JOE CONASON (Author THE HUNTING OF THE PRESIDENT)
Joe Conason has written his popular political column for The New York Observer since 1992, and served as the newspaper’s executive editor from 1992 to 1997. He also writes “Joe Conason’s Journal,” a daily weblog that is among the most widely read features on Salon.com, the Internet magazine.
Prior to joining the Observer, Conason spent two years as editor-at-large for Conde Nast’s Details magazine. From 1978 to 1990, he worked for The Village Voice as a columnist, staff writer and national correspondent. During his twelve years there, he covered all kinds of beats from national political campaigns, City Hall scandals, and the Iran-Contra affair to major foreign stories in the Philippines and China.
In 1985, Conason co-authored the Voice expose of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos’s hidden Manhattan real estate holdings – which led to Congressional hearings and provoked the election that preceded the Philippine dictator’s overthrow. During the two years that followed, he made several trips to the Philippines to cover that election and subsequent events, including two coup attempts against President Corazon Aquino. In 1989, he arrived in Beijing the night after the Tianamen Square massacre and reported on its aftermath for the Voice.
A winner of the New York Press Club’s Byline Award, Conason has covered every American Presidential election since 1980. His reporting on Whitewater and the Clinton presidency has brought him national media attention and critical praise. He is the co-author (with Gene Lyons) of The Hunting of the President: The Ten-Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton (Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press, 2000), which appeared on both The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times bestseller lists. His articles have appeared in Harpers, The Nation, The New Republic, The Guardian (London) and The New Yorker, among many other periodicals. He also appears frequently as a commentator on television and radio.
Conason is a graduate from Brandeis University in 1975 with a degree in history. He began his journalism career as a reporter for the East Boston Community News, a small neighborhood newspaper. From there he went on to join The Real Paper, an alternative weekly published in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as a staff writer. He covered environmental, racial and political affairs for both papers. He was born in New York City and that is where he lives today.
AMY GREENSPUN (Co-Producer)
After graduating from Loyola Law School (Los Angeles) in 2000, Amy Greenspun founded Spun Out Productions in 2001 and produced her first feature film, The Anarchist Cookbook, starring Devon Gummersall (My So-Called Life) and John Savage (The Deer Hunter). The Anarchist Cookbook was released theatrically in the summer of 2003.
In the fall of 2002, Greenspun partnered with actress Gina Philips (Ally McBeal, Boston Public, MGM’s Jeeper’s Creepers) and produced the short film, “Something More,” starring Tony Shalhoub (Monk) and Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under). Later that year, Greenspun produced her next film, “Sam & Joe,” starring Petra Wright (XX/XY) and written and directed by Student Academy Award winner Jason Ruscio. Greenspun’s fourth feature, a comedy currently titled, “Lady Killers,” starring Will Friedle (Boy Meets World) and Chris Owen (American Pie), will be released theatrically in April of 2004.
For over a decade, Greenspun has been an editorial contributor to the Las Vegas Sun. In addition, she is an active entrepreneur with successful ventures in real estate and multi-media.
BEN HARRELL (Associate Producer)
A native of South Arkansas, Ben graduated from the University of Denver in 1992 with a degree in film and television and began working with Harry and Linda Bloodworth’s Mozark Productions. After working as a production assistant on Designing Women, Evening Shade and Hearts Afire, Ben worked his way up to associate producer of Delta Burke’s short lived series, Women of the House and Dreamwork’s pilot, Fully Clothed, Non-Dancing Girls. Along with Harry Thomason, Ben created the Mozark Television Network, which was used for promotions and satellite interviews of the stars of Mozark’s shows. Between shows, he began producing numerous political ads and show promos, and worked on various crews for low budget productions, commercials and movies of the week.
In 1996, in affiliation with AVS, Ben produced and directed the first ever continuous live broadcast from a moving train. President Clinton’s “21st Century Express,” was broadcast live to the Democratic National Convention for three consecutive days as President Clinton campaigned for re-election along 400 miles of middle-America. The production was also used for local station promos and network raw feeds. Ben also did significant work on the ‘96 convention film, A Place Called America, co-produced Saturday at the Summit for the Denver Summit of World Leaders and served on the DNC staff.
