Bios
Filmmakers
Cusi Cram: Writer, Director, and Executive Producer
Cusi Cram is a playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, teacher, occasional performer, and a passionate advocate for women in the arts. Cusi is also one of few people who can claim to be of Bolivian and Scottish heritage --her parents met at the U. N. Her writing work for television includes, three Emmy award nominations for her work on WGBH's Arthur. She has written for numerous other animated children's programs. She also wrote for two seasons on the Showtime series, The Big C, starring Laura Linney. Her play, Dusty and the Big Bad World, was optioned by Points West Films (Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt’s production company). Cusi’s most recent directing work includes an episode of This Thing Film’s web series, Like So Many Things. Wild & Precious was made in conjunction with AFI’s Directing Workshop for women, where it was awarded both The Adrienne Shelly and Nancy Malone awards
Cusi's plays have been produced by the Public Theater, LAByrinth Theater Company, Primary Stages, New Georges, South Coast Repertory, and the Denver Theater Center, and the Willamstown Theater Festival, amongst many others. Her play, A Lifetime Burning, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work as a director and writer has been supported with grants and fellowships from the Ford Foundation, the Herrick Theater Foundation, The Bogliasco Foundation, The Camargo Foundation, and The Stillpoint Fund. Upcoming in 2015: Camp Kappawanna at The Atlantic Theater with music by Lisa Loeb
Cusi is a member of LAByrinth Theater Company and sits on New Georges’ Kitchen Cabinet and on the boards of Leah’s FEWW (Fund for Emerging Women Writers) and the Lilly Awards. She teaches in the Fordham/Primary Stages Graduate Playwriting Program. She lives between the Catskills and Greenwich Village with her talented writer/actor husband, Peter K. Hirsch.
Jason Kaminsky: Producer
Jason Kaminsky spent three seasons with Summer Play Festival (SPF) producing new plays at The Public Theater and Theater Row. He has produced several short films in NY and LA, which have appeared in film festivals all over the world. He holds a BA in English from Binghamton University and an MFA in motion picture producing from the USC School of Cinema’s Peter Stark Program. He has worked for Universal Pictures, Sundance Institute, and Mad Chance Productions at Warner Bros. He is married to writer, Stephanie Kornick, and currently works in live action feature film development at Walt Disney Studios.
Jordan Lietz: Producer
Jordan holds an undergraduate and graduate degree in Accounting, both from UNLV. During his time at UNLV, he also worked on several short films including “Don’t Spill the Beans” and “A Ghost Story.” After graduating, he began his career in the public accounting field for one of the largest firms in the world, Ernst & Young. He spent three years working on high-profile public and private clients, as well as earning his CPA, before being accepted to AFI in order to pursue his true passion of film.
Dan Adlerstein: Director of Photography
Early in his career, Dan learned the tricks of the trade by working in many facets of the cinematographer’s world -- at a camera rental house, a film lab, as a grip, electric, and as a camera assistant. As a DP, Dan has shot a wide variety of projects including commercials, music videos, shorts, features, documentaries, and web content. Dan graduated from the American Film Institute in 2009 with an MFA in cinematography. At AFI he was awarded the prestigious Pat Hitchcock O’Connell Scholarship as well as a generous grant from Technicolor for his thesis film. Dan graduated from Wesleyan University in 2003 with a B.A. and Honors in Film Studies. Dan is a member of IATSE Local 600.
Shayar Bhansali: Editor
After graduating with a degree in Psychology, Shayar spent a few years navigating the indie circuit in India. He worked primarily with production company Oijo! to produce content for The Big Indian Picture and Balcony TV Delhi before working as an assistant editor on a feature and TV series for Yash Raj Films, Mumbai. He is currently a second year fellow at AFI: a dreamer and foodie, he is serious about powerful story telling but really spends most of his time looking for perfectly baked butter croissants.
