GINA MATTHEWS: Partner/Producer,
ROUNDTABLE ENTERTAINMENT.
(What Women Want, 13 Going On 30; Urban Legends; Final Cut, etc.)
Since forming her own production company, Roundtable Entertainment,
Gina Matthews has produced a number of high profile projects for film
and television.
Most notable among them is Paramount’s WHAT
WOMEN WANT. Starring Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt,
the film
grossed $402 million worldwide, making it the
most successful romantic comedy of all time.
Also among her box office hits is Revolution Studio’s
13 GOING ON 30 starring Jennifer Garner and
Mark Ruffalo, as well as Sony’s successful horror franchise
URBAN LEGEND and
URBAN LEGEND 2: FINAL CUT. Roundtable
currently has a number of projects in development including
COUNTER-CLOCKWISE with Jennifer Aniston attached to star for
Universal, SUPERFAN for Revolution Studios, and FEAR
ITSELF for Intermedia.
In television, Roundtable is currently under an overall deal with
20th Century Fox and has already sold eight pilots to
various networks this development season. Formerly, Matthews
created the WB series THE MOUNTAIN, and Executive Produced
the sci-fi drama JAKE 2.0 for UPN. Prior to that, Matthews
co-created and Executive Produced the WB hit series, POPULAR, and
also served as Executive Producer on the SCI-FI Channel’s hit
series, THE CHRONICLE.
Roundtable has also ventured into long-form television, where
Matthews developed and produced two films written by her partner
Grant Scharbo for Showtime Networks. SUMMER’S END,
starring James Earl Jones received two
Emmy Awards. Matthews and Scharbo took home an Emmy for
Best Picture/Children’s Special, while James Earl Jones won
for Best Actor/Children’s Special. THE WISHING TREE,
starring Emmy Award winner Alfre Woodard and Blair Underwood,
also received three Emmy nominations.
Gina will meet privately with a selected attendee.
PEARLENA IGBOKE: Senior Vice President,
20TH CENTURY FOX TELEVISION.
Pearlena Igbokwe oversees creative development and production
for a distinctive and varied slate of scripted and non-fiction original
programming for the premium cable network, Showtime.
Ms. Igbokwe developed and currently oversees creative affairs and
production on a variety of projects including Dexter,
a one hour drama series about an affable serial killer living in Miami
starring Six Feet Under’s Michael C. Hall, The
Underground, a provocative half hour sketch comedy show
executive produced by and starring Damon Wayans, and Sexual
Healing, a documentary series from the award winning producers
of Taxicab Confessions that follows real life couples
undergoing counseling for sexual dysfunction.
Most recently, Igbokwe also oversaw the development of several high
profile projects including Fat Actress starring
Kirstie Alley, and the TV adaptation of Barbershop
starring Omar Gooding. She was also responsible for the five
season run of the hit Showtime series Soul Food, which
spent three seasons as Showtime’s highest rated series.
Other series she has developed and/or supervised include the
popular late night reality show Family Business, the hip-
hop docu drama Interscope PresentsThe Next Episode
and Linc’s, a 1998 comedy series created by Tim Reid
and starring Pam Grier.
Igbokwe has also overseen a number of original movies for Showtime
Networks, Inc. In 2003, she developed and produced the highly rated
Original movie Jasper, Texas, starring Academy Award
winners Jon Voight and Lou Gossett, Jr. Jasper Texas was
recently nominated for the Humanitas Prize. Additionally, she
served as the executive on a variety of non-fiction productions
ranging from the documentary specials14 Up in America
produced by Michael Apted, Dark Roots: The Unauthorized
Anna Nicole directed by Eyes of Tammy Faye
creators Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey.
Pearlena greatly enjoyed working with the late, great Gregory Hines
when she supervised the development and production of the 2000 Showtime
Original Movie Bojangles, for which he garnered an
Emmy, Screen Actors Guild and NAACP nomination. Other
noteworthy projects include the Peabody Award winning
Strange Justice starring Delroy Lindo and Regina
Taylor, The Tiger Woods Story.
For the last 10 years, Igbokwe has also supervised the Showtime
Black Filmmaker’s Showcase which seeks to spotlight the work of
up-and-coming African American directors by providing an outlet for
their work on Showtime and offering a $30,000 filmmaking grant.
