JOSEPH ITAYA – Writer/Director (Tempered Entertainment)
Joseph has directed, produced, and composed for more than 30 films, which have been featured at film festivals around the world. Joseph's focus on character and story serve as a barometer for every project, and are evident in all of his films. After graduating with an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California, Joseph jumped into the world of commercial production. Under the banner of their production company Tempered Entertainment, Joseph and producing partner Shyam Balse produced more than 30 commercials and industrial films, which aired nationally and internationally. As a director, one of Joseph's strengths is his ability to draw on his deep background in music and theater. Before attending film school, Joseph worked professionally for many years as an actor and musician in the Seattle area. He has performed and won multiple awards as a pianist and conductor, here in the United States, and abroad in Europe and Asia. Joseph wrote and produced Ben's Birthday Present, an illustrated book and CD in distribution around the world.
SHYAM BALSE – Producer (Tempered Entertainment)
After earning a BA with highest honors in Anthropology and graduating Magna Cum Laude from UC San Diego, Shyam moved to Los Angeles to make a life in the television and film industry. Since then he has written and produced dozens of hours of television for Paramount Television, Travel Channel, Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet and other Discovery Networks. He's also had the opportunity to work with top Hollywood talent such as Robert Zemeckis, and recently produced a feature mockumentary starring Leslie Zemeckis, Jeffrey Tambor, and Fabio. Shyam's most recent film Monsoon, shot on location in Mumbai, India, has garnered international attention, winning awards at ten film festivals, and screening at over thirty others. After graduating with an MFA from the Film Production Program at the University of Southern California, Shyam launched Tempered Entertainment with producing partner Joseph Itaya that has produced dozens of commercials and is actively developing several feature and new media projects.
MELANIE D. MILLER – Producer (Fishbowl Films)
Melanie is a eighteen-year veteran of the film industry with an uncanny ability to recognize talent. For the past eight years these skills have been honed with her work at the Jackson Hole Film Institute and Gravitas Ventures. In 2004, Melanie became actively involved with the inception of the Jackson Hole Film Institute and was a key player in the establishment, growth, and immediate success of its flagship event, the Jackson Hole Film Festival. Melanie retained the title of Artistic Director when the Institute officially shuttered in October of 2008.
In 2009 Melanie joined Gravitas Ventures and currently heads up their Acquisitions department as it’s Director. Under her supervision, Gravitas has sub-licensing over 60 films in 2011 to Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and has played a major role in the companies growth. Gravitas Ventures was recently named the 208th fasting growing private company in America, 4th in Media and 17th in Los Angeles per Inc. Magazine. Gravitas specializes in the aggregation of entertainment content for distribution via established and evolving platforms in cable Video on Demand (VOD), broadband, mobile and the airline/hospitality industries. Connecting independent filmmakers, producers, and distribution companies with leading cable, satellite, telco and online distribution partners with the capabilities of reaching 100+ million North American homes is just the start as Gravitas forges into international territories.
Prior to her tenure at the Jackson Hole Film Institute & joining Gravitas, Melanie worked on an impressive slate of independent films, including James Merendino's “SLC Punk!” and Kristine Peterson's “Slaves To The Underground”, both official selections of the Sundance Film Festival. Melanie has produced several short films including the directorial debut of actress Rebecca Gayheart (Jawbreaker, Vanished, Urban Legend) titled “Me & Daphne” and “Save Me”, by writer/director Jennifer Getzinger (Mad Men, The Big C, The Killing). “Save Me” was made through AFI's Directing Workshop for Women and is the project where she met her Fishbowl Films partner Diane Becker. Fishbowl Films’ first feature film “Detour” is currently in post-production with rising-star Neil Hopkins (Lost, Nip/Tuck) in the leading role.
DIANE BECKER – Producer (Fishbowl Films)
Before becoming a producer, Diane Becker built a successful career as an award winning photojournalist, graphic designer, and creative director for some of the biggest media companies in the world, including ABC Television and CNN. She was the founding Vice President/Creative Director for SPACE.com and worked alongside Sally Ride, the first American woman to orbit the earth.
Diane began her film career earning an MFA from the American Film Institute. Her first producing credit was on the feature film, “Have Dreams, Will Travel,” starring AnnaSophia Robb, Lara Flynn Boyle, and Val Kilmer, and she was the Co-Producer of “Waking Madison,” starring Elisabeth Shue, Sarah Roemer, and Taryn Manning which was released this summer.
In addition to narrative films, Diane has also built a successful career as a line producer in the non-fiction world. She was the Associate Producer on the documentary feature film, “Sergio,” based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book, “Chasing the Flame,” by Samantha Power. The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and won the award for Best Film Editing. It was one of 15 documentary films shortlisted for the 2010 Academy Awards and premiered on HBO last May. “Koran By Heart,” from the same award-winning team from “Sergio,” premiered at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival and was broadcast on HBO this summer.
