Bios of Past Guest Speakers:

Paul S. Levine - Entertainment Attorney

Paul was an in-house attorney at Warner Brothers and Hearst Entertainment for 5 years, dealing with book, script and life right contracts, releases, employment contracts with actors and crew, and acquisition and distribution agreements. For the last 12 years, Paul has operated as a sole practitioner, specializing in entertainment law.

Graham Taylor - Indie Film Producer

Graham produced the indie films Emmett's Mark, starring Gabriel Byrne and Tim Roth and A Better Way to Die, starring Andre Braugher, Lou Diamond Phillips, and Natasha Henstridge. Graham will discuss how he raised the money, got the casts, and ultimately sold both of these films profitably. IMDB link

Sherry Thomas - Casting Director

Sherry Thomas has been casting TV series and films for nearly 9 years. Recently, Sherry was casting director on Jerry Bruckheimer's TV series, Skin, and this season is casting the ABC series Kat Plus One. Sherry was also the casting director on HBO's Mind of the Married Man, and a casting associate on the critically acclaimed 24 and Life or Something Like It.

In studio films, Sherry was a casting associate on Lord of the Rings, Castaway and The Muse, among others. In independent features, Sherry was casting director on The Gristle and Welcome to the Neighborhood, among others. IMDB link

Justine Hempe - Casting Associate

Justine started in casting in 1998 working with Tammara Billik Casting. She worked on many TV pilots and series including: The Ellen Show, Three Sisters, Nikki, Manhattan, AZ, Unhappily Ever After, and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. In 2003, she worked with Jeff Greenberg Casting on such TV shows as Frasier, I'm With Her, According to Jim and It's all Relative. Starting in 2002, Justine worked on feature films with Margery Simkin on Radio and Duplex ; Nancy Klopper on Cheaper by the Dozen; and Francine Maisler on Collateral. IMDB link

Amanda Micallef - Independent Producer

Amanda Micallef launched her dual California and Texas based Rope The Moon Productions in April of 2000. With several very different productions under her belt, she is wholeheartedly looking forward to the next.

Amanda recently served as a line producer on an unnamed suspense thriller. She also produced Grand Champion, the first feature film to be released under the Rope The Moon Productions banner was release in August of 2004 and was recently released to video and DVD and named Pick of the Week by US Weekly. The family film boasts an all-star cast that includes Joey Lauren Adams, Emma Roberts, Buck Taylor as well as appearances by Julia Roberts, Bruce Willis, George Strait, and Dixie Chick Natalie Maines. Amanda also served as producer of the documentary In a Whisper, which won a Telly award for Best Documentary.

Rope The Moon plans to produce exceptional independent films, TV movies and documentaries. It is their mission to develop and create studio quality movies while maintaining the autonomy and integrity of a small production company.

Prior to the start of Rope The Moon, Amanda worked as the assistant to producer Salli Newman and was an integral part of all aspects of development and production at Firebrand Productions. In the ten years since Amanda worked on her first movie, she has worked in a wide variety of positions that have allowed her to accumulate a full film and television resume that includes Streets of Laredo, Dead Man's Walk, Rough Riders, Dancer, TX Pop. 81, A Slight Case of Murder, Warm Texas Rain, The Outfitters and Suspect Behavior. In addition to producing her experience includes director of development, assistant to producer, wardrobe, locations, casting director, extras casting director, as well as a production secretary and production coordinator.
IMDB link