Collette Wolfe
AMANDA MAXWELL (Lead Actor)
Collette Wolfe was raised in Virginia, where she was the King George Fall Festival Pageant Queen of 1997. She graduated from King George High School and later attended Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Wolfe made her film debut in THE FOOT FIST WAY (2006). She later starred as Cindy in FOUR CHRISTMASES (2008), Nell in OBSERVE AND REPORT (2009), and Wendy in 17 AGAIN (2009). Wolfe starred with John Cusack in HOT TUB TIME MACHINE (2010) and its sequel, then dug deep into the role of Sandra Freehauf in YOUNG ADULT (2011) opposite Charlize Theron. She played Ms. Hanley in INTERSTELLAR (2014) with Matthew McConaughey.
Her television credits include COUGAR TOWN, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, 100 QUESTIONS, THE OFFICE, MAD MEN, NEXT CALLER and YOU’RE THE WORST.
Sam Huntington
BRET JOHNSON (Lead Actor)
Sam Huntington was born in Peterborough, New Hampshire. He began acting at the age of 9 under the direction of his mother as a part of her children’s theater, The Black Box.
He signed a three-movie contract with the Walt Disney Company; the first was in the key role of Mimi-Siku in the hit comedy JUNGLE 2 JUNGLE (1997) with Tim Allen.
Sam starred in DETROIT ROCK CITY (1999), NOT ANOTHER TEEN MOVIE (2001), as Jimmy Olsen in SUPERMAN RETURNS (2006), Eric in FANBOYS (2009), Carl in THREE NIGHT STAND (2013), and with Tom Hanks in Clint Eastwood’s SULLY (2016). His television credits include BEING HUMAN, LAW & ORDER, CSI: MIAMI and CSI: NY, and VERONICA MARS.
Michael Cross
Director/Producer/Co-Writer
Michael has been winning national film awards since age fifteen, starting with the American Film Institute’s Visions of U.S. Award and Robert M. Bennett Award. After graduating magna cum laude from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, he has earned both Telly Awards and Davey Awards for directing and editing commercials for Disney, Warner Brothers, Microsoft, Dell, NASCAR, AMGEN, Seattle Mariners, Alaska Airlines, Jim Beam and T-Mobile. Michael edited the PBS series, The Meaning of Food, the award-winning documentary The Lord’s Table, and served as both editor and director of photography for independent feature, Mulletville. His short film, Commercial, is a comedy with themes of consumerism, which mirrors Michael’s belief that films should have a social conscience. Commercial has screened in fifteen international festivals.
Michael is a member of Women in Film/Seattle and IFP/Seattle. He has taught various editing workshops to media professionals in Hollywood, and filmmaking workshops in Seattle and Philadelphia.
Susan LaSalle, DGA
Producer
Susan was lead producer and owner of agency Millennium Arts Inc from 1995-2000. After producing and managing more than 200 documentaries, commercials and PSAs in 1999 Susan made her first foray into feature films by negotiating a turn-key deal for writer/director Reuben Gonzales’ film Mambo Café starring Paul Rodriguez. In 2011 Susan served both as producer and unit production manager on the award-winning family film Switchmas starring Elliott Gould and David De Luise. She produced The Breach, which earned Best of Fest at Palm Springs International Film Festival 2015. Highlights of her many projects include the Academy Award winning documentary Deadly Deception, New York Film Festival award winner It’s Your Choice, SIFF’s 2006 Golden Space Needle winner Full Disclosure, and IFP Spotlight Award winner Diggers. In 2007 Susan produced a spoof of Back to the Future starring Christopher Lloyd as “Doc Brown.”
Susan has been chair of the board of nonprofit Corporate Accountability International (formerly INFACT) and served as treasurer of Women In Film/Seattle from 2006-2009. She is a member of the Director’s Guild of America, has served as a volunteer for SIFF and is a member of IFP/Seattle.
Mike Boydstun
Director of Photography
Mike Boydstun discovered visual storytelling in a TV newsroom when television journalism was reaching artistic highs. Documentary filmmaking taught Mike how to think fast, make decisions and find great angles to forward the story. The discipline of a nightly newscast gave birth to an ability to make a deadline and make the day. Now Mike shoots drama, comedy, action and commercials.
If Mike isn’t holding a camera he’s probably holding a musical instrument. His love of both visuals and music garnered him two GRAMMY nominations for music videos, three Daytime EMMY nominations, plus TELE, MONITOR and IRIS awards.
