My Story

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved a good story.  I wanted to grow up to be a ballerina, but after many arduous lessons and awkward recitals, I realized I needed to find a way to tell a story that didn’t rely so heavily on coordination.  Now a successful film producer, I’m still crazy in love with story.

I produce feature films through my company, BE MOVIES.  Producing, not quite as glamorous as it sounds, is much like pushing a giant boulder up a steep hill every day.  A good day is one where the boulder does not roll down and crush you.  A great one is when you move it forward.  As a producer, my goal is to get my projects to the top and to get there as fast as possible.  I’m thrilled to say I currently have several projects moving uphill.

My passion project is STETSON KENNEDY, a character-driven dramatic thriller based on the true story of a man who during WWII single-handedly infiltrated the KKK to destroy them from the inside out while living a dangerous double life.  Tobey Maguire will star and produce with me.  Academy Award-nominated writers Mark Fergus and Hawk Otsby (CHILDREN OF MEN, IRON MAN, COWBOYS & ALIENS) are penning the screenplay.  Tobey and I are also working on a documentary version of this amazing man’s life.  At 94-years old, Stetson is as determined a boulder-pusher as I am.  If they gave out Oscars for lives well lived, he’d already have one on his mantle.

Before forming my own company, I worked my way up through the executive ranks, beginning as a development exec for writers/producers/director Bruce Evans and Ray Gideon (STARMAN, STAND BY ME, MR. BROOKS) where I learned so much from these masters at story.  I read scripts until my eyes burned and my vision deteriorated, and still could not believe I was getting paid (OK, not very much) to search for movie ideas and then set them up at studios.

I served as President of Debra Hill Productions (HALLOWEEN, THE FISHER KING) for six years.  During my tenure there I set up, supervised and packaged numerous projects at studios and cable networks including Warner Bros., Universal, Disney, Nickelodeon, New Line and HBO.

Among my career accomplishments, I discovered ASSASSINS, which starred Sylvester Stallone and Antonio Banderas and was the first film written by the Wachowski brothers, who went on to create THE MATRIX franchise.  I set up David Berenbaum’s first project before ELF was a twinkle in his eye.  I have been privileged to set up and develop projects with such talented directors as Shawn Levy (NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM) and Frank Oz (BOWFINGER, WHAT ABOUT BOB?).

Beyond my professional work, I’m passionate about teaching screenwriting from the perspective of a working producer.  I share the powerful techniques I use with high-paid professionals with budding writers, giving them the tools to achieve their dreams.

I have taught at the UCLA Graduate Producer Program, American Film Institute, Great American PitchFest, Screenwriters Expo, CineStory and DreamWorks Animation.  I am also a sought after Consultant and Pitch Doctor.  I contributed a chapter to the book  NOW WRITE: SCREENWRITING published by Tarcher in January 2011, amongst a host of renowned screenwriters and teachers.  I’m a columnist for MovieBytes.com and Scriptmag.com.  A “BIG IDEAS” book is on the way.

I offer my screenwriting weekend intensive, BIG IDEA to BEAT OUTLINE, across the country.  In an intimate and interactive seminar, writers discover how to target concepts that will ignite industry interest, harness their passions and showcase their strengths.  My students also receive a year of mentorship with me, contacting me with story ideas, receiving feedback on work-in-progress and getting answers about the business side of the industry.

I’m also committed to creating social change.  In 1993, I founded the nonprofit, From The Heart, which promotes literacy and creates hands-on volunteer opportunities.  It’s my chance to share my love of stories with countless kids.  We’ve placed over 125,000 brand new books into the hands of kids living below the poverty line and built more than 250 Little Libraries for Head Start Centers and other organizations that serve children in need.  Nevertheless, I was astonished to find myself on the cover of the Jewish Journal as one of the Top Ten Mensches of the Year in 2006.  I would never, ever have made it there as a ballerina.