As a part of our special Behind the Camera events on October 21st, we were honored to have award-winning writer / executive producer / showrunner Dan O’Shannon join us for a special student event at Cuyahoga Community College.
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission hosted a free special event for Northeast Ohio high school and college students at Cuyahoga Community College’s Metro Campus. Students and educators received behind-the-scenes advice from Dan on how to make it in the industry. GCFC Intern and Tri-C Student Vera Howard served as student moderator.
Vera is an independent filmmaker, and established a film production company, Arev Studious, LLC in 2021. Vera is currently studying at Cuyahoga Community College, seeking to earn her Associate of Arts Degree in 2024.
Vera knew she had a place in the film industry when her passion for filmmaking was ignited by acting in elementary school stage plays. As a kid, she would write and create her own short films, and continues to create her own content as a part of Arev Studios, LLC. Vera hopes to showcase diversity, equality, and inclusion through her creative work.
EVENT PHOTOS
Thank you to everyone who joined us for Behind the Camera, starring Dan O’Shannon, award-winning screenwriter of Cheers, Frasier, Modern Family and more!
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission was excited to host award-winning writer and producer Dan O’Shannon for the return of its signature Behind the Camera event on Friday, October 21st, 2022.
Dan O’Shannon, a Northeast Ohio native, is a writer / showrunner / executive producer on some of the most successful and iconic sitcoms of all time. His credits include Newhart, Cheers, Frasier, and Modern Family. Dan has been nominated for 11 Emmy® awards, winning six. He has also been nominated for an Academy Award. Toss in a guest actor spot on The Golden Girls and writing credits on 18 additional TV shows, two Golden Globes®, and an Annie Award® for Best Animated Short, 2005.
In addition to being an accomplished television writer and producer, Dan is the author of two books, The Adventures of Mrs. Jesus, and What Are You Laughing At? A Comprehensive Guide to the Comedic Event.
Behind the Camera with Dan O’Shannon was a moderated conversation held at the Hilarities 4th Street Theatre at Pickwick & Frolic, moderated by WKYC NBC anchor Christi Paul. This look behind the scenes included various topics ranging from Dan’s experiences in the entertainment business, how growing up in Northeast Ohio impacted his career, and unique insight into the creative process behind some of TV’s all-time greatest comedies. That same morning, GCFC also hosted a student Q&A with Dan for local high school and college students at Cuyahoga Community College’s Metro Campus.
Proceeds from this event helped fund the Greater Cleveland Film Commission’s local workforce training programs.
Special thank you to our “Showrunner” Presenting Sponsors, Legacy Capital Partners & Sequoia Financial Group.
With thanks to our “Series Producer” Sponsor Kohrman Jackson & Krantz LLP, and “Story Editor” Sponsors, IATSE Local 209, Medical Mutual, Teamsters Local 407, Lisa Mullin Federico & Paul Federico, Tom & Ruth Meadows, Sarah & Alan Melamed, and Allison Smith Newsome, Esq. Event filming by Garage Creative Studios.
About the Moderator
Credit: CNN
Christi Paul
Christi Paul is a Bellevue, Ohio native who recently moved back to Cleveland to anchor WKYC NBC affiliate’s 5pm “What’s New.” For the past nine years, she anchored CNN’s “New Day” weekend edition, in addition to reporting and anchoring for HLN during the week since 2003.
From covering presidential inaugurations and elections to anchoring breaking news, including the Pulse nightclub shooting and the school shootings in Newtown and Virginia Tech, Christi brings years of national experience, reporting and covering the most pressing and memorable stories of our time with a deep passion for helping those in need.
A graduate of the University of Toledo, Christi began her career in local news as a one- woman-band at WDTV in Clarksburg, WV before ultimately moving to KTVB in Boise and eventually KNXV and KTVK in Phoenix.
EVENT PHOTOS
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the Fall Media Mixer at the new Pioneer Cleveland!
Media Mixers are FREE networking events that allow current and aspiring film professionals to network with each other, learn what’s filming in Northeast Ohio, and what’s new for the GCFC.
Attendees are encouraged to meet new people and talk about upcoming projects and potential opportunities. These events are part of the GCFC’s Workforce Development efforts, always working to make sure our local professionals can network and share ideas about growing the media industry in Northeast Ohio.