Diane is currently in post-production on “Detour,” the first feature film under her new production company banner, Fishbowl Films, alongside her producing partner, Melanie Miller.
VALERIE MASSALAS – Casting Director
Valorie Massalas, in her prolific career as a casting director and producer, co-produced and cast the acclaimed “Gods and Monsters,” nominated for three Oscars, including Ian McKellan for best actor and Lynn Redgrave for best supporting actress. Prior to that, in “Chaplin,” Massalas cast Robert Downey, Jr., who also received an Oscar nomination for his touching performance of the Hollywood icon.
Massalas’ facility for tackling delicate, timely material was evidence in her work on NBC’s “Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story” produced by Barbra Streisand and Glenn Close for which Massalas won an Artios Award, the Casting Society of America’s highest honor. She was recognized again by the Casting Society when she was nominated for Outstanding Casting for Rob Marshall’s (“Chicago”) “Annie” starring Kathy Bates, Victor Garber, Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth. This time she was also given a nod by the Emmy’s with a nomination for Outstanding Casting for a Movie or Mini-Series.
In an NBC Anthology, “Amazing Stories,” Massalas cast for various directors who worked on the project including Steve Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Clint Eastwood. Here she cast Kiefer Sutherland in his first job in Los Angeles after arriving from Canada, and also cast Kevin Costner and Anthony LaPaglia in the same episode. Soon after, she cast Sharon Stone in her first breakout role in “Total Recall” directed by Paul Verhoeveen. Massalas worked again with Spielberg casting “Indiana Jones and the Temple Of Doom” & “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” films.
In 2005 Massalas met Ron Digman and they formed a partnership. Massalas/Digman/ Casting. They have cast the feature films, including Steve Shill’s “Obsessed” from Screen Gems, starring Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter and Idris Elba, Katherine Brooks’” Waking Madison”, starring Sarah Roemer, Elisabeth Shue and Taryn Manning as well as Patrick Coyle’s “Into Temptation”, starring Kristin Chenoweth, Jeremy Sisto and Brian Baumgartner.
RON DIGMAN – Casting Director
Ron Digman, an honors graduate of NYU’s Tisch School for the Arts, embarked on acareer in the film and television industry working on various independent productions in New York. Through these projects, Digman discovered his forte working with talent and joined The Sanders Agency in Los Angeles, where as a talent agent , he spear-headed the youth division.
Inspired to move into independent casting, Digman worked for three years, almost exclusively with the WB Network, casting for “Reba,” the networks #1 comedy, as well as various pilots and series including “Dawson’s Creek” and “Living With Fran.” Prior to partnering with Valorie Massalas, Digman was Director of Comedy Casting at 20th Century Fox TV, where he oversaw series and pilots for the studio including, “Arrested Development,” “How I Met Your Mother“ and “My Name is Earl.”
Massalas/Digman have cast feature films, including Steve Shill’s “Obsessed” from Screen Gems, starring Beyonce Knowles, Ali Larter and Idris Elba, Katherine Brooks’“Waking Madison”, starring Sarah Roemer, Elisabeth Shue and Taryn Manning as well as Patrick Coyle’s “Into Temptation”, starring Kristin Chenoweth, Jeremy Sisto and Brian Baumgartner.
Additionally, Massalas/Digman are producing several independent features. The first of which is “Family Weekend” in conjunction with Footprint Features, starring Kristin Chenoweth, Matthew Modine, Shirley Jones, Joey King.
NOOR AHMED – Producer's Rep - Reder & Feig LLP
Mr. Ahmed joined Reder & Feig LLP in 2005 and currently heads up the firm's Sales & Packaging division as the in-house Producer Rep. Mr. Ahmed is the son of Pakistani immigrants and is the first person in his family to be born in the United States. He began his career in Ohio working as a production coordinator on various television commercials and indie feature films. Before leaving for Los Angeles, he worked on the indie feature “Blue Car” which premiered at the Sundance film festival and was released by Miramax.
After moving from Ohio, Mr. Ahmed worked at New Line Cinema on various productions including “Son of the Mask,” “Freddy vs. Jason,” and “Dumb and Dumber 2.” Following his time at New Line, Mr. Ahmed worked as an Associate Producer on the PBS documentary, “California and the American Dream,” a four part series that received a national broadcast in the U.S. After leaving PBS, Mr. Ahmed worked for the distribution company Roadside Attractions traveling to various film festivals as their Acquisitions Coordinator. During his time at Roadside Attractions the company acquired several high level indie films including “Supersize Me” and “What the Bleep Do You Know.” Mr. Ahmed left Roadside Attractions to join Reder & Feig where he worked with the firm as a paralegal on films including, “Brick,” “Thank You for Smoking,” “La Misma Luna,” “Southland Tales,” and other indie features (full list on IMDb) before becoming the firms in-house Producer Rep.