TFT Alumni Classnotes

Joseph D. Schleimer (MFA 1980) is an entertainment lawyer in Beverly Hills. He has been representing prominent actors, directors, producers, screenwriters, composers, managers, agents, recording artists and independent production companies since 1986.

In 2008, Schleimer argued an artist/managercase, Preston v. Ferrer, in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court ruled in his favor, 8-1.

Also in 2008, the Hollywood Reporter profiled Schleimer in its annual "Hollywood Power Lawyers" issue.

In July, 2008, the UCLA Entertainment......more

Catherine Busch-Johnston MFA ’81 produced and directed the series The Face of Wisdom: Stories of Elder and Spirit of the Trees, both of which ran on PBS.  Her most recent work, Anchored in the Heart: Redeeming the Dark Feminine has made its way to Russia, Siberia and Prague.

Tea, a play written by Velina Hasu Houston MFA ’81, was performed in Los Angeles, Taipei and Honolulu. Her new play, Calling Aphrodite, was presented as a staged reading at Pittsburgh Public Theatre.

Anne-Marie Johnson '81 joined the cast of Disney Channel’s live action That’s So Raven. She also serves as the Screen Actors Guild’s first vice-president.

Ilyanne Morden Kichaven ’81 has been the Screen Actors Guild's National Director of Communications since 2000.

Ricco Ross MFA ’81 has had regular roles on shows such as The Practice, the Pretender, JAG and ER. He has also appeared in TV movies and the feature films Mission: Impossible, Slipstream and Aliens. Ricco, who became a member of England’s National Theatre, is currently shooting the film Hydra.

Ron Diamond MFA ’82, founder of the award-winning animation studio Acme Filmworks, was a featured guest at the Anima Mundi International Animation Festival in Brazil. He produced the 2004 Emmy-nominated commercial United Airlines Interview and the 2004 Academy Award-nominated short Nibbles.

Robert Hooper MFA ’82 is a TV producer and educator focusing on the role of media in inter-ethnic conflict resolution, environmental policy, and human rights in Malaysia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos and the Pacific island nations. He produced the award-winning PBS documentary Alaska's Killer Whales, hosted by William Shatner; his groundbreaking documentaries have aired on PBS, ABC News 20/20, and CBC Current Affairs (Toronto).

Laurie Price-Stevens ’82 co-wrote the pilot Voice of New Orleans, hosted by Chris Isaak and airing on The Fine Living Network. She also co-wrote the screenplay The Long Way Home, which won an award at the Writer's Digest 73rd Writing Competition. Laurie is co-writing the musical Just Say Yes! with fellow alum Ronald Jacobs ’56.

Elaine Ramires MFA ’82 was costume supervisor for Revolution Films' Rent and the DreamWorks film Dreamgirls.

Glenn Gaylord ’83 has been producing and directing documentaries such as Camp Michael Jackson, Queer Eye for the Straight Girl: Special Meet the Gal Pals Behind the Scenes, Party/Party: Gay Weddings, Living a Lie and most recently Show Choir. Prior to this, Glenn wrote, directed and produced the award-winning shorts Boychick and Lost Cause.

As president and executive producer of Providence Pictures, Inc, Gary Glassman MFA ’83 has produced and directed more than 25 non-fiction films in the past eight years for NOVA, PBS, Discovery Channel, and The History Channel. His shows have been honored with several awards, including 3 Emmys, a Peabody Award, the AAA Science Journalism Prize, the Cable Ace Award, and the Alfred I. Dupont-Columbia Journalism Award. Glassman’s work is featured......more

Mike Pniewski ’83 appeared in Ray with Jamie Fox and will in Michael Mann’s Miami Vice. He also guest-starred on the hit shows Law & Order, CSI: Miami and CSI: NY.

The Museum of Modern Art has added to their film collection seven music videos directed by Mike Patterson and Candace Reckinger MFA ’83 from 1985-1994. Included are clips for A-ha’s "Take On Me", Suzanne Vega’s "Luka", Sting’s "Be Still My Beating Heart", Paula Abdul’s "Opposites Attract" and Donald Fagen’s "Tomorrow's Girls". Reckinger is currently teaching in the School of Cinematic Arts at USC, in the MFA program of the Department......more

Ren Hanami ’84 performed in My Fair Lady at La Mirada Theatre and Sunrider Convention at the Long Beach Convention Center. She also performed in the award- winning short The House and guest-starred on CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful.

Jim Herzfeld ’84 co-wrote the cult film Tapeheads with fellow alum Ryan Rowe ’83. The film starred TFT alum Tim Robbins ’82 and John Cusack. He went on to co-write Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers. Jim is currently writing Toy Story III for Disney and working with fellow alum and Executive Board Member Darren Star ’83 on a remake of the Peter Sellars’ film The Party.

