PRODUCTION TEAM
DIRECTOR: STEVEN BERNSTEIN
Director Steven Bernstein DGA, ASC, WGA wrote and directed the award-winning feature film "Decoding Annie Parker" (U.S. theatrical release Summer 2014) which won Best Actress for Samantha Morton at The Seattle International Film Festival and also won Bernstein The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Feature Film Award at The Hamptons International Film Festival. Bernstein was also nominated for best screenwriter and best director at the Milan Film Festival, and was a 2013 nominee for The ASC Award for outstanding achievement in Cinematography for his work on Magic City.
​
Bernstein began his film career as a cinematographer in the United Kingdom shooting award-winning commercials (winning among others the Cannes Golden Lion ad the DA&D awards). He went on to shoot many landmark films including the highly acclaimed "Like Water For Chocolate" and the Oscar-winning "Monster." He shot iconic comedies like "White Chicks", "Half-Baked" and "The Waterboy", but also the early films of Oscar nominee Noah Baumbach and other important independent films. He also specialized in big action material for studios, shooting 2nd Unit on films like "S.W.A.T." and "Blade" as well as being the principal cinematographer on big studio films like Wesley Snipe's "Murder at 1600". Bernstein has shot nearly 50 films.
​
More recently Bernstein has become known as a screenwriter. He has had 11 major commissions in the last 6 years, including "Last Call" (Dominion) about the last days of Dylan Thomas, which Bernstein went on to direct. Last Call stars Rhys Ifans, John Malkovich, Romola Garai, Rodrigo Santoro, Tony Hale and Zosia Mamet. It was released theatrically in late 2020. It was shown as a work in progress at the Rio Film Festival where it was called "Oscar worthy" by the major papers there and then won the best actor award for Rhys Ifans at the Tallinn Black Nights festival, again shown as a work in progress. The script is written partly in free-verse and it's remarkable quality and poetry attracted the singular cast. Many viewers thought the script was based on the writing of Dylan Thomas, but it's Mr. Bernstein's original inventive work.
​
Bernstein has worked as a judge in literary and film festivals, he lectures widely about film and is also a motivational speaker. He is also the author of the best selling book "Film Production" (Focal Press) about the process of film making. He writes for various film magazines and he has a new book, Creative Process (Routledge, 2022).
PRODUCER: FRANKLIN VINCENT COX III
Frank began acting and shooting video at the age of five when his father came home with a video camera. He continued acting through elementary school.
​
He earned a BA in Theater from The University of Georgia and studied film production at New York University. In 1995, Frank began his professional career with the Turner Film & Video Unit. In 2001, he founded Pecan Productions Studios. Clients include The Home Depot, Invesco and USMC.
​
In 2015, Frank joined the International Cinematographers Guild and worked on such productions as "Ant-Man and The Wasp", "The Walking Dead", CW's "Legacies", FOX’s "Lego Masters" & "Monarch," and Netflix's "First Kill" and "Pieces of Her". A professional whistler, Frank has whistled for the Cartoon Network’s "Ed, Edd & Eddy Show", a Sesame Street app and the themes for a few independent films, while producing the albums "Whistling Christmas with Franklin Vincent Cox & Friends," Volumes 1 & 2 (available on all streaming services).
SCREENWRITER / PRODUCER: DAVID BENNETT CARREN
David has written or produced more than 200 films and television shows, including Star Trek: The Next Generation, Stargate SG-1, and Diagnosis Murder. His theater credits include Hollyweird, a farce which was a Semi-Finalist in the Eugene O'Neil National Playwright's Conference. His feature credits as a writer/director include the fantasy drama Waiting for Sandoval and the thriller The Red Queen, which earned a Silver Palm at the Mexico International Film Festival. He also co-wrote and produced the horror film Mr. Hell which was distributed through Maverick releasing.
​
Other recognition includes a Writer's Guild Award Nomination, Grand Prizes at the Cynosure and StoryPros script competitions, Platinum and Golden Remi Awards at Worldfest, and multiple Finalist and Semi-Finalist honors at the
Austin Film Festival screenwriting competition.
​
Medallion Books released David's first novel, No Power on Earth, and Stonelock Pictures optioned his second,
I've Killed Mother. His short story If She Dies was published in Twisted Tales before he adapted it as an episode
of The New Twilight Zone. Focal Press recently published his advanced screenwriting book,
Next Level Screenwriting, which he co-authored with David Landau.