Since 1998, he has worked as a Unit Production Manager on a number of projects, including Propaganda Film’s Bark, and Regent Entertainment’s The Hunting of the President.
DOUGLAS JACKSON (Producer)
Douglas Jackson is a graduate of the University Of Iowa Television-Film Department. He has produced over 350 episodes of prime-time television on such series as Designing Women, Evening Shade, Hearts Afire, Women Of The House, The John Larroquette Show and Emeril. Prior to his involvement in prime-time television production, he worked on Capitol Hill as an aide to Senator David Pryor of Arkansas. His working relationship with Harry Thomason has spanned over three decades. ”The Hunting Of The President” is the first documentary that he has produced.
A native of Eldora, Iowa he first attended Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa. After taking a film-making course during the summer at The University of Iowa he transferred from Cornell and received his Bachelor of Arts in Television-Film. He served as a logistics officer in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Little Rock Air Force Base in Jacksonville, Arkansas. After leaving the Air Force he began working for Mr. Thomason in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he worked on various short commercial films and several independent features.
Mr. Jackson then worked on a feature film produced by Barbara Pryor, the wife of the Governor of Arkansas. Later, he had an opportunity to work on the senatorial campaign of then Governor David Pryor of Arkansas, who was subsequently elected to the United States Senate. He moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked as an aide to Senator Pryor from 1978 to 1983.
In 1983 Harry Thomason and Linda Bloodworth formed Mozark Productions and Mr. Jackson came to Los Angeles to begin working for Mozark. He first assignment was to serve as Associate Producer for Mozark on an hour series for ABC entitled, “55 Limestreet.” Subsequent to that series he has produced all of the series that Mozark has launched.
His most current production is, “American Son,” a bio film made by Linda Bloodworth for General Wesley Clark.
He is currently developing another documentary tentatively entitled, “Eight On The Wall,” which deals with the eight women whose names are inscribed on the wall of The Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.
GENE LYONS (Author THE HUNTING OF THE PRESIDENT)
Gene Lyons is a native of Elizabeth, New Jersey. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1965 and earned a Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia in 1969. He taught at the Universities of Massachusetts, Arkansas and Texas before becoming a full-time writer in 1976. He has written hundreds of articles, essays and reviews for such magazines as Harper’s, The New York Times Magazine, The New York Review of Books, Washington Monthly, The Nation, Esquire, Slate and Salon.
A winner of the 1980 National Magazine Award for Public Service for the Texas Monthly article, “Why Teachers Can’t Teach,” he was an Associate Editor at Texas Monthly in 1981 and General Editor at Newsweek from 1982-86. His books include, The Higher Illiteracy (University of Arkansas, 1988), Widow’s Web (Simon & Schuster, 1993), Fools for Scandal (Franklin Square, 1996) and with Joe Conason, The Hunting of the President: The Ten Year Campaign to Destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton (St. Martin’s, 2000). He writes a weekly column for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which is syndicated nationally by United Media.
NICKOLAS PERRY (Director, Screenplay by, Editor)
Born in 1967, Nickolas Perry grew up in Southern California and the Pacific Northwest. After graduating from high school, Perry entered the military and became a paratrooper, joining the ranks of the elite Army Rangers.
Perry soon bought a 16mm camera and taught himself the basics of filmmaking. In 1987, Perry sold his first film — a documentary about the Rangers — to an Army-Navy mail-order company. Perry also created the Independent Filmmakers Society, a private organization for soldiers interested in making movies.
After his enlistment, Perry quickly found work on independent features. In 1992, he landed a job as Francis Ford Coppola’s editing assistant on Bram Stoker’s Dracula. After the film’s completion, Perry became Agnieska Holland’s post-production assistant on The Secret Garden.
In 1996, Perry’s directorial debut, Must Be The Music, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was later distributed in theaters as part of Strand Releasing’s Boy’s Life II series.
Perry’s first feature, Speedway Junky, about a boy who dreams of being a racecar driver, premiered at the 1999 Berlin International Film Festival and was distributed by Regent Entertainment. Gus Van Sant served as the film’s executive producer.
The Hunting of the President, which Perry co-wrote and directed, is a feature-length documentary about the ten-year campaign to destroy Bill and Hillary Clinton. The film is premiering at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Perry will begin shooting his third feature, 3 1/2, in May.
