Rex Sikes' Movie Beat

Cassidy McMillan Actress and director,  directed wrote and produced the documentary film on bullying and bullycide “Rats & Bullies”, which is currently garnering awards coast to coast in the film festival circuit. Cassidy’s acting work includes leading roles for the theater plays, musicals, and work in Film, TV for inde films, Showtime; AMC, Discovery, and has worked with directors James Cameron and Tom Shadyac.  Voiceover work includes audio games for Milton Bradley/Parker Brothers, radio commercials, and recently recorded four national commercials for the U.S. Coast Guard. In addition to acting work, Cassidy holds a degree in Communications/Broadcast Journalism, has worked as an investigator for global corporate and entertainment companies where she conducted hundreds of criminal investigations, and arrested subjects for various types of crimes. When she learned of the North American precedent setting bullycide case on the “Oprah Winfrey Show” of a 14 year old girl who took her life by hanging herself with a dog’s leash due to bullying, she was compelled to tell the story in a documentary and feature film in order to prevent more teens from taking their life. Cassidy acquired the life rights to the story, set out on the journey in making the projects happen and Directed Wrote/Produced the award winning Documentary Film “Rats & Bullies”. Additionally, she wrote the screenplay based on the story, titled, “The Toughest Girls”, which has won industry script competitions and is being read at studios for development into a feature film. “Rats & Bullies” was filmed in Canada; Washington D.C.; and California. The film completed post-production in 2011, and is being met with critical acclaim.  Stay tuned to Rex Sikes' Movie Beat for other great interviews, cast & crew listings, events, premieres & more at rexsikes.com

Paul Weber, CSA, PT2 is one of Hollywood’s most respected Casting Directors. As longtime Executive Head of Television Casting and Feature Film Consultant for MGM Studios, Weber effectively moved between both mediums with ease. For series television, Weber cast the wildly popular STARGATE franchise. SPARTACUS: GODS OF THE ARENA, SHE SPIES, POLTERGEIST, DEAD LIKE ME, and THE OUTER LIMITS. For the big screen, Weber has advised on numerous MGM features including the blockbuster JAMES BOND franchise, FAME, ZOOKEEPER with Kevin James, HOT TUB TIME MACHINE, RED DAWN with Chris Hemsworth, Joss Whedon’s CABIN IN THE WOODS 3D, and THE MACHINE starring Vin Diesel. Home entertainment credits include LEGALLY BLONDES with Ashley Tisdale. Weber is now a fully independent casting director and producer. Busier than ever, his current feature projects include BEULAH starring Dakota Fanning and Ryan Phillipe, THE UNEXPECTED with Paul Giamatti, and THE STUPIDEST ANGEL based on the bestselling novel by Christopher Moore. TV series projects include THE L.A. COMPLEX premiering this summer on the CW as well as SPARTACUS: VENGEANCE and NOIR for the Starz Network. For over two decades, Weber’s keen eye for talent and ability to cultivate and sustain lasting relationships within the entertainment community has made him one of the most sought-after experts in his field. As such, Weber is also frequently tapped to lead cold reading audition intensives and scene-study workshops worldwide for performers seeking invaluable practical insight that helps demystify the audition process, giving them a critical edge in an extremely competitive industry. Closer to home, he has taught at UCLA as well as led standing-room only acting workshops at the Screen Actors Guild. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Curt Apduhan, cinematographer with over 20 years in the film and commercial production industry.  He has lensed several critically acclaimed feature documentaries including the Sundance Film Festival selection “Go Tigers!” (IFC) for director Kenneth A. Carlson, Todd Robinson’s “Amargosa” (Sundance Channel) which earned Apduhan a National Emmy for Cinematography, and the Docuweeks hit “Most Valuable Players” (OWN) shot for Matthew Kallis. Apduhan has shot & directed over 100 commercials and corporate branding films for national advertisers such as Anthem/Blue Cross, Toyota, Lexus, Mitsubishi Motors, M&I Bank, and the John Deere Company. His latest narrative effort is the short film “Reboot” directed by Joe Kawasaki. Curt is a self-taught director of photography, learning his way around a set by working as a PA, grip, electrician, camera operator, and gaffer. He credits his interest in becoming a cinematographer to past ASC President Daryn Okada, a childhood family friend. “Daryn was brave enough to follow his passion at a young age even though the odds were against him. His dedication to the craft and his encouragement for me to make my own mark in this industry is something I will always be grateful for.” .Curt will be making his directorial debut in fiction film with his short “Anniversary”. Production is scheduled for the spring of 2012 with primary funding coming from the crowdsourcing Kickstarter. Before becominf a documentary cinematographer, Apduhan made his living as a commercial producer and production company owner. He holds a BA degree in Business Marketing from California State University Fullerton and worked for General Foods, Honeywell, and US Sprint.  Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

