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Christopher Kulovitz – Executive Producer/Creative Director
Christopher Kulovitz has always been inspired by the power of film. “A great film can transform us and teach us so much about who we are and the human condition we all share and struggle with. It can be so much more than mere entertainment, it can be cathartic.”
After studying journalism and health sciences, Christopher was tasked by a cheap advertising friend looking for free ideas to come up with some creative concepts and then pitch them to a combustible client. A career in advertising was born. His Communication Arts and Concept work has appeared in award-winning national print and magazine campaigns including Food Arts, PLATE, R&I, Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. |
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But film remained in focus. In 2006 Kulovitz partnered with his good friend Michael Coty - and his brother Lou Coty - to co-write, produce and appear in the film ‘Saddled’, an independent mini-feature that has received national acclaim at screenings in Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and went on to become and Official Selection at BIFF –The Beloit International Film Festival. The Kulovitz/Coty team also took national top honors for the digital short film ‘Play It Forward’ - produced to launch and promote the new Zune MP3 Player from Microsoft.
Kulovitz then turned the camera on the educational component of film and worked with Coty to create the Get REEL Film Competition and Festival that promotes and supports student filmmakers in the Midwest —Winner of the 2009 Impact Award. Directly following was the creation of The Canned Film Competition, a unique and challenging 50-hour film quest where filmmakers must incorporate a themed can containing a mystery object into their film, leaving them only 50 hours to Plan It, Cram It, and Can It.
In an obvious next step, the Kulovitz/Coty team started the creative production house Evolver Productions LLC to support these film competition brands as well as the launch pad and producing entity for the Julien International Film Festival, scheduled for its inaugural year in April of 2012 in Dubuque Iowa.
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Michael Coty - Executive Producer/Creative Director
Michael Coty began to develop his passion for theater and entertainment productions at the age of 16, working as stage manager and director for several high school productions. While attending college at the University of Illinois, Chicago, he was fortunate to start a career with American Airlines that allowed him to focus on his second passion, traveling and experiencing new cultures.
Since arriving in Dubuque, Michael has produced and directed several high profile events in Iowa with producing partner and friend Christopher Kulovitz, including Raise the Roof, a singing showcase and silent auction gala that raised money for men woman and children living with HIV in the tri-states. |
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Following this success, the team went on to create several film projects including the drama, SADDLED, an independent mini-feature that has received national acclaim at screenings in Chicago, Minneapolis, Los Angeles and went on to become and Official Selection at BIFF –The Beloit International Film Festival.
Then came the creation of GET REEL, a high school film competition providing students with an incentive, resources and an outlet to create and present their film works to an otherwise unavailable audience. The reaction was galvanizing and the Kulovitz/Coty team took it to the next level and responded by creating The Canned Film Competition, a unique and challenging 50-hour film quest where filmmakers must incorporate a themed can containing a mystery object into their film, leaving them only 50 hours to Plan It, Cram It, and Can It. Deciding to pursue their passion fulltime, Michael and Christopher created EVOLVER Productions LLC and are in the process of launching the Julien International Film Festival in Dubuque, scheduled for April of 2012. |
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2012 JIFFD Board
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Brad Parks - President
Stemming from a successful global career in finance and risk management as a correspondent with Lloyds’ of London as well as decades of active civic involvement Brad has dedicated the last 10 years of his professional work and academic study to helping leaders identify and leverage the power behind what he defines as the “Cycle of Confidence”. Brad uses that process daily as CEO of Knowledge Through Data LLC, a collaborative community database provider, and President of it's subsidiary company Knowitall, LLC, a merchant processing and electronic transfer information company. Previously Brad also served 12 years as National Sales V.P. of The Hanleigh Companies, the first ever U.S. direct correspondents of Lloyds’ of London specializing in executive, sports, and entertainment risk. He is also the co-founder of the community promotion company Dubuque365 and 365ink Magazine. In his community volunteer work Brad is the President of the Julien Dubuque International Film Festival and creator of that festival’s Film Exploration Grant Program. He is also known as an expert in community and organizational development from his work in his home state through former Iowa Governor Vilsak’s “Vision Iowa Board” participating in over $1.8 billion dollars in community development projects. Brad also served 10 years as a construction engineering Sergeant with the 389th combat engineering battalion, US Army.