Thank you to everyone who joined Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC) as we hosted our 2nd Annual DEI Documentary Spotlight series, featuring the film The Shadow Between Us, presented by Legacy Capital Partners.
The DEI Documentary Spotlight series is supported in part by the residents of Cuyahoga County through a public grant from Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
Special thanks to our Community Sponsor Medical Mutual, and to our Screening Sponsors, McGowan PAE, Mt. Zion Congregational Church, and Sequoia Financial Group.
Thank you to our event partners Brewnuts Donuts & Beer, Cleveland Cinemas, Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival, Long Division Creative, and ThirdSpace Action Lab.
How do people from different backgrounds and experiences come together and find healing when a traumatic event threatens to drive them further apart? This was the question the nation asked in 2020 following the death of George Floyd.
Dance artists around the world answered that question, using their art to start difficult conversations, encourage empathy, and help others find healing and community.
The collaboration between Cleveland’s Obadiah Baker and The Silhouettes (Golden Buzzer Act America’s Got Talent The Champions 2020 and First Runner-Up on AGT Season 6) led to THE SHADOW BETWEEN US, a film about overcoming racial tensions by healing the divide. Three-time Emmy® award-winning photojournalist and director Lance Murphey documented this partnership for the film. Drawing on his background covering social and humanitarian issues, Murphey shares the story of Nehemiah Spencer, an award-winning professional dancer, and choreographer from Cleveland’s Glenville community.
The film tells the story of Nehemiah, a Black dancer trapped in a pandemic lockdown in Cleveland. He is asked to join a mostly white dance troupe in Colorado to create a silhouette-based dance performance that seeks solutions to police brutality in the killing of George Floyd. Nehemiah had given up dance but finds the courage to travel far from home to participate in the project. The resulting performance transforms all participants in unexpected ways, reinforcing that our shadows are all the same color and only light can drive out darkness.
During events spanning four days, GCFC’s annual DEI Documentary Spotlight series presented community screenings, panel discussions with the filmmakers, and workshops with students to encourage interest in filmmaking, documentary film, social issue storytelling, and Northeast Ohio.
WATCH THE TRAILER:
EVENTS
THE SHADOW BETWEEN US • DEI Documentary Spotlight Premiere Screening
Capitol Theatre • 1390 W. 65th St., Cleveland, OH 44102
Wednesday, September 21st at 6:30 pm
All proceeds helped fund our DEI and education programs
The DEI Documentary Spotlight Premiere Screening and conversation with the filmmakers was held at the historic Capitol Theatre, located in Gordon Square Arts District. Immediately following the screening, director Lance Murphey was joined by executive producer and composer Obadiah Baker and Nehemiah Spencer, a native of Cleveland’s Glenville community and the subject of the film, for a moderated Q&A.
A post-screening reception was held at Brewnuts.
THE SHADOW BETWEEN US • “Reel Education for Real Jobs” Education Outreach
Cleveland High School for Digital Arts
Thursday, September 22nd
**CMSD School for Digital Arts Students Only**
In conjunction with the GCFC FilmSkills 17-week training course held at the Cleveland High School for Digital Arts, clips from THE SHADOW BETWEEN US were screened for the participating class, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers regarding technical processes of documentary filmmaking and unique behind-the-scenes insights and challenges that went into the making of the film during the pandemic.
THE SHADOW BETWEEN US • Community Screening with Filmmaker Q&A
GCFC partners with The Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival to present a Community Screening
Mt. Zion Congregational Church • 10723 Magnolia Dr., Cleveland, OH 44106
Thursday, September 22nd at 6:00 pm
In partnership with the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission hosted a free screening for the community at the Mt. Zion Congregational Church, followed by a Q&A with director Lance Murphey, executive producer and composer Obadiah Baker, and professional dancer and subject of the film, Nehemiah Spencer.
