2017 SENE Festival Panelists
The Audition
Anthony Ambrosino President , Producer/ Director with Ambrosino/Delmenico
Mollie Fitzgerald's work in the film industry started in 2001 when she was cast in an ensemble, coming-of-age feature called Spin 6 for Mister Films, an Austin based production company. She continued to gain film industry experience as a coordinator and PA on several independent film sets in the San Antonio and Austin areas while she attended Trinity University, where she double majored in Drama and Communication (emphasis on screenwriting). Her first notable work on a big-budget feature was for Joe Johnston on Captain America: The First Avenger. She has continued working with Johnston since their days at Marvel. They started their own production company (Overland Pacific, LLC) in 2010. Fitzgerald has three short films on the 2017 film festival circuit in which she produced, wrote, directed, or starred. The Creeps (produced, written and directed by Fitzgerald) has been accepted to three well-respected festivals in these first three months of 2017. She also served as both the lead producer and the line producer on the feature Trouble is My Business ($1 mil budget and shot in Los Angeles), featuring Vernon Wells, that is in post-production and slated for a 2018 release. An avid reader, Fitzgerald especially enjoys the tasks of script doctoring and film market research while writing her own features.
As owner of LDI Casting, Anne Mulhall can be proud to say that she is the largest casting company in the state of Rhode Island. Before creating her own company, Anne acquired her experience while working for top ranking film/production companies throughout the country. Anne’s impressive lists of former employers include DreamWorks SKG, MADTV, VIBE Television and Circle X Theatre Company. Once LDI opened in 2001, the opportunities started coming in and before long it was evident that the state of Rhode Island was a force to be reckoned within the film and television industry. www.ldipro.com
Anna Rizzo is an actress, singer and songwriter and has acted in many films across New England. Film credits include Moments From A Sidewalk, The Wrong Todd, and On The Seventh Date. She graduated from Berklee College of Music and has written songs appearing on soundtracks of several independent films.
2016 SENE Festival Panelists
The Role of the Screenwriter in the Filmmaking Process
Carl Dupre is a native Rhode Islander born (Cranston) and raised (Providence). He attended Rhode Island College where he received a degree in Film Theory. After working as a PA and camera operator for many local productions, he moved to Los Angeles and into the editing room. There he learned the nuts of bolts of putting action and dialogue together to make a story on film. Nights, weekends and between editing gigs Carl had his nose to the grindstone writing full length screenplays. One of those spec scripts happened to be about four kids going to a KISS concert in 1978. By some miracle Carl was able to get this script to KISS themselves and “Detroit Rock City” became the fastest screenplay ever to get the green light from a major studio (New Line Cinema, 17 days). Carl then worked as a hired gun mostly in horror where his achievements include working on Clive Barker’s “Hellraiser” series and “Prophecy: The Ascent” where he attained screenwriting nirvana: he got to write dialogue for Christopher Walken. Back in Rhode Island, Carl got re-connected with the local film scene and wrote the horror indy “Inkubus”, which was shot entirely at the old Cranston police station and starred Robert (Freddy Krueger) Englund. Today Carl lives and writes in West Greenwich.
Richard Griffin was born in Providence, Rhode Island in 1970. After a long tour of duty working in the battlefields of local television, he started Scorpio Film Releasing in 2004 with his husband Ted Marr. Together they have produced over 20 features - including such family-friendly fare as "The Disco Exorcist", "Flesh for the Inferno", and "Accidental Incest" - making them the most prolific production company in New England. Richard recently was presented the coveted Producer's Circle Award, and lords it over everyone, every chance he can get.
Lenny Schwartz is a writer/director of such plays as Subject 62, Kung-Fu Babies, and Co-Creator. He is also the screenwriter of such films as Murder University, Normal, and the soon to be released Accidental Incest (Scorpio Films Releasing), Subject 62 (Breaking Branches), and Higher Methods (IM Filmworks) as well as shopping around the screenplay version of Co-Creator. Lenny's next project is finishing the play The Social Avenger opening May 5 2016 in RI and then the play travels to NYC in June. He also holds two degrees from Rhode Island College which he sometimes uses to keep hot food off his lap.
