetheplay.com), Now That You've Seen Me Naked, and her solo shows Everywoman and Reach for the Gutter. TV & Film credits: Last Ball, Kidney Pie, The Pavement, SHOtime, AMC, Law & Order.

Tom Barnes (Director) has written and directed several short films including Pork Chop, which showed at 30 international film fests. His work includes music videos for Asian pop stars & TV ads. He recently relocated to New York from Hong Kong.

Stephanie Bast (Actor) has a short film The Apologist currently touring the festival circuit (www.apologist-movie.com). She can be seen kissing Ryan Gosling in the feature film Half Nelson in February. TV: The Jury (dir. Barry Levinson), Law & Order, Cosby, ATWT. Five Broadway shows.

Sandra Beltrao (Director) was born in New York, raised in London by Brazilian parents, and finally returned to New York a year ago to direct reality TV shows with the BBC. Trained as an economist, she's worked as a producer, director and camera op all over Europe, Brazil and the US for shows with the BBC, TLC, Channel 4 and Sky. She recently quit her TV job to be a full-time graduate student at Columbia University Film School, specializing in directing.

Jimmy Bennett (Writer) would like to thank Grandpa, Becca, Stephie B, Stevie G., Meggers, Angela Lansbury, E. Sosa, Cha-Cha, God, Gandy, Tallahassee, Cohen, Snaks, Enders, Jeff Buckley, may he rest in peace and the U.N., The Nuclear Family, Sundance, Court TV. He previously acted in RIPFest #4 (NY) and RIPFest #6 (in LA).

Erica Berg (Actor) has performed at NY Theatre Works, The New Victory, The Kennedy Center, A.R.T., and A.C.T., among others. As a writer, her plays and films include a solo about Joan of Arc commissioned by d.t.w. Upcoming films: Night Listener (IFC films) and Little Children (New Line Cinema).

Lizzie Blenk (Producer) is by day, an assoc. producer on the documentary series Dr. G Medical Examiner on Discovery Health Network. Producing for RIPFest#7 has made a nice change to chilling with the cadavers.

Nora Brennan (Casting Director) Recent credits: Transport Group in NYC, Resident Casting Director with The Audience, (2005 Drama Desk nomination), Requiem for William and the upcoming production of Normal. The Shaggs at NYMF and RIPFest#6. Other casting credits: West Side Story for La Scala Opera House, BBC series Time Machine, and a series of TV ads for MoveOn.org, directed by Errol Morris.

Jon Daniel (Editor) studied film at Temple University in Philadelphia. After school Jon worked in film production as a location sound mixer and boom operator or production assistant on larger scale productions. The past two years Jon has been an assistant editor working primarily on televisions commercials.

Tim Ehrlich (Actor) is an 11th grade student at the Professional Performing Arts School in Manhattan. He's appeared in several Law & Order eps, TV commercials, and most recently Lincoln Center's American Songbook Series Spring Awakening.

Andrew Federman (Director of Photography) is a NY-based artist who paints, draws, shoots stills, video and film, and moonlights as a producer. He has a special affinity for docs and works for the BBC, The History Channel, R/GA and many others. This is his second RIPFest as a DP.

Adam Feinstein (Director) is a NY-based director and cinematographer. His recent credits include films for Showtime Networks and Volvo Cars of North America, a national political ad, and a wide range of nonfiction television for Discovery Channel, A&E, E! Entertainment, USA NetworksLori Fischer (Writer) is the author of the twice-produced, critically acclaimed musical Barbara's Blue Kitchen, the upbeat GoldenBooks/SonyWonder cd/video Pat the Bunny Sing With Me! and the cd Babbaganoosh the Big Silly Goose. For more info go to www.lorifischer.net.

Colleen Fitzpatrick (Actor) B'wy: upcoming Lestat, Donna in Mamma Mia, original co. Cats, Jerome Robbin's Broadway, original co. Into the Woods, Company, Passion. Numerous leading roles in nat'l. tours, off-B'way and regional thtr., concerts, film & TV.