JIM ROBERSON (Cinematography)
Jim Roberson started his film career in the early 70′s as a camera operator for Harry Thomason and moved to Hollywood in 1976 to work as 2nd Unit Director of Photography on Adventures of the Wilderness Family, Winterhawk, The Winds of Autumn and Greyeagle.
In 1979, Jim directed his first low budget feature film, The Legend of Alfred Packer. Shortly after, Carolco Pictures offered Jim the helm on their latest feature, Superstition.
In 1983, Jim rejoined Harry Thomason and began working on the series, The Fall Guy. During this time he also photographed miniature and special effects action on the television series, Dukes of Hazard, Airwolf and Knight Rider.
In the late 80′s, Jim worked as Director of Photography on the television series, High Mountain Rangers and Jesse Hawkes. This led to his work on the made for TV movies, Glory Days, Mario and the Mob, Search and Rescue, Back to Hannibal (Disney Channel) and Tag Team (ABC).
In 1990 Jim directed his third feature film, The Giant of Thunder Mountain, and continued through 1991 as Director of Photography on Thomason’s situation comedy, Hearts Afire. Jim has continued his work in television as DP on a long list of shows including, Almost Perfect, Ink, Pearl, The Naked Truth, King of Queens and My Wife and the Kids. He is currently shooting the television series, Less Than Perfect and Married to the Kelly’s
KEITH SKY (Co-Producer)
Keith Sky is a veteran of marketing and distribution at several majors including Columbia Pictures, Paramount Pictures and Buena Vista Distribution Co. Sky founded the public relations firm Americom, Inc. in 1983 and has designed campaigns for over 200 major companies and record and music video industry clients. He has handled marketing for Regent Entertainment’s theatrical releases since 1998, and brought The Hunting of the President project to Regent for worldwide distribution.
For over a decade, LA radio audiences have listened to “Keith Sky, the Movie Spy” on the “Rodney On the ROQ” show on KROQ-FM, “Keith Sky” on Groove Radio 103.1 and in Tokyo, “Keith Sky’s Hollywood” on Bay FM 78. On the web, his bi-line has appeared on the ZAP2It.com website, and he was an editor of Optic Music and Film and Video Magazine. In the early ‘90s he helped establish and operate the annual Dean Film Grant, which awarded several million dollars in grants to documentary filmmakers nationwide. His credits include co-producing the PSA, “So More Can Hear,” several specials for VH-1, the first “eco-mercial” with J. Walter Thompson and “I Am A Backyard Wrestler” for the MTV True Life series. He is part of the production team developing a new feature film, “Rodney On the ROQ” for Mad Chance Productions for Warner Bros. He is an alumnus of the University of Illinois, College of Communications.
DANA STOLTZNER (Associate Producer)
A Wyoming and Florida native, Dana’s entrée into Hollywood was an interesting one. Having never been to Los Angeles or exposed to the film industry, he simply entered a Timberland/Mercedes Benz writing contest about Jurassic Park 2, and out of 13,000 applicants, won a 10-day trip for two to Los Angeles and restricted dinosaur bone bed sites in Canada and Montana.
Applying his fledgling media savvy, Dana marketed the contest win into local fame, and spring-boarded into USC Cinema-Television’s Production program, where he graduated with a degree in Film Production in 2001. Since then, he has been involved in the marketing, publicity, promotion and release of more than a dozen films theatrically, including Del Shores’ Sordid Lives and Nick Perry’s Speedway Junky.
In 2003, Dana and Americom partner Keith Sky launched Sparkplug Entertainment to develop and produce television and feature films. They are currently developing a biomovie about famed Black comedian Flip Wilson and a TV series about the First Female President.
HARRY THOMASON (Director, Screenplay by)
Harry Thomason, a native of Hampton, Arkansas, was a high school football coach before entering the entertainment industry. After six years of coaching, he started a small commercial production company in Arkansas that attracted national clients like Holiday Inn, GM and the United States Government. Thomason then began making low budget features such as Encounter with the Unknown and So Sad About Gloria.
In 1980, Columbia Pictures Television became interested in a story Thomason owned and made a deal to do the film. The multiple award-winning film, A Shining Season, was so well received that Columbia asked Thomason to do another film, To Find My Son. Shortly thereafter Columbia signed Thomason to a production contract.
