A Kiss on the Nose

THE FILMMAKERS

LAURA NERI
(Writer/Director/Producer)
Laura Neri was born in Belgium of a Greek mother and an Italian father, which meant she had to learn three languages by the time she was four. She got her BA with Honors in Film Analysis and Screenwriting at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, where 2-times Palme d’Or winner Luc Dardenne was her teacher and thesis mentor. She then got an MFA in Film Production at the University of Southern California, where she was the recipient of a grant by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. She was also selected by USC to receive a full scholarship for two years. Her thesis film "A Kiss on the Nose” has so far screened at more than 50 festivals worldwide and won over 15 awards. It can now be seen on Rete 4 in Italy, SiTV in the US, United Airlines flights and MiniMovies. Her short “Fighting Auditions” is now making the festivals rounds and is in talks about an Internet deal, while her documentary “Ethnic Jewelry”, filmed at the Lalaounis Museum in Athens, was sent to the Museum of Salonica to be screened as a complement to the jewelry exhibition. Laura Neri is currently in pre-production on her feature script, “Bedmates”, a politically incorrect dark comedy in the spirit of “Brick” and “Clerks” which will be shot in L.A. She is represented by In Cahoots Management.

GAVIN KELLY
(Cinematographer)
Gavin Kelly is an award-winning director of photography who has lensed a wide spectrum of narrative features and shorts, music videos, commercials, documentaries and television projects. His extensive background in visual arts, music, and film has helped him become a distinctive, dynamic visual collaborator. While in undergraduate studies in Visual Arts at U.C.S.D., Gavin was awarded two Student Emmys for his films. Gavin went on to receive an M.F.A. in film production at the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television in 2004. In 2005 Gavin received the prestigious A.S.C. Charles B. Lang Heritage Award for Outstanding Cinematography, Honorable Mention, from the American Society of Cinematographers, a distinction that celebrates rising new talent in cinematography. Gavin's recent credits include the feature film “All The Days Before Tomorrow”, with Shaft star Richard Roundtree, and “Little Fish, Strange Pond”, with Matthew Modine and Adam Baldwin.

VALERIE BART
(Costume Designer)
Valerie T. Bart was born and raised in France after her parents took refuge from Vietnam following the Fall of Saigon. Grateful to be granted citizenship and a new chance at life, they named her after then French president, Valery Giscard d'Estaing. Valerie is a freelance designer and illustrator. Her most recent production were Santa Ana College's children's show James and the Giant Peach and two dance concerts. Other theatre design credits include critically acclaimed Monster by Neal Bell and One Flea Spare by Naomi Wallace both for Sight Unseen Theatre Group; Twelfth Night for Footprint on the Sun Theatre Company; and Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis for UCLA Repertory Theatre. She was also Assistant Designer for A Midsummer Night's Dream at A Noise Within Theatre Company; The Wind in the Willows, The Little Prince, and Pinoccchio at South Coast Repertory Theatre. Short film credits include Inspiration by Jonathon Dillon, top ten finalist of the COCA-COLA REFRESHING YOUNG FILMMAKERS contest; and The Commotion by Jon Howard. She is working on the short film Letters from Purgatory by Paul Young, currently in post-production, as well as assisting crafts for South Coast Repertory's season opener Caucasian Chalk Circle. She holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of California, Los Angeles. For more, please visit www.valeriebart.com.

EVELIN LONGO
(Editor)
Evelin was born in Venice and never set a foot on a gondola! She sang in a choir for a decade traveling all around Europe and developed a serious nomadic addiction. She did the impossible to get all the scholarships to be sent to study abroad. Along came Wales, Paris, and Montreal. When she got her MA cum laude in Foreign Literatures, she moved to Rome to explore her other huge addiction: cinema. She became the assistant to the Head of Acquisitions in a film distribution company working for the Italian National Broadcast RAI. Then she spent 2 years in Hong Kong teaching European Cinema in 5 different universities to finally realize I gotta become a filmmaker myself! She flew to Los Angeles and got an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California, specializing in directing and editing. She directed several short films including "Tremors", a project selected by USC to be fully sponsored, and "Stopover", her most recent directorial work. She worked as a writer and associate producer for a 20-episode TV program produced by Fox Italy, "Hollywood Style".

ALDO SHLLAKU
(Composer)
Aldo Shllaku was born in Albania where he started to study music at the age of 6. He completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in Music Composition in Montreal and Los Angeles. Aldo has written music for feature, documentary and short films, stage, commercials and TV. His repertoire includes compositions for orchestra, chamber ensembles and various instruments. He is now living in Los Angeles, pursuing a professional career. For more information on the composer, please visit www.aldoshllaku.com.

JON KING
(Sound Designer/Editor)
Jon King hails from Waukesha, WI, where he lived until coming to film school at USC. He recently graduated with a B.A. in Cinema/Television Production and is currently doing freelance work in Los Angeles. Specializing in sound recording, editing, and mixing, Jon has worked on dozens of student films. He also enjoys writing, directing, cinematography, and animation. In his spare time he writes music and teaches part-time at a high school in Burbank.

RAMJASHA RHODES
(Producer)
Ramjasha "Ra" Rhodes was born in Washington, DC then moved to Dallas, TX when he was 10 years old. He discovered he had a talent for performing when he booked his first audition at the age of 13. He didn't pursue the art until he was 21. In Texas, he made appearances in a number of productions and received best performance at the Aurora Film Festival in Utah for the short film "A Time to Play". While coaching young actors, he scored roles on Walker, Texas Ranger. He then moved to Toronto where he performed with Canada's Premiere Scottish Comedy and Dance troop. After a very successful run with the Tartan Terrors he moved to Los Angeles, CA and added film production to his repertoire. Working his way up from the bottom, he has established himself as a favorite among Indie film producers. He currently works as a feature film production manager and loves pork chops.

BRETT HENENBERG
(Producer)

LINDA PIANIGIANI
(Co-producer)
Born and raised in Siena, Italy, Linda graduated with a BA in Film Theory from the University of Bologna, Italy, and completed her post-graduate studies in Film, TV and Digital Media Production at University of California Los Angeles. During her time in Bologna, she co-funded Associazione Culturale Victor, a non-profit organization established in 1997 with the aim of producing, promoting and supporting quality cinema production. Since its inception, the organization has taken part in the realization of various award-winning short films and documentaries, both independently and in cooperation with broadcasters such as RaiSat, and with private and public European organizations. While finishing her studies at UCLA, she worked on several short films, including the award winning “A Kiss on the Nose”, which she co-produced, and the Venice Film Festival selection "The Arsonist", by Myles Sorensen.