Prior to relocating to Los Angeles, Ms. Igbokwe served as Director of
Special Projects for the Chief Executive Officer of Showtime Networks in
New York. In this capacity, Ms. Igbokwe worked closely with the CEO
and senior staff to develop, analyze and manage Showtime and/or Viacom
projects related to corporate development, programming, public policy,
public affairs and marketing. She began her career at Showtime as
Manager of Direct Response Television Marketing in which she was
responsible for all media planning and spending, agency creative
development, video production and telemarketing for general and Hispanic
market acquisition campaigns.
Ms. Igbokwe was featured as an executive on the rise in the
Hollywood Reporter’s Next Generation issue in 1999 and was named one
of the Top 50 Show Biz Playersin Black Enterprise
magazine in 2002. She is a graduate of Yale University and
Columbia Business School.
Pearlena is an East Coast transplant who is trying her best to
juggle a career, a husband and two small children.
Pearlena will meet privately with a selected attendee.
ANNA LIZA RECTO: Talent Manager & Vice President,
VINCENT CIRRINCIONE & ASSOCIATES.
Anna Liza Recto is Vice-President of the highly successful management
company, Vincent Cirrincione Associates (VCA). VCA has built a
strong reputation as a management company that treats its clients like
family, and Anna Liza serves as the maternal bond that keeps the team
afloat. The company represents Halle Berry and Mario Van
Peebles, among others.
Anna Liza joined the staff in October of 2001, and has enjoyed great
success. She has helped to guide and counsel clients in every aspect
of the entertainment industry. She works closely with clients, agents,
attorneys, publicists, business managers and co-workers to facilitate
and coordinate the efforts of the talent’s entire team. Her efforts were
rewarded last spring when she was promoted to Vice-President. This
promotion came on the heels of a successful pilot season for the VCA
Client roster including: Showtime’s “Dexter” (Julie Benz),
ABC Family’s “Three Moons Over Milford” (Samantha Quan);
NBC’s “Andy Barker, P.I.” (Tony Hale) and “Community
Service” (Shondrella Avery), FOX’s “The Twelfth Man” (Jodi
Lyn O’Keefe), and the S. African/Canadian co-produced series “Jozi-H”
(Billoah Greene).
Anna Liza’s success at VCA builds on her accomplished past in the
entertainment industry. After graduating from Muhlenberg College in
Allentown, Pennsylvania, she got her start in the business in the
theatrical department of Abrams Artists & Associates in New York,
ultimately becoming a commercial agent there. In January of 1995, she
moved on to casting and worked as a freelance casting director
for over six years, working on numerous film projects including “One
True Thing”, “Mystery, Alaska”, “The Deep
End of the Ocean” and “Wild Things”.
After working in New York for more than 8 years, Anna Liza
decided to spend a few years in Killington, Vermont to enjoy being a
full-time mom. It wasn't long before the itch returned and she soon got
involved with a local production company and quickly found her way back
into casting and then onto Los Angeles.
Once in L.A., Anna Liza met Vincent Cirrincione and immediately hit
it off. She came on board as the company began the campaign for
Halle Berry’s historical Oscar win for “Monster’s Ball”
and the company has continued to grow and flourish since. Anna Liza also
worked with Vincent Cirrincione on the in-house production of the HBO
award-winning movie-of-the-week “Lackawanna Blues”.
Anna Liza is excited and proud to be part of a close-knit family of
associates and clients and strongly believes in the VCA philosophy
of team management. She balances her busy professional life by enjoying
her time with her family. She is the proud wife of writer/photographer
Derek Ruth and the mother of 8-year-old Milla Press.
Anna Liza will meet privately with a selected attendee.
LAUREN BASS: Casting Director, MALI
FINN CASTING.
Most recently, Lauren has been working with Mali Finn on a myriad of
feature films including The Assassination of Jesse James, Seraphim
Falls, The Number 23, and Shooter.
Lauren previously worked at Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer Casting on such
projects asCSI: Crime Scene Investigation,
Jack & Bobby,
Everwood, and several pilots and MOWs. She also worked
with Tim Payne on the freshman series of Showtime'sHuff.
Lauren got her start in casting while working on the ABC
seriesMiraclesstarring Skeet Ulrich.
Lauren will meet privately with a selected attendee.
LISA HAMILTON: Executive, Feature Film
Development, Literary - DREAMWORKS SKG. (Full Bio Pending).
