JUDGES  2007

   Loulan Gardner
 
MTV VJ

Gardner enjoys writing about himself in the third person & adores the ampersand.  If you're reading this aloud or to yourself in a program, take a dramatic pause once this sentence has concluded because charging unprepared into Gardner's accolades and accomplishments could cause a minor aneurism...  Currently, Gardner pays his inexplicably expensive Lower Eastside rent as a writer/producer and VJ for mtvU and was voted "Most Wanted to be Seen Streaking" at the company holiday party.  His cliché "passion" is filmmaking and he recently finished a feature film that he co-wrote/ acted/ produced & directed amusingly titled "Our Feature Presentation."  He admits, anyone immersing themselves in a project that much is either egomaniacal or a control freak; he is both.  Gardner's dream is to have a Pow-Pow-Power Wheels!  He earned a degree at Fordham University in Communications and studied television and film at NYU and USC.  He would like to thank the spell check function for it's contribution to this brief yet memorable biography.

The product of the Northern California skate board and rock climbing scene, Gardner Loulan has also been heavily involved in everything from student government to theater to sports. Also dedicated to serving those less fortunate than himself, Gardner attends the Jesuit-based Fordham University and leads service projects across the country. Gardner is now bringing his interests to TVs and college campuses everywhere with mtvU.

 

   Leonard Cox
 
Producer, Executive Director of Communications at Columbia University

After working on his first film, The Mark of the Maker (1991 nomination for Best Short Documentary), Cox co-founded River Films with award-winning filmmaker Macky Alston.  Together Cox and Alston produced The Killer Within (premiered Toronto International Film Festival 2006, to air on the Discovery Channel 2008), and Questioning Faith (named one of the top 10 independent films of 2001 by CNN, premiered Full Frame Film Festival and the Hot Docs International Film Festival and aired on HBO 2002 -2004). Independently, Cox directed and produced, The Dwelling Place, a short documentary about a shelter for homeless women in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen (to be released in 2008).  Cox is the former director of communications for the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and has served as a media consultant for over 30 years.

 

 

 

 

JUDGES  2006

   Doug Ross
 Producer/Writer/Director, Wang-Ross Communications.

Wang-Ross Communications, LLP is a private consultancy that creates original content for commercial, cable, promotional, informational, educational and corporate television projects. Doug Ross is a seasoned media professional with over 25 years of extensive experience as a Producer, Director, Writer, Editor and Camera Operator with A&E, PBS, Warner-Amex of Dallas, Saudi Aramco, City & County of Honolulu, KWHE-14, The Chinese Channel, WLRN-17 Miami, U.S.C. School of Broadcast Journalism, American Film Institute, ‘Olelo Community TV of Hawaii, Eye-Square Productions of Los Angeles.

Doug Ross graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelors of Radio-Television-Film in 1980. Also attended the University of Southern California, School of Broadcast Journalism, 1986, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2001 and The Chinese Institute, NYC, 2005 in Conversational Chinese Language.

He is married to Danlu Wang and has one son Sean. They live in Rego Park, NY and travel yearly to China.

   Limei Wang
 
Marketing Manager, NYC Media Group
 Producer, Backdrop NYC

As Marketing Manager of NYC Media Group, Limei Wang oversees marketing activities and manages all aspects of the production of Live Event Production.  Ms. Wang is also the Producer of Backdrop NYC, the NYC TV series highlighting short films set in New York and the talent behind them.  As producer, Ms. Wang curates the film selection and is responsible for taking ideas from inception to full creative production.

Ms. Wang was born in mainland China and grew up in Holland, and she is fluent in Dutch, Chinese and English.  Ms. Wang started her career as an interpreter at The Hague for the Ministry of Economic Affairs, part of the government of the Netherlands. Ms. Wang has also worked for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and as Marketing Manager at the Scientecmatrix Website Asia in Shanghai, a digital meeting point between Eastern and Western communities concerning global environmental pollution and striving for a healthier life by developing solutions for the environment.

Before joining NYC Media Group, Ms. Wang worked in London, Paris, Milan and Amsterdam as an Internal Operations Consultant for Burst Images Visual Production Company. Projects included One Night & Neverland MTV, Diesel fashion events, DMC World DJ contest Asia and Cannes Media Festival Events.

Limei Wang graduated from Haagse Hogeschool University in The Netherlands with a Bachelor’s of Business Management.

 

 

JUDGES  2005

   Professor Nick Proferes
 Professor, Film Department of Columbia University, School of the Arts. Professional Filmmaker

Nicholas Proferes is a director/cameraman and editor of "Free at Last," a 90-minute documentary on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., awarded Best Documentary, Venice Film Festival, 1969. He was the director of photography and editor of "Wanda," a feature film directed by Barbara Loden, which was awarded Best Picture, Venice Film Festival, 1971; and was the co-producer, director of photography, and editor of "The Visitors," a feature film directed by Elia Kazan. His textbook, Film Directing Fundamentals: Script to Screen, was published in early 2001.

   Scott Brock
 Professional Editor

Scott Brock is an editor with seventeen years of experience in the motion picture industry. In addition to "Limbo," he has been principal editor on numerous films, including "The Moderns," directed by Alan Rudolph, "Horace Tapscott: Musical Griot," directed by Barbara McCullogh, and recently "Two Minute Heist," directed by Dan DeLuca and Kris Arnold. He has also been film editor Thelma Schoonmaker's First Assistant Editor on the following films: "Gangs Of New York," "Bringing Out The Dead," "Kundun," "Casino," and Academy Award Winner for Best Editing, "The Aviator." Scott has also been Staff Editor for Lightworks U.S.A. and was Head of Training for Lightworks for editors and assistants. An accomplished photographer, he specializes in fine art photographic digital printing processes. he holds a B.A. in Motion Picture/Television Production from U.C.L.A.

   Thomas Ikimi
 Professional Filmmaker

Columbia University alum, completing a bachelors degree in Literature and Writing in May 2004. Directing and the Limbo project came about quite by chance. Primarily a writer, Thomas was half way through his Literature/Writing degree in late 2001 when he decided to write a script on a philosophical idea he'd been thinking about. It was a concept relating to morality, religion and free will. With his savings, some family donations and his student credit card, Thomas wrote, co-produced and directed Limbo at the end of his sophomore year.  His Latest work "Limbo" screened for scores of filmmakers and professors and filmmaking professionals at the Tribeca Screening Room in New York City.

 

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