The Filmmakers
Alexa-Sascha Lewin
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
Alexa-Sascha recently premiered Trainers, the comedy web series she directed, at FOX (distribution through Comediva) and is developing the feature film, Kingmaker, based on the script she co-wrote with Brad Rister.
Recognized as a "talented, up and coming director," Alexa-Sascha was invited by the co-showrunner of CSI to shadow the producing director. She has subsequently shadowed the Executive Producers/producing directors on Lie to Me (FOX), Castle, (ABC), Covert Affairs (USA), Rookie Blue (ABC), and Trauma (NBC) - where she was invited to direct a scene between Derek Luke and Kevin Rankin. In 2008, Alexa-Sascha was one of eight women selected to AFI's Directing Workshop for Women (DWW), where she directed the short crime thriller, The Honeysting. Alexa-Sascha was awarded the Panavision New Filmmaker grant, the ACE grant, and recently the film was selected for the Tribeca Film Institute's ReFrame Collection, as well as, was picked up for Worldwide All-Media distribution through Shorts International. Alexa-Sascha holds a B.A. from Wheaton College (cum laude in German and film) and studied film at the University of Television and Film Munich and Brown University.
Robby Baumgartner
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Robby began his career in the film industry as a Gaffer lighting for some of the most talented DPs shooting today: Rodrigo Prieto, Chris Menges, Bob Elswit, Dante Spinotti, Darius Khondji, Janusch Kaminski, and Emmanuel Lebiski. His Gaffer credits include 8 Mile, 25th Hour, 21 Grams, Babel, Three Burials of Melquaides Estrada, and the Oscar winning There Will Be Blood.
Between gaffing films Robby jumped at any opportunity to DP or camera operate on low budget films, commercials, shorts and 2nd Unit features, honing his skills behind the camera. After There Will Be Blood won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, Robby transitioned permanently to working as a Director of Photography. Robby has worked as the 2nd Unit Director of Photography on Doug Liman's State of Play, Water for Elephants, Battleship, The Hunger Games, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and most recently, Ben Affleck's Golden Globe winning film, Argo.
Mathew Milani
EDITOR
Mathew Milani is a freelance Media Editor and Videographer. His extensive knowledge as a professional musician and performance artist led him to create Basementape Films in 2006.
His growing pile of media from past performances became his inspiration and he began archiving and editing to preserve these memories. What began as a hobby, soon turned into a new career. His visual talents as an artist paved the way in helping others to archive their work. His goal was not to become the next best media editor, but rather continue his passion for art and expressing the cut in a visually artistic way.
A good deal of his time is spent creating visual backdrops for large stage shows in theme parks and for corporate events around the country. He services a wide range of companies, from Universal Studios to Las Vegas Casinos.
He has worked as a Director and Editor on music videos and on behind the scenes shoots. Most notably he’s worked with Tap-out Clothing, UFC and MMA fighting organizations and Muscle Pharm Supplements.
Mathew is well versed in various non-linear editing including AVID Media Composer, Final Cut Studio 7, Adobe Creative Suites, Boris Suites, FCPX.
Brad Rister
WRITER/PRODUCER
Filmmaking may not be rocket science, but it never hurts to have a rocket scientist on your team. While Brad enjoyed his early work experience in designing space satellite systems, he never lost sight of his passion for storytelling. He first transitioned to writing/ producing natural history/wildlife films and later to narrative screenwriting. Broken represents Brad’s second short film script.
Brad's first short film script, The Honeysting, was selected out of hundreds of screenplays for AFI's Directing Workshop for Women. The Honeysting was selected for the Tribeca Film Institute's ReFrame Collection and was picked up for Worldwide All-Media distribution through Shorts International. He is currently in various stages of development on several feature scripts, including Kingmaker, a script co-written with Alexa-Sascha Lewin, about Gertrude Bell, an ardent advocate of Arab independence and the woman behind the creation of the Kingdom of Iraq.
Elizabeth Keenan
PRODUCTION DESIGNER
After 15 years as an Art Director in the Advertising industry
EK decided to switch gears and enter the motion picture world.
Her first feature film, From Hell shot in the Czech Republic, has led to such projects as Babel, 21 Grams, Greenberg, Alice in Wonderland, and A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III.
She hails from Texas and is an inveterate world traveler.
Yesi Ramirez
CASTING DIRECTOR
Yesi Ramirez has been in casting for 10 years, early on she worked on Gordo, a Showtime award wining short and together with Eve Streger they cast The Honeysting, an AFI Directing Workshop for Women Short, which was directed by Alexa-Sascha Lewin. During her career she's been working on an exciting mix of major studio pictures and critically acclaimed independent films as well as television. Yesi has been involved with projects such as Nebraska (Directed by Alexander Payne), Neighborhood Watch, 21 Jump Street, Lemonade Mouth, Love and Other Drugs, Blood Diamond, Defiance, Just Wright, Cheri, Hurricane Season, War, Inc., I Think I Love My Wife, Ghost Rider, Everybody Hates Chris, Lords of Dogtown, and many others.
Last year she branched off on her own and worked on several independent films including: Taco Shop, Gus and Crawlspace. In the last year she has once again reunited with Eve Streger, and together they have been working on Blood Moon, written by Nick Kazan, the teen comedy Feels So Good, Directed by Josh Stolberg and It’s Dark Here, based on a true story and starring Illeana Douglas and William Mapother. For a full list of credits, visit www.imdb.org.