DETROIT, Oct. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --
- Winning Short & Producer's Name To Be Featured In
Cadillac's :30 Spot During 2015 Oscars®
- Award-Winning Producers Bruce Cohen, Gale Anne Hurd & Peter Saraf to Mentor Finalists
Three finalists have been named in the Make Your
Mark short film competition sponsored by the Producers
Guild of America (PGA) and Cadillac. The competition, launched in
April, offers producers the opportunity of a lifetime. Each
finalist will produce a three-to-five minute short film,
collaborating with one of the Make Your Mark short
film competition mentors —award-winning producers and distinguished
PGA members Bruce Cohen (AMERICAN
BEAUTY, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK), Gale Anne
Hurd (THE TERMINATOR movie trilogy, THE WALKING DEAD) and
Peter Saraf (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE).
A portion of the winning short film and the producer's name will be
featured in a Cadillac :30 spot that will air on ABC during the
Oscars ceremony broadcast, on Sunday,
February 22, 2015.
The three finalists were selected by judges among 10
semi-finalists for the Make Your Mark competition.
The finalists are:
- Michael Burke and
Ian Wagner
- Alvaro Ron
- Tim Wen and
Chidi Onyejuruwa
"The Producers Guild of America and Cadillac look for
opportunities to celebrate personal achievement and creativity,"
said Uwe Ellinghaus, Global Cadillac
chief marketing officer. "With Make Your Mark, we are
giving aspiring filmmakers a unique opportunity to feature their
talent before a large and highly receptive audience."
The winning short and producer will be announced at the 2015
Producers Guild Awards on January 24,
2015.
In the final round of judging, a distinguished panel will review
the new three-to-five minute films to decide on the winner of the
competition. They include Kathy
Bates (About Schmidt, At Play in the Fields of the Lord,
Titanic), Craig Bierley
(Global Director of Advertising, Cadillac), Matthew Zelley, Lowe and Partners (Executive
Creative Director), Danny
DeVito (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Batman Returns,
Taxi), Michael Douglas (Wall
Street, Basic Instinct, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Hawk
Koch (Source Code, Primal Fear, Wayne's World), Gary Lucchesi (The Lincoln Lawyer, Million
Dollar Baby, Underworld), Lori
McCreary (Invictus, The Maiden Heist), and
Chris Moore (Good Will
Hunting, American Pie).
"We take pride in the Make Your Mark short film
competition as a platform to celebrate the next generation and give
them the opportunity to work closely with highly respected and
talented producers within the industry," said Vance Van Petten, PGA National Executive
Director. "This competition is a special way for the PGA to support
aspiring producers through the production of their short films and
highlight their hard work with national recognition."
The Make Your Mark film competition is presented
by the Producers Guild of America and Cadillac through the
Producers Guild of America Foundation. The competition
enhances the annual PGA Weekend Shorts Challenge.
About the Make Your Mark Finalists
Michael Burke is a native of
Chicago, IL, the oldest in a
family of four children. For six years, he wrote and produced for
Discovery Channel, A&E, History Channel, and Animal Planet. In
2013, he moved to Los Angeles to
pursue his dream of working in scripted television and
features.
Ian Wagner is a freelance
television and new-media producer in Los
Angeles. He has produced and written documentaries for The
History Channel, National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, the
Travel Channel, and PBS. In addition, Ian recently finished
producing the third season of "In the Booth," a behind-the-scenes
web series for world-famous EDM DJ, Tiesto, and is currently
producing the 3rd season of Lebron
James' animated series "The Lebrons."
Alvaro Ron has written,
directed and produced numerous award-winning short films around the
world including "Summer Splendor", "The Yawn Jar" with James Merendino, and "Behind the Curtain"
starring Emmy Award-winner Peter
MacNicol. He has executive produced and directed critically
acclaimed TV shows – including the Spanish version of "Life on
Mars" – and also developed "The Protected" for ABC Family.
Tim Wen was born in
New Jersey but spent most of his
youth in Taipei, Taiwan. He moved
back to America to attend college at The Ohio
State University, and then moved to New York to work at Merkely + Partners.
There, he worked on accounts like Tic-Tac, Dave and Buster, PSEG
and a handful of pharmaceutical products. In 2010, Tim headed
west to attend USC film school and has
been working towards a focus in commercial directing.
Chidi Onyejuruwa is
originally from Miramar, Florida.
Upon arriving in L.A. in 2012, Chidi immediately began working as a
production assistant and volunteering all of his free time on
various sets. His passion for film really grew, and he has since
worked on numerous indie films, music videos, and promotional
videos. Over time, he also began collaborating with other
film/media enthusiasts in producing media for productions, events,
and short films.
About the Producers Guild of America
The Producers
Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents,
protects and promotes the interests of producers and the producing
team in film, television and new media. Its more than 6,500
members work together to protect and improve their careers, the
industry and the producing community by providing members with
employment opportunities, seeking to expand health benefits,
promoting fair and impartial standards for the awarding of
producing credits, in addition to other education and advocacy
efforts such as encouraging sustainable production practices. Visit
www.producersguild.org, www.pgagreen.org, www.pgadiversity.org for
more information.
About the Producers Guild of America Foundation
The
Producers Guild of America Foundation is the Producers Guild of
America's 510(C)(3) charitable entity. The Foundation's core
mission is to educate, promote and expand opportunities for those
who work in the producing profession. Among the Guild's major
initiatives supported by the Foundation are the annual Produced By
Conference, the Make Your Mark short film competition and the
Producers Guild Seminar Program.
About Cadillac
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto
brand since 1902. Today Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an
expanding product portfolio featuring dramatic design and
technology. More information on Cadillac appears at
www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images
and video can be found' at media.cadillac.com.
SOURCE Cadillac