ELA THIER

Writer-Director-Producer

Ela Thier’s film, A SUMMER RAIN, won numerous “Best Short” awards and screened at over 150 venues and festivals around the world. Most recently, Thier wrote and directed JUDO GIRL, produced by FluidFilm, and GENTLE CYCLE ONLY, written by Mrinalini Kamath.

Thier’s writing credits include RETRACTABLE (story by), starring Chris Evans, currently in post-production. She also wrote THE WEDDING COW, winning over twenty international awards including nine “Best Feature” and five “Audience Choice” awards. A prolific writer, Thier’s scripts were selected four times by the Independent Film Week (formerly IFP Market). In 2008 she was awarded a fellowship grant in screenwriting from New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA).

Thier studied filmmaking at NYU where she wrote and directed over a dozen short films. She now teaches screenwriting and filmmaking in NYC, under the banner of The Independent Film School. She has played a variety of roles in the production of numerous films created by her students.

Ela was born and raised in Israel.

MILTON KAM

Cinematographer

Milton Kam has established himself as a cinematographer who personifies the balance between creating and caring. His desire to produce eloquent images, which express and enhance a director’s vision, finds fertile soil in the collaborative spirit he strives for inside of his creative circle.

While based in New York, Milton has traveled extensively for his work in features, documentaries and commercials, to such places as England, India, Botswana, Argentina, Guatemala and France.

In his endeavor to be the guardian of his director’s vision, Milton has established close partnerships with a variety of directors such as Simon Rumley (The Living And The Dead), Paris Leonti (Daylight Robbery), Hannah Beth King (Wet), David Rocksavage (Shadows In The Sun) and Rajnesh Domalpalli, director of the acclaimed feature film Vanaja, which recently garnered Milton a Best Cinematography nomination for the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards.

Kam was born and raised in Suriname, a Dutch-speaking country in South America.

BEN INSLER

Editor

Ben Insler and Ela Thier have been a director-editor team since working together on the award-winning short A SUMMER RAIN. They are currently editing FOREIGN LETTERS together. Given their growing and inspiring collaboration, Thier plans to work with Insler on all of her future films.

Besides their matching sensibilities, Insler’s background in special effects has proven invaluable.

Insler has edited shows on SpikeTV, Food Network, Fine Living, FUSEtv and the History Channel. His independent film work has screened across the United States and internationally.

Insler’s directing achievements have been promoted by MTV, IFC Channel and the Anchorage International Film Festival. He is now working on his film NOT YET HOME, to be shot in Nevada, August 2010.

INNA BRAUDE

Producer

Inna Braude has worked as a Producer, Assistant Director, and Production and Post-Production Supervisor, in over thirty short and feature film productions ranging in budgets and scope.

Titles include Twelve Thirty (director Jeff Lipsky), Cold Souls (director Sophie Barthes), The Hungry Ghosts (dir. Michael Imperioli), Adventureland (director Greg Mottola) and The Education Of Charlie Banks (director Fred Durst).

Braude recently wrote and directed her short film, Three Prayers for June.

She studied at the New York Film Academy where she wrote, directed and produced her award-winning short films My First Story and Private Beach.

Braude was born and raised in Russia.

TOM SOPER

Production Designer

This is Soper’s third feature as the head of the art department. Previous credits include Eduardo Machado’s “Exiles in New York” (SXSW, Santa Barbara, American Film Institute, Cuban International Film Festival) and Todd Holmes’s “Ratana” (Cannes, Nantucket, Sarasota). Soper’s shorts screened at numerous festivals including Slamdance, mediathatmatters.org, Bicycle Film Festival, and Mecal (Barcelona). Soper has designed and built sets for theaters in NY, London and Edinburgh, fabricated and installed at museums and galleries (PS1, ACE, National Academy of Design, CUNY) and is currently at work on a sci-fi saga set in a computer dump. He thanks his lovely wife, who married him as the shoot wrapped, to NBTV and a really fun production team, and to Ela who can work miracles.

TERRY LEONARD

Executive Producer

Terry Leonard has produced numerous independent films. Starting in 2001 with the short “Climbing Miss Sophie” then moving on to feature films such as “Virgin”, “Particles of Truth”, “Dream Boy”, “Backseat”, “Sordid Things”, “Hounddog”, “Stephanie Daley” and “The Last International Playboy”. These films screened at the Sundance Film Festival, Tribeca Film Festivals, Berlin International Film Festival, Outfest, the LA Film Festival, Slamdance Film Festival and the GenArt Film Festival. Leonard’s films have been nominated for awards at the D.G.A., Sundance and the Independent Spirit Awards. When Leonard is not working on features he produces commercials, promos, title sequences and music videos with his production company Strongman (www.gostrongman.com). He currently splits his time between New York City, Denver and Los Angeles. He loves to work, travel, snowboard and has an Afro. For more info check out his IMDb page