Rembrandt Film Festival at The Dallas Convention Center

The Dallas Convention Center Theatre Complex will host the inaugural Rembrandt F
ilm Festival on Saturday, March 19, 2011 beginning at 10 AM.
Dallas, TX, March 09, 2011 -- The Dallas Convention Center Theatre Complex will
host the inaugural Rembrandt Film Festival on Saturday, March 19, 2011 beginning
at 10 AM. The day will be comprised of screenings of the festival's winning sub
missions, a Q&A panel with film industry professionals, awards ceremony and post
event reception. Day passes to the event are on sale now at www.ticketmaster.co
m or by calling the event center Box office at 214.743.2400. Day passes are $20.
Launched by Rembrandt Entertainment Group, the purpose of the Rembrandt Film Fes
tival is to enlighten, entertain, and enhance the awareness of talented filmmake
rs to a diverse audience that ranges from the everyday “movie fanatic” to those who
seek quality in entertainment of all kinds. Film categories include: Best Featur
e Film, Best Documentary Film and Best Short Film. Attendees will also enjoy a f
ilmmaker panel discussion featuring some of Dallas' top industry professionals i
ncluding: Producer/Director/Distribution Rep Brad Keller (A Killer Within, Inspe
ctor Mom), Producer/Director Russ Pond (Fissure), Documentary Filmmaker/Producer
Cynthia Salzman Mondell (Funny Women, Soul Sisters) and Writer/Director/Produce
r Gabriel Barboza (Green Eyed Monster). The John Carstarphen Trailblazer Award
will be presented to Dallas Film Commission Director Janis Burklund for her tire
less efforts and dedication to fostering the growth and economic development of
the creative media industries in the City of Dallas. Following the screenings an
d awards ceremony, guests will have the opportunity to network and mingle with f
ellow filmmakers and special guests of the festival.
The Rembrandt Film Festival is sponsored by: Oncor Electric, Farmer's Insurance
Agent Oliver Velasquez, and CPA Cedric Roberson. For additional information, ema
il info@rembrandtfilmfestival.com To purchase day passes to the festival, log on
to www.ticketmaster.com or call the Dallas Convention Center Theater Complex Box
Office at 214.743.2400.
ABOUT THE JOHN CARSTARPHEN TRAILBLAZER AWARD RECIPIENT
JANIS BURKLUND
Dallas Film Commission, Director
Janis Burklund is Director of the Dallas Film Commission and has been active in
the local film and television production market since 1982 and has been promotin
g the area since 1997 when she first started as project manager with the former
DFW Regional Film Commission. €With the inception of the Dallas Film Commission in
October 2002, she was hired as the project manager, and then named director in
October 2003. €In November of 2010 the film commission transitioned to the City of
Dallas, Office of Economic Development in order to provide a more synergistic a
pproach to growing the city’s targeted Media Industries.
€
In her positions with the film commissions, she has acted as a liaison with Dall
as and area cities regarding filming policies and procedures, advocated for bett
er understanding of the impact of the industry, the need for incentives and bene
fits of local participation, handled location requests and referrals, worked wit
h production crews and vendors, and actively marketed the area’s strengths to stud
ios, producers, location scouts and various industry professionals. €Under Burklun
d’s direction the commission has attracted and supported approximately $1 Billion
in economic impact from the film & television related creative media industries.
€
Prior to working for the film commissions, Janis freelanced in the film/ televis
ion industry for 15 years; much of that time as a Location Manager working on nu
merous television shows, series, commercials and motion pictures. €Burklund also s
erves on the board of the Dallas Film Society and has been involved with the Dal
las International Film Festival since its inception. €In addition, she actively su
pports numerous local film festivals and industry organizations; and is an activ
e member of the Association of Film Commissioners International, serving on thei
r certification committee and assisting with further development of their profes
sional education courses.
€
ABOUT JOHN CARSTARPHEN
John Carstarphen’s passion for filmmaking and social change was ignited when he s
aw The Black Girl of… by revolutionary African filmmaker, Ousmane Sembene (OOS-mon
SimBAYNE). The film is a quietly powerful drama about the complex struggles of
the African middle class. During the screening at the University of Pennsylvania
in his hometown of Philadelphia PA., Carstarphen learned that Sembene created i
nternational masterpieces in spite of massive obstacles, both political and fina
ncial. Inspired by the maverick African filmmaker, the then 15-year old Carstarp
hen set his sights on a career in filmmaking. The 1970’s were a boon for Black fil
mmakers in the U.S. and Carstarphen was eager to make an impact. A few years la
ter in 1976, John graduated from the Temple University Film School. He began wor
king in local television, first at ABC affiliate WOWK-TV in Huntington, West Vir
ginia as a news and documentary cinematographer. In his first year at WOWK-TV, a
t age 20, he won the West Virginia Associated Press award for Best Documentary C
inematography and was listed in the 1977 edition of Who’s Who Among Black American
s. At the peak of the Reagan era in the mid- 1980s, Carstarphen realized what ot
her Black filmmakers discovered: a narrowing of diverse voices in the mainstream
media forced Artists of Color to become independent, try to pool resources, and
hope to survive.
