<< Back to Press

PANELISTS BIOGRAPHIES

ALBERTO GARCIA FERRER
The Argentine Alberto García Ferrer is a professor and consultant to various universities and training centers. At the request of Gabriel García Márquez, one of the founders, he led the International TV and Cinema School of San Antonio de Baños, in Cuba, for four years during which he achieved the solidification of a ground braking experience that has provided a rich and enlightening production. This experience was well documented in his book “Ojos que no ven…Mis seiscientos cincuenta y nueve días en la Escuela de Cine de Cuba.”

ARTURO RODRIGUEZ
Arturo Rodríguez Fernández was born in Santo Domingo and did his high school in Gijón, Spain. He graduated from law school from National University Pedro Henríquez Ureña, and has two masters in Compared Law, from Strasburg, France, and from Chieti, Italy.He has published several books with short stories (“La Búsqueda de los Desencuentros”, “Subir Como una Marea”, “Espectador de la Nada”), an experimental novel (“Mutanville”) and a film essay (“Homenaje al Cine”).

Arturo has received some thirty national and international literary awards. His plays, collected under “Dramas y Comedias en Ocho Obras Teatrales” was extensively acclaimed, and won the Talía Award and three Casandra Awards. For the last 36 years has been publishing film criticism on the main papers and magazines of the country and has been member of countless juries in different international festivals. Arturo has promoted the film culture through the “Lumiere Film Club” and has been distributor and screener of art films.

He is the Film Commissioner under the Ministry of Culture and director of the Muestra International de Cine de Santo Domingo, which will soon celebrate its ninth edition. With Armando Amánzar, Arturo produces a daily radio show on cinema “A la Hora Señalada.” He writes for the daily “Hoy” and for the magazines “Estilos” and “Mercado.”His present project is a book with short stories “El Sabor de las Hormigas” and collaborates in the script for his play “Parecido a Sebastián”, a production under the direction of César Rodríguez.

Back to top

BIENVENIDA (Beni) MATIAS:
Beni Matias is a pioneering Puerto Rican filmmaker. Her 1979 film Heart of Loisaida was recognized by the New York Public Library as part of their major film preservation initiative, “Twentieth Century Mirrors: America Through the Eyes of Independent Filmmakers.” She is a founding member and Chair of the Board of Directors of NALIP (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) Coordinator. She was the Executive Director for the Association of Independent Video and Filmmakers (AIVF) and of the Center for Arts Criticism, a Minneapolis-based non-profit.

Before coming to CAC, Ms. Matías was Director of Production at the Independent Television Services and Executive-in-Charge of Production at WNYC-TV. She has received funds from ITVS LiNCS Program, Jerome Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts, and National Endowment for the Arts for her documentary work, and received a Leadership Initiative in Neighborhood grant, from the St. Paul Company, Minnesota, to explore connections between arts criticism, media, leadership, and community activism. She is producing with Frances Negrón-Muntaner For the Record: World War II in Guam, a film the Japanese occupation of Guam from 1941 to 1944, a American territory in the Pacific, during World War II. She mentors many emerging documentary filmmakers, and created the NALIP NY Documentary Mentoring program, and has taught at Hunter College, Film and Media Studies Department. She has a Production Management degree from La Escuela Oficial de Cinematografía, Madrid, Spain.

BRETT RATNER
Ratner is a gifted artist beginning his incursion in the direction of music videos leading him to direct projects for Madonna, Mariah Carey, Jessica Simpson, among others. The multi faceted filmmaker started his career at a very young age, putting at good service the funding received from Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment for the production of Whatever Happened to Mason Reese. Having started his career in the East coast, Ratner has established himself as one of the most successful directors in Hollywood too. Seven feature films as director have grossed over one billion dollars worldwide, some of them becoming historical box office records. His productions range a wide variety of genres, romantic fantasy drama with “The Family Man”, comedy in “Money Talks” or action feature as Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2 and thrillers like “Red Dragon.

DEBRA ZIMMERMAN
Debra Zimmerman has been the Executive Director of Women Make Movies, the world's largest distributor of films by and about women for more than 20 years. WMM’s latest release SISTERS IN LAW premiered at Cannes and opened theatrically in US. She has spoken on panels and has been a member of juries at festivals around the world. She often moderates or speaks on panels at the Sundance Film Festival, and for the last two years has given master classes on distribution and marketing in Australia, Africa, Europe and other festivals across the United States. Her workshops are for all filmmakers in any stage of production of documentary or fiction production, short or feature.

