Andrew Lazar (INVITED)

Andrew Lazar, Executive Producer at Mad Chance Productions is not just a movie producer, but also one of the entertainment industry’s untold-story-seeking entrepreneurs. For Lazar, movie making is all about laying it on the line, taking a risk on great material. Some of his films are smart action-adventures, some are daring, low-budget independent dramas that no one else is brave enough to touch, and some are edgy, well written comedies. To Lazar it doesn’t matter. If it moves him, he finds one way or another – utilizing the full breadth of financing and distribution options available today — to get it to audiences.

Typical of Lazar’s producing style, he continues to move back and forth between the big and the intimate, the studio movie and the breakaway, independent passion project. Lazar produced the live-action/CGI summer hit Cats & Dogs (2001). Also Lazar produced Danny DeVito’s Death to Smoochy (2002) through his Mad Chance Productions, which has a non-exclusive first look deal with Warner Bros. A black comedy about the recently fired, Barney-like host of a children’s show who plots the murder of his rival, the film stars Robin Williams, Edward Norton, Danny DeVito, Jon Stewart and Catherine Keener. Lazar and Mad Chance also produced Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), based on the comic memoir of ‘Gong Show’ host Chuck Barris.

Greg Silverman (INVITED)

Since June 2013, Greg Silverman, President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production at Warner Bros has full oversight of Warner Bros Pictures’ entire development, production and budget.

Silverman got his start in the industry working in craft services on the independent film Two Guys Talkin’ About Girls and then became an assistant at Tri-Star and Mandeville Films before joining Mad Chance as a production executive.

Silverman initially joined Warner Bros. in 1997 as a junior production executive, where he worked on such films as The Matrix, A Perfect Murder and Cats & Dogs. Silverman then joined Revolution Studios as Senior Vice President, Production, overseeing America’s Sweethearts, The One and The New Guy, before returning to Warner Bros. Pictures in 2002 as Vice President, Production. He was promoted to Senior Vice President, Production in 2004 and then to Executive Vice President, Production in 2007. He has overseen production on such projects as The Dukes of Hazzard, The Lake House, The Bucket List, Beerfest, Batman Begins, Troy, Get Smart and Yes Man.
Prior to his current position, Silverman was President of Production at Warner Bros Pictures for two years, after various senior positions within the Pictures Group, including Executive Vice President of Creative Development and Production, where he oversaw blockbusters like 300, The Dark Knight, The Hangover, Inception, and many others.

Lionel Wigram (INVITED)

Actor/Director/Producer/CEO of Lifelike Films, LLC Lionel Wigram, is a British film producer and screenplay writer named a senior vice president of production at Warner Bros in November 2000 where he was a co-executive producer of the 1995 film The Underneath and has been involved in producing the Harry Potter movies as well as writing the screenplay and producing the Sherlock Holmes trilogy. He is currently involved in creating the magical world of J.K. Rowling’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them directed by David Yates as well as producing Guy Ritchie’s Knights of the Round Table: King Arthur written by Joby Harold(Edge of Tomorrow).

James Ganiere

James Ganiere is a writer, film producer and president of Rio Vista Universal best known for producing Pretty Hattie’s Baby, starring Charles Dutton and Alfre Woodard, The Shift and Redemption. Ganiereis currently producing the upcoming Blood Kiss with Amber Benson as well as several television series including Back from the Dead, Attacheand Gear Heads among others.

Robert Amico

Robert Amico is an Actor and Producer and CEO of RFA Productions best known for acting in many TV shows such as General Hospital, and The Bold and The Beautiful and over 75 movies including Blades of Glory, The Last Godfather, Dreamgirls and Amityville Horror. He has also produced many films and TV movies including The Kindness of a Stranger, Tragedy of a Mother and Son, and most recently just finished producing the TV movie, Meat. He is currently in pre-production with his script, Carpe Diem.

Scott Richter

Scott Richter is a Writer, Executive Producer and President of Richter Scale Media. The Austin Film Festival Winner is best known for writing on the TV Series The Christopher Lowell Show and writing and producing the TV movie Whoa!

Suzanne Lyons

Suzanne Lyons launched Snowfall Films in 1999 and to date has produced or executive produced ten movies. These include: A BAFTA award-winning British comedy UNDERTAKING BETTY (aka “Plots With A View”), with actors Christopher Walken, Brenda Blethyn, Alfred Molina and Naomi Watts with Miramax distributing. British/Canadian thriller JERICHO MANSIONS staring James Caan, Genevieve Bujold, Maribel Verdu and Jennifer Tilly. JERICHO MANSIONS was an official selection at the Montreal Film Festival and the Hollywood Film Festival. British/Canadian family comedy BAILEY’S BILLION$ which stars Dean Cain, Laurie Holden, Tim Curry, and Jon Lovitz. A drama HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS, based on J.T. LeRoy novel, starring Asia Argento, Marilyn Manson, Winona Ryder and Peter Fonda. The film premiered during the Directors Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival and screened to high acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival.

Suzanne co-produced the family film THE CHAPERONE with the WWE and distributor Samuel Goldwyn Films, directed by Stephen Herek (“Mr. Holland’s Opus”) and starring Ariel Winter (“Modern Family”) and wrestling star Paul Levesque (Triple H). In addition Ms. Lyons produced three indie thrillers, CANDY STRIPERS distributed by Screen Gems, SÉANCE and PORTAL, both distributed by Lionsgate, and she exec produced DESERT OF BLOOD.

She co-exec produced the thriller, THE CALLING with producers at Breaking Ball Films, Manis Films (“Ides of March”) and exec producer Christine Vachon (“Boys Don’t Cry), with Jason Stone directing and Sony doing distribution. The cast includes Susan Sarandon, Ellen Burstyn, Donald Sutherland, Topher Grace, Gil Bellows and Christopher Heyerdahl. It will be in theatres this August (2014).

Suzanne is producing a thriller this September in Los Angeles with MarVista Entertainment titled MOST LIKELY TO… And she is exec producing a psychological thriller, THE FINAL HOUR, with Dream Front Entertainment and Stone Cold Productions in Nova Scotia with production beginning mid October.

A few projects currently in development include: An award winning screenplay, SCOUTS HONOR, a World War I family action drama with interest from child actor Gulliver McGraph (“Lincoln”); Mark L. Smith’s (“Firestarter,” “Vacancy”) suspense thriller, HARDCOURT; a cop action project titled A.K.A; an animated Christmas feature titled OMARR THE CHRISTMAS CAMEL with interest from actor/singer Amy Grant; an action adventure romantic comedy SHAMBALA set in Asia. Suzanne is as exec producer for a musical family film WITH IMAGINATION with interest from actor/singer Harry Connick Jr.