Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 7:00PM

James Bridges Theater, Melnitz Hall, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

Producers Marketplace featured four graduate students from the distinguished Producers Program presenting their feature film or television project to a panel of top-tier industry judges before a live audience. Finalists deliver brief concept pitches and then field questions from the judges about their project and their financing strategy.

The judges select the most promising proposal for the Dan Angel Family Producers Award, and the audience selects its favorite pitch for the Barbara Boyle Promising Producers Prize.

Each year, the producing students choose an esteemed producer from the industry in recognition of their talent, success and leadership within the film community.

Student hosts: Nae Talison and Grace Vincent.

The Finalists

Runze Qiu

Bio: Runze Qiu graduated magna cum laude from NYU Tisch in 2020, where he double majored in Film Production and Analytical Economics. Subsequently, he worked for two years in Beijing as an assistant to an executive producer before attending the UCLA Producers Program to focus his career on film and TV creative development. At UCLA, Runze has worked in Development as an intern at FilmNation Entertainment, Media Res Studio, COL Media, Zero Gravity Management, and Whitaker Entertainment at the Walt Disney Studio. Your Room Is Ready, the short film he produced during his first year at UCLA, was officially selected by the LA Shorts International Film Festival, an Academy-Awards-qualifying festival. Out of the Producers Program, Runze aims to champion the underrepresented voices of Asian American talents and produce director-driven thriller, suspense, and horror films in the vein of Parasite and Black Swan. Currently, he intends to pursue a career in film development at a studio or a production company.

Thesis: Cauliflower. Psychological Thriller Feature. After accidentally killing his bullying wrestling coach in a private training session, an overly ambitious freshman high school wrestler suddenly starts to hear the voice of his dead coach from his infected cauliflower ear. As the voice guides him toward his dream high school wrestling tournament championship, the protagonist struggles to maintain his sanity as the voice gets darker and darker.

Category: Feature

Mattie Friberg

Bio: Mattie Friberg is an aspiring TV comedy development executive interested in creating smart and irreverent TV comedies that subvert existing power structures and tell stories that flip the script on the world we all inhabit. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Film and History at the University of Vermont, she spent a short stint filming House and Senate press briefings and hearings on Capitol Hill before deciding to get out of dodge. Next she worked for National Geographic, cool, right? She mainly worked on shows about sick cows and the poor vets who have to stick their hands up their butts, which were presumably being watched by about 6 people in South Dakota. After a few years of that whole situation, as well as a year on Maui working as an underwater photographer, she decided to head back to school to fulfill a lifelong dream of being able to tell people she has a Master’s Degree. Since moving out to Los Angeles, Mattie has interned with Anton Corp, Amasia Entertainment, Artists First, Concourse Media, and 3 Arts Entertainment. All that being said, with any of the free time she can scrape together, you can find her surfing at Topanga Beach.

**WINNER Dan Angel Family Producers Award
**WINNER Barbara Boyle Promising Producers Prize

Thesis: Zoomans. Logline: In this adult half-hour animated comedy, a group of people find themselves stuck in a human zoo on an alien spaceship and will have to learn to rely on each other to stay sane and try to find their way back home, or else never see their loved ones again.

Category: TV

Tara Wilson

Bio: Tara Wilson received her undergraduate degree from the University of Washington in 2022, graduating magna cum laude in just three years with a major in English and emphasis in Creative Writing. While there, she interned at Skydance Animation, falling in love with the content and whimsical visuals. Since arriving at UCLA, Tara has interned at a number of companies, including DreamWorks Animation and Zero Gravity Management, where she has been able to further her love for animated projects in both development and production. Tara hopes to one day create films that inspired her growing up, showcasing enchanting stories, unforgettable characters, and imaginative worlds that only animation is capable of creating.

Thesis: The Tree of Life. 3D Animated Feature. After the previous loss of their parents, two siblings go on a journey to find the mystical World Tree from Norse mythology to save their dying grandmother. As they search for a fabled fruit that is capable of bringing someone back from near death, they discover the resilience needed to move forward from grief.

Category: Feature

Hope Kindred

Bio: Hope Kindred received her undergraduate degree in Theory and Practice of Cinema from California State University, Long Beach, in 2022. At CSULB, Hope worked on a wide variety of film and television projects, tried nearly every position on set, and found her passion in producing. During her time at UCLA, Hope interned at Blue Yonder Productions, Anarchists United, and Valhalla Entertainment. She also co-produced two UCLA short films. Upon graduation, Hope plans on pursuing a career in physical production, working her way up the ladder to become a line producer.

