Red Carpet Roll-Out: September 2024's New Educators & Executives At Stage 32!

Happy Friday, Stage 32 Community!

Our Stage 32 Team has been working diligently to bring in as many new resources and opportunities as possible to enrich your experience here in our community!

At Stage 32 you have direct access to award-winning industry executives and professionals who’ve written, produced, developed, starred in, PA'd, assistant directed and represented acclaimed projects such as WAR IS OVER, IN THE LINE OF FIRE, THE FIRM, AIRFORCE ONE, GET SHORTY, A SONG FOR IMOGENE, I FOUND YOU, SUPERGIRL, ALL AMERICAN, TRUTH BE TOLD, SURFACE, STEP UP: HIGH WATER, THE WALKING DEAD: RED MACHETE, ULTIMATE BEASTMASTER, GOSSIP GIRL, ALL RISE, STARGIRL, THE GOLDBERGS, FRESH OFF THE BOAT, BLACKISH, SINGLE PARENTS, SPEECHLESS, LAST MAN STANDING, DON'T TRUST THE B IN APARTMENT 23, JANE THE VIRGIN, LA FIRMA, MASKED SINGER, CRIME SCENE KITCHEN, NEXT LEVEL CHEF, KENAN, AP BIO, ACAPULCO, THE CHI, PHYSICAL, RIVERDALE, and many others.

So without much further ado, let's roll out the red carpet and welcome some of the fantastic new people joining our Stage 32 Community this September!

New Stage 32 Educators-

Erika Arlee, Co-Founder of Honey Head Films, Writer, & Director

Erika Arlee is a critically acclaimed writer, director, cinematographer, and co-founder of the award-winning production company, Honey Head Films. Her work spans genres while maintaining a character-driven approach to avant-garde storytelling. A constant receptor to lightning bolts of inspiration, Erika is the author of 10 narrative short films, 4 feature films, and a TV pilot, and has written multiple commission screenplays.

Her debut feature film, A SONG FOR IMOGENE, premiered at Bentonville Film Festival in 2023 before going on to win Best Feature at The Rhode Island International Film Festival and open Cucalorus Film Festival back in her hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina. Most recently, A Song For Imogene was awarded Best Narrative Feature at Oxford Film Festival and screened in competition at the Atlanta Film Festival this spring.

In addition to her multi-hyphenate work behind the camera, Erika has held an adjunct professorship at The University of North Carolina - Wilmington in the Film Studies Department and helms Honey Head Films' annual summer camp, Shoot Like A Girl, which equips young women with the tools and confidence they need to hone their creative visions while pursuing an interest in film.

Kristi Ray, Co-Founder of Honey Head Films, Actress, & Producer

Kristi Ray is a multi-hyphenate creative who’s been making waves in the independent film scene for the past fifteen years. Classically trained at Lee Strasberg in New York City, her work as a leading lady gravitates toward dynamic characters and strong, compelling, female-centric stories. She has won several awards for her work in cinema, including Best Actress, Best Narrative Feature, Best Supporting Actress, Outstanding Performer of the Year along with many other nominations.

A self-made entrepreneur, in 2016 she co-founded Honey Head Films - an award-winning, female-owned production house with a mission-driven approach to narrative filmmaking. As a creative producer and actress, Kristi Ray is intentionally moving the needle forward for marginalized voices in cinema - both in front of and behind the lens. She stars in a number of feature films including the latest award-winning Honey Head feature film A SONG FOR IMOGENE. In addition to a full-time career in film, she is a skilled painter and a proud new mama.

You can still register for Erika & Kristi’s webinar- How to Make Your Micro-Budget Feature Look Like It Has a Million-Dollar Budget!

Rick Davis, Managing Partner of LOHA

Rick Davis is the Managing Partner of LOHA which provides capital activation solutions to impact investors, fund managers, entertainment producers, and grantmakers. He is a leader in delivering structures and strategies that help convert philanthropic contributions into tax-advantaged impact investments. Rick has spent several decades understanding the tax benefits high net-worth individuals can have investing in the entertainment industry. LOHAS is leading the next generation of philanthropy and for the first time, through a variety of structures and strategies, allowing donors to align their charitable missions with their investment portfolios.

You can still register for Rick’s webinar- How to Tap into Donor-Advised Funds to Help Finance Your Film!

Gary Fiorelli, Associate Producer & 1st Assistant Director

Gary Fiorelli, a native of Washington DC, Gary Romolo Fiorelli began his career in entertainment as an entry-level production assistant with a focus on large-scale motion pictures and television. The District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia (DMV) offered a unique setting that attracted large-scale productions for filming using many local crews. Through the local film community, he was able to work on movies like IN THE LINE OF FIRE with Clint Eastwood and THE FIRM with Tom Cruise.