Back to top

EDDY MARTINEZ
Mr. Eddy M. Martinez is the Minister of the Center for Export and Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD), the government institution that promotes national strategic export and foreign investment opportunities and works hands-on with local and foreign enterprise to facilitate business activity.

Before assuming his position at CEI-RD in August 2004, Mr. Martínez worked as the Director of Science, Technology, and Innovation at the Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (FUNGLODE), a not-for-profit think tank founded and headed by Dr. Leonel Fernández, current President of the Dominican Republic. While at the Global Foundation, Mr. Martínez led applied research efforts and drafted national policy proposals for numerous projects. During this time, he also launched his own entrepreneurial venture, Expansion Consulting Dominicana, S.A., a consulting firm which provides advisory and marketing services to foreign and local firms Prior to the creation of Expansion and his tenure at the Global Foundation, Mr. Martinez served as the founding Executive Director of the Dominican Republic’s Office for the Promotion of Foreign Investment (OPI). During his tenure at OPI, Mr. Martínez vigorously promoted the policy changes and modernization efforts to help transition the Dominican Republic from a predominantly agricultural and light manufacturing-based economy towards a higher value-added, service-oriented one. He successfully championed the Dominican Republic’s first entirely science-and-technology-focused industrial project, CyberPark/ITLA.

Mr. Martinez has also served as the Executive Director for the Association of Free Zones in the Dominican Republic (ADOZONA), been an Economic Advisor to the Technical Ministry of the Presidency focusing on international trade and investment, and spent six years with the Dominican Republic Center for the Promotion of Exports (CEDOPEX), holding positions both in the Dominican Republic and in New York.

Mr. Martinez’s academic background includes a Masters of Arts in Economic Development and International Relations and a Bachelor of Economics and has had extensive training in the area of FDI from institutions such as IDI in Ireland, MIGA, TSG and the promotion agencies of Chile and Argentina, among others. He has written and published several articles, presentations and research papers on the subject of economic development and the international competitiveness of the Dominican Republic.

Back to top

ESTEBAN INSAUSTI
Esteban Insausti was born in Havana, in 1971. He graduated in Audiovisual Communications Media Arts, majoring in cinema, radio and TV direction. He also studied music, field in which he made a career as musical producer and art director. Graduate studies in marketing, drama, aesthetics and semiotics complete his credits. The Cuban Television offered him his first professional experience as script writer at 19. Shortly after he became one of the first independent producers (Sincover Producciones) dedicated mainly to the production of commercials, spots, trailers in Cuba and abroad.

His first production was the short fiction "Más de lo Mismo" which made it to the 2001 Cannes Official Section, which identified him as one of the young talents of the young generation of the Cuban cinema coming from the Cuban Institute of Art and Cinematographic Industry.) His productions have been selected and awarded by the most prominent international festivals in the United States, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Holland, and Italy, where reviewers and the public coincide.

GENNA TERRANOVA
As Vice President of Acquisitions at the Weinstein Company, Genna
Terranova’s role includes acquiring projects and completed films, overseeing
these projects through all stages of production, marketing, publicity and
distribution. She was instrumental in acquiring two-time Academy Award
director Barbara Kopple¹s recent documentary SHUT UP AND SING, Patrick
Creadon¹s crossword documentary WORDPLAY, Jesse Peretz¹s comedy FAST TRACK starring Zach Braff, Amanda Peet and Jason Bateman, as well as Duncan Tucker’s TRANSAMERICA starring Golden Globe winner Felicity Huffman.

Terranova serves as the primary liaison between TWC and IFC Films on their
shared Library Fund, which since its inception in June 2005 has acquired
over thirty titles for video and television distribution. Additionally,
Terranova overseas TWC¹s Latin America Film Fund, created in May of 2006
with Argentina based Costantini Films. Terranova brought the fund its first
Brazilian production, TROPE DE ELITE or ELITE SQUAD directed by Jose Padilha (BUS 174) and is currently overseeing production on the project, now filming in Rio de Janeiro. The LATAM fund will also be releasing Israel Adrian
Caetano's CRONICA DE UNA FUGA.

