CREW

ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

MICHAEL D FRIEDMAN (writer/director) is the co-president and a founder of the Atlanta Screenwriters Group (ASG), one of the largest screenwriting groups in the southeast. Graduating with a degree in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh, Michael first gained an interest in filmmaking through writing, having written six feature-length spec screenplays and many shorts.

Michael's screenplay, "Heaven & Hell, Inc.," was the featured script reading at the 2001 Atlanta Film Festival and finished in the Top 250 of the first Project: Greenlight contest. It is currently under option in with a Hollywood producer. His short script for "Burnt Sienna," was voted "Best Short Script" for the 2002 ASG Awards, voted on by the members of the ASG.

After forming the ASG, Michael soon branched into other aspects of filmmaking, such as directing (the shorts No Clue and Blame Society), producing (2002 WorldFest Houston selection The Last Day in November and the 48-hour film project entry Exclusive), sound mixing and boom (Behind the Nine, and 2003 Atlanta Film Festival selection The Faith Healer's Manual for the Slightly Inebriated) and more.

Michael has also broke into acting, starring in the mockumentary short, Boy@nt!, a 2001 Atlanta Film Festival selection. After hooking up with PlatoVision Pictures as a camera operator, Michael was added to the cast of the series "Witch Hunters Extraordinaire," playing two characters, Willie the Bum and the Russian Bee. This experience helped him earn a lead role in PlatoVision's supernatural thriller feature Stragglers.

He also starred as the "play director" in PlatoVision's 2002 entry in the Atlanta 48 Hour Film Project, The Final Play, which won the best acting award for the cast. Michael also starred in the 2003 entry from Cougars Film Group, Exclusive, as a detective.

Michael's IMDB page

ERIC BOMBA-IRE (director of photography/editor) always knew he wanted to be involved in movies. He aspired to be an actor, but it was while acting in a play in high school that Eric discovered that he enjoyed being on the other side of the stage.

After graduating from high school in France, Eric went on to earn a baccalaureate in Art, Literature and Philosophy. Moving to the United States, Eric graduated with a degree in film/video production from the Art Institute of Atlanta, and has since gained over four years of experience in the Atlanta film and video industry.

In addition to directing Music Video for local R&B singer Amanda and Hip Hop group Mass Comm, he served on the crew of many independent films.

In 1998, Eric formed his own production company, PlatoVision Pictures. Under the PlatoVision banner, Eric has served as producer, DP and editor for several productions, including the features Stragglers, Invisible Kitchen and the local TV series "Witch Hunters Extraordinaire".

Other credits include, the short No Clue, where he assumed the positions of producer, director of photography and editor; Amora: The Inquisition, in post-production; and two shorts for the 48 Hour Film Project, The Final Play (in which he was also part of the cast which won the Best Acting award for Atlanta) and Exclusive.

Eric has also worked as a freelance cameraman for NBC's World Series coverage and Disney.

Eric's IMDB page

MARTIN KELLEY (producer) Martin has a diverse background in independent film. After graduation from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, he started two independent record labels and worked as a music journalist before writing screenplays.

He is an original founder and the Co-President of the Atlanta Screenwriters Group, which is one of the largest screenwriter organizations in the Southeast. He has written screenplays that are in various states of production for several producers including Kingpin Productions (the recently released Vicious, starring Tom Savini), Mischief Films (“Open Season”), and Troy Ashford Films (“Black Silver”).

Most recently, he directed the HD feature Behind The Nine from a script that he co-wrote. The feature has played at several film festivals, including the MEIC Film Festival in Lexington, KY and Saints & Sinners IV in St. Petersburg, FL. His short film, Boy@nt! was selected for the 25th Annual Atlanta Film and Video Festival in 2001 as well as the 2002 Pine Lake Film Festival.

Martin's IMDB page

MUTA'ALI MUHAMMAD (excutive producer) began his filmmaking career with stop motion animation in 1993. His animated shorts include a peace called Caesar and a cinematic interpretation of the famous novel "Farenheight 451"

He created his first short film, entitled The Bad Guy, in 1998 at the New York Film Academy. His first musical short was also completed that year. The following year, he completed work on his first feature length screenplay entitled "Suburban."

Since then he has earned his membership to the Writers Guild of America and completed a re-write of "Purlie's Summer", a feature length movie set to be in production in the spring of 2004 and executive produced by Spike Lee.

Muta'Ali specialized in Interactive Narratives during his studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology and focused his masters thesis on interactive feature length movies. His work at IBM Research focused on the interactive capabilities of a video technology called MPEG-4, which may bring us interactive television.

He has produced and directed his first feature, Amora: The Inquisition, which is currently in post production; on which he worked with director of photography, Eric Bomba-Ire.

Muta'Ali acted in and was the assistant cameraman for Exclusive, a short submitted as part of the annual 48-Hour Film Festival. In addition, he has directed a music video for an Atlanta based rock band Firehazard, for recording company Music's Power, Inc.