Lisa will meet privately with a selected attendee.
MEREDITH
WECHTER:
Agent,
ICM(Full Bio Pending).
(Reps Susan Sarandon,
etc.)
Meredith will meet privately with a selected attendee.
LAURIE
CROUCH: Producer / Co-Founder, GENER8XION ENTERTAINMENT
“Empire Builders: New Rules, New Players in 21st Century Hollywood.”
Not only were these words brandished across a cover of Los Angeles
Times Magazine that featured Laurie’s husband,Matthew,
along side major studio heads Joe Roth and Stacy Snyder,
but they also echoed a personal vision that Laurie and Matthew had seen
shift into high gear on October 15, 1999...the day “The Omega Code,”
their first independently produced and distributed motion picture,
opened in theaters across the country and went on to become the #1
limited release film of 1999, forever changing the way Hollywood does
business.
Today, four films later, the Crouches run Gener8Xion Entertainment
(gnxe.ob), the first-ever publicly traded
family/faith-based entertainment company. And while their
grassroots marketing efforts once led BrandWeek Magazine to dub
them “Guerrilla Marketer of the Year,” Crouch sees
their journey from Hollywood outsiders to Wall Street pioneers as a
natural transition.
Her latest feature film, “One Night With The
King,”is set to hit theaters nationwide October 13th.
“One Night With The King” is an epic adaptation of the Book of
Esther, shot entirely on location in India, that features such
Hollywood luminaries as Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, John Rhys-Davies
and John Noble of “Lord of the
Rings” fame. Its story of a disenfranchised, minority
orphan who saves her people and changes her world is one whose theme
Crouch believes will bring a spark of life and hope to so many who feel
their life is without meaning or purpose. Crouch has just
concluded a deal partneringwithTwentieth Century
Fox Home Video, guaranteeing “One Night With The King” the
widest home video distribution of any of their films yet. This is seen
as quite a feat as the video releases of “The Omega Code,”
and Crouch’s two subsequent films, “The Champion,” and “Megiddo”
sold close to 2.5 million units, breaking
Walmart sales records along the way.
Laurie and Matthew, who live in Hollywood with their two sons, have
been featured in over four hundred publications and interviewed on
almost every major network. Prior to forming Gener8Xion,
Laurie served with her husband as executives of Trinity Broadcasting
Network, where for 15 years they oversaw all aspects of production
for both the film and television divisions. Trinity Broadcasting
is the largest group owner of TV stations in the world.
Laurie will meet privately with a selected attendee.
Keri Selig is an independent producer with her own production company,
Intuition Productions, where she is actively producing features and
television projects.
Selig was an executive producer on the remake of the science fiction
thriller The Stepford Wives
for Paramount Pictures and Scott Rudin Productions.
Frank Oz (In & Out, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) directed
the picture and Paul Rudnick's (In & Out, Adam’s Family
Values) wrote the screenplay. Nicole
Kidman, Matthew Broderick, Glenn Close, and
Bette Midler all starred.
Presently, Selig is producing several feature film projects,
including Ronnie Christensen’s
Passengers, which is in pre-production with Mandate
Pictures and Sony. Passengers is a supernatural-thriller
about a grief counselor who tries to help survivors from a plane crash.
Rodrigo Garcia (Nine Lives, Six Feet Under) is
attached to direct. Production is set for Winter of 2007. Selig is also
producing an Untitled Robert Altman Project, based on the
Hands on a Hardbody stamina
competition, with Industry Entertainment (25th Hour, Quills).
Robert Altman (Gosford Park, Short Cuts) is also directing
the project. Another project Selig is currently producing is
House Of Pain by Dan
Gordon (The Hurricane, Murder in the First), an
original screenplay about the life of Bela Lugosi. This film is
being financed by Arclight Films. Intuition Productions
and Careyes Entertainment are developing
Freedom at Midnight, an adaptation of the novel by
renowned authors Larry Collins and Dominique La Pierre. It
is the true story of a love affair among royalty, set against the
independence of India in 1947. Gurinder Chadha (Bend it
Like Beckham, Bride & Prejudice) is attached to direct and
Hugh Whitemore (My House in Umbria, The Gathering Storm)
is set to write.