Mateo Messina
Composer
Mateo is a Grammy winning (Juno) composer who writes music for film, television and the symphony. His signature sound can be found on many of today’s Oscar winning movies and independent film hits, including Juno (Ellen Page, Michael Cera), Up in the Air (George Clooney), Best Man Down (Justin Long), Thank You for Smoking (Aaron Eckart), Butter (Jennifer Garner), and The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (Robin Williams). The beauty of unfamiliar sounds becoming musical is one of Mateo’s unique talents.
With studios in Hollywood and Seattle, Mateo and his team have been delivering a fresh, unique style of film score for the past decade. He writes evocative and fun film scores for his directors and approaches each film with a studied insight into each new story. Also, since the age of 23, Mateo has written, produced, and premiered 16 symphonies as a benefit concert for families at Seattle Children’s Hospital. To date, he and his team have raised over $1,000,000 for these children and their families.
Sloane Ford Fuerst
Co-Writer
Sloane is a writer and documentarian based in San Francisco, California. For the past decade Ford has developed content for large brands including Disney, Google, Redbox, Pottery Barn as well as early stage tech startups. She is currently editing her feature-length documentary, American Fair, a film about the evolving role of community in modern America.
Sloane is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts.
Edi Zanidache
Co-Writer
Born in Romania and based in Seattle, Edi Zanidache is an multifaceted artist who has spent the last dozen years working as a stand-up comedian, actor, writer and producer. He has performed stand up comedy all across the United States and Canada, opening for large acts as Jeffery Ross, Bill Burr and Patrice O’Neal. Edi started as a professional actor right out of high school by helping run a theater company and later pursing improv with It’s A Mystery, a murder mystery dinner train ride. He started working in film with his first major role in Matt’s Chance, which he also co-wrote. The dark comedy also stars Edward Furlong, Lee Majors, Margot Kidder, and Gary Busey.
Edi recently worked with Mirror Images as co-producer and actor for their latest movie, Beta Test, starring Larenz Tate, Manu Bennett and Linden Ashby. Coming to theaters in 2015.
Cindy Sangster
Editor
Cindy spent the first decade of her career at large ad agencies producing and editing national commercials for Pepsi, Petsmart and Pizza Hut. In 1991 she went freelance with clients including AT&T, Nike, Microsoft, Visa, Eukanuba and HP as well as non-profits including The Gates Foundation, MTV’s Rock The Vote and The Moyer Foundation. Commercial awards include a National Addy, New York Addy, several Northwest Addys, an International Broadcasting Award from the Hollywood Radio & Television Society, Telly Awards and the Nell Shipman Production Excellence Award.
Her film work includes documentary Who Will Speak for Me, and A Not So Still Life, on the life and work of acclaimed glass artist Ginny Ruffner, which won the Golden Space Needle Award for Best Documentary at SIFF 2010. She edited Circus of Infinity, which won Best in Show at the Accolades awards and the Best Short in the Nell Shipman Women in Film awards. Her latest feature, Switchmas (Elliott Gould and David DeLuise) won best comedy in the Los Angeles Family film festival and was voted one of the top ten films in SIFF 2012.
Ron Leamon
Costume Designer
Ronald has costume designed for films and television movies including David Lynch’s Blue Velvet (Isabella Rossellini), Laggies (Keira Knightley), 4 Minute Mile (Kim Basinger), Snow Falling on Cedars (Ethan Hawke), Switchmas (Elliott Gould), Smoke Signals (Sherman Alexie), Rose Red (Stephen King), Raising Flagg (Alan Arkin), T Bone N Weasel (Gregory Hines) and Blue Valley Songbird (Dolly Parton). His resume includes works for both film and television ABC, CBS, HBO, Hallmark Hall of Fame and strong commercial and theater credits. His work was chosen as an official invite of the Festival International Cinéma Costumes et Mode in Paris at the Pierre Cardin Hall celebrating costume design in film.
Ronald currently serves on the University of Washington School of Drama advisory board. Some of his designs are currently being featured in the Celluloid Seattle exhibit at the new Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI).
Natalie Fuchs
Post Production Intern
Natalie was born and raised in the Seattle area. She is currently in her senior year at Central Washington University majoring in Film Production and minoring in History. Natalie has been playing a critical role on Second Nature‘s post production team, helping with the theatrical premiere as well as Kickstarter/Indiegogo reward fulfillment. She is excited to begin her career in Film and Television after she graduates.