Craig Richey: Composer
Craig received his musical training as a classical pianist at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the St. Louis Conservatory of Music and the Juilliard School. After graduating from Juilliard, Craig turned his attention to singing and songwriting, producing, and film composing. Craig has scored numerous films working with a wide variety of directors, including: RJ Cutler, Nicole Holofcener, Jeremy Leven, Miranda Bailey, Ned Farm, Josh Goldin, Seth Gordon, Damian Harris, Matthew Leutwyler, and Marshall Lewy. Craig is a Sundance Fellow, having been invited to participate in the 2006 Sundance Institute Composer’s Lab. His films have premiered at the Sundance, Berlin, Toronto, and Tribeca Film Festivals, among others. As a songwriter, Craig currently has three songs featured in Jeremy Leven’s, “Girl On A Bicycle”, and has had songs appear in “Lovely and Amazing”, “Friends With Money”, “The King of Kong”, “Greenlit”, and “Answers To Nothing”.
Milos Zivkovic: Sound Designer
Milos is an award winning Sound Engineer and Composer based in Los Angeles. His work can be heard on many Feature Films, Documentaries, TV Shows, Superbowl Commercials, and Video Games. He lives with his wife and invisible friend in a small castle.
Kody Busch: Production Designer
In 2002 Kody received a BFA in Film Production from the University of Colorado. Since then, He has been a freelance film/video production designer on various levels, and also has an extensive professional background in theatrical and live/event production.
Cast
Phyllis Somerville (Enid)
After many years as a working screen actress, Somerville’s breakout role came playing Jackie Earle Haley's beloved mother in Todd Field's "Little Children." The success of the film led to parts in David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which brought her a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. She played Marlene, the elderly neighbor and confidante to Laura Linney's cancer patient in ‘The Big C’ (Showtime). Other work in TV includes: all the ‘Law and Orders;’ ‘NYPD Blue;’ ‘Third Watch;’ ‘Homicide;’ ‘Kidnapped;’ ‘The Sopranos;’ ‘Sex and the City;’ ‘CSI: Miami;’ ‘Fringe;’ and ‘Elementary. Other films Include: “Leap of Faith”; “Bringing Out The Dead”; “Lucky You”; “The Double”, and “Stoker”. Her theater credits include roles both on and off Broadway in: Over Here; Once In A Lifetime, The Sum of Us; The Night Hank Williams Died; Little Egypt; Moe's Lucky 7; The Spitfire Grill and Happiness. She is a member of LAByrinth Theatre Company.
Sam Schuder (Leah)
Sam lived in the foothills in rural Yuba County (Northern California) until four years ago, when she and her family moved to rural Los Angeles County to pursue her acting career. She booked her first role on a pilot when she was 7 years old and has since worked on: ‘The Middle’, ‘United States of Tara’, ‘NCIS’, ‘Matumbo Goldberg’, and ‘True Blood’ in addition to a couple indie films and lots of commercials. When Sam can't be in front of a camera, she settles for dance. Her favorite is hip-hop but she also studies ballet, contemporary, tap, and lyrical.
Michael Ray Escamilla (Carlo)
Michael is the recipient of the prestigious OBIE Award, Helen Hayes Award, and The Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor Award (San Antonio Film Festival). He has collaborated with award winning playwrights and screenwriters and has performed in numerous Off-Broadway theaters in New York City where he started his career. This year Michael was seen opposite Laura Linney on Showtime’s ‘The Big C’ in his recurring role as Angel. He is also set to appear opposite Robert Duvall in “Night in Old Mexico” and also Ed Harris, Eva Longoria and Michael Peña in “Frontera.” Both films will be released in 2014. His first feature, “Cruzando”, in which he co-wrote, co-directed and starred in, was picked up by Vanguard Entertainment and released in 2010.
Elizabeth Canavan (Jeanne)
Elizabeth has appeared in The Little Flower of East Orange (with Ellen Burstyn and Michael Shannon) at The Public Theater, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (with Eric Bogosian and Sam Rockwell) at The Public Theater, Our Lady of 121st Street at The Union Square Theater, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train (NY and London), all by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman; Black Lace by John Patrick Shanley at The New Ohio Theater, Love Sick by Kristina Poe, Thinner Than Water by Melissa Ross, Philip Roth in Khartoum by David Bar Katz, Penalties and Interest by Rebecca Cohen, Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference, The 52nd Street Project, Summer Play Festival. TV: ‘Law and Order,’ ‘Law and Order: SVU,’ ‘Sex And The City.’ Liz is a proud member of LAByrinth Theater Company and The Actors Studio.
