West Los Angeles College, whose campus was once part of the MGM Backlot, has been injecting new energy and resources into its Cinema program recently.
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From left, Chad Freehan, Eric Nelson, Evan Charnoy, Peter Sullivan.
Just in time for its first-ever Cinema Festival, which begins a 3-day run, on campus, at 10 this morning, and it runs through 4:30 on Friday afternoon.
Last spring, West celebrated grants totaling $2.5 million to help fund the expansion of training programs for behind the scenes entertainment industry jobs.
This semester, students will benefit from the experience of West’s four new instructors with writing and producing credits that include UPN’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Sony Pictures film “Lords of Dogtown,” Lifetime Cable movies, and a Disney/ABC Television animated pilot.
The new instructors are Evan Charnov, executive producer/screenwriter; Eric Nelson, screenwriter; Peter Sullivan, screenwriter/producer; and Chad Freehan, producer.
The Cinema program, along with the new and veteran instructors will be showcased during the film festival.
The community is invited to meet the faculty, get information about the program and enjoy free film screenings. The event will be held in the Fine Arts Auditorium. Free parking is available in Lot 7.
For the full event schedule and course listings, visit http://www.wlac.edu/cema/instructors.html
Their Accomplishments
Mr. Charnov’s numerous credits include being the youngest production executive for the highly successful television series “Buffy the Vampire Slyer” and “Angel.” As an executive producer/creator under Jerry Bruckheimer, he worked on several one-hour drama pilots. In 2005, Sony Pictures appointed him producer of skateboard-hipster film “Lord of Dogtown.”
Mr. Nelson was a 2003 finalist in the AFI Final Project of the Year. This earned him a writing assistant position for Stephen Mazur (“Liar, Liar” and “Heartbreakers”). In 2005, Mr. Nelson collaborated with Charnov to produce and write memorable commercials for Unilever’s Axe Body Wash campaign.
Mr. Sullivan has written numerous films including one of the highest rated Christmas movies in the Lifetime cable channel’s history, “Eve’s Christmas,” starring Elisa Donavan and Cheryl Ladd. Other writing credits include “Blind Injustice,” “Cave In,” “Faultline,” and the upcoming New Line Cinema release “Poison Ivy 4: The Secret
Society.”
Mr. Freehan, founder of The Fort Films, a production company based at Sunset / Gower Studios, premiered his first project at the Midnight Madness Program of the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. The film “All the Boys Love Mandy Lane,” was acquired by the Weinstein Co. immediately thereafter for $3.5 million, one of the festival’s all-time most profitable sales.