Selig is also producing Shelter,
based on a book about the sex slave trade, set in the streets of Los
Angeles. It was written by Ric Gibbs, who is also attached to
direct. Another project Selig is developing is the feature adaptation of
Robota, the graphic novel
from Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game) and
Oscar-winning specialFX director and Academy Award winnerDoug Chiang (Terminator 2, Star Wars: The Phantom Menace,
Polar Express). Chiang is attached to make his directorial debut
on Robota. Robert Kamen (The Fifth Element, Lethal Weapon 3)
is attached to write. She will produce the project with Nick Wechsler
(North Country, Requiem for a Dream).
In addition, Selig has various television projects in
active developmentincluding,
TWO HOUSES, ONE HOME, which is set up at Lifetime and
Jaffe/Braunstein Productions. It is a modern-day look at
adoption, and Rodney Vaccaro (Three to Tango, Bigger than
the Sky) is attached to write. Selig will produce with
Jessica Horowitz (Doppelganger) and Howard
Braunstein (Elvis, 10.5).
Selig also has two scripted one-hour series in development at 20th
Century Fox Television. One is entitled
HAPPY MAISEY with Richard Kletter (Odd Girl Out,
She’s Too Young) attached to write. Selig will produce with
Jessica Horowitz (The Road To Stardom with Missy Elliot).
The other is entitled GLORIA created
by Sandy Kobrin. This show is based on the true story of Gloria
Killian, who was unjustly convicted of murder and was exonerated after
16 years in prison. Once freed, Gloria became an attorney, using various
connections within the prison walls to fight for the underdogs and make
sure justice prevails.
Selig spent 1999 through 2001 as Senior Vice President of Production
at Bel-Air Entertainment, the Warner Bros. based feature
production and finance company. Selig shepherded many feature projects
for the company, including: Diamond Dogs, an
action-packed, diamond heist tale written by Jay Friedman and
Michael Schiffer (Crimson Tide), and Man of the
House, an action-comedy about an aging FBI agent who must
transport a squad of dysfunctional cheerleaders across the state to
testify before a grand jury. The film, directed by Steven Herek,
starred Tommy Lee Jones and
Cedric the Entertainer. Prior to her time at Bel Air, Selig
was Senior Vice President of Production at Kopelson Entertainment
(Seven, The Fugitive). From January 1996 to October 1998,
she served as Senior Vice President at The Cort/Madden Company (Save
the Last Dance, Mr. Holland’s Opus) based at Paramount
Pictures. At Cort/Madden, Selig co-executive produced In The Company
Of Spies with Tom Berenger and Ron Silver and Harlan County War starring
Holly Hunter.
From 1994 to 1995, Ms. Selig had a first-look producing deal with
Fields-Hellman (Glory, Midnight Cowboy), Freddie
Fields and Jerome Hellman’s production company. There, she
set up a number of feature films, including Hard Knox by
Ed Neumeier at Paramount, and Catapult by Steven DeSouza at Columbia.
Other produced credits include, "Three To Tango" Warner
Bros. and Village Roadshow. Starring Neve Campbell, Matthew Perry,
Oliver Platt, and Dylan McDermott and directed by Damon
Santostefano. "Harlan County War" Showtime/Cort/Madden
Productions. Starring Academy Award winner Holly Hunter and
Stellan Skarsgard. Directed by Academy Award winner Tony Bill.
"In the Company of Spies" Showtime. Starring Tom
Berenger and Ron Silver. Screenplay by Roger Towne.
This is the only film about the CIA to be sanctioned by the government
agency and received its full cooperation. "After the Rain”
in association with Capella Films. Starring Paul Bettany (Master
and Commander, A Beautiful Mind), Louise Lombard and
Ariyon Bakare. Directed by Ross Kettle, author of the acclaimed
South African play upon which the film is based. Premiered at the 1999
Toronto Film Festival. "Spy Girl" NBC / Warner Brothers
Television. Starring Jennie Garth. Written by Becky Hartman
(Sex in the City) and Ed Redlich (Felicity,
The Practice). A one-hour television pilot based on the life of
a twenty five year old single, female private investigator living in New
York City. "Point of Origin” HBO. This thriller about a
serial arsonist stars Ray Liotta, John Leguizamo and Bai Ling
and was directed by acclaimed director of photography Tom Sigel (Three
Kings, X-Men, Usual Suspects). "Mafia Doctor" CBS.