THE SHADOW BETWEEN US Live Director’s Commentary & Documentary Film Workshop
ThirdSpace Action Lab • 1464 E. 105th St., Cleveland, OH 44106
Saturday, September 24th at 8 am – 12 pm
The GCFC hosted a Live Director’s Commentary & Documentary Film Workshop with THE SHADOW BETWEEN US director Lance Murphey. This event was held at the ThirdSpace Action Lab and included a screening of the film, paused periodically to hear behind-the-scenes stories and filmmaking insights from the filmmakers, as well as audience Q&A. James D. Robenalt, author of the book “Ballots and Bullets: Black Power Politics and Urban Guerrilla Warfare in 1968 Cleveland” featured in the film joined the panelists, executive producer and composer Obadiah Baker, and the film’s subject, Nehemiah Spencer.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Lance Murphey, Director
Drawn to filmmaking as a photojournalist, director Lance Murphey’s first documentary film, “Nobody,” told the story of a homeless man running from his demons and finding grace in unlikely places. The film premiered at the prestigious Full Frame Film Festival and was featured on the Dr. Phil Show. Since then, Murphey has produced many short films and documentaries around the world, which have earned three Emmys, a national Addy and been honored by TED.COM as one of 20 Ads Worth Spreading in the World.
Murphey has chronicled many social and humanitarian issues throughout his career, including a years long project documenting a historic pattern of discrimination against Black farmers, which led to a billion dollar lawsuit against the USDA. Murphey’s photography has earned dozens of national and international awards, and his work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post and all major media outlets.
A recent collaboration between Cleveland’s Obadiah Baker and The Silhouettes from America’s Got Talent, led to “The Shadow Between Us,” a film about overcoming police brutality and racism through healing the divide between black and white.
Murphey lives in Boulder, Colorado.
Obadiah Baker, Executive Producer & Composer
Obadiah Baker (b. 1981) is an American composer and film producer who draws inspiration from film soundtracks and life events. His music creates colorful, empathetic sound worlds that convey strong emotions of joy, sorrow, compassion, and struggle. He often juxtaposes rich harmonies and full orchestrations with passionate melodies and improvisation, reflecting his classical training at Interlochen Arts Academy and Black heritage as a gospel and jazz musician. His musical themes and documentary storylines typically touch on intersectionality, urging listeners and viewers to self-reflect to influence sustainable societal change.
Obadiah is the president and founder of Tender Heart Crusades, a 501c3 nonprofit that services at-risk youth through education and community service. Through his organization, he has made a name for himself as a global community leader, changing lives one note and film at a time. His recent film, The Shadow Between Us, premiered at the 2022 Toronto Black Film Festival, featuring a reduced theatrical version of his piece Winter about the COVID-19 global pandemic. This music won “Best Soundtrack” at the 2022 Shadow Film Festival in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The Bergamot Quartet recently performed the first and second movements—Kyiv and Lviv—of his string quartet Ukraine, centering on the Russo-Ukrainian War in Eastern Europe.
Obadiah has had his music performed by many professional and student ensembles, including, but not limited to, the New England Conservatory Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestras, Prague Orchestra, Bergamot String Quartet, Popebama experimental music ensemble, and Rainey Institutes’ El Sistema. He has also produced four opera buffa short films—Connection Lost (The Tinder Opera), Something Blue (The Bachelor Opera), Someone Like Me (The Facebook Opera), and Rumspringawakening (The Amish Opera)—with filmmaker Adam Taylor of Galaxy454 studios. Current projects include the third and fourth movements of his string quartet Ukraine, a series of Libations short chamber works dedicated to great jazz saxophonists in history, Speechless (The Caveman Opera), an orchestral and choral arrangement of the State Anthem of Ukraine Shche ne vmerla Ukrainy i slava, i volia for an upcoming documentary film, and an arrangement of Lift Every Voice and Sing for Juneteenth.
Obadiah holds degrees in music (B.M.) from the New England Conservatory, studying with Danilo Perez, Fred Hersch, and Michael Gandolfi, a degree in business (M.B.A.) from the University of Arkansas Grantham, and currently a double-degree student (E.D.D. and M.M.) in leadership and management with a concentration in creativity and innovation at Drexel University and music composition at John Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute, studying with Sky Macklay and Kevin Puts. He is also a civil affairs commissioned officer in the United States Army Reserves, currently at the rank of Major (promotable). Recent awards include the Army’s Humanitarian Service Award for COVID-19 relief operations and the Fulbright Scholar award, where he will study the cross-cultural replication and power of shadow dance in Israel as a conflict resolution and global peace intervention technique, focusing on the interplay of Israeli Gaga and American shadow dance on Israeli Jewish students’ awareness of race and identity.
Obadiah now lives in downtown Baltimore, MD, where he continues to impact communities at home and worldwide through his music and films.