Christina Pickles (Bea)
Christina Pickles has a long career in theatre and film. Nominated for 5 Emmy awards for her work on ‘St. Elsewhere’, she also appeared on the series “Friends” , for which she also received an Emmy nomination. Her film credits include “Grace of my Heart”, “Legends of the Fall”, “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Wedding Singer.”
Piter Marek (Johnny)
Piter had a Wild & Precious time working with Cusi and the amazing team of folks assembled with AFI. TV Credits include: ‘Nikita’, ‘Perception’, ‘NCIS’, ‘NCIS LA’, ‘Pan Am’, and ‘Ugly Betty’.
Peter Hirsch (Bill)
Peter has been in feature films, such as "Friends with Kids", "Kissing Jessica Stein" and “Ira and Abby.” He has performed extensively in NY theater and is married to the brilliant playwright and film director, Cusi Cram. He can also be seen in the upcoming short film, "Le Refuge" by Elliot Thomson. When not acting, he works as the head writer of the children's television series, ‘Arthur.’
Laura Heisler (Marisa)
Laura has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at many of the top regional theatres across the country, and has been recognized by both TimeOut NY and The Village Voice for her contributions to New York theatre. TV and Film credits include ‘Grey's Anatomy,’ ‘The Middle,’ ‘Bones’," ‘The Defenders,’ ‘Numb3rs,’ ‘Ugly Betty,’ “YellowBrickRoad”, “Cold Souls”, and “Forged”.
Jayden Lund (Richie)
Jayden has appeared in a wide of variety of roles in both television and film. Recent work includes stints on: ‘True Blood’, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘How I Met Your Mother’, ‘Dexter’, and ‘Private Practice.’
Cusi Cram: Writer, Director, and Executive Producer
Cusi Cram is a playwright, screenwriter, filmmaker, teacher, occasional performer, and a passionate advocate for women in the arts. Cusi is also one of few people who can claim to be of Bolivian and Scottish heritage --her parents met at the U. N. Her writing work for television includes, three Emmy award nominations for her work on WGBH's Arthur. She has written for numerous other animated children's programs. She also wrote for two seasons on the Showtime series, The Big C, starring Laura Linney. Her play, Dusty and the Big Bad World, was optioned by Points West Films (Jon Hamm and Jennifer Westfeldt’s production company). Cusi’s most recent directing work includes an episode of This Thing Film’s web series, Like So Many Things. Wild & Precious was made in conjunction with AFI’s Directing Workshop for women, where it was awarded both The Adrienne Shelly and Nancy Malone awards
Cusi's plays have been produced by the Public Theater, LAByrinth Theater Company, Primary Stages, New Georges, South Coast Repertory, and the Denver Theater Center, and the Willamstown Theater Festival, amongst many others. Her play, A Lifetime Burning, was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Her work as a director and writer has been supported with grants and fellowships from the Ford Foundation, the Herrick Theater Foundation, The Bogliasco Foundation, The Camargo Foundation, and The Stillpoint Fund. Upcoming in 2015: Camp Kappawanna at The Atlantic Theater with music by Lisa Loeb
Cusi is a member of LAByrinth Theater Company and sits on New Georges’ Kitchen Cabinet and on the boards of Leah’s FEWW (Fund for Emerging Women Writers) and the Lilly Awards. She teaches in the Fordham/Primary Stages Graduate Playwriting Program. She lives between the Catskills and Greenwich Village with her talented writer/actor husband, Peter K. Hirsch.
Jason Kaminsky: Producer
Jason Kaminsky spent three seasons with Summer Play Festival (SPF) producing new plays at The Public Theater and Theater Row. He has produced several short films in NY and LA, which have appeared in film festivals all over the world. He holds a BA in English from Binghamton University and an MFA in motion picture producing from the USC School of Cinema’s Peter Stark Program. He has worked for Universal Pictures, Sundance Institute, and Mad Chance Productions at Warner Bros. He is married to writer, Stephanie Kornick, and currently works in live action feature film development at Walt Disney Studios.
