The Art of Casting: Unraveling the Myth | Film 2011 | SXSW

For independent filmmaking, casting is an essential part. The casting director's role can encompass pre-production, dealing with un-financed material, and helping first time directors gain knowledge about actors, acting, and the business in general.

PRESENTERS
MODERATOR Suzanne Weinert Pres Flatiron Pictures
Suzanne Weinert in an independent writer/producer who began her career as the VP of Shoelace Productions, participating in the development and production of more than 25 projects including Erin Brockovich, Step and the award winning wildlife documentaries Nature Series: Wild Horses of Mongolia and Orangutans of Borneo as well as the award winning short film The Call Back starring Sam Rockwell. Her recent screenplays include rewriting Shrinking Violet for Revolution Studios; Road Stories, directed by Steven Seebring and released February 2004; Good to the Last Drop, a finalist for Best Comedy at the Austin Film Festival; and ExTerminators, a dark comedy about a group of women (Heather Graham, Jennifer Coolidge, Amber Heard) who form a successful business exterminating ex-husbands and ex-boyfriends. Suzanne is currently in post-production on the western The Legends of Hell's Gate, starring Eric Balfour, Henry Thomas, Jenna Dewan, Summer Glau, Robert Buckley and Lou Taylor Pucci and is set to begin production in Sring 2011 on a race car movie, One In a Million Hero. Suzanne holds an M.F.A. from the School of the Arts, Columbia University; a Graduate Certificate from The Writing Program, Columbia University and a B.A. in Writing from Columbia University. She is a Professor of Advanced Screenwriting at both the School of Visual Arts, NYC and Fordham University, NYC.

Cindy Tolan Casting Dir N/A
CINDY TOLAN -- CASTING DIRECTOR Film credits include, BLUE VALENTINE, IT'S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY, LETTERS TO JULIET, SUGAR, THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE, THE DARJEELING LIMITED, THE NAMESAKE, SHERRYBABY, KINSEY, STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, THE BALLAD OF JACK AND ROSE, PERSONAL VELOCITY, LOGGERHEADS, CASA DE LOS BABYS, ANGELA. Upcoming: THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST, MAY IN THE SUMMER, ANOTHER HAPPY DAY, HENRY'S CRIME. Broadway credits include, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON, A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE, ALL MY SONS (also Associate Producer), XANADU, AVENUE Q, MEDEA, A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD. Television credits, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS, FRINGE, THE RETURN OF JEZEBEL JAMES.
Beth Sepko Casting Dir Beth Sepko Casting

Alexa Fogel Beech Hill Films
Alexa L. Fogel is currently casting the second season of HBO's series TREME, by THE WIRE and GENERATION KILL creator David Simon, and Warren Leight's new FX series LIGHTS OUT. Alexa L. Fogel recently completed casting THE SITTER for director David Gordon Greene for 20th Century Fox; TOO BIG TO FAIL for director Curtis Hanson for HBO Films -- based on Andrew Ross Sorkin's book; and RED TAILS for LucasFilm, a drama about the Tuskegee Airmen during WWII. Previously, Ms. Fogel cast five seasons of HBO's award winning series THE WIRE. As producer, Ms. Fogel's most recent film HELENA FROM THE WEDDING premiered at SXSW '10, and was released last fall.