FILMMAKERS
CECILIA MINIUCCHI - WRITER/DIRECTOR
Born in Italy and educated in the United States, Cannes Camera d’Or nominated writer/director Cecilia Miniucchi has apprenticed in both the Italian and the American film industry, working with directors Lina Wertmuller (her mentor), Federico Fellini, the Taviani Brothers, and at Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope Studios.
Cecilia Miniucchi’s latest film “LIFE UPSIDE-DOWN”, stars Bob Odenkirk, Radha Mitchell, and Danny Huston. Previous work include “Expired,” an official selection at Sundance and Cannes, “Normality,” recipient of several awards, “Selena Remembered,” “Nitsch 98”. She has also directed MTV-winning videos and several documentaries.
She is currently developing several feature films and has started her TV experience with a new series starring John Lithgow and Jack Black. Cecilia Miniucchi has published short stories and poetry, as well as her translations of Samuel Beckett, Native American Poetry, Irish and American contemporary poets.
As an artist, she has had several photography and art video exhibitions in Los Angeles, Holland, Italy, San Francisco, New York, and Berlin. Her published photography books include THE EMPERORS’ NEW HATS; AND THE CASTLES MADE OF SAND; WE’VE COME A LONG WAY; A-HEAD; PLACES FOR YOUR H-ART.
Cecilia Miniucchi studied at Harvard, Oxford, and The American Film Institute.
JEFFREY COULTER - PRODUCER
After an extensive career producing commercials, documentaries and music videos, Jeffrey Coulter with partner Fred Roos (Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Lost in Translation) produced the film Expired written and directed by Cecilia Miniucchi, starring Samantha Morton, Jason Patric with Illeana Douglass and Teri Garr.
The film has been critically lauded and accepted at the prestigious festivals of Cannes, Sundance, FI, and Stockholm to name a few. He has gone on to produce And the Circus Leaves Town, the thriller Rushlights, the comedy On The Rocks, and Freak Show directed by Trudie Styler, starring Bette Midler. He also lent his hand as composer for some of these films and numerous commercial campaigns.
CARL F. BERG - PRODUCER
Los Angeles born Carl F. Berg has been a renown curator, gallery owner and director for over thirty years. The film business has fallen into his lap when during the LA Lockdown, he decided to step in to help produce the feature film LIFE UPSIDE DOWN with Bob Odenkirk, Danny Huston and Radha Mitchell. This has led to the creation of a new TV series on the arts starring John Lithgow and Jack Black and another documentary series highlighting the careers of gallery owners from Los Angeles. The first episode of this documentary series features renown LA gallerist Rosamund Felsen.
He is presently the founder/director of PRJCTLA, a new gallery in downtown Los Angeles. Over the years Berg has curated and organized over 150 exhibitions in Los Angeles and worldwide. Shows like “Southern California Car Culture” with artists like Chris Burden, Ed Kienholz, Ed Ruscha, “Booster Up Dutch Courage” with prominent Dutch artists, “Framing Time” focused on the concept of movement in still photos with artists like John Divola, Robert Flick, Tim Hawkinson, Ed Ruscha, etc., are considered groundbreaking.
JASON ROSE - PRODUCER
Jason Rose, the son of Taiwanese and European heritage, has lived and worked all over the world and brings a uniquely Asian American perspective. He has been producing films for 14 years, from independent fair like the documentaries Showrunners, Barista and the 2020 Gamemaster, to arthouse films like James Franco’s King Cobra, to bigger more commercial pictures like Jon Favreau’s Chef, Natalie Portman’s Jane Got A Gun and Oscar Isaac’s upcoming thriller The Card Counter, which just premiered at The Venice Film Festival and hits theaters this weekend!