Thesis Logline: A rebellious older sister must embrace a life of crime by working for a vicious pirate queen in order to get her pure-of-heart younger sister back before the pirate queen sells her off to the highest bidder. Thesis Title: Belladonna Thesis Format: 1 hour adventure

Category: TV

CLASS OF 2024

Oscar Gervet is a French-American producer based in Los Angeles. He produces director-driven features from all over the world, focusing on elevated thriller, horror, and sci-fi. He most recently produced the science-thriller proof of concept “JIN,” which was awarded the 2023 Sloan Science in Cinema Filmmaker Fellowship. Prior, Oscar assisted a producing partner at Entertainment 360 and worked in top independent production companies and studios. Oscar is graduating from the UCLA Producers Program MFA with an emphasis in screenwriting.

Jenae “Nae” Talison is a 24-year-old self-proclaimed “Midwest Baddie” from Columbus, OH. As a child, Nae was fascinated with television and film, particularly, an avid lover of the Disney Channel and loved the series: The Proud Family, That’s So Raven, and Hannah Montana. Nae graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mass Communications and Africana Studies from Tennessee State University in May 2022. Currently, she is a 2nd year Master of Fine Arts Student at the University of California-Los Angeles studying Film and Television Production through the highly competitive Producer’s Program and will graduate in June 2024. Nae’s ultimate goal is to create a television, film, and podcast production company/studio solely focused on telling Black female stories across the diaspora.

Amanda Jaeger is a L.A. based creative producer and filmmaker, specializing in elevated, character-driven stories. Having cut her teeth as an entertainment publicist at premiere PR firm 42West, Jaeger is currently completing her MFA at UCLA’s Film & TV Producing Program. During her candidacy, she has worked for companies such as United Talent Agency (UTA), Roadside Attractions, Fortitude International, and Miley and Tish Cyrus’ HopeTown Entertainment. Jaeger has also dedicated her Master’s to producing creative projects focusing on fresh voices and authentic narratives. She has spearheaded several UCLA projects, with two short films in post-production and two features and a drama pilot in development.

Shumpei Sakai is a film producer passionate about projects based on a true story. With a keen eye for storytelling honed through experiences as a Japanese newspaper journalist, Sakai brings a unique blend of global perspective and cinematic acumen to his work. Before coming to LA, at a Japanese prestigious newspaper company Nikkei Inc., Sakai worked as a journalist covering hundreds of prestigious companies in Japan. This position saw him researching and writing extensively on the Japanese retail industry, earning commendations for his journalistic excellence. Fluent in Japanese and English, Sakai embodies a dynamic skill set essential for contemporary storytelling. His academic excellence and global exposure position him as a rising talent in the entertainment industry. Now, Sakai is going to enter the field of adaptation of Japanese IP into American films and TV shows.

Stephanie Morales Macedo was born in Seattle but raised in Kansas, Stephanie Morales Macedo is a first-generation Mexican American with a passion for horror producing. Stephanie attended the University of Kansas where she double majored in journalism and film, making her the first person in her family to obtain a college degree. Concurrently, she was working as a sports broadcaster for four years in the Kansas City area. Stephanie enjoyed her career as a sports broadcaster, but she always wanted to work in the film industry. Ever since Stephanie was a child, she always noticed that the Latine/Hispanic community was misrepresented and underrepresented in TV and film. Stephanie thought things would get better with time, but she quickly came to realize that not much has improved since she was a child. Additionally, Stephanie is a huge horror fan and has never seen people like herself represented in the genre. Stephanie was motivated to create change in the industry, so she decided to take action and apply to UCLA’s Producers Program. Today, Stephanie is a creative producer who aspires to produce horror films with Latine representation that challenge the norm while still scaring people. Stephanie has interned at Zero Gravity Management, Atomic Monster, Project X Entertainment/Radio Silence and Ghost House Pictures and has also produced two short films during her time at UCLA. After graduating, Stephanie plans to become a horror production company assistant.

THE DECAY Logline: After a possessed and sickly father’s diabetes turns deadly, two

estranged sisters must work together to take care of him, but also figure out what’s truly killing

him.