Local news organizations and production companies such as BET, Discovery, and Department of Defense along with commercial and industrial projects, help provide a solid foundation of the skills needed to work effectively on any size production. Working as a P.A. on large-scale movie productions outside of the DMV area allowed him to travel on location with projects such as AIRFORCE ONE with Harrison Ford and GET SHORTY with John Travolta. After accruing the necessary days on set, Gary gained membership to the prestigious Directors Guild of America. Using the relationships he had made during his tenure as a production assistant, Gary has worked on location as an Assistant Director in the Eastern Caribbean, the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and North Africa.

In the fall of 2015, Gary worked with director Martha Cooligdge in Lodz, Poland as Associate Producer/ 1st AD on the feature film I FOUND YOU. Returning to the US, he worked on Season 2, 3, and 4 of the Freeform 1-hour drama STICHERS and on CW’s SUPERGIRL Season 2 as a Co-Producer. He completed Seasons 2 and 3 of ALL AMERICAN. With over 35 years in the trenches of the Hollywood film industry, Gary is also excited to present Stage 32’s Production Assistant Certification Courses (click here to learn more) that will give you the tools to work in physical production at any level.

You can still register for Gary’s webinar- Introduction to Working as a Production Assistant!

Matthew Chen, Development Executive & Producer

Matthew Chen is an experienced Development Executive/Producer who most recently served as Senior Director of Development for Film & Television at Reese Witherspoon’s production company, Hello Sunshine, where he worked on numerous television and film projects, ranging from pitch to release and every stage of development/production/post in between.

Recent projects he worked on as executive and producer for Hello Sunshine include the Octavia Spencer-starring series TRUTH BE TOLD for Apple and Fifth Season/Chernin Entertainment, as well as the upcoming second season of the Gugu Mbatha-Raw starring series SURFACE for Apple.

Before Hello Sunshine, he worked for production companies Ethea Entertainment and Offspring Entertainment on a wide variety of film and television projects, including the film HE’S ALL THAT starring Addison Rae & Tanner Buchanan for Netflix and studio Miramax, the AFTER film series starring Josephine Langford & Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and the television series STEP UP: HIGH WATER for YouTube/Starz and Lionsgate.

You can still register for Matthew’s Lab- Write Your Feature Rom-Com Outline in 8-Weeks!

New Stage 32 Executives-

Bochen Zhang, Emmy-Nominated Film & Television Producer

Bochen Zhang is an Emmy-nominated Film and Television Producer who has worked in Asia, Europe, and the United States for distinguished Emmy Award-nominated and award-winning film and television projects such as Emmy Award-nominated THE WALKING DEAD: RED MACHETE (AMC), VIRTUAL HIGH (DISNEY), WONDERLAND (HBO), ULTIMATE BEASTMASTER (NETFLIX), LEFT FOR DEAD (LIFETIME), SUNRISE IN HEAVEN (AMAZON PRIME AND NETFLIX), END OF SUMMER, STRESSED TO DEATH (LIFETIME), CODE RED, GOODBYE VESNA, UNREMARKABLE, THE STRANGENESS OF COMING HOME, HIDDEN, and many more.

Zhang’s films have also been featured at numerous artistic exhibitions and showcases, including the Edinburgh International Film Festival, Seattle Asian American Film Festival, NYC Shorts Film Festival, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival, Toronto Film Festival, and many more. She was invited to judge the Hollyshorts Film Festival and the Women in Media – Hollyshorts Monthly Screening Series and has extensive experience collaborating with DGA, IATSE, Teamsters, WGA, and SAG and managing lower-budget film productions. You can meet with Bochen about your Feature and your Pitch Deck/Bible Review.

Jodie Platt, Television Executive & Producer

Jodie Platt is an accomplished television executive and producer who served at Warner Brothers Television as a consultant in the current series department where she oversaw all creative aspects of scripted dramas for network, streaming, and cable. Those shows included GOSSIP GIRL (Max), KEEP BREATHING (Netflix), ALL RISE (OWN), and STARGIRL (CW).

Jodie served as Vice President of Current Series Programming at Disney/ABC Television Group. While she has overseen both comedies and dramas, Jodie’s expertise lies in shepherding comedy series, including the first eight seasons of THE GOLDBERGS and all six seasons of FRESH OFF THE BOAT, and she was instrumental in the development and creative oversight of THE GOLDBERGS spinoff SCHOOLED which ran for two seasons. Additionally, Jodie managed and helped launch many other high-profile ABC comedies including BLACKISH, SINGLE PARENTS, SPEECHLESS, LAST MAN STANDING, THE REAL O'NEALS, and DON'T TRUST THE B IN APARTMENT 23. During her tenure at ABC network, Jodie oversaw 80 to 100 episodes of television per season, managing all creative aspects and liaising with all internal, studio, and production counterparts.

Previously, Jodie worked as an executive in both comedy development and current programming at ABC Studios (now ABC Signature) where she eventually rose to run the comedy development department which entailed supervising overall deal writers and producers, packaging and selling projects while also leading a team of executives. She also developed and then continued to manage high-profile series while rising through the ranks. She has overseen many pilots through all steps of creative development, production, post-production, and the completion process. She has also mentored and championed emerging writers and directors through the CTDI program at Disney as well as within the television industry. As a result of her 20+ years as an executive, Jodie has impeccable relationships with show-runners, producers, writers, directors, and executives and has loved television and storytelling for as long as she can remember.

