SUNDAY OCTOBER 20, 12noon-2pm<\/strong><\/p>\n

SAG \u2013 AFTRA Presents:\u00a0<\/strong>Casting the Independent Film:\u00a0\u00a0<\/b>Inside the Minds of Casting Directors and Filmmakers<\/b><\/p>\n

Venue:\u00a0<\/strong>Regal Theatre Stadium 14 LA LIVE: 1000 West Olympic Blvd Los Angeles, CA\u00a0 90015<\/p>\n

SAG-AFTRA will present a panel discussion with independent filmmakers and casting directors turned producers.<\/p>\n

For filmmakers, casting an independent film is a daunting task. \u00a0 In order to attract investors to get your film made, you need a top-notch cast.\u00a0 Should a filmmaker wait for A-list actors or find the best talent out there who may be the breakout stars of tomorrow?\u00a0 One strategy is attaching a powerful casting directors who can leverage her or his rolodex and help secure the talent needed to close funding and bring in distribution.\u00a0 As casting directors become power players in the independent film world, those who once assembled the talent are increasingly being offered producer hats themselves. Hear from veteran indie filmmakers and casting directors-turned producers about the fascinating and complex world of casting independent film.<\/p>\n

Please note that we are still adding panel members so check back again soon!<\/p>\n

Yareli Arizmendi – Moderator<\/b><\/p>\n

As an actress, Yareli is best known for her roles as \u201cRosaura\u201d in Like Water for Chocolate <\/i>and \u201cLila Rodriguez\u201d in A Day Without a Mexican<\/i> which she also co-wrote and produced. S<\/a>he starred in Don\u2019t Let Me Drown<\/i> which premiered at Sundance in dramatic competition and co-starred with Edward James Olmos in the film Am\u00e9rica<\/i>.\u00a0 She has also starred in numerous episodic shows including House, Medium, 24, Six Feet Under, Heroes and The Agency.\u00a0<\/i>At present she is co-directing (with Sergio Arau) the documentary based on Juan Gonzalez\u2019 book Harvest of Empire<\/i>.\u00a0\u00a0 As a producer and screenwriter, she has projects in various stages of development.\u00a0 They include The Mayor of Arvin<\/i>, Mariachi Phone Home<\/i> and the sequel Another Day Without a Mexican:\u00a0 This Time It\u2019s Personal<\/i>.\u00a0She continues to write her book, American with an X: Journey to my AmeXican Heart<\/i> and with the approaching 10 year anniversary of A Day Without a Mexican<\/i>, she is working on a book of the same-title.<\/b><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>RICKI MASLAR<\/b>\u00a0<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

Ricki Maslar<\/b>\u00a0is a successful casting director and producer with over thirty years experience in the entertainment industry. She has held a variety of positions as an agent, casting director, manager, teacher, and producer.\u00a0 \u00a0As a casting director, Maslar has had the opportunity to work on studio and independent features with credits that include\u00a0Hansel and Gretel Get Baked<\/i>,\u00a0The Bronx Bull, Under the Bed<\/i>,\u00a0The Line<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0Dahmer<\/i>. She is currently working with Michael Mendelsohn at Patriot Pictures, Arnold Rifkin at Cheyenne Productions in casting several new productions. She was recently honored by the TMA, she was nominated for the Feature Film Casting Director of the Year, and is a member of the Casting Society of America.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>VALERIE MCCAFFREY<\/b><\/p>\n

Valerie McCaffrey<\/b>\u00a0is an independent casting director coming from working at studios like New Line Cinema and Universal Studios. McCaffrey uses her knowledge and her eye for talent to the producing capacity as well. McCaffrey has done casting work on acclaimed and award-winning films such as\u00a0Hard Candy<\/i>,\u00a0The Dukes<\/i>,\u00a0What The Bleep Do We Know!?<\/i>,\u00a0Hero Wanted<\/i>, and\u00a0Legend of 1900,\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0American History X, Hard Target, Babe,\u00a0<\/i>and\u00a0Dark Man<\/i>. As a producer, she produced a film called\u00a0Lost And Found In Armenia<\/i>\u00a0with Jamie Kennedy and Angela Sarafyan, and she also completed two award winning films: a cancer documentary\u00a0Tumor, It\u2019s in the System<\/i>\u00a0and\u00a0Neo Ned<\/i>. She served on the Board of Directors for the Casting Society of America and is a member of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She is also on the Board of Directors for the World Children\u2019s Transplant Fund, which provides life-saving organs to children.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>JEREMY GORDON<\/b><\/p>\n