In 1986 at age 30, Carstarphen broke away from television to begin carving out a
new career as an independent filmmaker. He attended the American Film Institute
in Hollywood as a Directing Fellow. After the AFI, he was offered some of 2nd U
nit Directing work on Hollywood shows, but decided to move back to Dallas to wri
te and direct his own films. The Weekend of Our Discontent was his first feature
as writer-director-DP-editor. The film tells the story of Marla, a college prof
essor whose frequent blackouts begin to hint at her more personal conflicts as a
n upwardly mobile African-American. Starring local Black actors Summer Selby, Ph
yllis Cicero and Willie Minor, Weekend was financed with Carstarphen’s teaching sa
lary from his part-time teaching job at SMU and small grants. Shot entirely on l
ocations in Dallas, the film won the Grand Prize at the 1993 Newark Black Film F
estival. During the production, Carstarphen met his producing
partner, Dallas-based producer Rebecca Rice, who was instrumental in helping him
finance his next two features, Stealin’ Home and FLMKR, which was an official sel
ection at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival Forum.
Currently based in Richardson, Texas, Carstarphen continues to make independent
films utilizing new technologies such as CGI Animation, as he continues to embra
ce the Texas ethos of independence and freedom. His new animated short, Avalanch
e is in production, and a new documentary feature about growing up in Southwest
Philadelphia, The Wall, is in development.
He has been married to his beautiful and talented wife, international artist and
photographer Susan Sponsler, since 2001. John would like to thank Vivian Fulle
rlove, Jerome Sheffield, as well as the many friends and colleagues in the Dalla
s-Fort Worth film community for their great support and generosity.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
BRAD KELLER
Producer/Director/Distribution Re
Brad Keller has over 18 years of experience in producing and distributing featur
e film and television projects. He began his film career after leaving the Ameri
can Film Institute for Directors with a short film called the Next Three Exits,
which launched several film careers. Since then, he directed and produced dozens
 of productions, including national commercials, network broadcast television se
ries, and numerous feature films. His resume includes films ranging from the Lif
etime TV hit A Killer Within to Midgets vs. Mascots a comedy starring Gary Colem
an, which won an Audience Choice award at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival. With f
amily film experience such as The Secret At Arrow Lake and the glossy, high-roll
er reality series Plush Brad s ability to be diverse in his vision has expanded
into producing large budgeted films.
As a producer Brad prides himself with attaching a seasoned crew and demanding s
trict budget guidelines that brings a track record for returned investments. He
also learned that a film is not complete when the cameras stop rolling, which pr
ompted him to launch Fireside Releasing, an independent distribution company, in
Dallas, TX. In his five-year tenure with Fireside, Brad learned the nuances tha
t come with distribution. He recently left Fireside to join forces with and stre
ngthen the distribution arm of Agora Entertainment. His background in both produ
cing and distributing feature films coupled with his commitment to the same stan
dard of excellence that Agora strives for makes him an indispensable addition to
the company. He continues to fine-tune his craft by learning what kinds of tit
les the buyers are acquiring while adapting a vision that applies in gaining rec
ognition. With direct access to top buyers such as HBO, Starz, Showtime, Blockbu
ster, and Wal-Mart, he will tailor an exit strategy for each film Agora produces
well before the cameras start rolling.

RUSS POND
Producer/Director
After sixteen years in corporate America, Russ Pond decided to toss his suit and
tie to pursue his passion for filmmaking.€ His love for storytelling was evident
early on, as he would sneak into the back of his dad s photography studio, grab
the 8mm movie camera and start making his movies.€ After school, he would rush bac
k to his dad s studio to watch his stories come alive on the screen. Throughout
high school, he continued to dabble in arts and music. After graduating, he went
on to obtain a degree in Engineering from the University of Texas in Austin. Wi
th his filmmaking days long behind him, or so he thought, he moved to Dallas, Te
xas and went to work for Uniden in 1989. However, years later he found himself w
anting to return to the craft that fascinated him as a young boy.€ In 1995, he pur
chased a video editing system that enabled him to add music, sound effects and a
nimation to home videos. This past time became his creative outlet. It also prov
ided an unexpected means of income.€ In 1998, he formed an independent media compa
ny called Top Pup Media.€ He used this business to hone his craft as a filmmaker,
working on a number of corporate video projects for various clients.