Previous to joining the Weinstein Company, Terranova worked in Acquisitions
at Miramax Films as well as in publicity and marketing for Cowboy Pictures,
an indie distribution company whose credits include Lynne Ramsay’s MORVERN COLLAR, I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART and Lucrezia Martel’s LA CIENEGA.

Back to top

GONZALO CASTELLANOS
Gonzalo Castellanos Valenzuela is a well renowned Colombian lawyer who elaborated a model Law of Cinema for Colombia. He has also been an adviser to diverse public and international organizations and has managed and designed social projects for the Inter-American Development Bank.

GUILLERMO NAVARRO
Guillermo Navarro was born and raised in Mexico City. He moved to Europe to work as an apprentice and assistant to director of photography Ricardo Aronovich, AFC, in France. Upon his return to Mexico, Guillermo shot the critically acclaimed film “Cabeza de Vaca,” for director Nicolas Echeverria, earning a Best Cinematography Award from the Mexican Academy. The movie was also Mexico’s entry for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards.

Guillermo moved to Los Angeles and has frequently collaborated with directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino on such films as “Desperado,” “Four Rooms,” “From Dusk Till Dawn” and “Jackie Brown.” Guillermo has filmed the large action and effects movies “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” “Zathura,” “Spawn” and “Stuart Little.” He has a long-time collaboration with Guillermo Del Toro and shot “Cronos,” “The Devil’s Backbone,” “Hellboy,” and “Pan’s Labyrinth.” Guillermo’s work will next be seen in the upcoming “Night At The Museum” for director Shawn Levy, starring Robin Williams and Ben Stiller.

IVETTE RODRIGUEZ
Ivette Rodriguez has been the president and founder of American Entertainment Marketing (AEM), a marketing firm specializing in entertainment targeted at the U.S. Latino consumer since 1997. AEM is the agency of choice for Latino productions, filmmakers and talent.

AEM has played an integral part in the revival of Latin filmmaking having worked on the most successful and critically acclaimed Latin American films in recent history. Some of AEM’s campaigns include Maria Full Of Grace, The Motorcycle Diaries, Crash, The Sea Inside (Mar Adentro) Y Tu Mama Tambien, Amores Perros, Frida, El Crimen Del Padre Amaro, The Others, and Before Night Falls, as well as Hollywood blockbusters Spiderman 2, Spy Kids series, Once Upon A Time In Mexico, Kill Bill Volume 1 and 2, Scooby Doo 2, Scary Movie, Hostel, World Trade Center, Crank, and many more.

Currently, Ivette is working on the campaigns for BABEL, Fast Food Nation and Freedom Writers and after 20 years experience in the marketing of films and 10 years specifically in the Latin market, Ivette is expanding into production and is developing film projects.

ISABEL HILL
Isabel Hill is a volunteer with Citizens Development Corps, Sth. Carolina Film Commission.

KATHRYN GALAN
Kathryn Galan has been Executive Director of NALIP since 2001, and responsible for moving the organization from an NCLR special project into an independent nationally recognized non-profit. Her responsibilities include millions of dollars in fundraising, regional and global members services, and the creation of NALIP's Signature Programs: the Latino Writers Lab™, Latino Producers Academy™, Latino Media Market™ and Latino Media Resource Guide ™. Prior to NALIP, Kathryn worked as an independent producer (FREENCH KISS, SQUANTO, DAYBREAK), new media consultant and studio executive. She was head of production for Atlantic Entertainment Group, and a Production Vice President at Walt Disney Studios' Hollywood Pictures, before running Meg Ryan's Prufrock Pictures and her own consultancy firm, EKR Strategies. She is a graduate of Amherst College, and did Masters studies film history and criticism at UCLA, specializing in World Cinema.

KATHRYN WASHINGTON
Kathryn Washington is a Programming Manager with the Independent Television Service (ITVS) where she oversees the Diversity Development Fund and the administration of Research and Development projects. She works closely with filmmakers to assist them in the early stages of project development. Kathryn has been a panelist and reader for numerous media arts organizations. She is an award-winning public radio producer and completed her first film with a grant from the San Francisco Film Arts Foundation.

