FILMMAKER BIOS:

DAVE R. WATKINS ( Director / Producer / Writer) has been a movie buff as far back as he can remember. He began experimenting making amateur movies in high school and continued his passion for motion pictures at the Art institute of Atlanta where he graduated with a degree in a video production.

While at the Art institute, he teamed up with Eric Bomba-Ire, fellow graduate, to form the independent production company PlatoVision Pictures.

Since then, Dave wrote, produced and directed his first feature Tragic flaws, and co-wrote, co-produced, co-edited as well as assuming the position of Assistant director in the restaurant movie Invisible Kitchen.

In addition, he wrote, produced, directed and co-edited the TV series, "Witch Hunters Extraordinaire." The primary episodes of the series aired originally on People TV, but the show is currently being reedited and will soon find a new home.

He also worked two years in a row on the 48-Hour Film Festival submitting the shorts, The Final Play, as writer, director and actor, and Exclusive, as writer and actor.

ERIC BOMBA-IRE (Producer / Director of Photography / Editor) Eric knew he wanted to be involved in movie. he aspired to be an actor, but It was while acting in a play in high school that Eric discovered that he enjoyed being on the other side of the stage.

After graduating from high school, Eric went on to earn a baccalaureate in Art, Literature and Philosophy.

Moving to the United States, Eric graduated with a degree in film/video production from the Art Institute of Atlanta, and has since gained over four years of experience in the Atlanta film and video industry.

In addition to directing Music Video for local R&B singer Amanda and Hip hop Group mass Comm, he served on the crew of many independent films.

In 1998, Eric formed his own production company, PlatoVision Pictures.

Under the PlatoVision banner, Eric has served as producer, DP and editor for several productions, including the features Invisible Kitchen, Tragic Flaws, the local TV series "Witch Hunters Extraordinaire".

Other credits include, the shorts No clue, where he assumed the positions of producer, director of photography and editor; and Burnt Sienna which is currently in production; Amora: the inquisition, in post-production and two shorts for the 48 Hour Film Project, The Final Play, in which he was also part of the cast which won the Best Acting award for Atlanta and Exclusive

Eric has also worked as a freelance cameraman for NBC's World Series coverage and Disney.

MICHAEL D FRIEDMAN (Producer) is the co-president and a founder of the Atlanta Screenwriters Group (ASG), one of the largest screenwriting groups in the southeast.

Graduating with a degree in English writing from the University of Pittsburgh, Michael first gained an interest in filmmaking through writing, having written six feature-length spec screenplays and many shorts. He moved back to Atlanta in 1997, and soon branched into other aspects of filmmaking, such as directing (the shorts No Clue and Burnt Sienna, acting (2001 Atlanta Film Festival selection Boy@nt!, sound and boom Behind the Nine, The Faith Healer's Manual for the Slightly Inebriated, producing (2002 WorldFest Houston selection The Last Day in November, Exclusive and more.

Michael has worked with PlatoVision many times in the past, including the TV series "Witch Hunters Extraordinaire" (camera and acting). NPS Entertainment, a production company founded by Michael and other members of the ASG, worked with PlatoVision and 3 Skull Studios to produce the short No Clue. PlatoVision has also worked on two shorts for the 48 Hour Film Project, The Final Play, which won the acting award for the 2002 Atlanta competition, and Exclusive, which Michael produced, co-wrote and starred in.

Michael's screenplay, "Heaven & Hell, Inc.," was the featured script reading at the 2001 Atlanta Film Festival and finished in the Top 250 of the first Project: Greenlight contest. His short script, "Burnt Sienna," was voted best short for the 2002 ASG Awards.

MUTA'ALI MUHAMMAD (Co-Producer) began his filmmaking career with stop motion animation in 1993. His animated shorts include a peace called Caesar and a cinematic interpretation of the famous novel "Farenheight 451"

He created his first short film, entitled The Bad Guy, in 1998 at the New York Film Academy. His first musical short was also completed that year.

The following year, he completed work on his first feature length screenplay entitled "Suburban".

Since then he has earned his membership to the Writers Guild of America and completed a re-write of "Purlie's Summer", a feature length movie set to be in production in the spring of 2004 and executive produced by Spike Lee.

Muta'Ali specialized in Interactive Narratives during his studies at the Georgia Institute of Technology and focused his masters thesis on interactive feature length movies. His work at IBM Research focused on the interactive capabilities of a video technology called MPEG-4, which may bring us interactive television.

He has produced and directed his first feature, Amora: The Inquisition, which is currently in post production; on which he worked with director of photography, Eric Bomba-Ire.

Through Eric, Muta'Ali was presented the opportunity to be one of the Producers of the short Burnt Sienna, which is currently in production.

Muta'Ali acted and was the assistant cameraman for Exclusive, a short submitted as part of the annual 48-Hour Film Festival. In addition, he has directed a music video for an Atlanta based rock band Firehazard, for recording company Music's Power, Inc.

RON MCLELLEN (Co-Producer / Music) is the founder of Southlan Studios in Lula, Georgia. He is also the director of the Fright-Fest film festival aka Cinemacabre Film Festival in Gainesville, GA.

Under his production company, Ron has served as writer, director, director of photography and music composer on many shorts and a Feature The Middle of Nowhere which was 2002 official selction at the Dalhonega Film Festival.

Coming from rock & roll background and playing the guitar, he has developped a passion for sound for movies.

As a music composer, Ron has scored all of his productions as well as other productions.

His credits as a composer include the local TV series "Witch Hunters Extraordinaire," The Middle of Nowhere, Chosen, The Sayer and From Above.