CREATORS
NIVA DORELLDIRECTOR |
Niva Dorell has been writing and making films for more than 25 years. Her writing was first noticed by Robert Zemeckis and the late John Singleton who both chose to mentor her on the short film KINGS when she was still a graduate student at the University of Southern California. KINGS went on to win Showtime's Black Filmmaker's Grant, screened and won awards at dozens of film festivals, including Slamdance and the Pan African Film Festival, and was one of seven short films featured on Afrocentricity - Vol 1 (available on Amazon). With the Showtime grant, Niva wrote and directed her second short film MILK AND HONEY, starring Russell Hornsby and Maya Rubin. MILK AND HONEY premiered on Showtime’s Black Filmmaker’s Showcase, screened in competition at the Jerusalem International Film Festival, and later aired on BET-Jazz. She then directed Academy-award winner Louis Gossett Jr., Kym Whitley, and Keshia Knight Pulliam in the 2-hour TV pilot WHAT ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS. She also directed multiple music videos, PSAs, and theatre productions with actors such as Keith David, Loretta Devine, Ernie Hudson, Ella Joyce, Harry Lennix, Lorraine Toussaint, and Mykelti Williamson, among others. Niva’s most recent directorial effort is the short film TRAVELING MERCIES, written by Madison Trice and produced by Social Cinema Foundation. She will produce and direct her fourth short film THE LOTTO LINE in the fall of 2024, followed by her first narrative feature film, LIVING LIVING, an emotionally powerful love story based on her own experience. LIVING, LIVING is currently represented by CAA with Niva attached as director. She has several other projects in development, including two original television pilots. Niva’s writing has been championed by mentors David Mamet, Rodrigo Garcia, and Scott Frank, and supported by residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, Millay Arts, and Cill Rialaig in Ireland. Over the years, Niva has also mentored other young aspiring filmmakers via Social Cinema Foundation, Make a Film Foundation, and the New York Film Academy. Niva received an M.F.A. from the University of Southern California School of Cinema and B.A. from Temple University. An Angeleno for 20 years, Niva now lives in New York and divides her time between New York City, the Hudson Valley, and Los Angeles. Niva writes about life as a creative on her Substack A Writer's Think Tank. Niva's work can be viewed at nivadorell.com.
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MARJORIE KILPATRICKEXECUTIVE PRODUCER |
Marjorie Lin Kilpatrick has devoted her life to the entertainment industry. She is currently CEO of NJoy Productions, a producer of both film and theatrical projects. Having grown up in the entertainment business watching her father, Lincoln Kilpatrick’s groundbreaking career, Ms. Kilpatrick has been exposed to all facets of the entertainment business. She has found a passion for producing meaningful content of all forms, including short and long film projects, theater, music videos and electronic press kits. Her goal is to expand her career and experience in ways that highlight her strength to bring a project together from beginning to end telling the intended story, while keeping within the time and financial parameters of the project. In 2015, Ms. Kilpatrick refined her skills as a producer as a student in the NYFA Producer program. In addition to the academic work, she has produced four short film productions, including raising the funding for one project via a crowdfunding campaign. The NYFA program allowed her to to work with the state of the art industry equipment and software. She has become expert in film breakdown, planning and budgeting using such programs as Movie Magic, Celtix and Avid. Her work on projects has included fundraising, location identification and negotiations, actor negotiations, shoot day logistics and overall project management. Since 2005, she has been the CEO of Njoy Producing which is an independent production company that works with local content providers to produce short films, commercials and Electronic Press Kits. Prior to founding Njoy Producing, Kilpatrick was an administrative instructor at the renown Kilpatrick-Cambridge Theater Arts School. Njoy Producing has worked with InArt Media as a producer on many of its projects, including red carpet events for HBO. Producer, The Stuttering Preacher and Dad. She served as the lead producer of a two play series by award winning playwright, Levy Lee Simon. The show has a very successful two month Los Angeles run. In 2006, Mrs. Kilpartick was the Co-Producer of the Bow Wow Club and was awarded the 2006 NAACP Award.
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