Bernard Lavoie MFA ’84 teaches in the theater program of the Collège Lionel-Groulx in Saint-Therese, Quebec, and at the National Theatre School of Canada. He presented his paper “Play Translation in Québec: The Other at the Service of the Self” in the UK, at the University of East Anglia Conference “Staging Translated Plays: Adaptation, Translation and Multimediality.” In 2008, Lavoie will direct a Québécois translation of The Laramie Project, with......more

Don Thompson ’81, MA ’84, co-edited the anthology Your Life Is a Movie: Alternative Visions of Film, Media and Culture (Del Sol Press, 2006). His independent feature Clouds will be available on DVD through NetFlix. His next film, The Messenger,will be directed by Oliver Schmitz. Don’s critically acclaimed play Democracy: A Work In Progress was staged by the Maryland Ensemble Theater.

Through her production company, Gemini Productions, Gail Willumsen M.F.A. 84 has produced, directed and written documentary projects for NOVA, PBS, National Geographic Television and Discovery. She has chased down stories around the world, with a particular interest in the exploration of humankind’s roots through archaeology and anthropology; the complex and enduring bond between people and animals; and the profound impact of science and technology on the course of human history.......more

Alan Muraoka ’85 has just finished filming his 8th season on the Emmy-award winning children's series Sesame Street. Last fall, he was part of a team of Sesame actors and puppeteers who went down to New Orleans and Mississippi to do outreach shows for the children who were effected by Hurricane Katrina. He is also working with Rosie O'Donnell's R Family Vacations to create a children's curriculum for their cruise......more

Mike Shkolnik ’85 has completed The Inedible Bulk, the epic origin story of Broccoli Man. Mike wrote, produced, directed, acted and sculpted the mask. The film has played in the festival circuit and is intended as a TV pilot. Broccoli Man has appeared on The Food Network and has met President George W. Bush and Jesse Ventura.

Zapper, a screenplay written by Jim Strain MFA ’85, was featured in the Writers Guild West summer edition of Written By magazine.

Lisa Sturz MFA ’85 has worked in the film industry building puppets and performing with numerous companies, among them Lucasfilm, Disney Imagineering and Dreamworks. Her many TV credits include shows such as Murphy Brown, The Flintstones and Howard the Duck. In addition, Lisa She has created puppets for the Mark Taper Forum and many other prestigious L.A. theaters. Her company, Red Herring Puppets, tours the Southeast with original shows.

Janna Gelfand ’86 was the recipient of the 2004 Outstanding Screenwriting Instructor of the Year Award from UCLA Extension. She has been a NEA judge for film and video grants and has done script consultant work for HBO on award-winning miniseries such as The Corner and Band of Brothers.

Dean Guiliotis ’86 recently edited the supernatural thriller The Scorned which aired on E! Entertainment Television. He is currently finishing two documentaries for his production company, Hoplite Pictures, Musical Chairs and Semi-Pro: A Year In Minor League Football. Dean is also editing the horror feature Bad Blood for MiraCon Pictures.

Adam Lieblein ’86, president of Acme Talent & Literary, appears on E! Entertainment Television’s reality show Fight For Fame.

Julia Schklair-Schultz '86 is currently the costume designer for the series " The Mentalist" on CBS.

Frank P. Tomasulo PhD ’86 continues as professor and head of Film Studies program in the College of Motion Picture, Television, and Recording Arts at Florida State University, Tallahassee. He was recently elected to serve a second two-year term as Executive Vice-President of the University Film and Video Association (UFVA), an international organization of filmmakers, professors and students.

Frank P. Tomasulo'86 (Film and Television Studies) was recently selected to be the first recipient of the University Film and Video Association's (UFVA) annual Teaching Award. This pedagogical honor is awarded on the basis of a member's lifetime contributions to classroom teaching, curricular development, mentoring of colleagues and students, pedagogical publications, and organizational advancement related to teaching. The official award ceremony will take place at the UFVA annual......more

Kristian Buccieri ’87 has written, produced and edited TV spots and trailers for video game publisher THQ for such games as Pixar’s Cars and The Incredibles; Nickelodeon’s Barnyard, SpongeBob and Avatar; and numerous others.

Ken Howard, MSW, LCSW (BA, 1987) continues with his successful private practice in counseling, psychotherapy, and coaching in West Hollywood, with over 16 years experience helping the artistic community cope with the challenges of working in the industry.  He works with many UCLA alumni, including actors and writers.  Subscription to his free new online E-zine, "Have the Life You Want!" is available by emailing him at KBHMSW@aol.com, or visiting more