True story of a man put through medical school by the mafia, only to be
forced to lead a double life: tending to his own practice while treating
injured mob members whose illegal activities prevent them from going to
the hospital. Starring Paul Sorvino, Olympia Dukakis, and
Danny Nucci. “It Must Be Love” CBS. Ted Danson
and Mary Steenburgen star in the true story of a long-married
couple that goes on a road trip to settle the terms of their impending
divorce. When a snowstorm hits, they become trapped together in a mobile
home and rediscover their love as they fight for survival. “TWO
KINGS” UPN. Directed by David Straiton (Cold
Case) and created by Seth Rosenfeld (Subway Stories)
this series is set in 1977 and chronicles the birth of hip-hop.
Keri will meet privately with a selected attendee.
JAMILA HUNTER: Vice President, 20TH
CENTURY FOX TELEVISION.
Jamila Hunter has served as Vice President of Comedy Development for
20th Century Fox Television since January 2005. She is responsible
for developing and overseeing new comedy series for network television,discovering new talent -- including writers, directors and
actors -- and targeting properties that can be adapted into comedy
series. In addition to developing new series and pilots, shows
under her watch include Darren Star’s critically acclaimed “Kitchen
Confidential” and the upcoming NBC series “The
Singles Table.”
Prior to this position, Hunter served as Vice President of
Development and Production at Bravo. Jamila joined Bravo after NBC
acquired the cable channel and was part of the team that re-branded the
channel and launched seminal shows like “Queer
Eye for the Straight Guy,” “Celebrity
Poker Showdown,” “Blow Out”
and “Project Runway.” Based
in Los Angeles, Hunter was responsible for targeting and shepherding new
programming ventures at the expanding cable channel. A sampling of the
variety of the projects under her watch include the improvisational
comedy series "Significant Others,"
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s “Project
Greenlight,” Kathy Griffin’s infamous Laugh
Factory show “The D-List,”
the reality series “Long Way Round”
featuring Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman and “The
Dan Band” special with McG’s Wonderland Sound and
Vision and DreamWorks Television.
Before her time at Bravo, Hunter served as Vice President of
Alternative Programs for NBC Entertainment. There she was
responsible for supervising all aspects of development, production and
post-production for in the rapidly growing area of alternative series,
pilots and specials. Projects under her watch ranged from reality series
such as “Last Comic Standing”
and “The Apprentice” to
specials like “TV’s Most Outrageous Moments”
and “The Cosby Show: A Look Back.”
Prior to that, Hunter served as Director, Alternative Programs for NBC
Entertainment, a position she held since July 2001. Hunter was Director
of Movies and Miniseries for NBC Entertainment from July 2000-July 2001,
acting in the same capacity of overseeing development and production for
longform projects. She was promoted to that position after working as
Manager of Movies and Miniseries from August 1999-July 2000.
From June 1998-August 1999, Hunter was Manager of Development at
Robert Greenwald Productions. Earlier, she was an assistant in
the Movies and Miniseries department at NBC Entertainment from
May 1997-June 1998.
Jamila also worked as a Computer Graphics and Video Assistant on
such feature films as “Batman & Robin,”
“Men in Black” and “Primary
Colors” from November 1996-May 1997. A graduate of
Spelman College, Jamila began her professional career as a videotape
librarian for the NBC’s Summer Olympics coverage in 1996.
A native of San Diego, California, Hunter holds a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She resides
in Toluca Lake, California.
Private meeting with a selected attendee not yet
confirmed.
HEIDI ROTBART: President,
HEIDI ROTBART MANAGEMENT. The company reps actors, book authors, comedians,
screenwriters, teens/young adults and TV writers. Reps
ALL ethnicities but specializes in
Hispanic market.
With a myriad of talents from personal management and production
to corporate marketing/public relations, Heidi Rotbart has proven to be
one of the top personal managers in the industry today.
Rotbart is President of Heidi Rotbart Management, a Los Angeles
based entertainment personal management company. She
represents an impressive array of actors, writers,
producers and comics in the motion picture, television,
theatre and personal appearance arenas.
Her management company which exclusively represents just a
handful of talent presently has several actors as regulars on
television series and continues to place talent in major studio
films and other television shows. Rotbart has also sold several
different television series and is in constant development with new
feature film and television projects.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio Rotbart graduated with honors from Bradley
University with a degree in Publicity/Public Relations She began her
career as Marketing/Public Relations Director at the Carousel theatre in
Akron, Ohio.