Jordan Lietz: Producer
Jordan holds an undergraduate and graduate degree in Accounting, both from UNLV. During his time at UNLV, he also worked on several short films including “Don’t Spill the Beans” and “A Ghost Story.” After graduating, he began his career in the public accounting field for one of the largest firms in the world, Ernst & Young. He spent three years working on high-profile public and private clients, as well as earning his CPA, before being accepted to AFI in order to pursue his true passion of film.
Dan Adlerstein: Director of Photography
Early in his career, Dan learned the tricks of the trade by working in many facets of the cinematographer’s world -- at a camera rental house, a film lab, as a grip, electric, and as a camera assistant. As a DP, Dan has shot a wide variety of projects including commercials, music videos, shorts, features, documentaries, and web content. Dan graduated from the American Film Institute in 2009 with an MFA in cinematography. At AFI he was awarded the prestigious Pat Hitchcock O’Connell Scholarship as well as a generous grant from Technicolor for his thesis film. Dan graduated from Wesleyan University in 2003 with a B.A. and Honors in Film Studies. Dan is a member of IATSE Local 600.
Shayar Bhansali: Editor
After graduating with a degree in Psychology, Shayar spent a few years navigating the indie circuit in India. He worked primarily with production company Oijo! to produce content for The Big Indian Picture and Balcony TV Delhi before working as an assistant editor on a feature and TV series for Yash Raj Films, Mumbai. He is currently a second year fellow at AFI: a dreamer and foodie, he is serious about powerful story telling but really spends most of his time looking for perfectly baked butter croissants.
Craig Richey: Composer
Craig received his musical training as a classical pianist at the North Carolina School of the Arts, the St. Louis Conservatory of Music and the Juilliard School. After graduating from Juilliard, Craig turned his attention to singing and songwriting, producing, and film composing. Craig has scored numerous films working with a wide variety of directors, including: RJ Cutler, Nicole Holofcener, Jeremy Leven, Miranda Bailey, Ned Farm, Josh Goldin, Seth Gordon, Damian Harris, Matthew Leutwyler, and Marshall Lewy. Craig is a Sundance Fellow, having been invited to participate in the 2006 Sundance Institute Composer’s Lab. His films have premiered at the Sundance, Berlin, Toronto, and Tribeca Film Festivals, among others. As a songwriter, Craig currently has three songs featured in Jeremy Leven’s, “Girl On A Bicycle”, and has had songs appear in “Lovely and Amazing”, “Friends With Money”, “The King of Kong”, “Greenlit”, and “Answers To Nothing”.
Milos Zivkovic: Sound Designer
Milos is an award winning Sound Engineer and Composer based in Los Angeles. His work can be heard on many Feature Films, Documentaries, TV Shows, Superbowl Commercials, and Video Games. He lives with his wife and invisible friend in a small castle.
Kody Busch: Production Designer
In 2002 Kody received a BFA in Film Production from the University of Colorado. Since then, He has been a freelance film/video production designer on various levels, and also has an extensive professional background in theatrical and live/event production.
Cast
Phyllis Somerville (Enid)
After many years as a working screen actress, Somerville’s breakout role came playing Jackie Earle Haley's beloved mother in Todd Field's "Little Children." The success of the film led to parts in David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," which brought her a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. She played Marlene, the elderly neighbor and confidante to Laura Linney's cancer patient in ‘The Big C’ (Showtime). Other work in TV includes: all the ‘Law and Orders;’ ‘NYPD Blue;’ ‘Third Watch;’ ‘Homicide;’ ‘Kidnapped;’ ‘The Sopranos;’ ‘Sex and the City;’ ‘CSI: Miami;’ ‘Fringe;’ and ‘Elementary. Other films Include: “Leap of Faith”; “Bringing Out The Dead”; “Lucky You”; “The Double”, and “Stoker”. Her theater credits include roles both on and off Broadway in: Over Here; Once In A Lifetime, The Sum of Us; The Night Hank Williams Died; Little Egypt; Moe's Lucky 7; The Spitfire Grill and Happiness. She is a member of LAByrinth Theatre Company.
