DIRECTOR
Director Tony Zierra has been fascinated by the power of storytelling and cinema since he was a child; he was determined to make films no matter the obstacles. When time and money permitted he took film classes at New York University and later at Texas A & M and UCLA. His first documentary, Carving Out Our Name, follows the lives of four actors hoping to find success in Hollywood. The film premiered on the night of September 10, 2001 at the Toronto International Film Festival to much acclaim. Shortly after, Zierra went on the road to capture America’s reaction to the attacks of September 11th. The film that emerged, titled USA The Movie, explores the cyclical nature of violence and retaliation. Zierra's award-winning documentary, My Big Break, is a cautionary tale about the darker side of celebrity and the consequences of fame that also includes his struggle to make his first film. His next project with True Studio Media is SK13, a documentary about the legendary director Stanley Kubrick.
PRODUCER
Producer Elizabeth Yoffe is head of the production company True Studio Media. She received a B.A. in Theater Arts from Bennington College and an M.A. in Education from Antioch University, Seattle. She worked as a regional casting director for many film and television projects including Waiting For The Light starring Shirley MacLaine, Dogfight starring River Phoenix and David Lynch’s classic series, Twin Peaks. In Los Angeles she served as president of Cinewomen L.A., a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the role of women in film. She is the producer of USA The Movie and the award-winning documentary My Big Break. She also produced the award-winning Independent Film Channel favorite Brightness starring Eric Idle and co-produced the Toronto International Film Festival official selection Carving Out Our Name. Her next project with True Studio Media is SK13 about the legendary director Stanley Kubrick. Yoffe’s work as a freelance writer has appeared in Slate, The Week, Natural Health, Healing Journal and The New York Times.
WES BENTLEY
Wes Bentley burst on the scene with a riveting performance as Ricky Fitts, the drug-dealing videographer in the Oscar winning movie American Beauty and quickly became one of the most sought after young actors in Hollywood. Bentley went on to star as Dalglish in Michael Winterbottom’s The Claim and co-starred with Heath Ledger and Kate Hudson in The Four Feathers directed by Shekhar Kapur. He is also known for his role as Blackheart in Ghost Rider, starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes. As shown in My Big Break, after a meteoric rise Bentley withdrew from the spotlight for almost a decade, appearing only occasionally in films. Bentley eventually revealed that not long after his initial success he sank into severe drug and alcohol addiction. Bentley is now sober and his career is back on track. He stars in There Be Dragons directed by Roland Joffe´, The Hunger Games, Terence Malick's Knight Of Cups, Christopher Nolan's Interstellar and HBO's Open.
CHAD LINDBERG
Chad Lindberg started his acting career at an early age in Mount Vernon, Washington where he was known as a hometown star. He moved to Hollywood shortly after high school and soon impressed film industry insiders with his work in the independent film Black Circle Boys. He then landed guest star spots on ER, The X-Files, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, and 413 Hope Street. Lindberg is particularly well known for his role as Jesse, the whiz kid car mechanic in The Fast and the Furious. Other film roles include O'Dell in October Sky, a deaf transvestite in The Velocity of Gary, an aspiring baseball player in The Rookie with Dennis Quaid, and a hillbilly in The White River Kid starring Antonio Banderas. Lindberg has been featured on HBO's Weeds, on CSI: NY and as Ash on the hit show Supernatural. He has also appeared as a celebrity guest hunter on the popular, Ghost Adventures and in the TV movie Rise of the Zombies. Lindberg has starred in the films Push, Punk Love, The Spy and The Sparrow, Once Fallen, I Spit On Your Grave, and has appeared in Alex Cross, Decoding Annie Parker and Dead Walking.
GREG FAWCETT
Greg Fawcett received a B.A. in Theater from The University of Southern California. He went on to study acting with a variety of well known coaches in Los Angeles including Ivana Chubbuck. Fawcett was cast in recurring roles in the television shows Sunset Beach and The New Adventures of Robin Hood and has appeared in a number of independent films. He wrote, directed and starred in the short film Jack Woody that was screened at the film festival CineVegas. His most recent part was as Harry Panker in the Lifetime movie He Loves Me starring Heather Locklear.
BRAD ROWE
Brad Rowe was working in the mailroom of a talent agency when he caught the attention of an agent who suggested he try acting. Rowe quickly landed the role of Gabriel, the object of desire, in the romantic comedy Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss and became a sensation at The Sundance Film Festival. He was soon labeled “The Next Big Thing" by the Hollywood media and appeared on the cover of US magazine alongside such luminaries as Al Pacino, Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt. Rowe was cast in a recurring role on the popular TV sitcom NewsRadio starring his idol Phil Hartman. He has gone on to appear in numerous films such as Body Shots, Nailed, Stonebrook, Lucky Seven, Christina's House and the hit indie film, Shelter. His television work includes Kevin Williamson's Wasteland, The 70's, Ghost Whisperer, CSI Miami, The Mentalist, Cold Case and General Hospital where he played movie star Murphy Sinclair. Rowe is currently the host of the online talk show MIPtalk.