Jeremy Gordon<\/b> has been casting both indie and studio films for over a decade. Most recently, Jeremy teamed up with fellow Casting Director, Beth Lipari to form Gordon-Lipari Casting. One of LA\u2019s most respected industry publications, Backstage<\/i>, recently named Jeremy one of \u201cTomorrow\u2019s Power Casting Directors.\u201d Their first feature film together, Bordering On Bad Behavior<\/i>, stars Tom Sizemore, Bernard Curry, Kym Jackson and Oz Zehavi. \u00a0Some of Jeremy\u2019s favorite credits include: the pilot for Hawaii Five-0<\/i>, the pilot for V<\/i> and the indie comedy Spork<\/i> starring Keith David, Beth Grant, Richard Riehle, Yeardley Smith, Elaine Hendrix and Chad Allen, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2010 and won one of their Best Feature awards. Jeremy has also worked on other studio films such as We Bought A Zoo<\/i>, Think Like A Man<\/i>, and The Wolverine<\/i>. Jeremy most recently aired the first season of his web series, My Synthesized Life<\/i>, and is currently co-producing a film about the man-made Ukrainian famine and how the publishing of Animal Farm<\/i> came to be.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/a>PAM GILLES<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pam Gilles<\/strong> has been casting for 30 years. \u00a0She’s cast everything from commercials, pilots, feature films and everything in-between. She’s currently packaging a comedy feature film and just finished casting an Ace Jordan <\/em>film. Bonnie and Clyde<\/em> is coming back for another season and she’ll begin casting again soon. Meanwhile, her Lowes client is shooting another 10 spots this year and will be casting hosts and commercial talent. She loves career actors, those that are always training or otherwise working and improving their game. Pam can appreciate humble actors who put other actors to the test. She loves the competitive game the actors play.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

STEAK HOUSE<\/strong><\/p>\n

Steak House<\/strong> produced the indie favorite \u201cBy Hook or By Crook\u201d, a Sundance premiere and five-time best feature winner. Her films have long enjoyed success on the festival circuit, including LAFF, Tribeca, Outfest and four films at Sundance. Her popular documentary about passionate Dolly Parton fans, \u201cFor the Love of Dolly\u201d, broadcasts on MTV\u2019s Logo and was released on DVD this year.<\/p>\n

House runs the LA based Steakhaus Productions with Ottersbach and Donovan. Their indie romantic comedy, \u201cWeather Girl\u201d, premiered at Slamdance 2009 and sold to Screen Media, Regent & Lifetime. Their current films \u201c6 Month Rule\u201d and \u201cHalf Truth\u201d are in post-production and pre-production, respectively. Additionally, they are developing several other projects, including \u201cThe Summer We Drowned\u201d, which was invited to all of the FIND labs, Fast Track and the Sundance Independent Producers Conference.
\nHouse also co-produced \u201cChain Letter\u201d and \u201cThe Hustle\u201d for DTE and is producing \u201cDeon Taylor\u2019s Nite Tales\u201d series. She was previously a Coordinator on \u201cThe Matrix Reloaded\/Revolutions\u201d and several Nickelodeon, Sony and WB cartoon series. She was raised in the Orange County and earned a BFA from the University of Southern California.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SUNDAY OCTOBER 20, 12noon-2pm SAG \u2013 AFTRA Presents:\u00a0Casting the Independent Film:\u00a0\u00a0Inside the Minds of Casting Directors and Filmmakers Venue:\u00a0Regal Theatre Stadium 14 LA LIVE: 1000 West Olympic Blvd Los Angeles, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[214],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-past-panels"],"yoast_head":"\n