Neil Patel was raised on the Indiana-Ohio border, where the world seemed to end at the cornfields. My immigrant parents ran a roadside motel, and I learned the meaning of hard work – sometimes even ditching baseball practice to vacuum rooms. But that small-town life fueled my curiosity. After finishing my business degree, I didn’t take the expected path. While I’d earned a JD/MBA, my parents encouraged me to chase my dreams.

That led me on a wild ride to India, first chasing an acting career (my Hindi skills weren’t the best), then returning to co-produce the acclaimed film ‘A Death in the Gunj’. Success was sweet, but I wanted more – to be the one calling the shots. UCLA’s Producers Program honed that vision, teaching me to champion stories that shatter expectations.

Now, I’m back at my company, Moh Maya Media, ready to disrupt the Bollywood formula. We’re not about cookie-cutter plots. We’re about the quirky, the bold, the characters as real and messy as life itself. Our stories will have global appeal, but more importantly, they’ll capture the evolving heart of India and the Indian-American experience.

Marion Adou, a second-year MFA Producers Program student from France, holds an undergraduate degree in International Development Studies from McGill University. Marion interned at TF1, focusing on unscripted show development, before pursuing her master’s at UCLA. She has completed internships at Studiocanal US and is currently at Lilly Wachowski’s production company in development. Fascinated by the Hollywood producing style and a lover of her own country, she wants to build more bridges between France and the US. She aspires to produce elevated Franco-American film and TV sets in Europe. The goal is to make the next THE WHITE LOTUS set in Paris and the French LA LA LAND. To use a metaphor, she wants to do film and TV cronuts: prestige features and shows that blend the flavors of a croissant and the essence of a donut!

Morgan Goldstein is an aspiring producer and studio development executive. He is a visual dreamer passionate about tentpole features such as Titanic, The Dark Knight trilogy, and The Hunger Games franchise. He graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelors Degree in English with a concentration in writing at the University of San Francisco in 2020. Recognizing his desire to find and create more tentpole films, Morgan took UCLA Extension classes during the COVID pandemic and discovered his love for film producing and development. Since joining UCLA’s Producers Program, he has interned at a management company, a literary management company, and two production companies to gain work experience in film and television development. Upon graduation, Morgan plans to work at a talent agency to see the business side of the industry and get a foundation before pursuing a job at a production company or a studio development position. He hopes to one day green light and eventually produce the next big tentpole film to immerse and inspire audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Tyrus N. Parks is an American Film and TV producer who specializes in project / talent development and international pre-sells. He was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia with an undying love for television & film, music, and helping others. Tyrus’ life changed when he went to the Cannes Film Festival for the first time in the summer of 2015. After deciding on an Acquisitions path he relocated to Los Angeles in 2016.

In Los Angeles, Tyrus landed in the role of international distribution and acquisitions of formats agent with A+E Studios. Tyrus left A=E when he was presented with an opportunity in London producing a project called Flashback: The History of Black British Music.

During the Pandemic Tyrus started his own multi-media company, Parks Prolific Productions LLC and began cultivating a reality show for the Kendrick family, Coming Up: The Kendricks currently on Tubi, due to their success on Family Feud, garnering some of the highest ratings of all time. An object in motion tends to stay in motion. Since attending UCLA, Tyrus has produced two short films. His most recent production under his Parks Prolific umbrella was a music video for a song recorded by two of the leads on the series Snowfall. Post graduation, Tyrus plans to go back into the international markets, working to help create localized content that can travel globally. Simultaneously, Tyrus will continue creating travel content for his personal brand and actively producing music videos and commercials while expanding his company, Parks Prolific Productions, into the production services sector.

Coraline Yang Kong is thriving as an independent producer in Los Angeles. Originally from China, where her passion for film was sparked, Coraline has gained significant experience in indie film production in LA since 2020. She holds a BA in Cinema and Television Arts from California State University, Northridge, and has line-produced several short and feature indie projects. Her films have garnered recognition at numerous prestigious film festivals worldwide, including an Oscar-qualified short film

Committed to producing impactful stories, Coraline focuses on amplifying the Asian American experience through cinema. Influenced by films like “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “The Farewell,” and “The Joy Luck Club,” her work centers on character-driven narratives that explore the intricacies of immigrant life and identity. Coraline aims to bring to light stories that resonate deeply with audiences and foster a greater appreciation for diverse perspectives.