Join us next Thursday, August 7th in the heart of midtown for a free networking mixer with special industry guests.
Katra Film Series will be hosting different events throughout the year to connect actors, writers, producers, directors, casting directors, et al, with likeminded industry professionals.
Launched in 2012, Katra Film Series has connected countless people in the entertainment industry with job opportunities. Katra Film Series is partnered up with Everyone Matters Seed&Spark Carpingo AllCar Rent A Car Filmmaker Magazine Museum of the Moving Image RHINO Project Catalyst Bait & Hook Pulp NYC 30under30 Film Festival NYC Rated SR Socially Relevant Film Festival New York Film Interchange and more.
Featured Industry Guests:
TAL SHAMIR:
Student Academy Awards Winner Tal S. Shamir Ph.D. has experience and achievements in both film/media production and theory. His production experience includes creating and commanding the Video Team in the Navy; working as a production coordinator in Hollywood; creating and producing RUFF CUTS The New School’s Media Studies department central and established ongoing screening events; writing a Ph.D. dissertation (awarded Suma Cum Laude) on how cinema offers a new platform for philosophical thinking, to directing, video shooting and editing dozens media and films projects. Tal’s recent films and exhibitions were presented in a wide range of film festivals, galleries, museums and won many awards including the 2011 Student Academy Awards (Gold Medal).
DANIEL DIOSDADO:
Daniel was born in Madrid, Spain. Since he was a kid he knew that stage arts were his passion. As a little boy he already developed interest for theatre at school and with his friends which whom he used to write and perform their own plays during the early summers.
It was in 1999 when Daniel’s career took a leap forward when he was awarded with one of the bursaries of the European Broadcasting Union to develop his first professional script entitled Nacional IV (Highway IV).
Since then, Daniel worked directing and writing his own material. At first, he made short films, some of them won several awards like Lo siento, chicos, pero no puedo (Sorry, guys, I can’t do it) which received the best actor award at the San Pedro Alcantara Festival and ¿Dónde queréis vivir esta noche? (Where do you want to live tonight?) which won the best short film award at Festival de Cine Los Cielos. One of Daniel’s last short films, Con cara de gilipollas (Such an asshole face), has become a major hit with international film festivals selections such as III Concurso de Cortos RNE (Spain), 20th Festival de Madrid-PNR (Madrid, Spain), Maipu Cortos (Argentina), La Claqueta (Entre Ríos, Argentina), 1st International Film Festival of Providencia (Santiago, Chile), Corta Corto (Barcelona, Spain) and SGAE en Corto (Spain).
But the real turning point for Daniel as a director was the Award of Excellence at the Indie Fest (La Joya, California, USA) for his experimental film SESIóN (SESSIoN). That final turning point made him start a company named Nomada Films. Their first production was El ataque de los Zumbas (The attack of the Zumbas), a great webseries success, and the challenging, risky and innovative short called 3’30″DK.
Daniel taught screen writing at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and, in the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, he conducted an on-set workshop for actors with students of Creative Studios of Atlanta.
His last feature, La Reina de Tapas (Queen of the bar) premiered in 2013 Malaga’s International Film Festival and received a best picture nomination at Madrid’s Film Festival-PNR 2013.
He has just finished shooting his first New York based production titled Chromosome 4.
JOANNA CABELLO
Joanna began her career five years ago when she worked on the 13 episode webseries Six of One. From there she continued working as a 1st and 2nd AD in Film, TV, and Music Videos including the film “Second Bakery Attack” starring Kirsten Dunst and Brian Gerahty (Hurt Locker) and directed by Academy-Award Nominee Carlos Cuaron, brother of acclaimed director Alfonso Cuaron (Gravity, Children of Men) and co-writer of Y Tu Mama Tambien.
Joanna directed her first short film at age 23, Half Lotus and later Le Petit Sac Plastique, but it wasn’t until she directed her off-beat romantic comedy Moo! that she finally began to see film festival success. While Joanna was in graduate school at City College she was mentored by Chantal Akerman who aggressively encouraged Joanna to produce and direct Moo! which was an official selection at the Senorita Cinema Film Festival, was featured at the City Visions annual showcase, and was a finalist at the 2013 Katra Film Series Grand Finale.
Joanna freelances as a film producer. She recently Produced “Only Solomon Lee” which received five nominations at the CineEuphoria Film Festival in Portugal and was an official selection of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival. She also recently wrapped her most recent short film, Iko. Iko is a short film about a young runaway who discovers an unlikely guardian angel when the building she’s hiding in is chosen as a location for a mob hit.
GEOFFREY GUERRERO:
Born and Bred in NYC, Guerrero is an award-winning writer, director and producer. He was selected as a finalist for the 2006 National Film Your Issue Competition for his provocative short “Here to Stay,” where the Jury Members included Walter Cronkite, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and then-Senator Barack Obama. In 2007 he guest-directed a short film called “Rewind” and won Best Short Film “On The Edge” Award at the 2007 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival. His original short film “The New McCarthyism,” which he wrote, directed, produced and acted in was an Official Selection at the 2007 Long Island Latino International Film Festival. In 2008, his short film “Baile (Dance)” won the Best Short Film “Fruit of the Vine” award at the Vine Shorts Film Festival in Santa Monica, CA and screened at the 2009 HBO New York International Latino Film Festival and 2009 Babelgum Online International Film Festival as an Official Selection. Guerrero’s latest film “J-1” premiered at the 2013 Coney Island Film Festival, was recently selected to screen at the 2014 Socially Relevant Film Festival, 2014 Palm Beach International Film Festival, 2014 Hispanicize Film Festival and had its European Premiere in April at the 2014 Let’s All Be Free Film Festival in London.
In June 2012, Guerrero launched the Katra Film Series – a monthly festival featuring quality short films by emerging Filmmakers. In partnership with Everyone Matters and Rhino Films the 2013 Grand Prize Winner was awarded a one-on-one meeting with acclaimed Producer Stephen Nemeth from the Academy-Award Nominated The Sessions and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, as well as a 1K rental package. The Audience Choice Winner took home a $500 Prize from Seed&Spark.
ADRIAN MANZANO:
From Queens NY, graduated Cum Laude from Albright College with a BA in Film & Literature. Directed many short films & documentaries that played at film festivals nationally. As an Actor, nominated at the American College Theatre Festival 2004. Has worked with various theaters in New York including Intar, German Jaramillo’s ID Studio, Teatro Teba.
Sex, Love & Salsa his first feature film as Writer/Director/Actor has won numerous awards at various film festivals including the Audience Award at the Montreal Latino & Harlem Film Festival. Best Film and Best Actor (Adrian Manzano) at the Reel Independence Film Festival DC.
A new play written by Adrian, “La Conquista” is in pre-production for a NY theatrical run. Graduao a new film with John Leguizamo in production for shooting August 2014.
TRAFFIC – August 7th – 630pm-10pm
986 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10022
between 52nd & 53rd (northeast corner)
(4, 5, 6, F train)
New York, NY 10022
Free Admission
MUST RSVP USING FOLLOWING LINK:
Order tickets via Eventbrite:
http://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-networking-mixer-w-special-industry-guests-tickets-12483375111?aff=efbevent