Melanie Wise
Festival Founder – An accomplished actress and stuntwoman, Ms. Wise has been acting professionally for over a decade. As lead actress of the award-winning horror-action film, Hanah’s Gift, Ms. Wise won best actress at the IndieFest Film Festival. Her character was so popular with young women that it spawned two fan clubs in Southern California. Standing six-feet tall, a former basketball standout and licensed physical trainer, Ms. Wise possesses a presence and charisma that is groundbreaking in feature films — More Clint Eastwood than girlfriend-next door. Ms. Wise is also an accomplished producer having overseen the production of two indie feature films as well as multiple shorts and commercials. She is an adept video and sound editor, graphic design, 2D motion graphics, and specializes in polishing troubled projects.
Sean Newcombe
Co-Founder – An award-wining writer-director, winner of best new filmmaker at the Staten Island Film Festival, Mr. Newcombe has produced and directed dramatic film, commercials, music video projects, and authored several screenplays. An alumnus of Princeton University, Mr. Newcombe was formerly an assistant vice president of film and media finance for The Fuji Bank, Ltd., of Japan. As a film financier he was involved in the financing of the Disney-Cap Cities merger, the Morgan Creek lending tranche and lending tranches for Paramount Studios. Mr. Newcombe arranged independent film financing with SRK Enterprises, a boutique film finance agency. He is a trained Shakespearean actor, musician, and student of martial arts.
Zac Baldwin
Co-Founder – Zac admits it! He is a film nerd. He was always drawn to the toughest female characters – not the femme fatales, but the surly, never-giving-up kind – Katharine Hepburn, Ann Sheridan and Bette Davis, to name a few. He loved those characters, but felt they could go further and be the kind that can take a punch and give plenty more back! His first film action script had a tough, female heroine who took on the bad guys and he hasn’t looked back. He feels a great action script with a female lead makes things so much more interesting and gives a unique perspective to even run-of-the-mill actioners. A prolific writer, Mr. Baldwin has authored nearly 200 screenplays, 50 stage plays and six novels, and has had over 30 projects produced. He has directed three feature films, including award-winning Hanah’s Gift which won an Audience Choice Award. Mr. Baldwin has won multiple awards for direction, writing, acting, and producing. He has been an acting teacher in Southern California for over a decade. He is also a trained stuntman and stunt choreographer, having performed and choreographed stunts for over a dozen films. Mr. Baldwin is also an accomplished musician, singer and dancer.
Michael R. Miller
Board of Directors – Mr. Miller is one of the most esteemed editors in Hollywood having edited films for Woody Allen, Martin Scorsese, The Coen Brothers, Michael Bay and Sir Anthony Hopkins. His credits include Raging Bull, Manhattan, Miller’s Crossing, Raising Arizona, Armageddon and Stigmata. Mr. Miller is also an accomplished director and producer. He was the creative force behind music videos for Haroula Rose, Amanda Jo Williams, and The Driftwood singers. After graduating from Cornell University, he studied with legendary acting teacher Stella Adler. Mr. Miller also writes the popular movie blog, Filmmaker’s Diary.
Jackie Hesley
Social Media and PR Mgr. – Jackie Hesley has been a social media and PR specialist since 2008. Renowned for her expertise at increasing brand consciousness through web-based networks, she employs numerous techniques to drive awareness and popularity to her clients’ products. With a background in public relations, marketing, talent development and film production, she has been involved in both in front and behind the camera. A native of Dallas and a graduate of the Art Institute of Dallas, Ms. Hesley believes it’s time for Women to stand up, be counted, and have their voices heard.
Sonja Isabella
Event & Social Media Outreach Mgr. – Sonja is originally from Nürnberg, Germany. She had a passion for film from a very young age which she first indulged when she moved to Detroit. She began her industry sojourn by studying acting with former Second City Detroit Director and SNL writer Rich Goteri. Sonja earned her Directing Certificate from UCLA Extension in Fall of 2014. Her first short film, “Mighty Benjamin Little”, which she also wrote and produced, was recently showcased at the Nonstop Shortfilm Festival in Nürnberg, Germany. She’s currently writing her follow-up short film project and her first feature film. Sonja has been living in Los Angeles with her husband and dogs for the past six years and continues her acting studies under Academy Member Bruce Glover.
Donna J. Gagnon
Creative, Production and Business Development – Ms. Gagnon has worked in every aspect of live entertainment, becoming skilled in design, management, technical and production. She was Designer and Project Manager for a major scenic company for 15 years producing international meetings, theater, theme park and studio projects, including Universal Studios Florida, CA and Japan, Disney, Six Flags, Busch Gardens and even at Ripley’s Museum in Hollywood. In 2001, she launched her first business to blend and expand her years of information with her passion for entertainment and InfoTainment Services, Inc. was born. She has worked with video production, TV and film, and was Art Director on `Fighting For Freedom’ staring Kristanna Loken. She was a co-producer for 12 years for NBC Screenwriters Award at Nantucket Film Festival and The Starfish Awards, capturing Robert Altman’s last interview at North Hampton International Film Festival. Donna consults and coaches a range of clients how to grow vision or business with Creative techniques. She sits on panels for the Albany, NY Chamber of Commerce, Special Olympics and the Capital Cinema Cultural Exchange, ‘preparing filmmakers to reach global audiences’. If she’s not in LA or on location, she’s in NYS on a 325 acre mountain retreat that doubles as an outdoor forest film lot location. She is so excited to be working in LA on new projects, thrilled to lend her belief and support to the Artemis Woman in Action Film Festival.