Thomason went on to produce pilot, series and the highly acclaimed The Blue and the Gray. He then joined 20th Century Fox to produce (including some writing and directing) the early years of The Fall Guy. While at Fox, he married writer Linda Bloodworth and they formed Mozark Productions.
Thomason has produced and directed hundreds of episodes of series such as Lime Street, Hearts Afire, Women of the House, Evening Shade and Designing Women (for which he received DGA and Emmy nominations). Thomason’s directing has also won Angel Awards, Christopher Award, National Broadcasting Awards, National Education awards among others.
He was also the 1992 recipient of the National Women’s Political Caucus GOOD GUY AWARD and the Publicists Guild of America’s MAN OF THE YEAR AWARD in 1993.
Thomason, along with Linda Bloodworth, was the chairman of the 1993 Presidential Inaugural. The inaugural was the first in history to actually make money. In 1997, Thomason directed Saturday Night at the Summit, a live stage event for the Summit of World Leaders in Denver, Colorado.
In the spring, Thomason and Bloodworth will produce and direct the independent feature, Southern Comfort, starring Sissy Spacek.
DISTRIBUTION
PAUL COLICHMAN (President, Regent Entertainment)
Paul Colichman is considered to be one of the premier creative executives and producers of reasonably budgeted motion pictures for theatrical and television release. He has over twenty years of experience in the entertainment business and has been involved in the production and/or distribution of over 100 motion pictures. These films include the critically acclaimed One False Move, My New Gun, Music of Chance, Gas Food Lodging, Tom and Viv, The Twilight of the Golds and the Oscar winning Gods and Monsters. He has also created and/or produced numerous hours of television, including talk shows, live events and series.
STEPHEN P. JARCHOW (CEO, Regent Entertainment)
Steve Jarchow has been the chairman of the board of Regent Entertainment for the past decade and is a well-regarded senior motion picture executive with over 25 years of experience in successful real estate and entertainment ventures. He has been involved in the production and/or distribution of over 60 motion pictures, as well as the building of a library of over 3,500 motion pictures. He practiced law for several years and subsequently was a partner with Lincoln Property Company, a large real estate development company and a senior managing director with Bear Stearns, a major investment-banking firm. He has been a participant in over 200 real estate partnerships and a principal in over $2 billion in financing. He has taught Entertainment Law for many years and is the author of five books and numerous articles and monographs.
JEFFREY SCHENCK (COO, Regent Entertainment)
Jeffrey Schenck is Regent Entertainment’s Chief Operation Officer and oversees development and production for all Regent in-house productions as well as co-productions. He received his B.A. in film studies from the University of California, at Irvine, in 1992. He began his career in the mailroom at Metropolitan Talent Agency and soon became a literary assistant at Major Clients Agency. Later, he joined the management division of I.R.S. Media (One False Move, TOM & VIV), where the company initiated an overall deal to develop and produce six science-fiction films for Showtime Networks. During his tenure there, he developed close relationships with agents, managers and writers. Subsequently, when Regent Entertainment was founded, Schenck was hired as its Director of Development. He was then promoted to VP of Production and Development where he has overseen over twenty films, including Academy Award winning Gods and Monsters and The Fox Family Telepic, Britannic. He also produced PAX’s highest rated program, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, along with another highly rated movie for Animal Planet, Hope Ranch. This year, he has executive produced two more movies for PAX along with the independent feature, A Good Night to Die, which premiered at the Tribecca Film Festival in May.
JOHN LAMBERT (Executive Vice President, Regent Releasing)
John Lambert is a thirty-year veteran of film marketing and acquisitions with vast knowledge and experience in specialized film buying and the marketing of independent films, both domestically and internationally. At Regent, he oversees theatrical distribution and acquisition of films and supervises the company’s exhibition venue development. Lambert began his career by operating an art house cinema in Northern California. After moving to Los Angeles, he worked in Twentieth Century Fox’s print shipping department and then became a film buyer for United Artists Theaters, where he remained for twenty years. At United Artists, he served as the national specialized film buyer, responsible for buying and marketing films that required an increased profile in major theater circuits.