Rex Sikes' Movie Beat

Anthony Meindl, writer, producer, director, actor's  first feature screenplay, THE WONDER GIRLS, won Grand Prize Winning Feature Screenplay in the Slamdance Film Festival Screenplay Competition 2007. The film is slated for production in January, 2012 in Berlin.?? Anthony's acting class recently was voted best scene study and cold read studio in Los Angeles by Backstage magazine. Meindl’s other filmmaking credits include producing and directing a number of short films. He wrote and directed the award-winning 35-mm short film, READY? OK! which was a Finalist in the Planet Out Short Film Awards in conjunction with the Sundance and Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festivals. The film was sold to MTV's LOGO Network as part of their "Click List: Best in Short Film Series" and is now on DVD as part of the series FIRST OUT 3. Meindl wrote/directed/produced a TV pilot with actors at his acting studio. It was nominated as "BEST PILOT" at the 2010 Banff World Television Festival. ?The idea has since been expanded into a feature film, called BIRDS OF A FEATHER (with Olympia Dukakis, Bruce Vilanch, Trevor Donovan and Lindsay Hollister and is currently in making the festival rounds). In just one season of producing and directing plays (2003/2004), his first three productions - SWIMMING IN THE SHALLOWS (Best Comedic Direction Nomination by LA Weekly), DOGS BARKING (Best Direction Nomination by LA Weekly), and THE DEAD-EYE BOY (based upon the play by JUNEBUG scribe Angus MacLachlan and named one of the Top 10 Productions in Los Angeles Theatre in 2003) - all earned unanimous critical praise, playing to sold-out audiences across Los Angeles. His first book, AT LEFT BRAIN, TURN RIGHT is scheduled to be released in January, 2012. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Peter Marshall Pt 14 The Director's Series - The nuts & bolts of directing film and television with Peter Marshall. Peter has had a 35-year career and has worked as a PA, dolly grip, electrician, assistant cameraman, commercial production manager, first assistant director, TV series creative consultant, television producer and director. He has worked on industrial films, documentaries; television commercials, music videos; Emmy Award nominated TV series and features. Peter has directed over 30 TV episodes and written, directed or produced over 50 hours of documentary educational programs. His works have won, or been nominated for 14 International awards. He's worked for directors such as Zack Snyder, John Woo, Ed Wick, Phillip Noyce, John Balham, Roger Adam, Anne Wheeler, Bobby Roth & Kim Manners. He has worked with actors including Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Kathy Bates, Adam Sandler and Peter O'Toole. Other credits inclurde scores of television series as 1st Ad & as a director. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Curtis A. Smith, 1st AD Pt3  landed an internship on the feature film Marriage Material, directed by Jody Poldolsky. The film starred Leslie Ann Warren, James Rebhorn, Alanna Ubach & Michael Silver. Curtis was offered a paid Set Production Assistant position on Out of Sight, directed by Stephen Soderberg, starring George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez & Ving Rhames. Then came Cherry, starring Shalom Harlow & Jake Webber.  In 2000, Curtis worked on Girlfight, the Sundance winner produced by Jonathan Sayles and starring Michelle Rodiguez. He went on to work on Pootie Tang directed by Louis CK and featuring Chris Rock, XX/XY which starred Mark Ruffalo and Robot Stories by award-winning director Greg Pak. The Orphan King with Chris Evans and Bill Pullman. The Tripper, which was actor David Arquette’s directing debut, which also starred Thomas Jane, Paul Ruebens and Lukas Haas. Curtis also teamed up recording artist Fred Durst for his award-winning film The Education of Charlie Banks. Philip Seymour Hoffman for his film directorial debut, Jack Goes Boating. Starring Himself. Dustin Lance Black for his directorial debut as well What’s Wrong With Virginia. Starring Jennifer Connelly and Ed Harris. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at http://www.rexsikes.com