Joshua Fruehling (Producer), king of the single entendre, is currently chasing two of his feature scripts into development and has recently become busy directing in the music world. Always a glutton for punishment, he will be directing his own film just a few short weeks after RIPFest is over.

Ruth Gerson (Actor) appears in her 2nd RIPFest, and though an independent recording artist, she is not singing this time. A High School for the Performing Arts grad, she played the lead female role in feature film, Promised Land. She's also appeared with her band on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Check out www.RuthGerson.com.

Kenda Greenwood (Producer), in addition to producing short films, spends her time selling her soul to reality television. In the past few years, she's also been a cinematographer, a camera assistant, and an electrician, and she is thrilled to be getting her hands dirty again.

John Gregorio (Actor) is a graduate of Florida State University. He founded Dad's Garage Theatre Co. (Atlanta Theatresports), co-created The Nuclear Family, and has taught and performed improvisation around the country. TV: Smoking Gun Television (Court TV), The Extended Family (Sundance Ch.), Good Eats (Food Network). Film: Fly Trap, Slant Blue Elwood, The Tool.

Stephen Guarino (Actor) co-created Off-Broadway's hit musical The Nuclear Family (NYC, San Diego, Atlanta, Miami) & The TV pilot The Extended Family. He currently appears in Off-Bway's Awesome 80's Prom. Numerous theatre, film, TV, commercial, voiceover credits that nobody cares about.

Eric Heimbold (Director) works making independents, industrials, commercials, and music videos. He directed the Baha Men's Who Let the Dogs Out and The Brian Setzer Orchestra's Jump

Kat Misko (Associate Producer) is an Emmy-Nominated Associate Producer for a prime-time feature while at ABC Sports. She began her career at NY Times Television and MoMA Film Department. Currently an AP on a documentary, she hopes to continually write and live off the beauty and energy of words.

Adel L. Morales (Director of Photography), when not teaching English at Mount St. Michael Academy in the Bronx, works with HollyHood Productions, Inc., a digital film-making company he co-founded with Julio Antonio Toro, and Frankie Villanueva. Along with his public access show, he's in the process of editing a short film he co-wrote, produced, and starred in called The Reckoning. hollyhoodproductions.com

Annie Nocenti (Writer) is a screenwriter at Bighouse Media, dramaturge and theatrical photographer for Bath Party, and writer/editor-at-large at Stop Smiling magazine. She's done The 24-hour Play. She also wrote Daredevil, Typhoid among other comics, was the editor of Scenario, and her journalism is published widely.

Roy Nolin, Jr. (Director of Photogrpahy)

David Persky (Producer) is an Oberlin College alumnus living in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he represents 16 nationally and internationally-based performing arts companies, building national tours and providing management services. He thanks his RIPFest team for an inspiring experience.

John Plenge (Composer) is an ASCAP, NYSCA and Obie Award-winning composer/sound designer. Most recently his music was featured at the Cannes Film Festival, Barcelona Film Festival, Chicago International Shorts Festival, Paris Underground Film Festival and the Australian Biennial. www.tonefactory.com

Frank Riley (Producer) is a producer for Dalzell Productions by day, and he continues his quest to build the greatest 1988 Camaro of all time, while training and coaching at Renaissance Wrestling Academy in North Jersey by night. film.commissionnyc.com.

David Rodwin (Producing Artistic Director/Founder) is an amateur cellist and professional kite flier taking 2nd place in the 2005 US Kite Flying Championship. He'll be flying a 20 foot para-kite representing the US team in the next World Games. www.jadelake.com

John Schiappa (Actor) Broadway: Assassins, Take Me Out, Blood Brothers, Jekyll & Hyde, Starlight Express. TV: Third Watch, Law & Order, The Cosby Mysteries, Monsters, All My Children, As The World Turns

Mike Shapiro (Director) directs film and theatre in New York and Seattle, including projects with the Soho Rep, Target Margin Theatre, Clubbed Thumb, and Annex Theatre. His films have screened internationally and across the US. Con gratitud a M.A.