Nehemiah Spencer, Subject of the Film
Nehemiah Spencer is an award-winning professional dancer and choreographer from Cleveland, OH. A native of Cleveland’s Glenville community, infamous for the Glenville Shootout of 1968, Nehemiah attended the Cleveland School of the Arts (CSA), where he studied dance. Through overcoming the hardships of poverty and as a Black male dancer, Nehemiah followed his dreams to attend the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City. There, he earned a bachelor’s in fine arts in dance.
Upon graduating, Nehemiah performed as a dance soloist in the Broadway production of The Wiz, directed by Tony award-winning choreographer George Faison. He also traveled the world as a principal dancer with Complexions Contemporary Ballet and a principal with Abraham-in-Motion, under the direction of Kyle Abraham, a recipient of the MacArthur “Genius Grant” Award. Moreover, he also worked with Cleveland dance icons like Dianne Mcintyre, Edna Duffy, and Reggie Kelly, to name a few. Nehemiah also recorded with Jill Scott in her music video Back Together. He also choreographed three musicals: Dreamgirls, 42nd Street, and Memphis. Nehemiah recently worked with America’s Got Talent 2020 Golden Buzzer Finalist, The Silhouettes, in a documentary film called The Shadow Between Us, directed by three-time Emmy Award-Winning filmmaker Lance Murphey and producer and composer Obadiah Baker. This film centers on healing the racial divide in America through shadow and light. This film premiered at the 2020 Toronto Black Film Festival and received numerous awards and screenings worldwide.
Since 2012, Nehemiah has served the Greater Cleveland community with his Nehemiah Project, a summer dance intensive that provided quality and affordable training for at-risk youth. Former Ohio Governor John R. Kasich also recognized Nehemiah in Dance Teacher and Dance Magazine. Today Nehemiah is the Director of Arts at Hope Academy Northwest, working with students from K-8. He also is the Director of Reflections Dance Theater, 2022 inaugural dance winners in the national competition How Sweet the Sound. Nehemiah looks to continue to share his love for dance, community, and teaching with the world and use his gifts as an instrument to propel society forward.
James Robenalt, Author
Author of four nonfiction books: Ballots and Bullets, Black Power Politics and Urban Guerrilla Warfare in 1968 Cleveland (2018); January 1973, Watergate, Roe v Wade, Vietnam, and the Month that Changed America Forever (2015); The Harding Affair, Love and Espionage During the Great War (2009); and Linking Rings, William W. Durbin and the Magic and Mystery of America (2004). Robenalt lectures nationally with John Dean, Nixon’s White House Counsel, on legal ethics and the legacy of Watergate. Together they have spoken to tens of thousands of lawyers across the country in one of the most acclaimed continuing legal education programs. Robenalt is a partner at the law firm of Thompson Hine LLP. He lives in Shaker Heights, Ohio. He has written extensively on the presidency, Article II, impeachment, Watergate, abortion and the Progressive Era. His great-grandfather was the register of the United States Treasury under President Franklin Roosevelt and also the first elected president of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. He advocates for an Ohio Presidential Center. He speaks on racism and implicit bias.
ABOUT THE GCFC
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is the only 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to driving job creation and economic impact by supporting a thriving and adaptive film and television industry in Northeast Ohio. Since 2009, media projects in Ohio have generated more than $1.2 billion in economic impact and created 6,192 full-time equivalent jobs, thanks to our work.
As a nonprofit, the GCFC doesn’t receive any proceeds from the productions that film here. Every dollar you donate directly impacts building a sustainable and lucrative industry that creates jobs in our region.
The GCFC presents events like this to bring people together and to help fund these programs:
All proceeds from this event series will help fund our D.E.I and education programs.
The Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival showcased independent Black films from the brightest minds in filmmaking during this year’s festival from September 15 – 23.
GCFC and GCUFF were honored to present an exclusive panel with local film professionals.