Don Scimé is the actor/writer/producer of the multi-award-winning feature film, "The David Dance" (Winner: Best Picture, New Hope Film Festival, Audience Award: Best Picture, Tallgrass Film Festival & Long Island LGBT Film Festival & Festival Favorite at Cinema Diverse). Don has acted in regional and New York theatre and can be faintly seen running around wearing a helmet on "The Dave Chappelle Show". A graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts & The Academy Company, he received the Charles Jehlingher Award for Acting and The American Theatre Wing Scholarship.
2015 SENE Festival Panelists
Scoring Your Film
Eric Barao is a graduate of Berklee College of Music where he studied film scoring and earned a degree in songwriting. He has worked as a first-round judge for Billboard Magazine's annual songwriting contest, and with his band The Cautions, rose to Top 10 national finalists in the American Music Awards 'New Music Award' contest in 2001, sponsored by Dick Clark, Coca-Cola, CMJ & Clear Channel.
In 2013, Eric released his debut powerpop solo record, which appeared on a dozen 'Best Albums of the Year' lists in several countries. He has recorded music for radio and television, and scored film soundtracks including the indie film Turbocharged, the documentary Raising Matty Christian and also contributed music for the film Balls of Fury, starring Christopher Walken. Eric has appeared on 18 studio albums since 2001, alongside members of Chicago, The Bravery, The Black Crowes, Jellyfish, Hanson & Fountains of Wayne.
Eric is also the owner/designer of On The Road Effects, a guitar effects pedal company whose customers include the The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Duke Robillard & Buddy Guy and other notable artists. www.ericbarao.com
Dean Cascione is an American Neoclassical Shred Guitarist who is an innovative force in today's shred guitar scene. In a genre overflowing with self-proclaimed speed freaks, Cascione is committed to shattering the shred stereotypes, delivering melodic NeoClassic Metal filled with passion and contrast. Experts have described Dean’s command of the instrument as “ A showcase of Neoclassical fretboard pyrotechnics”, "Dangerous with a guitar," "Vicious, high tech and aggressive," "Channeled the spirit of Rhoads and the best of Malmsteen," and "A bright star on the international guitar scene."
"Shred Crusade" is Dean’s latest chapter of pure NeoClassic Metal which is scheduled for a Spring 2015 release. Joining Cascione on this epic adventure rides a cavalry of guitar wielding wizards to include: David "The Shred Demon" Shankle (DSG, Devil Land, Voodoo Gods, MANOWAR), Joe Stump (Joe Stump Band, Holy Hell, Reign of Terror, Exorcism) Dave Mercado, Kenny Lane Schwartz and Paul Ranieri (Shadow Eden). Influenced and inspired by decades of metal and classical music, Cascione holds the NeoClassic torch high and proud, as he prepares to deliver another volume of powerful guitar anthems! Dean is an endorsed by: DC Custom Guitars, MC Guitars, Voodoo Amps, SIT strings, GraphTech, GuitarHeads, DOD/DigiTech, AMT, Ollmann, and Neo-Classic EFX. www.deancascione.com
Mauro Colangelo is a Milan-born, international award-winning composer of music as well as a keyboardist and drummer. With over 20 years of industry experience, he has successfully produced music and sound for major international advertising campaigns as Sprite, Coca Cola, Ferrari, Fiat , Alfa Romeo, Samsonite, Mattel, Reebok, Olidata, Alex and Ani, Benjiamin & Moore, The Smithsonian, Vigorsol, Kinder Nutella, Siemens, COX Communication, Textron, Hasbro, Ansa etc.and film scores like Inkubus, Fixing America, Pell Grants : a Passion for Education, The curse of Micah Rood, A Light in the Dark, Love is Blind, Sleather, Tillighast Nightmare, Finding London, Tiger the movie, My name is Anna, Branch in addition to international radio jingle packages (One FM, Lausanne FM, 105 FM, 105 Classic FM, RDS, RTL, Radio Montecarlo, Radio/TV Capri, Radio Norba, Latteemiele).
He has also performed live with numerous renowned recording artists such as Ricky Martin, Juanes, Lene-Aqua, and Alex Baroni. A master of studio production, he has honed his skills by combining his knowledge of analog recording techniques with the latest digital workstations. Edgy, masterful, and innovative, Mauro's work never fails to impress with the perfect blend of creative content mixed with the top-notch quality sound. website youtube