Washington Square Arts & Films

The 2011 Sundance Film Festival will premier three films by Washington Square Films directors. HERE, the first narrative feature from director Braden King, tells the story of a complex relationship between an Armenian photographer and an American cartographer, with Ben Foster and Lubna Azabal. Salvation Boulevard, directed by George Ratliff, is the story of an evangelical preacher who frames an ex-hippie for a crime, starring Pierce Brosnan and Jennifer Connelly, and Margin Call, directed by JC Chandor, about a dramatic 24‐hour period during the collapse of a major Wall Street firm, starring Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany, and Demi Moore. Margin Call was produced by Washington Square Films, with Joshua Blum serving as Executive Producer and Head‐of‐Production Anna Gerb acting as Co‐Producer.

From the management division, WSF is represented by Martha Marcy May Marlene, directed by Sean Durkin, and actress Kerry Washington will be appearing in The Details.

BRIAN&MELANIE

Directing team Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky, are currently in post-production on their first feature film, Francine. This highly anticipated independent drama stars Academy Award winning actress Melissa Leo (The Fighter, Frozen River) as a just-released prison inmate who tries to acclimate to life outside prison. Additionally, Brian and Melanie were recently rewarded a 2011 grant from Cinereach for their nonfiction film The Patron Saints, a disquieting and hyper realistic glimpse into life at a nursing home.

PETER SILLEN

Director Peter Sillen recently completed a national campaign in New York City for Amica Insurance for Cronin and Company. Sillen also continues to shoot extensively for Apple, including Apple Store openings, product launches and projects for the Apple Education group.

BRADEN KING

Braden King’s feature film HERE, premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. This dramatic, landscape-obsessed road movie chronicles a brief but intense romantic relationship between an American satellite-mapping engineer and an expatriate Armenian art photographer. The film stars Ben Foster (3:10 to Yuma) and Lubna Azabal (Paradise Lost) and was co-written by King and Dani Valent. In addition to being the first feature length, English-language, American film shot entirely in Armenia, HERE garnered a number of high-profile grants, awards and honors, including: Cannes Film Festival Atelier (2008), Sundance / NHK International Filmmakers Award (2008), Rockefeller / Renew Media / Tribeca Film Institute Fellowship (2008) and both the Sundance Institutes Screenwriters and Directors Labs (2007).

TRAVIS KOPACH

Washington Square Films is delighted to announce that award-winning director Travis Kopach has joined their team. The director, who is mostly known for his body of work that includes both alternative and rock music videos, selected Washington Square Films for his first commercial representation. Kopach has recently wrapped his first project with WSF, a multi-spot campaign for Foxwoods Casino.

CHRISTIAN WITKIN

Award-winning commercial and fine art photographer Christian Witkin has signed with New York-based Washington Square Films (WSF). Witkin is best known for his still work for Gap, Nike and Levi’s, and his personal and editorial work, which have been published and exhibited around the world. Witkin just wrapped his first project with WSF, a film for Lincoln introducing a new hybrid car. Witkin shot both the stills and video for the campaign created by Hearst Creative and Team Detroit. He will be shooting additional pieces for the same campaign this spring.

RICH WAFER

Director Rich Wafer, who is best known as a visual storyteller, has recently wrapped a multi-spot campaign for Advil with McGarry Bowen. The Advil Lovers campaign was shot both in L.A. and San Francisco. Additional notable clients include McDonald’s, Nike and Honda, among many others. Wafer has also directed episodic work for Nickelodeon, ESPN, Comedy Central and the Disney Channel.

“Sunset Daze” in the Papers

Our reality TV show, “Sunset Daze,” is featured in the New York Times. Read the article

Lush Life wins the Emmy Award for Best Documentary

Director Robert Levi and producer Joshua Blum were honored with the 2008 Best Documentary Emmy Award for Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, an expansive portrait of Duke Ellington’s musical collaborator. The award is a crowning achievement for the critically heralded documentary, which previously won the 2008 Peabody Award.

KERRY WASHINGTON

Kerry Washington is currently filming the lead role for ABC’s drama pilot, “Damage Control,” written by “Grey’s Anatomy’s” Shonda Rhimes. Washington was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture at this years’ NAACP awards for Night Catches Us. Two more of her films were represented in nominations as well: Mother and Child, and Outstanding Motion Picture winner, For Colored Girls.

JENNIFER ESPOSITO

Jennifer Esposito is now a series regular on CBS’s “Blue Bloods.” The critically acclaimed show is one of this season’s breakout hits.

DULÉ HILL

Dulé Hill was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series at this year’s NAACP Awards for his role in “Psych,” which has been renewed for a sixth season.

VICTOR RASUK

Victor Rasuk has begun filming his second season of HBO’s comedy, “How to Make It in America.” Rasuk will also be featured in the new Farrelly Brother’s Another Bullshit Night in Suck City, starring Robert DeNiro, Julianne Moore, and Paul Dano.

RICHARD GRAY

The musical adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Flea and the Professor (with Jordan Harrison) will be presented by the Arden Theater Company, May 2010, under Anne Kaufmann’s direction.

ISRAEL HOROVITZ

Israel Horovitz’s Fighting Over Beverley will be produced summer 2011 at Gloucester Stage Company followed by a winter 2012 production at Florida Stage starring Frances Sternhagen.

DAVID BAR KATZ

David Bar Katz’s The History of Invulnerability has been named a finalist for the 2011 Harold and Mimi Steinberg/American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, which recognizes playwrights whose work has been presented professionally, but not has bowed in New York during the previous year. The three top honors will be presented April 2 at Actors Theatre of Louisville during the Humana Festival of New American Plays.

DAVID LAWRENCE & FAYE GREENBERG

Joining the Washington Square roster are composer David Lawrence and lyricist Faye Greenberg. Lawrence and Greenberg are best known for their contribution of songs to Disney’s High School Musical series, for which they received a Quadruple Platinum CD and . Additionally their work has been heard on Disney’s The Cheetah Girls, MTV’s American and the Emmy Award-winning Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, among others.

The latest Lawrence/Greenberg collaboration, “New York’s Best Kept Secret”, is featured in Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, and with writer Robert L. Freedman they recently completed the stage adaptation of Disney’s Camp Rock.

KELLY YOUNGER

Kelly Younger’s Tender will be read as part of Manhattan Theatre Club’s “7@7” Reading Series under Artistic Director Lynne Meadow’s direction. The series, which tests new works in front of the public, is held at 7pm at New York City Center—Stage I, MTC’s Off-Broadway home.