Howard Kazanjian / Executive Producer
Howard Kazanjian is Executive Producer for South Dakota. Mr. Kazanjian headed production for George Lucas' Lucasfilm Ltd. for 7 years and helped establish ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) with Mr. Lucas. Mr. Kazanjian is credited on the worldwide box office hits Raiders of the Lost Ark, Return of the Jedi, and The Empire Strikes Back, which earned 14 Oscar nominations and 6 Oscars. Howard also produced the box office successes The Rookie, Demolition Man and More American Graffiti. Mr. Kazanjian has produced television pilots and series, including Rattled, JAG and The Making of Raiders of the Lost Ark, which earned him an Emmy.
BRUCE ISACSON / PRODUCER / WRITER / DIRECTOR
Bruce has worked on developing projects with Howard Kazanjian (Star Wars Return of the Jedi and Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark) over the past 20 years, including being a co-Producer with Mr. Kazanjian at 20th Century Fox for the movie “This Present Darkness” the New York Times best selling novel written by Frank Peretti. In addition, Bruce has acted in commercials and films including a featured role in “Outbreak” a Warner Bros. re-lease starring Dustin Hoffman and Rene Russo.
David Tumblety / Director of Photography
David Tumblety has been the cinematographer on over eighteen feature films. In the fall of 2006 the film Sweet Land was released theatrically and received much critical praise in addition to an INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD for BEST FIRST FEATURE. Brooklyn Lobster was released in 2005 after debuting at the Toronto International Film Festival, and Gospel Hill, directed by Giancarlo Esposito, which was released on DVD by Fox Searchlight in December 2008. Other cinema- tography credits include Bittersweet Place, Red Betsy, Hit and Runway, The New Twenty and the recent production of 7 to the Palace.
Marla Altschuler / Production Designer
Marla Altschuler graduated with honors in Production Design from Los Angeles Film School. After studying with esteemed Art Director Terry Ackland Snow, at Film Design International - Pinewood Studios in London, Ms. Altschuler designed her first feature film Fighting Tommy Riley and a year later she became the youngest member of the Art Directors Guild. Marla currently works as a Production Designer in Feature Films, Television and domestic and commercial spaces. Her credits include Deciet for Lifetime TV, Everyone Wants to be Italian, The 12 Dogs of Christmas, Born in the USA, The Passage and Still Waiting.
Cynthia Flynt / Costume Designer
Cynthia began her career designing costumes in the theater in the early 1980’s, she also designed for various choreographers and performance artists. Her film design started when she began working with John Sayles first on Matewan, then Eight Men Out and Passionfish. She has also worked extensively with Penny Marshall on Awakenings, A League of their Own, The Preacher’s Wife, and Riding in Cars with Boys. Her other notable credits are The Emperors Club and Awake. She has always been a firm believer in a woman’s right to choose and supporter of Planned Parenthood.
Martha Cecilia Westman / Make-up Artist
Head Makeup Artist Martha Cecilia has worked in Hollywood for over twenty years. Born in Bogota, Colombia, Martha moved to Long Beach, California, as a young girl where she realized she had a natural talent and interest in professional makeup. Today she is considered one of the best and most creative in the business. Her work has taken her at times to far-off locations on adventures such as to Papua New Guinea on the feature film Robinson Crusoe, Miniseries The Ring in Prague, The Czech Republic, and TNT Movie Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, filmed in Belize, Central America.
Corky Ehlers / Editorial Supervisor
Corky Ehlers is the Editorial Supervisor for South Dakota. An Emmy nominated Editor, Corky has more than 25 years experience as a film editor for many notable movies and TV series such as, God’s and Generals, Gettysburg, and the critically acclaimed television mini-series Lonesome Dove. Corky was also nominated for the American Cinema Editors Award for his work on Lonesome Dove.
Mike Wech / Editorial Designer
Mike Wech began working on South Dakota as an assistant to Mr. Ehlers (Editorial Designer), but because of his creative insight he was moved into a position as co-Editorial Designer.In addition, Mike was the post-production supervisor through the completion of the film.
Kristen Bree Calabrese / Script Supervisor
Ms. Calabrese came to South Dakota, as script supervisor with many years working at the creative center of many film, television and commercial productions. Kristin has had the uncommon privilege of collaborating closely with a number of filmmakers. Her strong understanding of the storytelling process, a sensitivity to the creative influence of the Directors and a frank yet thoughtful method of communicating has helped her build a solid reputation in an industry where constant turnover is the norm.
Rick MacDonald / Production Supervisor
Rick MacDonald is Production Supervisor for LIONHEART MOVIES, Inc. and a co-executive producer for South Dakota. In addition, Mr. MacDonald has worked closely with Mr. Isacson for more than twenty-five years.
Steven Brown / Line Producer
For more than 20 years Steven Brown has been involved in the produced a of many successful feature films for 20th Century Fox, Sony/Columbia, Universal and MGM, as well as numerous independent films for American Zoetrope, Lions Gate, Constantine Films and October Films. Highlights include The Apostle and Assassination Tango for actor/director Robert Duvall. Other films include Not Easily Broken, Big Momma’s House, Wild Things, Grosse Pointe Blank, Inherit the Wind, and The Cure.