It was at the Carousel where Rotbart met the legendary Phyllis Diller.
One month after their first meeting Diller invited Rotbart to move
to Hollywood and work with her as her tour coordinator. She was one of
two females on the road at that time in a road management position and
for many years, Rotbart toured the world with Diller advancing her stage
shows and organizing media and public appearances from the White
House to Australia and all points between.
Immediately after working with Diller,– Rotbart formed Heidi Rotbart
Management, a personal management and marketing company. The company
specialized in comedy, representing many of the most popular stand-up
comics, but eventually branched out into all areas of television, film
and theatre including developing television and film projects for their
clients.
Using her vast marketing background, Rotbart was approached to
utilize her entertainment marketing skills to analyze and market a
multi-million dollar corporate facility. Her success rate was so high
that she was frequently sought after to market some of the most
prestigious institutions in Southern California.
In the late 90s, Rotbart became a partner at Kamens, Kubik and
Rotbart Entertainment – a personal management and production
company. Rotbart was responsible for building a very successful comedy
division. She also created several television and feature film projects.
Directly following her partnership with Kamens, and Kubik, she
became President and partner at Silverlight Television where she
moved over to the Warner Bros Studio lot in Burbank, California
as a producer. Rotbart had the only management/production company at a
major studio specifically creating Latino themed television
programming, whether it was adding Latino talent to a series,
introducing new Latin talent to the studio, or creating television shows
with a Latin element.
Heidi Rotbart’s success is not only measurable by her career but by
other achievements. She is a member of “Television Academy of Motion
Pictures, Arts and Sciences”, “The World’s Who’s Who of Women”, “Who’s
Who in California”, “Who’s Who in the West”, “Who’s Who of Rising young
Americans”, “Dictionary of International Biography” “Men and Women of
Distinction”, “International Women of Distinction”, “ABI Woman of the
Year Nominee”, and “Two Thousand Notable American Women”.
Outside of her work, Miss Rotbart is frequently asked to lecture
and speak on the Business of Entertainment and teaches a class each year
for Bradley University. She makes her home in Los Angeles and is
passionate about nutrition, positive thinking and helping others.
Heidi will meet privately with a selected attendee.
JESSICA HAWTHORNE CASTRO: Agent,
ENDEAVOR AGENCY.
Jessica Hawthorne-Castro is currently a Television Literary Agent
at Endeavor. Jessica started in Endeavor’s mailroom, became an Agent
Trainee and worked for various Endeavor Partners, including, Spencer
Baumgarten (Feature Lit Partner), Ariel Emanuel (Founding Partner) and
Richard Weitz (Partner and co-head of the Television Lit Dept). She
lives in Los Angeles with her husband, James Castro (Investment Banker
and owner of Sunset Beach Restaurant & Lounge).
Jessica will meet privately with a selected attendee.
Carla brought us the multi-award winning box office smash,
Erin Brockovich, which garnered
Julia Roberts an Oscar, among other credits (full bio
pending). She serves as the Executive VP of Double Feature Films
(World Trade Center, Garden State), the company founded by
Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher -- former Co-Chairs/Heads
of Jersey Films. Double Feature recently signed a three-year,
first-look production deal with Paramount Pictures.
Carla will meet privately with a selected attendee.
MODERATOR:
MICHELE
LE BLANC: Senior Partner, Art & Entertainment Law Group of LeBlanc &
Associates, film financing & entertainment attorneys in Louisiana and Co-Manager, The Pelican Film Fund.
An international entertainment and film financing attorney,
Michčle has over 18 years of experience as in-house Legal & Business
Affairs Executive for leading Los Angeles studios and networks,
including Senior Vice-President, Vice-President, Department Head of
Business & Legal Affairs and/or Head Consultant for The Walt Disney
Company, ABC Television, Fox, Universal Studios/Canal Plus (Paris,
France) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Film Studios/United Artists. She
also served in the Enforcement Division of the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission.
Michčle served as Special Counsel to British Prime Minister Tony
Blair’s British Council Film delegations to China, Special Counsel
to the Film Festivals in China (Beijing and Shanghai), the
United Kingdom and Germany, and Special Counsel to Visions
Women's Film Festival during the Cannes International Film Festival.