David Winning, director ,14 features, 22 series, over 100 TV credits is mainly known for his work on Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, MGM’s Stargate: Atlantis, ABC’s Dinotopia and the HBO thriller Exception to The Rule, starring Kim Cattrall, Sean Young and Eric McCormack. At 27, he landed directing gigs on the Canadian-produced Friday the 13th: The Series for Paramount Pictures he received three Canadian Emmy Award nominations. M. Night Shyamalan has cited Winning’s episode of Nickelodeon’s Are You Afraid of the Dark:  The Tale of the Dream Girl, as the inspiration for The Sixth Sense.  His episodic work has received twenty-four first places at the Houston Film Festival, a Gold Hugo and two Silver Hugos in Chicago, and Four national Gemini nominations for Best Director/Dramatic Series. He has received over 60 international awards.  In 2002 he received a National award from the Director’s Guild for outstanding achievement in television drama.He has directed many international stars including: Daniel Baldwin, Patrick Duffy, Peter Strauss, William Devane, Peta Wilson, Markie Post, Lance Henriksen, Frederic Forrest, Jason Connery, Carl Weathers, Margot Kidder, Michael Sarrazin, Bruce Boxleitner, Lesley Ann Warren, Martin Mull and many more. Recently he directed Kevin Sorbo, Robert Englund and Bruce Dern in a Trilogy of monster movies for the US SYFY Channel and Hallmark Entertainment - RHI Films New York and episodes of the Vampire series Blood Ties for Lifetime TV and episodes of TODD AND THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL, for SPACE CHANNEL -- and also supervised and directed the far north adventure series YUKONIC! which debuted in 2011,  LOST GIRL for Showcase and the SYFY Channel and a Rob Lowe Christmas movie for HALLMARK. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Dori Zuckerman, casting director for 25+ years casts the critically acclaimed FX series “Wilfred” starring Elijah Wood, Jason Gann, Fiona Gubelmann, and Dorian Brown. Dori worked at William Morris Agency for a few years, then became a publicist in the mid 80s clients at the time included George Clooney, Sarah Jessica Parker, Kelly Preston, Bill Paxton, Alfonso Ribiero, and Andrew Dice Clay. Other TV credits include  “Babylon 5” pilot, “The New WKRP in Cincinnati” series, “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”, and “They Came from Outer Space”  Halle Berry did one of her 1stguest star jobs. “That’s My Bush!” on Comedy Central with Tim Bottoms as the President.She cast a pilot for VHI with Gene Simmons of KISS fame as producer, and put “Last Comic Standing” winner John Heffron in his first series. SHe has cast MTV’s “American Mall” which starred Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries, DeGrassi) in her first American Production as well as Rob Mayes (upcoming Family Channel series “Jane by Design”), Autumn Reeser (Smokin Aces 2, Entourage), Bresha Webb(Love that Girl), Neil Haskell (“So you Think you Can Dance” fame). For  “Pretty Woman she introduced Garry Marshall to funny man Larry Miller who he continues to use in all his films, “To Walk With Lions” with Richard Harris, “City of Industy” with Harvey Keitel, Famke Janssen, and “What’s Cooking” with Mercedes Ruehl, Alfre Woodward, Julianna Marguiles, Joan Chen, Dennis (The Unit) Haysbert, and Kyra (The Closer) Sedgwick. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com