Eric Vollweiler
Presently Eric resides in Upstate New York. Eric graduated from Emerson College in 2003 with a degree in Management Communications and has since worked in a variety of areas of event development and production in the film industry. Eric has led the charge of advertising and business development for the DIY Convention, Do it Yourself, in Film, Music & Book, and, with the help of Los Angeles Family Magazine, raised over $100,000 to produce the ‘Youth Actors Expo’ in Sherman Oaks, CA. He’s produced and facilitated sponsorship, advertising and celebrity booking for Silver Lake Film Festival, Pan African Film & Arts Festival, The Now Casting Film Festival, Indieslate and Film Festival Reporters party at Sundance, Moving Pictures Magazine, Tribeca Film Festival party, The Film Festival Summit in Las Vegas and THE GREAT NEW WONDERFUL Premiere at the Angelica Film Center in Manhattan. Additionally, Eric has co-produced the Ed Wood Film Festival in Albany, NY and Ruff Cutz Indie Film Conference in Boston and Waltham, MA, associate produced the Film, Stage & Showbiz Expo in Manhattan (now known as the Showbiz Expo in NY and LA), and produced the Marina del Rey Film Festival. Eric also co-produced the Capital Cinema Cultural Exchange in Albany, NY.
Malissa Wise
Financial Advisor – Malissa Wise is the Owner and President of Wise Business Decisions, which was established in 1998. She specializes in accounting and financial consulting for small businesses ($500K-$5M). Malissa assesses and creates a specialized structure to maintain accounting and bookkeeping systems for a wide variety of clients and businesses. To further financial goals, she affords her clients the opportunity to understand how their business is performing through the interpretation of financial statements and by creating easy to understand retrospective and prospective evaluations.
Prior to Wise Business Decisions, Malissa worked in the transportation and telecommunications industries performing financial and operational managerial responsibilities for 10 years. During her corporate career, she gained experience working with a variety of departments planning budgets combined with assessing financial problems and general problem solving. Acting as liaison between corporate finance and operational and supporting divisions, she was able to cultivate a company-wide perspective of business function that allows her to help her clients better understand the financial aspects of their businesses. Malissa has a BS in Finance from University of Southern California, an MBA from California State Los Angeles, and has her CPA license.
Howard Brodwin
Board of Directors – A sports marketing veteran of 20+ years, Howard is the founder of Sports and Social Change, a sports marketing firm with a focus on Cause Marketing, Corporate Social Responsibility and Social Enterprise development, working to connect brands, media properties, teams, leagues and athletes with nonprofit organizations, foundations and affiliated cause-driven businesses. His expertise includes brand positioning and activation, grassroots and experiential marketing programs, public relations and social media campaigns, as well as business plans, revenue models and corporate partnership development. Over the past 20 years, Howard has managed marketing, public relations and event management programs for a diverse group of sports brands and properties including Rollerblade, Powerbar, K-Swiss, Salomon, Tour Hockey, Bauerfeind, LPGA, Red Star Hockey, and a wide range of nonprofit organizations such as Special Olympics, DisAbility Sports Festival, Blind Judo Foundation Pearl of Africa Series, Leukemia Lymphoma Society and LA Watts Summer Games. A graduate of San Diego State University, Howard currently lives in Los Angeles, CA and is an active roller hockey coach & player, skier and disc golf fanatic. You can connect with him on Twitter @sportsandchange
Kataka Gara
Board of Directors – Kataka Gara, founder of We Heal University, has been a Reiki Master Teacher and sound healer for over 30 years. Ms. Gara was the first Reiki Master healer for the St. James Infirmary, an occupational safety & health clinic in San Francisco, CA. In addition to her gifts as a healer, she is also a small business consultant, having taught marketing and business concepts all over the world. Additionally, Ms. Gara is a professional musician, singer and performer (playing over 50 instruments). She says her mission is, “To empower people through Beauty, Grace, and Joy.”
Heidi Mastrogiovanni
Board of Directors – A graduate of Wesleyan University, Heidi Mastrogiovanni was a performer and writer with the sketch comedy group Mindfield, playing in clubs and cabarets throughout New York and appearing on the syndicated television show Spotlight Café. One of the highlights of her work with the group was Mindfield’s return engagements at the Westbank Theatre with political comedian Lewis Black. Heidi’s comedic novel, “Lala Pettibone’s Act Two,” will be released in 2015. She produced and wrote an award-winning short film, “In Order of Appearance.” Heidi is a member of the ScreenwritingU ProSeries Alumni and was chosen as one of ScreenwritingU’s 15 Most Recommended Screenwriters of 2013. She sits on the boards of two animal welfare organizations in Los Angeles. The web comedy series “Verdene and Gleneda,” for which Heidi serves as writer/producer/actor, was chosen for the Hotspot on the WGA’s Hotlist for July 2014.
John Halbert
Board of Directors – With a passion for both film and women’s rights, it was natural that John Halbert would gravitate to the Artemis Women In Action Film Festival. A student of philosophy at Swarthmore College and of cinema at the University of Southern California, Mr. Halbert approaches film by probing and challenging it’s conventions, particuarly those which pertain to gender. His mother instilled in him at an early age the principles of feminism and the importance of respecting all women , while his father demonstrated the great value of a strong and loving male support for gender equality. Mr. Halbert likes to say that, as a filmmaker, he intends to never make a movie that does not pass the Bechdel test.