MICHAEL LEVETT
Michael Levett is President of the Citizens’ Development Corps (CDC), a non-profit organization that supports private sector development and economic growth in emerging and transitioning economies throughout the world by delivering practical strategies and solutions, high impact programs, and the expertise of experienced business professionals.

Back to top

NATALIA ALMADA
Al Otro Lado is Natalia Almada's debut feature length documentary for which she received support from the Sundance Documentary Fund, The Tribeca All Access Program, The New York Foundation for the Arts and the Artizona Humanities Council. Her experimental short, All Water Has A Perfect Memory, about a cross-cultural family remembering the loss of a child, was an official selection of the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, was awarded best short documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival, and a gold plaque award at the Chicago International Film Festival. Natalia was born in Mexico and was raised in both Mexico and the United States. Natalia is a 2005 recipient of a Creative Capital Grant for her new project in development El General. She received her Masters of Fine Arts from the Rhode Island School of Design and she currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

NINA STREICH
Nina Streich is director of the Peace Film Festival, which was established in order to make the most of the power of film as a medium to achieve peace. The festival’s mission is to take the definition of peace beyond activism or particular causes and instead offers a more personal message which can be seen in the lives of individuals and communities worldwide. The festival brings together filmmakers, special guests and local activists to discuss their work.

SANDRA CONDITO
Sandra Condito is Vice President of Production and Development for Dimension Films. Her multifaceted role includes overseeing the production, marketing and publicity of Dimension’s co-productions with Troublemaker Studios, producer Elizabeth Avellan and visionary filmmaker Robert Rodriguez’s Austin-based production facility.

Condito’s long and successful relationship with Rodriguez and Avellan began when she was an assistant publicist on the genre hit THE FACULTY, starring Josh Hartnett and Elijah Wood. After the successful production and marketing collaborations on SPY KIDS and ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO, Condito moved to Austin to oversee SPY KIDS 2, SPY KIDS 3-D, ADVENTURES OF SHARKBOY & LAVAGIRL and SIN CITY on behalf of Troublemaker Studios. She is currently overseeing the production and marketing of PLANET TERROR, Rodriguez’s contribution to the double feature, GRINDHOUSE, for Dimension Films.

During her time in Austin, Condito further developed her producing skills and understanding of day-to-day operations enabling the undertaking of her debut effort as an independent producer, SECUESTRO EXPRESS, Venezuela’s highest grossing film and winner of 5 ANAC Awards (Venezuelan Oscars), including Best Picture. Produced independently, SECUESTRO EXPRESS was acquired and released by Miramax in 2005.

Condito’s career began in 1997 when she joined the publicity department of Miramax and Dimension Films in New York. During her first tenure with Miramax, Condito was involved in the publicity and awards campaigns for several of the company’s most notable successes, including LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL and HALLOWEEN: H2O. After moving to Los Angeles in 1999, Condito continued to work closely with Miramax as an associate at The Angelotti Company, on the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, guild and Academy Award campaigns for Lasse Hallstrom’s, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES and Anthony Minghella’s THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY. She returned to Miramax in 2001 and joined The Weinstein Company at the time of its formation in 2005.

Back to top

SONIA ROSARIO
Executive Producer, Image Entertainment: Image Entertainment Inc Entertainment Inc. (NASDAQ: DISK) is a leading independent home entertainment company that acquires, licenses, finances and produces exclusive content for worldwide video distribution in. In 2005 Image acquired Home Vision Entertainment, Chicago-based Home Vision which was a leading producer and distributor of independent and international films, including distribution of the preeminent Criterion Collection. HVE published both contemporary and classic works by directors such as Mike Nichols, Peter Weir and Lars von Trier. HVE titles were widely distributed through Amazon, Netflix and offline retailers such as Borders and Virgin. Total 2005 revenue about $30m.

Seasoned producer and writer with a track record of critically acclaimed and financially successful programming for broadcast, home video and theatrical distribution. Specialist in translating commercial content and creative practices across new platforms. Understanding the viewing interests and spending habits of specialist audiences: family, children, multi-cultural and international Rosario previously worked at Columbia Pictures Television, KCET, PBS affiliate in Los Angeles, WGBH, in Boston, and was the Co-founder and partner of Brightlight Communications, a Los Angeles consulting group specializing in digital media and entertainment business consulting, including developing financing for independent media projects.