​
David earned his Bachelor’s in Journalism at the University of Texas at Austin and his Master’s in Fine Arts at
Spalding University. He is a tenured Professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley where he teaches
screenwriting at both the graduate and undergraduate level as well as field production and cinema history.
LINE PRODUCER: MARK CRUMP
Mark earned his degree in Journalism in 1998, which started him down a path as an on-air News Broadcaster for 7 years that has now turned into a career in production spanning more than 25 years. During that time, he's worked with many notable networks, producers, directors, and actors. After leaving the News, Mark refocused his experience by heading up several niche Equine TV shows for RFDTV, and in 2008 started his own production company, Reflecting Pool Productions, that is still a film production services company today.
​
In 2015, he left behind the Commercial and Reality TV niche for the film industry. Since then, Mark has joined the Teamsters, LMGI, and has produced, line produced, production managed, or location managed more than 35 features and TV shows. He is currently employed full time as a Consultant Producer for MarVista Entertainment, a division of Fox Entertainment, which saw him producing two Christmas features for BET and Discovery Plus in 2022. His primary focus for the company is maximizing the Georgia State Film Tax credit through his extensive knowledge of budgeting, managing projects, and utilizing his network of production professionals within the state.
LOCATIONS MANAGER/PRODUCER: MICHAEL WOODRUFF
Michael has been actively working in narrative and episodic productions since 2012. He has worked as a producer, production manager, location manager and location scout. He has worked on such productions as “Ozark”, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”, “Citadel” & “Miracles from Heaven”. He joined CA in 2022 and has been active in developing narrative based projects. He has participated in the Emory Film Conference & has taught location scouting classes for the Location Managers Guild. Due to Michael’s years of experience in Atlanta, he has provided internship opportunities for up and coming filmmakers.
CASTING DIRECTOR: TRACY KILPATRICK, CSA
Emmy Award Winning CSA Casting Director Tracy Kilpatrick of The Casting Office Inc. has over 30 years of film entertainment industry experience casting hundreds of major award winning television and film projects including Peanut Butter Falcon, The Staircase, Causeway, Echo 3, One Night in Miami, Venom, Dallas Buyers Club, Pitch Perfect, Secretariat, Queen Sugar, The Devil All The Time, and Forrest Gump to name a few! Tracy has a passion for storytelling and the arts. She believes in cultivating community, and helping bring opportunities to others! In addition to her award winning casting work, Tracy is a known folk art artist, painting as Mae Lettuce, and co-founded the hand stitched original in house sustainable fashion collection Authentissimo. She is owner of the vintage art gallery Tripp’s Store and of teacher of the acting school Connecting The Actor To Truth, where she instructs working actors worldwide. When not casting, creating art, collecting folk art, reading, restoring furniture, road-tripping, or rescuing dogs, Tracy dedicates her grassroots efforts at Tripp’s Store to the outreach of supporting the local arts and community of Chapel Hill and the world.
A.D. DEPARTMENT: IRAN KUYKENDAL, DGA
Iran grew up acting in the Laurens County Community Theater in his hometown of Clinton, SC, when he was just 8 years old. He attended the prestigious Florida State University College of Motion Pictures and Recorded Arts, where his documentary short, Grassroot America, was nominated for the Student Academy Award. Upon graduation, he followed a Professor’s suggestion and moved to New Orleans to make his break into the film industry. In 2014, Iran made the leap and joined the Atlanta Film Community. Iran is a member of the Director’s Guild of America (DGA).
LEAD COUNCIL: MARY ELLEN FRANKLIN
Mary Ellen has been a member in good standing of the State Bar of Georgia since 1986. She received legal training in Washington DC where she clerked for Judge Sylvia Bacon.
​
An expert in Contractual Law for 30 years, while competent in all aspects of Civil Law, she was General Counsel for National Bank of Georgia, First American Bank and South Trust Bank.
​
Mary Ellen focuses on her clients, delivering superior legal services.
Michael Woodruff, Mary Ellen Franklin, Grant Gipson (Assembly ATL, Gipson & Co.) & Franklin Cox tour
the brand new sound stages at Assembly Studios in Doraville, GA. (September 27, 2023)