Robert Smitline writer director, is a graduate of Hofstra University in 2001, Robert majored in Film Studies and Production, and minored in Creative Writing. In 2001, he won the “First Runner-Up” and “Editing Award” for his film, Get the Hell Out of Heaven. In 2002, the film eventually went on to premiere at the Back East Picture Showin Hoboken and was also screened at the “Long Island International Film Expo” film festival. Robert also wrote a one-act play called “Trust Us”, for which he won the coveted“ Harold and Marilyn Cohen Award." After graduating, Robert spent time working as a production assistant on various productions in New York City, such as Girlfight 2000, Never Again 2001, Robot Stories 2001, and Knots 2002. He has also worked on various commercials with Ridley Scott’s Associates, RSA NY. Robert then devoted his attention to writing and directing his own independent 23-minute short film, Escape from the Night. It premiered at the Cape May Film Festival in 2003 and was also screened at the Long Island Film Festival in 2004. Later that year, Escape from the Night was the co-winner of the “Best Short Film” at the Telluride Indiefest, which played alongside the prestigious Telluride Film Festival. Robert’s most recent project is Trust Us. Based on his award-winning one-act play, Robert has adapted it into a feature-length screenplay that is currently in development. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Peter Marshall Pt 13 The Director's Series - The nuts & bolts of directing film and television with Peter Marshall. Peter has had a 35-year career and has worked as a PA, dolly grip, electrician, assistant cameraman, commercial production manager, first assistant director, TV series creative consultant, television producer and director. He has worked on industrial films, documentaries; television commercials, music videos; Emmy Award nominated TV series and features. Peter has directed over 30 TV episodes and written, directed or produced over 50 hours of documentary educational programs. His works have won, or been nominated for 14 International awards. He's worked for directors such as Zack Snyder, John Woo, Ed Wick, Phillip Noyce, John Balham, Roger Adam, Anne Wheeler, Bobby Roth & Kim Manners. He has worked with actors including Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Kathy Bates, Adam Sandler and Peter O'Toole. Other credits inclurde scores of television series as 1st Ad & as a director. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Kyle Olson is an award winning filmmaker  working in Hollywood in Television Production.  He is currently working on “America’s Next Top Model”, in production and also assists with the casting process. He has worn different hats while working on shows like “Glee” as an audience extras coordinator, “The Voice” as an audience warm up guy, and “Last Call with Carson Daly” as a member of their talent team.  In 2011 completed filming the pilot episode of a new web series he wrote and directed, called “Mouth to Mouth”.  Occasionally he's called in to work pyrotechnics at Universal Studios for special events.  Olson, was raised in Milwaukee, went to school at Columbia College Hollywood after graduating High School from South Milwaukee High. Each summer, Olson returns to Milwaukee to offer an annual “Summer Entertainment Camp”.  In 2011, the camp celebrated its third year and continues to grow in popularity. A feature length documentary has just been released to show what happens on screen and behind the scenes during the camp.  Kyle is searching for new ways to expand the Entertainment Camp to bigger platforms, which include the possibilities of taking the program national next summer.   When he’s not working in television on an official ‘crew’ or working on his camp, Olson uses a creative way to stay working in the industry by serving as an instructor with the American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles.  Here, Kyle teaches CPR, First Aid, and other life saving skills to high-profile clients, such as The Walt Disney Studios and Universal Studios Hollywood. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Peter Marshall Pt 12 The Director's Series - The nuts & bolts of directing film and television with Peter Marshall. Peter has had a 35-year career and has worked as a PA, dolly grip, electrician, assistant cameraman, commercial production manager, first assistant director, TV series creative consultant, television producer and director. He has worked on industrial films, documentaries; television commercials, music videos; Emmy Award nominated TV series and features. Peter has directed over 30 TV episodes and written, directed or produced over 50 hours of documentary educational programs. His works have won, or been nominated for 14 International awards. He's worked for directors such as Zack Snyder, John Woo, Ed Wick, Phillip Noyce, John Balham, Roger Adam, Anne Wheeler, Bobby Roth & Kim Manners. He has worked with actors including Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Spacey, Morgan Freeman, John Travolta, Mel Gibson, Kathy Bates, Adam Sandler and Peter O'Toole. Other credits inclurde scores of television series as 1st Ad & as a director. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com

Alexia Anastasio, Director/Producer, is an artist, actress and filmmaker who has starred, co-directed and co-produced many independent film productions. Alexia draws, paints, enjoys doing collage work and photography. As an actress she was recently featured in feature film Supernaturalz, HBO's Bored to Death, VH1 “If you like...” commercial and Vetiver "Everyday" music video.  Alexia started experimenting in film about 12 years ago while she was attending SUNY Purchase. She made many short films some experimental narratives and documentaries, started her own art, music and film festival, CAMP Festival. She has worked for many directors, festivals, distribution companies and even an independent cinema. After working behind the scenes on many independent shorts and features, she edited a feature documentary, Vampira: The Movie, associate produced, The Wild World of Ted V. Mikels, produced and starred in mockumentary, 7 Deadly Sins: Inside the Ecomm Cult and helped promote and sell the movies at horror and comic book conventions. Not to mention that she also sold her short films. That is where she discovered that their was a profound connection between fan and filmmaker.  Her current film, Adventures in Plymptoons!, is a feature documentary which has been playing all of the world at film festivals including Annecy International Animation Film Festival, San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, Woodstock Film Festival and Flip Animation Film Festival in the UK.  She has also recently mentored a young filmmaker, Dana Farley with her first documentary film, Beyond the Noise, My Transcendental Meditation Journey where she interviews and is interviewed by filmmaker David Lynch. Stay tuned to Rex Sikes Movie Beat for other great archived interviews, cast and crew listings, events, festivals, premieres, and more at rexsikes.com