THE MOVIE BIZ IN THE CLE: MOVIE JOBS & MOVIE MONEY
Saturday, September 17th
2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Atlas Cinemas Shaker Square – Theater 2
13116 Shaker Square
Cleveland, Ohio 44120
Just before you watched the latest Marvel post-credit scene, hundreds of names scrolled by while you patiently waited. Each of those names is a real person who makes a living working in the film industry. Join the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and guests for an inside look at how the nonprofit organization’s mission to bring film and TV production to Northeast Ohio is creating thousands of jobs and generating millions of dollars of economic impact right here.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS
Lillian Pyles, CSA • Casting Director
Her long career of casting contributions to the film and television industry include many Blockbuster movies and even an Oscar-nominated film. She has worked with an array of reputable actors like Meg Ryan, John Travolta, and Daniel Kaluuya to name a few. Directors she has worked with include the likes of Denzel Washington and Malcolm D. Lee. Major motion picture studios on her resume list Paramount Pictures Columbia, Sony, Fox Searchlight, and other top production companies with whom she’s worked. NBC, HBO, Showtime, Lifetime, and Netflix (just to name a few) are broadcast networks, cable networks, and streaming services in her repertoire. Included in her professional career are also many shorts, independents, industrials, and commercials. Lillian has been voted a member of CSA (Casting Society of America), the premier organization for casting directors in film, television, theater and new media. Casting Directors affiliated with the Casting Society of America are committed to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism & ethical responsibility.
Korrey Robinson • Makeup Department
Creative, versatile, and passionate about her craft, Korrey Robinson is an accomplished licensed cosmetologist working in the industry for over 25 years. She owns a salon studio focusing on healthy hair care for a variety of hair textures. She shared her enthusiasm for education as a campus director for Regency Beauty Institute and served on the advisory board for Polaris Career Center. Korrey now works full-time in the film, television, theater, and commercial world. She has been involved in over 60 productions to date. Her Oscar-qualifying work has been viewed across the world in films and television shows such as Judas and the Black Messiah (Warner Brothers), Native Son (HBO), Ghosted (Apple TV+), The Last Summer (Netflix), American Rust (Showtime), Mayor of Kingstown (Paramount+), and the upcoming TV series Sprung (Amazon Studios). She has worked as a wig stylist for iconic Broadway shows including Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Wizard of Oz, and Kinky Boots. Korrey has been the hair department head for multiple commercial campaigns for the NBA, NFL, Ford Motor Company, New Balance, H&M, and Samsung. She’s worked as a personal stylist for clients like Jim Brown, Baker Mayfield, Colin Sexton, and Robert Griffin III (RG3). Korrey currently serves on the financial board for IATSE Local 209 and lives in Ohio with her wonderful husband and three remarkable children who think their mom has the coolest career.
Michele Lilley • Production Supervisor
A California native, Michele’s domestic and international career spans more than 30 years. In the ‘90s she worked on independent feature films, episodic television series and movies of the week as a Line Producer and Directors Guild of America Unit Production Manager for various independent studios, Paramount, Disney, ABC and USA TV. Taking a turn on the road less traveled, Michelle moved to Italy in early 2000. She continued to work with independent filmmakers seeking financing while managing an art gallery and running the non-profit, Save Vernazza, which she co-founded, in order to rebuild and preserve the UNESCO World Heritage Site after a natural disaster buried the seaside village in 2011. In 2019 she returned to Cleveland with her daughter and picked up where she left off, working on Cherry (AGBO, Cleveland), Desert Warrior (MBC Studios, KSA), White Noise (Netflix, Cleveland), Rosaline and Juliet (Disney Studios/Cattleya, Italy), The Year Between (Level Forward, Chicago) and most recently Shooting Stars (NBC/Universal, Cleveland). Michelle is currently the Cleveland Unit Production Supervisor on a Marvel Studios feature film shooting this fall.
Allison Smith Newsome • Moderator
Allison is a health, employment, and IP associate attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and a Greater Cleveland Film Commission Board member. She has also been the host of the Solution: Community Conversation Series since 2020. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Allison is a proud transplant to the Cleveland community and now warmly calls it home.
Bill Garvey • GCFC President
Bill Garvey, President of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, is a former motion picture & television location manager and scout with 26 years of experience. He recently won the Location Managers Guild International Award for best period location management for his work on the academy award winning Judas & the Black Messiah (Warner Bros, starring Daniel Kaluuya). His credits include White Noise (Netflix, starring Adam Driver), Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix, starring Amy Adams & Glenn Close), Fast & Furious 8: Fate of the Furious (Universal Pictures, starring Vin Diesel & The Rock), Captain America: Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios, starring Chris Evans), The Avengers (Marvel Studios, starring Robert Downey Jr), and over 30 other feature films, over a dozen TV Shows, and dozens of national & local TV Commercials.
Thank you for joining us for the GCFC Summer Media Mixer!
Thank you to everyone who attended our summer mixer!