You can receive premium notes from Jodie about your Pilot and First 10 Pages, or meet with her about your Pilot or Pitch Deck/Bible Review.

Catalina Ramirez, Co-Head of Propagate International at Propagate Content

Catalina Ramirez is the Co-Head of Propagate International at Propagate Content, one of the world’s fastest-growing independent content creation companies, Propagate’s portfolio includes projects with Apple, Valhalla Entertainment. At Propogate, her duties include managing, resourcing, and producing different projects from the early stages of conception and development to sales and exhibition. Catalina also co-leads the distribution, partnerships, and co-productions of Propagate's catalog including the successful format JANE THE VIRGIN, LA FIRMA, MASKED SINGER, CRIME SCENE KITCHEN, and NEXT LEVEL CHEF along with the HBO documentary LFG.

Catalina produced the Emmy Award-winning documentary IN HER HANDS with Senator Hillary Clinton which was sold to Netflix as well as the upcoming TV series 90 MINUTES which was sold to NBCUniversal.

She was previously at Gunpowder and Sky where she led the international team and helped shape the content strategy for titles such as the SXSW documentary EVERYBODY'S EVERYTHING and the punk tale HER SMELL starring Elisabeth Moss. Prior to that, she worked at Magnolia Pictures where she handled sales and foreign festivals for films including the Oscar-nominated RBG and LUCKY starring Harry Dean Stanton.

You can receive premium notes from Catalina about your Pilot or meet with her about your Feature, Pitch Deck/Bible Review, Reel/Short Film Review, or Adaptation Review.

Emily Hughes Jackson, Development Executive & Producer

Emily Hughes Jackson is a Development Executive and Producer who has worked on a number of films and tv shows such as GEN:LOCK, KENAN, THE OTHER TWO, AP BIO, MIRACLE WORKERS, and MACGRUBER. was most recently Director of Development at Rooster Teeth Studios, an internet media and production company. There she supported a robust slate of projects spanning original and IP-based TV and film development, scripted podcasts, and unscripted productions.

Prior to that, she worked at Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video and Discovery/ITV/Imagine’s digital studio New Form. She started her career at CAA in the TV Scripted and Corporate Communications departments. Emily is passionate about storytelling and is always looking to fill up her slate with new projects.

You can receive premium notes from Emily about your Pilot here, Feature here, First 10 Pages, or meet with her about your Pilot, Reel/Short Film Review, or Pitch Deck/Bible Review.

Mitchell Bendersky, Manager & Owner of Expectation Management

Mitchell Bendersky is a Manager and Owner of Expectation Management, an entertainment company dedicated to representing and servicing the next generation of undeniable storytellers and with clients who have worked on projects such as ACAPULCO (Apple), ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE DARK (Nickelodeon), CALL ME KAT (FOX), THE CHI (Showtime), THE GORDITA CHRONICLES (Hulu/Max), HISTORY OF THE WORLD PT. 2 (Hulu), PHYSICAL (Apple), RIVERDALE (CW), Academy Award-winning film WAR IS OVER!, and many more.

Prior to his role as Manager/Owner, Mitchell served as a Manager at Gramercy Park Entertainment, an entertainment management company specializing in representing writers, directors, producers, and creatives working across all media. Before his role at Gramercy Park Entertainment, Mitchell also served as Television Coordinator at Marvel Entertainment. As a manager, Mitchell looks for talent from everywhere and sources clients and stories from anywhere he can, and unlike some larger companies, Mitchell has the time and desire to spend time developing scripts and screenwriters.

You can meet with Mitchell about your Feature, Pitch Deck/Bible Review, or Adaptation Review.

Olivia Charmaine Bernardez, Producer & Founder of Black Monarch Entertainment

Olivia Charmaine Bernardez is a Producer and Founder of Black Monarch Entertainment, a dynamic production company dedicated to elevating underrepresented voices. Her journey continued at Straight to Cards, where she skillfully oversaw all business operations, including creative development and production, Olivia also produced animated feature films under an exclusive Netflix development deal. Additionally, she has contributed her expertise to academic and creative institutions like New York University and the Sundance Institute.

Before she found Black Monarch Entertainment, Olivia worked at Simpson Street, where she brokered a diverse array of successful film and TV projects. Olivia also worked as a Development Executive at TBS, where she strategically charted the path forward, consistently delivering fresh content and nurturing new talent while overseeing ongoing shows. She has worked with industry giants such as NBCUniversal, Disney, DreamWorks Animation, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. Discovery, and Netflix. Her mission is clear: to create media that is both empowering and entertaining while championing diversity in storytelling.

You can receive premium notes from Olivia about your First 10 Pages, Pilot, or Pitch Deck/Bible Review.

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