Production Team

ABE MICHAEL SHAINBERG - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - is an intellectual property attorney specializing in entertainment law & independent film production. He has been a partner in four separate art galleries with works ranging from modern to antiques and masters.

As Associate Producer, Abe has recently completed feature "SOUTH OF HEAVEN, WEST OF HELL", a modern western, written and directed by Dwight Yoakam, the singer and film actor. Producer Gray Frederickson, Academy Award winner for "THE GODFATHER, PART II", was also nominated for producing "APOCALYPSE NOW".

"SOUTH OF HEAVEN, WEST OF HELL" stars Peter Fonda, Bridget Fonda, Billy Bob Thornton, Vince Vaughn, Dwight Yoakam, Bud Cort, Paul Reubens, Michael Jeter, Natalie Canerday, Noble Willingham, Scott Wilson and Bo Hopkins. Cinemaphotographer was James Glennon ASC, ("EL NORTE", "CITIZEN RUTH", "ELECTION") and is being edited by Bob Ferretti, ("DIE HARD 2 : DIE HARDER", "ROCKY V", "UNDER SIEGE"). "South of Heaven" is slated for a 2001 release by Trimark Pictures

Abe has served as the executive director and general counsel of the nation's largest diamond and precious stones exchange and as the nation's legal watchdog & guardian for the American jewelry industry. When Sidney Lumet filmed "A STRANGER AMONG US", with Melanie Griffith, John Pankow, Mia Sara, (Buena Vista, 1992), Abe was called upon to consult on shooting the scenes involving the diamond business, which were shot on location in New York's Diamond Center and in Silvercup Studios.

A former television writer who wrote sitcoms, pilots, and movies of the week, Abe also composed and edited comedy routines for aspiring comedians in the 1970's.

MARIO CHIOLDI- PRODUCER, LINE PRODUCER - Mr.Chioldi has produced and line produced five feature films over the last three years. Having worked on modest budgets on several of these products, Mr. Chioldi has become an expert in managing challenging films to insure their coming in on time and within budget. Mr. Chioldi is currently financing and packaging several feature projects for Cohort.

FRITZ KIERSCH - DIRECTOR - CO-PRODUCER- A production consultant for Cohort, Fritz is extensively experienced as Director of such classics as "CHILDREN OF THE CORN", the Stephen King story, starring Linda Hamilton and Peter Horton, "TUFF TURF", starring James Spader and Robert Downey Jr., and "SHATTERED IMAGE", starring Bo Derek and Jack Scalia. Fritz has also directed "THE STRANGER", 'INTO THE SUN", "UNDER THE BOARDWALK", "WINNER TAKES ALL", and such memorable television productions such as "GULLIVERS TRAVELS", "TARZAN", "SWAMP THING", and "HIGH TIDE".

Mr. Kiersch has received numerous awards , including the Director's Guild of America - Blue Ribbon Committee Judge - Television and Cable Features - 1991& 1995, The International Science Fiction Film Festival of Brussels - Special Jury Prize / Film Fantastique Category - 1984, and The International Film and Television Festival of New York - Bronze Medal, Television Commercial Category- 1981.

MICHELLE L. HENDERSON - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - Currently working with Cohort on two of our productions, "GUINEA PIG" and "UNDERCOVER SANTA". Michelle is a former assistant vice president and manager of Citibank, Ford Motor and Gillette. Michelle helped produce "KALI'S VIBE", an independent film and has worked with George C. Wolfe, Tony Kushner, Anna Deveare Smith, Wynn Handman, Danitra Vance and Aasif Mandvi.

STEPHEN FURST - DIRECTOR - Slated to direct "GUINEA PIG", Furst has successfully directed two films "THE MAGIC KID" and "BABY HUEY". Furst is also a fine actor having played Flounder in "ANIMAL HOUSE" and starring in classic films such as "THE DREAM TEAM" and "SILENT RAGE". He also starred in television series as a regular on "ST. ELSEWHERE", "DELTA HOUSE" and "BABYLON 5".

MONIKA CHOLEWA - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - for "MASSACRE AT KATYN", is a reporter and program coordinator for the Polish American Congress and works as a programmer and host for Polish radio and television. (KPA TV). Ms. Cholewa worked with Steven Spielberg and Liam Neeson on "SCHINDLER'S LIST" in Poland as well as on the set of "Ransom" with Ron Howard in New York.

JOANNA PLAFSKY - CO-PRODUCERadvises and acts as consultant and producer for Cohort, doing the domestic and foreign sales analysis prior to financing. Joanna is the former CEO of Radiance Films and co-founder of Nu Image Films, film producers and distributors. She has repped over 300 films worldwide and has worked with Sean Penn, Uma Thurman, Liv Tyler, Samuel Jackson, Jeff Fahey and many action stars for over twenty years.

L.M. KIT CARSON & CYNTHIA HARGRAVES - PRODUCTION CONSULTANTS - have worked together as producers on several outstanding films such as - "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" (1998), "HURRICANE STREETS" (1998), and "BOTTLE ROCKET" (1996). They won the Sundance Film Festival - Palme D'or Award in 1997, for "PARIS, TEXAS".

L.M. Kit Carson has written well known studio films including "BREATHLESS", starring Richard Gere, (1983), "PARIS, TEXAS" with Sam Shepard, (1984), "THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE 2", (1986), and "CHINESE BOXES" (1984) .

Kit has acted in "RUNNING ON EMPTY", (1988), "LAST FAIR DEAL", (1995), "SIDOGLIO SMITHEE" (1998), and "HURRICANE STREETS", (1998).

RICHARD AIZZY LIFSCHUTZ - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - Mr. Lifschutz has a thorough knowledge of many post-production facilities all over the country, and lends his expertise to Cohort by helping us make deals with them. He helped make the critically acclaimed "API", by Darren Aronofsky and starred in a minor role in it as well.He has worked on such notable productions, such as, "THE CHOSEN"," A STRANGER AMONG US" and "A PRICE ABOVE RUBIES", both as a film consultant and as an actor.

MICHAEL SOLOMON - SCREENWRITER/SCRIPT DOCTOR - Michael Solomon is a screenwriter, script doctor and novelist from NYC. "Drop Everything", his latest screeenplay is a comedy about a youn man's attempt to escape his nutty family and find himself and his family's attempt to dog him in Italy. He has worked on the film"Wild Man Wellman", a script about Arctict Explorer/journalist William Wellman. He is the author of "Close To Unheard Of", and is working on a new novel.He has produced "How to Eat Watermelon in White Company", a feature length documentary about Melvin Van Peebles

JENNIFER MONATLIK - SCREENWRITER - Trained with Upright Citizen's Brigade and British America Drama Academy. Trained in acting, comedy, singing, directing and screenwriting. LA native now working and living in NYC has great rewriting ability.

LORRAINE CANCRO - ASSOCIATE PRODUCER - Lorraine uses her background in Film and Music to add to her degree in Psychotherapy to ferret out commercial projects and weed out the psychotic ones. That includes potential investors as well.