Erik Sherr (Actor) last appeared in Theatre Askew's production of I, Claudius LIVE. Before that he had great fun in heels and falsies as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, and in pants in many other stage productions both classical and contemporary. www.eriksherr.com.

James H. Shin (Composer), is a composer, performer, producer, and engineer, with a background as a classical piano and violin soloist. His composing mentors include the great Paul Lansky and Steve Mackey at Princeton. www.tropsicmusic.com.

Josh Shull (Producer) has worn many hats over the past 8 yrs while in NYC, which may have something to do with his constant look of 'Hat Head'… He's worked as a Comedian, Writer, Director and Producer for Television, Film and Theatre. He's currently working on Robert DeNiro's The Good Shepherd shooting here in the city.

Dom Silverio (Editor) is a veteran editor for RIPFest who never sends in his bio, so we wrote this instead. Send in a bio next time, Dom. Anything will do.

Kendrick Simmons (Editor) has edited for ABC, CBS, BBC, A&E, MTV, TLC, WNET… a veritable alphabet soup of clients on shows you know. When his work provokes reflection, tears and laughter he's having fun. He is currently producing and editing on A&E's The First 48.

Erik Bryan Slavin (Creative Director, Doc Editor) teaches digital filmmaking at New York University and was a Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute. Erik has worked with RIPFest since it's inception as a Director, Editor and Actor.

Clayton Dean Smith (Actor) TV: The Sopranos, Law & Order: SVU, One Life to Live, and as the lead in a new promo series now on MTV. Theater: Outward Bound (Keen), Conquest of the Universe (SALT), 1984 (Synapse). Training: SITI Company, Kristin Linklater, UCB, LAByrinth.

David Spencer (Composer) Composer-lyricist: The Fabulist, Theatreworks/USA's Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables. Lyricist-librettist: Weird Romance, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (both Alan Menken); and La Bohéme (Public). Books: Alien Nation novel Passing Fancy; The Musical Theatre Writer's Survival Guide. BMI Workshop faculty. Rodgers, Kleban & Gilman awards.

Tom Toner (Actor) B'way credits include: Ragtime; Secret Garden; Texas Trilogy, Elephant Man, Me and My Girl, etc. Films: Splash, Miller's Crossing, Midnight Lace, etc. Title Roles in Julius Caesar and Cymbaline at Old Globe. And 9 seasons at Arena Stage.

Steven Tyler (Composer) is a Music Director-Conductor-Arranger-Pianist type person. Broadway credits include Jane Eyre and The Producers. Film work includes Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock. He has recently begun to explore his inner composer and lyricist. He does not have a daughter named Liv.

Aleksandra Vrebalov, (Composer) has had her works performed in major halls worldwide by Kronos Quartet, Cabrillo Festival Orchestra, Sausalito Quartet, Dusan Tynek Dance Company, Ijsbreker, etc. Residencies/Festivals include: New York's New Dramatists, MacDowell Colony, American Opera Projects, OM Festival, Rockefeller Bellagio Center, and Tanglewood.

Nikki E. Walker (Actor) is proud to be a professional actress in the best city in the world. She's done numerous regional and NYC theater prods, and great television, film and commercial projects. Nuff respect to her amazing family of support.

Monica West (Actor) Film/TV: Social Grace, Four Eyed Monsters, Christmas Wish List, One Life to Live. Theatre: Lady with a Lap Dog, Guthrie Theater; The Last Bridge, Wilderness of Mirrors, George Street Playhouse; Germans in Paris, 59E59St. Thanks to Nora and Mike.

Bruce Wodder (Director of Photography) has worked for 25 years as a still photographer, and 14 years as a cinematographer shooting tv commercials and stock footage. He was DP on Film School Confidential, a 35mm independent feature, and travels extensively shooting stock footage for Getty Images.

Hannah Wolfe (Actor) is currently performing with the "Paper Bag Players," the respected children's theatre company, and producing original plays with her own theatre company, Wild Child Presents (www.wildchildpresents.com). Thanks to Erik Bryan Slavin and all the talented RIPFesters for a great time!