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Jim Barefoot – Vice President
Jim Barefoot is the Production Manager for Mediacom Communications Corporation in Dubuque, Iowa. Mediacom is the 8th largest cable provider in the United States. He oversees the production of Local Origination and Public Access content, where he has done so for the past 17 years. He is passionate about the production industry in Iowa. He recently completed Film Commission Fundamentals through the Association of Film Commissions International and is working to establish a local film office in Dubuque. He has worked on numerous award winning film and television productions including “Ghost Player”, “Kids in the Kitchen” and “I Love Dubuque”. Jim is currently on the Marketing and Education Committees for the Iowa Motion Picture Association. Jim serves as Treasurer for the Great River Film Initiative, a non-profit group whose mission is to develop the resources within the community to promote and encourage filmmaking. Jim is active in the United Way by being a member of the Public Relations Committee. He has been married to Diane for 21 years and has three children; Abigail, Nicholas & Isabelle.
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Denny Hayes – Treasurer
Denny was born and raised in Dubuque and recently retired from John Deere. He held many finance positions but most recently has been the Manager of the Construction and Forestry Accounting Services group where he managed all general ledger accounting functions for Davenport, Dubuque, and the Marketing operation located at the Heritage building in Moline. Denny graduated from the University of Dubuque and spent three years in the U.S. Army.
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Theresa O'Neill Heim – Secretary
Theresa was born and raised in Dubuque, and graduated from Wahlert High School. She and her husband Dave have been married for 30 years, and have two children: Andrew, and Erin Milligan (husband Kevin). Theresa worked for the Dubuque Visiting Nurse Assoc for 16 years. While there, she spent her time in various positions, including the well-child program, the paternity testing department, and in HIV testing and HIV ~ AIDS prevention. Theresa also sat on the executive board of the Dubuque Regional AIDS Coalition. She served in the capacity of treasurer, and later as secretary. In conjunction with her service on the board, she also helped to organize the annual AIDS benefit fundraiser.
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Sam Mulgrew
Sam Mulgrew was born and raised in Dubuque, Iowa. He was schooled in Dubuque and New York City. He is married and has two troublesome children, who are allegedly his offspring. Sam has an interest in the collective sum of human experience, and how it's expressed in our cultural heritage within the arts and humanities.
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Sheila O’Laughlin
Sheila A O'Laughlin is an associate with Day & Hellmer, P.C., a general practice firm in Dubuque. In addition to JIFFD, she serves as treasurer for the Dubuque Montessori School and is a parish life committee member at St. Columbkille. She hails from Chicago, but has lived and worked in many places including Germany and China. Some prior employers include Snow, Knock, Sevcik & Hinze in Cedar Falls, Neal H. Levin & Associates and Edelman, Combs, Latturner & Combs in Chicago, a class action law firm. Other nonprofits where she has volunteered are Iowa Legal Aid, Chicago Legal Clinic, Legal Assistance for Vietnamese Asylum Seekers, and Amnesty International in China. She lives in Dubuque with her husband and three girls.
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Craig Schaefer
Craig Schaefer has been a professor of Media Studies at Loras College in Dubuque since 1993. He is an award-winning documentary filmmaker and director of LC Productions. Schaefer also serves on the board of the Iowa Motion Picture Association.
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Craig Raymon
Craig received his B.A in Design from Southern Illinois University. After graduation he returned to the Chicago area and started Imageworks, a corporate media production company specializing in Video, Animation and Interactive Media. In 1997, the business relocated to the Galena area and began focusing on delivery of these services online and renamed the company to 1 Click ROI. Craig is the father of two teenagers, an avid film buff and an incredibly mediocre but enthusiastic golfer.
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Ed Obermueller
Edward Obermueller is a consultant to the arts and nonprofits in the Greater Dubuque region. He has brought innovative leadership to organizations around the country, and has been exhibited nationally as an oil painter. He has a secret love of fine film, and keeps a film blog at deeperfilm.blogspot.com.
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