Film Florida

Donny Herran is a graduate of UCF and an accomplished Producer, Production Executive and Executive in Charge and is currently a Senior Vice President of Production for Paramount. Early in his career he produced content for Disney, ABC, FOX and Discovery Channel while venturing into independent filmmaking, including being a part of the Oscar Winning Film, “Monster.” For the second half of his career Donny joined the production team at Paramount (formerly Viacom), overseeing hit premium scripted shows such as "Yellowstone," “Lioness," and "Mayor of Kingstown," along with unscripted franchises "The Challenge," "Love & Hip Hop," "Martha & Snoop Potluck Dinner Party,” and “Basketball Wives.” We talk all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

For more about or to donate to the Jeremy E. Evans Student Films Fund, visit https://foundation.ucf.edu/FSdonate?bg=2 then search for Jeremy E Evans and select The Jeremy E Evans Student Films Fund, NSCM000108.

Antonia McCutcheon has been with the Tampa Bay Community Network for close to three decades and is currently the Executive Director. TBCN is the last public access television station in Florida and they help Tampa Bay’s diverse community by offering accessible media resources and innovative specialized training and workforce development for the video production industry while providing access for the community to air their shows. We talk all things TBCN and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Michael Wesley has been a Location Manager and Scout for close to thirty years. He’s been a member of the Location Managers Guild International (LMGI) for over a decade and is currently a Board Member for LMGI. Some of Michael’s credits include “Transformers” 2, 3 & 4, “Inception,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Booksmart” and “The Terminal List.” We talk about his career, the evolution of the locations craft, his Master Class in Location Scouting and Managing and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Jonathan Olsberg is the Founder and Executive Chair of Olsberg-SPI, a leading international creative industries consultancy that specializes in the global screen production sector. For the last 30 years, Olsberg-SPI has helped clients plan, design and deliver sustainable growth, evidence impact, and evolve and expand in a highly competitive and fast-moving screen sector. Jonathan’s previous roles in production, distribution and finance have facilitated SPI’s practical understanding of the screen sector that helps deliver focused consultancy services to governments and businesses around the world. Jonathan is a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the British Screen Forum and the European Film Academy. We cover a wide range of topics on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Miami-based Alexis Garcia is the Founder of CAT5, a finance and production label for action films focused on building a better machine for filmmakers and financiers. He sees CAT5 as a turnkey financing and production option for filmmakers, leaning in on content with strong commercial appeal. CAT5 targets independently financed and/or produced action films in the $10 - $50 million budget range. Alexis is an entertainment executive with 20+ years of domestic and international dealmaking experience including roles as lawyer, agent, producer and now founder. We talk about all of this and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Stefan Roesch emigrated to New Zealand in 2003 to embark on the world’s first PhD in Film Tourism. Since then, he has 20 years of experience in market research and is a leading expert on film tourism and has consulted with various destinations on film tourism projects around the world. In 2023, he earned the designation of Certified Film Commissioner and is on the Board of Directors for the Association of Film Commissioners International (AFCI). We talk to Stefan about the origins of film tourism, where his interest started, the global economic impacts of film tourism and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Artie Malesci is an Emmy and SAG Award nominated Stuntman and Stunt Coordinator. Artie has worked on close to 150 major titles including some of the biggest Florida-based projects including “Bad Monkey,” “Moonlight,” “Burn Notice,” “Miami Vice” the series and the movie, “2 Fast 2 Furious,” “The Waterboy,” “Ace Venture: Pet Detective,” “My Girl,” and “Parenthood” among many others. We talk to Artie about his stunt work, the evolution of his craft, some great behind the scenes stories, his acting work and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Dominic Giannetti is the founder of Florida-based Giannetti Films and an award-winning director, writer, and producer. With more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry, Dominic has worked on over 100 professional TV, Movie, and Music video sets including producing more than a dozen feature films, many of them in Florida helping launch the careers of dozens of professional filmmakers and actors. We talk to Dominic about his professional journey, producing faith-based films, some of his favorite behind the scenes stories and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Shawn Davis has been the Executive Producer of the Film Independent Spirit Awards for 22 years. The Film Independent Spirit Awards is the premier awards event for the independent film and television community. Shawn is a two-time Emmy nominated Producer for his work on the Spirit Awards. Prior to his current role, he was the Director of Events for the Los Angeles Film Festival for 18 years. We talk to Shawn about the Film Independent Spirit Awards, the importance of the independent film community, his personal ties to Florida, and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.

Sam Read is the Executive Director of the Sustainable Entertainment Alliance. SEA is a consortium of the world’s leading studios, streamers, and industry leaders dedicated to advancing sustainability initiatives through advocacy, education, and innovation. Sam works collaboratively with SEA’s member companies to reduce environmental impacts within the global entertainment industry and inspire a sustainable future. We talk to Sam about SEA and more on this episode of the Film Florida Podcast. Audio editing by Rob Hill.