BEYOND the LADIES ROOM DOOR 
FILMMAKERS
Elise Bennett Writer/Director/Exec Producer
Elise is a Production Designer and an Architect, with over a dozen years as both Production Designer, Art Director and Assistant Art Director on feature films and commercials with budgets ranging from $100,000 to $100 million. She started her film career as an Assistant Art Director on " GREENCARD" and Production Designed " REVOLUTION #9" and " L.I.E. " Both films were screened in many Festivals and released theatrically. She has been an active member of United Scenic Artists Local 829 since 1990. Moreover, she is a licensed architect, she has worked for the world renown architectural firm I.M.Pei and Partners. She is the recipient of numerous awards and been published for several architectural competitions. BEYOND the LADIES ROOM DOOR is based on a scene from her screenplay " a date with george" that was a semi-finalist in the Sundance Screenwriters Lab. She is also a portrait painter and avid photographer.
Manfred Reiff Director of Photography
Manfred has been shooting commercials, music videos and features for 15 years. He is a graduate of NYU film school. The features he shot include: 'The Suitors' - directed by Ghasem Ebrahimian, an official 1990 Cannes Film Festival selection and 'Under Heat' directed by Peter Reed, starring Lee Grant and Robert Knepper. As a Commercial DP he developed a unique style and aesthetic by working with many creativity driven directors, such as Kevin Godley, Rene Eller, Mark Story, Paul Meyer and Ernest Dickerson. This experience propelled him into the position of Director/DP focusing on Fashion and Beauty. Manfred also gained knowledge of the potential and problem solving solutions cinematography can offer for special effects shoots, when he worked with most of the preeminent special effects houses in the U.S. including: Rhythm and Hues, Blue Sky, Greenberg Associates, Mass Illusion and Peter Corbet.
John Zieman Editor
John's expertise is editing high-end and cutting edge commercials. He has an innate strong visual sense which gives him the ability to see the possibilities and potential in the footage. His talent and understanding of story combined with his inexhaustible energy allows him to create wonderful pacing and rhythm in his work. John started his career at First Edition and SMA. He ran Zap Edit for 6 years before JJ Lask joined him to open PS 260 Edit. Expanding his horizons into film he edited the short " The Quality of Mercy " starring Mary Louise Parker, this film was short listed for an Academy nomination, has won several awards at film festivals and has just been picked up by HBO. Last month, another short " The Delivery Boy " just advanced to the next round in the Chrysler Extreme Filmmaking Competition.
Jeanette Gonzalez Producer
Jeanette brings to "Beyond..." over 20 years of experience in the TV commercial production industry. Her career began in a small, NYC based, advertising agency in the creative department. Although she was quickly promoted it was there, she realized that her passion was in production. Over the next 12 years, she rose through the ranks from Coordinator to Production Manager and then to Line Producer. She had the fortunate experience to work with many High Profile Clients such as Giraldi-Suarez, Phil Marco Productions, Taxi Films, AFI Productions, Lopes Picture Co. and always came in on budget. She came full circle as she returned to her ad agency roots for two years, as a Broadcast Producer at McCann-Erickson in Atlanta, working primarily on the Coca-Cola USA account.
. In 1998 Jeanette teamed up with Cannes Film Festival Grand Prixe Award-Winner, Dutch filmmaker, Rogier van der Ploeg, Together they created the immensely successful production company Czar Films USA, based in NYC. In order to be close to the action on the set plus run the company Jeanette worked as both Line and Executive Producer. In 2003 due to an illness in Rogier's family, they closed Czar Films USA. Currently, Jeanette works is an Executive Producer of Taxi Films and lives in Tribeca with her 3 yr old son James.
Composer
James Heatherly Choreographer and Dialog Coach
James has a strong directing, musical and acting background. As Director: "Unidentified: The Farmington Armada" (NYC International Fringe Festival 2003), "Marriage: A Critical Look" (BIT Theatre, TX). As Choreographer: "Tales of Hoffman" (Dallas Opera), "Marriage: A Critical Look" (BIT Theatre, TX). As Actor: "All My Children" (ABC), "When Pigs Fly" (Off-Broadway), "Nunsense A-men" (Off-Broadway), "To Have and To Hold" (Off-Broadway), "Prom Queens Unchained" (Off-Broadway), the one man show "Life With Jeem" (NYC International Fringe Festival 2000) among others. Currently involved in the development of "Dream..." a musical based on A MidSummer Night's Dream as well as a new play called "Farm Boys." James has also worked in Commercial Casting on such commercials as: Smirnoff Red, Jeep Wrangler, Clean & Clear, American Express, AT&T, Coke, Bank of American, Coors Original, Listerine, Lucky Strike, Secret Deodorant, Sprite, Western Wireless, Citizens Bank, Lays Stax, and Value City.
James Clamp Accountant
James qualified as a Chartered Accountant at Moore Stephens in London where he spent 4 years in the city mainly concentrating on audit, litigation support and taxation. Clients varied from large FTSE 100 institutions to small local firms. He then moved to Monaco where he spent another 2 years dealing primarily with audit and taxation of high net worth individuals. Presently, in NYC he is running the accounts of small film companies and film projects. His brilliant career a Chartered Accountant combined with his real passion in life acting makes him a perfect addition to our production team. He is presently studying at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute. He wrote and starred in the short film Petstory which is now doing the festival rounds. He is fluent in French and Russian.
Wendy York Script Supervisor and Story Editor
Wendy has been a Script Supervisor for over 4 years. She comes to film through a circuitous route that included academia and computer consulting. At the end of this road she found script supervision a perfect fit for her project management skills and visual mind. She has also functioned as copy editor for most her friends prose for many years now. Wendy's onscreen scripting credits include Personal Velocity (winner Sundance - Best Drama, Best Cinematography) and Bomb the System (feature competitor, Tribecca Film Festival). Wendy has over 16 feature films to her credits.
Alec Jarnagin Steadicam
Alec Jarnagin is a freelance Director of Photography and Camera/Steadicam Operator. Alec was born and raised in Massachusetts, where he began his study of cinema at a very young age. He earned a BA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where he also served as the President of the television station. A firm believer in the educational process, Alec continually lectures at New York University about camera movement and offers Steadicam demonstrations. In 2002, Alec assisted Steadicam Inventor Garrett Brown in teaching a weeklong comprehensive course at the Steadicam Operator's Association in Philadelphia. Alec currently resides in New York City with his wife, Jendra, who is also a Cinematographer.
Othmar Dickbaur HD Engineer
Cool Austrian mountain freak, the best HD guy in the world!!!! Also can be found Hang Gliding.
Kelly Chambers Costume Designer
Kelly has traveled around the world and assisted on the features: Cold Mountain, TheNotebook, Havana Nights: Dirty Dancing II, Eurotrip, The Soprano's 5th season, and Stay. These adventures have brought to settle in New York to design shorts and to continue to assist on major motion pictures. Her passion and training revolves around period costumes and historical research. Her endless creative talent and keen eye for detail increases the production value of everything film she touches. Currently she is conducting research for the upcoming 1930's speakeasy film starring Outkast.
Clavius Hoffman Production Design
Anluis Miniere Make-up Design
A native from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Anluis has been working as a Makeup Artist/designer since the age of 16. His credits include T.V. commercials For Presidente beer company, international print ads and Several fashion shows.
Stephanie Cimei Hair Design
