CAST
The ensemble feature hosts a broad range of talent including DJ Paris, Emily Hartford, Dana Shiraki, Joseph Mancuso, David Walters, Jonathan Fielding, Traci Hovel, Jessica Myhr, Bryant Mason, Aaron Mathias, Lina Sarrello, Libby Winters, Matthew Dellapina, Grace Rex, Erica Sweany, Kender Jones, Alex Martinez and Sheilagh Weymouth. CREW WRITER/DIRECTOR Will McCord is a graduate of Columbia's MFA program in screenwriting and directing. He's made numerous short films and low-budget music videos that have screened at festivals internationally including New Directors/New Films, at Anthology Film Archives and Miami, among others. They have aired on New York’s PBS station and been written up favorably in the New York Times, Indiewire and the Daily News. He has a script optioned by writer/director/producer George LaVoo (A DOG YEAR, REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES) and was chosen as 1 of 25 filmmakers to participate in the new IFP/ Film Society of Lincoln Center program Emerging Visions, held during the 2011 New York Film Festival. CASUAL ENCOUNTERS is his first feature. PRODUCER Andrew K. Li is a producer and writer / director based in New York. Andrew has produced numerous projects, including narrative films that have screened at festivals internationally, including MoMA and Lincoln Center and branded entertainment for the "I Love New York" tourism campaign. Andrew worked for academy-award nominated film producers Frederick Zollo and Larry Meistrich in feature development and physical production. He recently worked for veteran hong kong film director Teddy Chen in feature development. He is currently pursing a MFA in film at Columbia University. CINEMATOGRAPHER Cinematographer and writer / director Bobby Webster was born in Tehran. Following the revolution his family left Iran, settling eventually in London, where he has lived most of his life. Bobby worked for several years at leading UK think tank demos prior to becoming a film-maker, and as a teenager was a world-champion debater. He is also a former actor, with UK screen credits alongside Sir John Gielgud, Miranda Richardson and Emily Mortimer. As a cinematographer, bobby has shot over twenty short films and other projects in the past three years, including academy-award winner GOD OF LOVE, award-winning TV pilot ILLUMINATI BROTHERS, and the upcoming feature LOVESICK featuring Matt LeBlanc and Chevy Chase. CASUAL ENCOUNTERS is his first feature film. As a writer-director, he has worked with major emerging UK talent including Rebecca Hall and Rory Kinnear; his short film BLUEBEARD'S WIFE (Best of Raindance) has been televised in the US. bobby is based in Brooklyn and in London. He is currently attached to several upcoming projects as cinematographer, is developing a feature-length screenplay, and is in post-production for his latest short film, DETOUR. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS Samuel Garrick provides strategic and operational services for television, film and allied media ventures and has advised on projects in Europe, the middle east, the americas and Africa. Mr. Garrick’s extensive experience in the media and entertainment industry includes a decade as a national network television executive with British sky broadcasting in London. Among other aspects of his role managing BSKYB’s network on-air planning teams, he formulated and delivered on-air programming promotion, marketing and branding campaigns; guided broadcast technical development; and launched new services and stations for more than one hundred sports, movies, news, arts and general entertainment properties. Mr. Garrick holds a law degree from the university of East Anglia. Debbie Atuk owns and operates the Bergen Files, LLC, an independent film production and film consulting company that advises feature and documentary filmmakers on securing funding, pursuing distribution channels and developing visionary–and profitable–final cuts. Previously, Debbie was president and CEO of Omnividia, a video-on-demand service, where she developed content licensing strategy, directed marketing and managed product development in order to bring high-quality films to discriminating consumers four years before Hulu and Netflix streaming became household names. Debbie worked as a project manager at the Prudhoe oil fields before she entered a career in investment banking at SG Cowen and ABN AMRO. |