She has been a Visiting Professor of Entertainment Law & Copyright Law
at Tulane University Law School in New Orleans, and she has taught
International Law at the American University of Paris and the ICC
International Business Law & Practice Institute in Paris, France.
Additionally, Ms. LeBlanc has been involved in the drafting of
legislation for Louisiana, including for tax credit incentives and
entertainment-related issues, and has been asked to prepare legislative
and incentive packages for several U.S. states and foreign
jurisdictions. Additionally, she has been published in AFM/IFTA
international publications, the International Bar Journal, and the
Louisiana State Bar Association Journal. She has published over
35 articles and has been a regular columnist in CitiBusiness and New
Business regional magazines, and wrote on issues of entertainment law
and production incentives for the Louisiana Film & Video Magazine
and Take2 Film Magazine entertainment industry periodicals. She
has served as the Official Reporter for International Bar Association
"Conference on New Technologies and International Entertainment Law."
Ms. LeBlanc is a frequent speaker at conferences seminars relating to
film financing, entertainment law, production incentives and tax credits,
including the Cannes Film Festival, AFM, NATPE, Hollywood Film
Festival, Louisiana State Bar Association, Beverly Hills Bar
Association, Washington DC Bar Association, Loyola Law School, Southern
University Law Center, Tulane University Law School, Hollywood
Networking Seminars, LA Film School, HGEN, and many others. She is
often quoted as a source on film financing, tax credits and production
incentives in industry trades, including most recently in Screen
International, Hollywood Reporter, and EMMY Magazine, as well
as on Sunday Morning Shoot Out. She was the only American
attorney asked to write an article for the Official Cannes Film
Festival Legal Guide. Michčle was honored as one of the Top
Ten Young Working Women in America and one of the Top Thirty
Young Professionals in Louisiana.
Michele was admitted to the practice of law first in 1988 in
Louisiana, followed by Barreau de Paris, France, District of
Columbia Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
Her legal education includes a Juris Doctorate from Louisiana State
University Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Securities Law studies at the
University of Houston Law Center and International Law at l’Université
de Droit, l'Economie et des Sciences d'Aix-Marseille in Aix-en-Provence,
France. She also earned a M.B.A. degree in Finance from the University
of Louisiana and an undergraduate Bachelor of Science double major in
International Marketing and Foreign Languages (French & Spanish) from
Louisiana State University. She has also studied abroad in Paris and
Angers, France and in Quebec, Canada.
Ms. LeBlanc is a member of the Louisiana State Bar Association
(Founding Member and Chair of the Art Entertainment & Sports Law
Section), District of Columbia Bar (Arts, Entertainment, Sports & Media
Law Section), American Bar Association, National Association of
Television Production Executives, Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences, and a Judge of the Emmy™ primetime television awards. She
served previously on the Accreditation Committee of the Graduate School
of Business of University of Louisiana, on the Board of Our Lady of
Lourdes Regional Medical Center, and is the Founding Chairman of the
Foundation of Louisiana Acadians.
Michele will meet privately with a
selected
attendee.
Opportunities & Connections in Entertainment
GINA MATTHEWS: Partner/Producer,
ROUNDTABLE ENTERTAINMENT.
(What Women Want, 13 Going On 30; Urban Legends; Final Cut, etc.) 
ANNA LIZA RECTO: Talent Manager & Vice President,
VINCENT CIRRINCIONE & ASSOCIATES. 
LAUREN BASS: Casting Director, MALI
FINN CASTING.
MEREDITH
WECHTER:
Agent,
ICM
(Full Bio Pending).
(Reps Susan Sarandon,
etc.) 
LAURIE
CROUCH: Producer / Co-Founder, GENER8XION ENTERTAINMENT 
KERI
SELIG: President/Producer, INTUITION PRODUCTIONS. 
JAMILA HUNTER: Vice President, 20TH
CENTURY FOX TELEVISION. 
screenwriters, teens/young adults and TV writers. Reps
ALL ethnicities but specializes in
Hispanic market.
JESSICA HAWTHORNE CASTRO: Agent,
ENDEAVOR AGENCY. 
MICHELE
LE BLANC: Senior Partner, Art & Entertainment Law Group of LeBlanc &
Associates, film financing & entertainment attorneys in Louisiana and Co-Manager, The Pelican Film Fund.