Media Mixers are FREE networking events that allow current and aspiring film professionals to network with each other, and learn what’s filming in Northeast Ohio, and what’s new for the GCFC.
Attendees are encouraged to meet new people and talk about upcoming projects and potential opportunities. These events are part of the GCFC’s Workforce Development efforts, always working to make sure our local professionals can network and share ideas about growing the media industry in Northeast Ohio.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our exclusive opening night screening of JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION!
Presented by our “T. Rex” Sponsors
With special thanks to our “Raptor” Sponsor
Dinosaur photo opportunity courtesy of
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is the only 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to driving job creation and economic impact by supporting a thriving and adaptive film and television industry in Northeast Ohio. Since 2009, media projects in Ohio have generated more than $1.2 billion in economic impact and created 6,192 full-time equivalent jobs, thanks to our work.
As a nonprofit, the GCFC doesn’t receive any proceeds from the productions that film here. Every dollar we raise has a direct impact in building a sustainable and lucrative industry that creates jobs in our region.
The GCFC presents film screenings like this one to bring people together and to help fund these programs:
All proceeds from this screening will help fund our D.E.I and education programs.
We want to thank everyone who visited our booth and attended our two panels at FAN EXPO Cleveland!
GCFC PANELS:
THE MOVIE BIZ IN THE CLE: MOVIE JOBS & MOVIE MONEY
Panelists:
Lillian Pyles, CSA • Lillian Pyles Casting
Angela Boehm, CSA • Angela Boehm Casting
Allison Smith Newsome • Moderator
Bill Garvey • GCFC President
Just before you watched the latest Marvel post-credit scene, hundreds of names scrolled by while you patiently waited. Each of those names is a real person who makes their living working in the film industry. Join the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and guests Lillian Pyles, Angela Boehm, and moderator Allison Smith Newsome for an inside look at how the nonprofit organization’s mission to bring film and TV production to Northeast Ohio is creating thousands of jobs and generating millions of dollars of economic impact right here.
Lillian Pyles, CSA • Casting Director
Her long career of casting contributions to the film and television industry include many Blockbuster movies and even an Oscar-nominated film. She has worked with an array of reputable actors like Meg Ryan, John Travolta, and Daniel Kaluuya to name a few. Directors she has worked with include the likes of Denzel Washington and Malcolm D. Lee. Major motion picture studios on her resume list Paramount Pictures Columbia, Sony, Fox Searchlight, and other top production companies with whom she’s worked. NBC, HBO, Showtime, Lifetime, and Netflix (just to name a few) are broadcast networks, cable networks, and streaming services in her repertoire. Included in her professional career are also many shorts, independents, industrials, and commercials. Lillian has been voted a member of CSA (Casting Society of America), the premier organization for casting directors in film, television, theater and new media. Casting Directors affiliated with the Casting Society of America are committed to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism & ethical responsibility.
Angela Boehm, CSA • Casting Director
Angela Boehm, owner of Angela Boehm Casting, began her career by founding and fostering the growth of Olmsted Performing Arts, one of Northeast Ohio’s premier arts centers. Over the years, Angela Boehm branched into the film industry, taking the best and brightest from the stage to the silver screen. Angela has worked on feature films such as Fast & Furious 8, Judas & The Black Messiah, White Noise, Cherry and Whiteboy Rick. As a trusted name in the entertainment community, Angela Boehm Casting has connections with agents in major cities throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Michigan, and beyond. With a database of over 15,000 SAG and non-union actors and a strong team of individuals working from Angela Boehm Casting’s own casting studio, Angela Boehm Casting is able to ensure every project receives the perfect cast.
Allison Smith Newsome • Moderator
Allison is a health, employment, and IP associate attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and a Greater Cleveland Film Commission Board member. She has also been the host of the Solution: Community Conversation Series since 2020. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Allison is a proud transplant to the Cleveland community and now warmly calls it home.
Bill Garvey • GCFC President
Bill Garvey, President of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, is a former motion picture & television location manager and scout with 26 years of experience. He recently won the Location Managers Guild International Award for best period location management for his work on the academy award winning Judas & the Black Messiah (Warner Bros, starring Daniel Kaluuya). His credits include White Noise (Netflix, starring Adam Driver), Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix, starring Amy Adams & Glenn Close), Fast & Furious 8: Fate of the Furious (Universal Pictures, starring Vin Diesel & The Rock), Captain America: Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios, starring Chris Evans), The Avengers (Marvel Studios, starring Robert Downey Jr), and over 30 other feature films, over a dozen TV Shows, and dozens of national & local TV Commercials.