In 1999, Russ decided to accept an offer from Nokia.€ He worked with them for six
years in business development, product marketing and helped launch new products
for the North and South American markets. In spite of his new position with the
telecommunications giant, Russ continued to grow his Top Pup Media corporate cli
entele roster. When Nokia became aware of his “side” job, they too hired his company
to produce many of their own corporate videos and commercials! After listening
to a local filmmaker talk about narrative storytelling in 2003, Russ decided to
delve into screenwriting and film production. He experienced immediate success w
ith his first short film Treasure which was picked up by an LA cable show.€ The fo
llowing year, he produced another short entitled The Light.€ His third short Growi
ng Up won the Audience Choice Award at the San Antonio Independent Film Festival
the subsequent year.€ Winning encouraged him to take his filmmaking to the next l
evel, which was to produce and direct a full-length feature film. After receivin
g more than 450 submissions, Russ selected the script Fissure to be the company’s
debut, feature film project. He knew this story was the one when he was still ca
ptivated by the script after only twenty pages into it!€ Three decades after produ
cing his first “motion picture” with his father’s 8mm film camera, Russ has created a
brilliantly crafted, emotional and suspenseful feature film with Fissure. He liv
es in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area with Angela, his wife of 18 years, and their 15
year-old son, Caleb.
CYNTHIA SALZMAN MONDELL
Producer/Director Filmmaker
Cynthia Salzman Mondell is an independent filmmaker who is committed to making f
ilms and videos that speaks to the the world she lives in. Her first documentar
y on housing and the lack thereof, Promise and Practice, aired on public televis
ion in l977. She teamed up with her husband, Allen Mondell to form Media Project
s. Together, they have created over 30 social-issue documentary films and educat
ional videos. In recent years, she has directed Funny Women,a film celebrating w
omen comedians, which will be a permanent exhibition at the Women s Museum: An I
nstitute for the Future in Dallas. Prior to that, she explored, The Ladies Room,
a documentary about the raucous and ribald world inside women s restrooms. Cynt
hia is past president of Women In Film - Dallas and past president of the Board
of New Day Films,a nationally known independent film cooperative based in New Yo
rk City. She was an artist in residence at University of Texas at Dallas, a mem
ber of the Texas Jewish Historical Society and the American Jewish Committee. C
ynthia was recently nominated for an Emmy for her work on a Public Service Anno
uncement for Meals on Wheels in conjunction with Women in Film - Dallas and in 2
004, she was honored with the Women in Film s Topaz Achievement Award.

GABRIEL BARBOZA
Producer/Director/Writer
Gabriel Barboza’s credits include the feature film Green Eyed Monster and work on
three syndicated television series: The River, The Split, and Cooking With The L
egends. He completed his education at the University of North Texas receiving a
dual B.A. in Television & Film Production and Creative Writing in 2004. After g
raduation he was accepted into the Kodak Student Filmmaker Program at the Cannes
Film Festival and landed an internship with mini-major studio Crystal Sky, Inc.
That same year Crystal Sky invited him back to work with them in Santa Monica,
CA at the American Film Market. Over the next few years he continued to write an
d direct his own short projects as well as work commercially as an Editor and Ca
mera Operator. By combining what he learned through his early immersion into the
business side of filmmaking with his creative interests, he was able to raise t
he funds necessary to direct his first feature film: Green Eyed Monster. In 200
7, the film debuted to a packed theater and gained local publicity in print, rad
io, and television for it’s interactive contest element. Afterward, Barboza succes
sfully funded a promotional tour of the film by selling advertising space on EBA
Y and drove a large Scrolling Mobile Billboard truck from New York to Los Angele
s attending Horror Conventions, Film Festivals, and hosting screenings. During t
his time he developed a website for the movie, and both written and video blogs,
which he maintained while on the road. Taking a no-budget approach, and utilizi
ng free and affordable online marketing methods, which in turn, gained the atten
tion of film distributors. The film was released in February of 2009 and is avai
lable through several online retailers including Netflix.com and Blockbuster.com
VIVIAN FULLERLOVE
Festival Director/Moderator
Vivian Fullerlove is a broadcast professional from East Texas, with experience i
n radio, television and film. She began her career in 1993 as the News Directo
r for country music radio station KGRI in Henderson, Texas. Two years later she
joined KLTV Channel 7 (ABC) in Tyler, Texas as a news associate producer. She re
located to Dallas, Texas to work as the assignment editor for KTVT Channel 11 (C
BS). Having worked as a publicist for Planet Hollywood and in Marketing and Pub
licity for Ticketmaster and NextStage Theatre (now Verizon Theatre), she used he
r knowledge to begin, her own marketing and PR firm in 2003 and represented such
high profile clients at Dallas Cowboys Quarter Back Tony Romo and entertainment
giant Clear Channel Theatrical. In 2006, she co-founded Titanium Productions Gr
oup with business partner Jerome Sheffield. The duo are behind the long running
entertainment program Reel Critics and recently wrapped shooting on their first
feature film project together It’s Out There.
SCHEDULE
9:00 AM Check-In & Registration
10:00 AM Winning Documentary Film Screening
12:00 Noon Short Block & Winning Short Film Screening
2:00 PM Filmmaker Panel Discussion
3:30 PM Winning Feature Film Screening
6:00 PM Marquee Feature Film Screening
8:00 PM Trailblazer Award Presentation by Mr. John Carstarphen
9:00 PM Post Event Party
Contact:
Vivian Fullerlove
VLF Media & Promotions
Dallas, TX
214.564.3359
musbviv@yahoo.com
http://www.vlfmediaandpromotions.com