Alumni Success Stories

The story of TheFilmSchool is the story of its students. Graduates of our intensive three-week program are making significant progress in the film community. Click on the links below to find out what they’ve been up to:
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS

  • Prodigy Camp alum Ben Kadie has been accepted to USC and NYU’s film schools. Fellow alum Isaiah Halvorsen just got into Tisch School on a full scholarship, and Peter Zachwieja and Keri Alison just got into Loyola Marymount.
  • Heather Hughes was in the top 3 percent for the Academy Awards Nicholls fellowship and has been awarded a residency at Hedgebrook.
  • Amie Barrodale was accepted to the Iowa Writers Workshop with a Maytag fellowship.
  • Livia Notoharjono was accepted into the USC Graduate School (they accept only 8 out of 500 applicants).
  • Prodigy Camp Alum Rikke Heinecke was also accepted into USC’s Film Production Program.

ACTORS

  • Prodigy Camp graduate Nick Robinson starred alongside Alison Brie and Nick Offerman in The Kings of Summer, which showed at Sundance and SIFF in 2013.

AUTHORS

AWARD-WINNING ALUMNI

BUSINESS

  • George Thomas Jr. wrapped up two competitive internships doing industry coverage for production companies in L.A.
  • John Jacobsen consulted on a book that was all abuzz in the legal community.TWELVE HEROES, ONE VOICE by Carl Bettinger explores hero-centric storytelling methods, to help trial attorney’s understand how to show the jurors that they must be the heroes, and “save the day” with a verdict that speaks not just for their clients, but for the cause.
  • Programming Director (and founder) Eric Morgret wrapped the 3rd Maelstrom International Fantastical Film Festival and is preparing for many more years to come.
  • Marci Barrett is writing a weekly column called “Tell Me A Story” for Royal Archivist Publishing.
  • TheFilmSchool’s Executive Director John Jacobsen hosted THE ARTIST TOOLBOX for public television with the help of several TFS alums Kevin Sabourin, who filmed and edited and Joshua Bourland, who co-produced.

FESTIVAL SHOWINGS

 

SCREENWRITERS, DIRECTORS, AND PRODUCERS

  • Jeff Leisawitz just completed his short film as a writer, director, and producer!MYSTIC COFFEE is about a wise and magical barista who offers advice along with her beverages.
  • Kevin Klar teamed up with TFS alumni to make FETCH, which he wrote and directed and was produced by Chris Oliver and Rick Stevenson. Klar and Stevenson also co-wrote 5000 DAYS PROJECT which Rick directed.  Another TFS alum, Kristi Simkins, worked as the editor for the film.  She was hired by Stairway Studios out of Florida to write the screenplay for a feature film which is scheduled to go into pre-production in early 2012.
  • Heather Hughes and Kate Wharton optioned their “tween” musical HABIT FORMING to Academy Award-nominated director Matthew Diamond, director of Disney Channel’s hit ‘Camp Rock’. Gary Pearl of Pearl Pictures is slated to produce the project. After signing with The Nethercott Agency (LA), Heather and Kate have recently completed a project for musician Kenny Rogers and were hired to write an original movie for The Hallmark Channel. Heather’s other film, AMAZING GRACIE, was optioned in the Summer of 2011.
  • Margie Slovan has been busy in the theatre world.  She directed RIVER ICE, a play by Olympia writer Scott Timmons. It is the true story of the daredevil Czech parachutists who assassinated Reinhard Heydrich, the Nazi who was known as the “Butcher of Prague.”  Margie also Slovan directed and co-produced SEVERED STRINGS by Nancy White and MISS DIXIE MAKES A DEAL by Caitlin McGrath.  She was an Asst. Director on CHARLIE’S DILEMMA, an independent film about what happens when Charlie Brown grows up. She also directed two new plays for Stone Soup Theater’s new play festival.
  • Elena Hartwell wrote a play for ADWAS, an organization supporting victims of sexual and domestic abuse in the deaf community, which performed in April 2012 in ASL and was voiced over for a hearing audience.
  • Cornelia Moore wrote and directed CAMILLA DICKINSON. She adapted it from a novel by Madeleine L’Engle. It boasts an impressive cast including Cary Elwes (THE PRINCESS BRIDE, GLORY) and Samantha Mathis (GREY’S ANATOMY, PUMP UP THE VOLUME). She also produced JourneyQuest Season Two.
  • Sue Corcoran’s feature GORY GORY HALLELUJAH is also available at major retailers and was recently picked up for international distribution.
  • Deb Matthews was in pre-production on a short called DOWN THE DEBT, a fun way of looking at a great idea to drastically reduce the national debt – and all without Congress raising taxes.
  • Winda Benedetti’s screenplays SUNDOWN and FIST have been optioned by Lockspring Pictures.
  • Lisa Halpern has optioned a screenplay to Lockspring Productions.

TEACHERS

  • Jessika Satori (Alum Summer 2007) Jessika launched a slate of new classes for directors, actors, and producers. Check out her website at www.audaciousaperture.com. At the Poppy Jasper Film Festival in Morgan Hill, CA, Jessika interviewed Hollywood composer Harry Manfredini (Friday the 13th) and an actors workshop.
  • Elena Hartwell led three workshops at the Whidbey Island Writer’s Conference, applying dramatic techniques to fiction. She also led the workshop “Write Dialogue Like a Playwright” with the Unicorn Writers Conference in MA.