MOVIES: CLEVELAND TAKES THE LEADING ROLE
Panelists:
Bill Garvey • GCFC President
Mike Wendt • GCFC Production Coordinator
Why does Hollywood love to film in Northeast Ohio? Locations, locations, locations! From skyscrapers to small towns, beachfront to backwoods, Cleveland has the unique ability to transform itself into almost any location filmmakers need it to be. Join Greater Cleveland Film Commission President Bill Garvey and GCFC Production Coordinator Mike Wendt as they take you behind the scenes of some of your favorite movie locations that are right in your backyard.
Bill Garvey • GCFC President
Bill Garvey, President of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, is a former motion picture & television location manager and scout with 26 years of experience. He recently won the Location Managers Guild International Award for best period location management for his work on the academy award winning Judas & the Black Messiah (Warner Bros, starring Daniel Kaluuya). His credits include White Noise (Netflix, starring Adam Driver), Hillbilly Elegy (Netflix, starring Amy Adams & Glenn Close), Fast & Furious 8: Fate of the Furious (Universal Pictures, starring Vin Diesel & The Rock), Captain America: Winter Soldier (Marvel Studios, starring Chris Evans), The Avengers (Marvel Studios, starring Robert Downey Jr), and over 30 other feature films, over a dozen TV Shows, and dozens of national & local TV Commercials.
Mike Wendt • GCFC Production Coordinator
Mike Wendt is an award-winning director, producer, and location manager/scout. He currently is the Production Coordinator for the GCFC. He has worked on films such as Captain America: Winter Soldier, Fate of the Furious, My Friend Dahmer, and White Boy Rick. His first feature length documentary The End Of The World As We Knew It was a selection of the 33rd Cleveland International Film Festival and his short film Goodbye, Ohio played numerous film festivals.
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission was proud to be the Community Partner of the short film SILENT PARTNER at the 46th Annual Cleveland International Film Festival!
Northeast Ohio native Roderick Lawrence is SILENT PARTNER’s creator, producer and lead actor.
Learn more about SILENT PARTNER at silentpartner-film.com and blackmanfilms.com.
Follow on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the free panel with the filmmakers!
Roderick Lawrence: Creator, Producer, Lead Actor (Silas Jones)
Roderick is the Co-Founder of Black Man Films. An unapologetic Blacktivist, he helped start many Black Lives Matter initiatives in the Broadway and acting communities. He has been active with civil rights groups in his native Cleveland and NYC. A 2020 AUDELCO nominee, his credits include Simba in Disney’s THE LION KING National Tour, Ramses in the Broadway- bound THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, Othello in John Leguizamo’s OTHELLO: THE REMIX, and Floyd Barton in August Wilson’s SEVEN GUITARS. BM, Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music.
Salma Qarnain: Producer, Black Man Films
A Pakistani-American who was born in Scotland, Salma has held senior executive positions across Aerospace, Internet, Entertainment and Education. As a producer, she has earned 30 Helen Hayes Nominations and 9 Awards; as an artist (professional name Salma Shaw), she is a two-time Helen Hayes Award recipient, an AUDELCO nominee and a member of SAG•AFTRA, AEA and Equity (UK). B.S., Stanford; S.M., MIT; MBA, Harvard Business School. Currently earning a doctorate at IE Business School in Madrid, Spain, with a focus on organizational behavior in a digital world.
Derryl Strong: Associate Producer, Gaffer & Drone Operator, Actor
Derryl has been a creative in marketing for over 30 years with specialties in photography, design, motion, and experiential, having won various Addy’s in those specialties. During that span, he shot and/or directed multiple commercials. In 2012, he was the cinematographer for IMMUNE, a short film that made its way through a few film festivals, notably the Miami International Film Festival. He is currently the Creative Director of Experiential and Design at Adcom in Cleveland, OH.
Allison Smith Newsome: Moderator
Allison is a health, employment, and IP associate attorney at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP and a Greater Cleveland Film Commission Board member. She has also been the host of the Solution: Community Conversation Series since 2020. A graduate of Vanderbilt University and Case Western Reserve University School of Law, Allison is a proud transplant to the Cleveland community and now warmly calls it home.