ROSE KUO - PRODUCER
Rose Kuo is the former Executive Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center, Artistic Director of AFI FEST, and was CEO for a division of Wanda Culture Group, overseeing the company’s expansion into the film space and the launch of Qingdao Movie Metropolis. She founded the consulting firm, Festworks, to help companies and filmmakers navigate the cross-border film space, and advises on festival strategy and awards campaigns (ROMA, AMERICAN FACTORY, THE POWER OF THE DOG). She began her career as a camera assistant for award-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler, and worked in editing for renowned directors Paul Schrader, Ed Zwick, Michael Mann, and Martin Scorsese.
SONJA MERAU - CO-PRODUCER
Sonja grew up in New York City's East Village. She moved to California to major in Gender Studies and Film Studies at UC Davis. She also earned her masters in Special Education Instruction and taught in special education classrooms for seven years at North Hills Prep School. Sonja tried her hand at acting, writing and directing before she came to find her true passion, producing. She has been producing short films, music videos and web series for five years in addition to lending support to numerous productions and continuing to work with students with learning and emotional disabilities. At UC Davis, Sonja met future collaborator David Chiu. In 2008 they formed Flathead Films based on their mutual love of film making and the collaborative process. As part of Flathead Films, Sonja has produced music videos, short films and commercials. Recently, she raised $40,000 for a short on Kickstarter, wrote and produced a film that premiered at LA Shorts and produced a TV spec pilot.
ALLARD ZOETMAN - CO-PRODUCER
FRED ROOS - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Los Angeles born Academy winner and legendary Hollywood producer Fred Roos marked the history of filmmaking not only with his genius casting talent, discovering actors like Harrison Ford, Jack Nicholson, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Nicolas Cage, Joan Allen, and others, but also as producer of some of the most memorable films ever made in film history: “Apocalypse Now”, “The Godfather” (2-3), “The Black Stallion”, “Barfly”, and more recent features such as “Lost in Translation”, “Expired“, “Youth without Youth” and “St. Vincent.”
JOHN AND ANNA HATZIS - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
ANTONI STUTZ - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Antoni Stutz is a Swiss/German filmmaker and artist. Stutz is known for the neo-noir thriller Rushlights which he directed and produced, starring Beau Bridges, Aidan Quinn, Josh Henderson and Haley Webb and was included in the Montreal International Film Festival, the Shanghai International Film Festival, the Dallas International Film Festival as well as the Newport Beach Film Festival. He has also directed the comedy/thriller, You're Killing Me starring Julie Bowen (Modern Family). Stutz as Executive Produced alongside Fred Roos and Jeffrey Coulter, the feature film Expired directed by Cecilia Miniucchi, starring Jason Patric and Samantha Morton, official selection at the Sundance Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. Stutz is currently the Executive Producer of LIFE UPSIDE DOWN, directed by Cecilia Miniucchi and developing his next feature film, a psychological thriller. Stutz has began his career in LA as an actor in his teens. Early television roles included Tour of Duty and Michael Mann's Crime Story. His first feature film role was in John Frankenheimer's Dead Bang co-starring Don Johnson, Penelope Ann Miller and William Forsythe. Stutz has also directed commercials and music videos including MTV's iconic "ROCK THE VOTE" campaign.
PAULO ROSSI PUZI AND MARTA MINIUCCHI - EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
Paolo Rossi Pisu and Marta Miniucchi are the co-founders and CEO's of Genoma Films, a production company based in Bologna, Italy. Since 2020 has financed 6 feature film including LIFE UPSIDE DOWN.
HOLLEY HEITZ - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Holley Heitz is an Emmy-nominated television and film producer. She recently executive-produced the film LIFE UPSIDE DOWN. She has produced hit shows such as 20th Television’s “Divorce Court” and Fox's primetime show “The Moment of Truth”. Heitz has executive produced the film “Expired”, an official selection at Sundance and Cannes where it secured US and Worldwide distribution. Holley Heitz is currently in pre-production on the feature documentary “Seven Bridges Road” based on the true story of 12 women murdered by a serial killer in North Carolina, which she’s directing and producing. Heitz was born in New Jersey and now splits her time between New York and Los Angeles