Sam Schuder (Leah)
Sam lived in the foothills in rural Yuba County (Northern California) until four years ago, when she and her family moved to rural Los Angeles County to pursue her acting career. She booked her first role on a pilot when she was 7 years old and has since worked on: ‘The Middle’, ‘United States of Tara’, ‘NCIS’, ‘Matumbo Goldberg’, and ‘True Blood’ in addition to a couple indie films and lots of commercials. When Sam can't be in front of a camera, she settles for dance. Her favorite is hip-hop but she also studies ballet, contemporary, tap, and lyrical.
Michael Ray Escamilla (Carlo)
Michael is the recipient of the prestigious OBIE Award, Helen Hayes Award, and The Grand Jury Prize for Best Actor Award (San Antonio Film Festival). He has collaborated with award winning playwrights and screenwriters and has performed in numerous Off-Broadway theaters in New York City where he started his career. This year Michael was seen opposite Laura Linney on Showtime’s ‘The Big C’ in his recurring role as Angel. He is also set to appear opposite Robert Duvall in “Night in Old Mexico” and also Ed Harris, Eva Longoria and Michael Peña in “Frontera.” Both films will be released in 2014. His first feature, “Cruzando”, in which he co-wrote, co-directed and starred in, was picked up by Vanguard Entertainment and released in 2010.
Elizabeth Canavan (Jeanne)
Elizabeth has appeared in The Little Flower of East Orange (with Ellen Burstyn and Michael Shannon) at The Public Theater, The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (with Eric Bogosian and Sam Rockwell) at The Public Theater, Our Lady of 121st Street at The Union Square Theater, Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train (NY and London), all by Stephen Adly Guirgis and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman; Black Lace by John Patrick Shanley at The New Ohio Theater, Love Sick by Kristina Poe, Thinner Than Water by Melissa Ross, Philip Roth in Khartoum by David Bar Katz, Penalties and Interest by Rebecca Cohen, Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference, The 52nd Street Project, Summer Play Festival. TV: ‘Law and Order,’ ‘Law and Order: SVU,’ ‘Sex And The City.’ Liz is a proud member of LAByrinth Theater Company and The Actors Studio.
Christina Pickles (Bea)
Christina Pickles has a long career in theatre and film. Nominated for 5 Emmy awards for her work on ‘St. Elsewhere’, she also appeared on the series “Friends” , for which she also received an Emmy nomination. Her film credits include “Grace of my Heart”, “Legends of the Fall”, “Romeo and Juliet” and “The Wedding Singer.”
Piter Marek (Johnny)
Piter had a Wild & Precious time working with Cusi and the amazing team of folks assembled with AFI. TV Credits include: ‘Nikita’, ‘Perception’, ‘NCIS’, ‘NCIS LA’, ‘Pan Am’, and ‘Ugly Betty’.
Peter Hirsch (Bill)
Peter has been in feature films, such as "Friends with Kids", "Kissing Jessica Stein" and “Ira and Abby.” He has performed extensively in NY theater and is married to the brilliant playwright and film director, Cusi Cram. He can also be seen in the upcoming short film, "Le Refuge" by Elliot Thomson. When not acting, he works as the head writer of the children's television series, ‘Arthur.’
Laura Heisler (Marisa)
Laura has appeared on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and at many of the top regional theatres across the country, and has been recognized by both TimeOut NY and The Village Voice for her contributions to New York theatre. TV and Film credits include ‘Grey's Anatomy,’ ‘The Middle,’ ‘Bones’," ‘The Defenders,’ ‘Numb3rs,’ ‘Ugly Betty,’ “YellowBrickRoad”, “Cold Souls”, and “Forged”.
Jayden Lund (Richie)
Jayden has appeared in a wide of variety of roles in both television and film. Recent work includes stints on: ‘True Blood’, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘How I Met Your Mother’, ‘Dexter’, and ‘Private Practice.’
