CAST
Tom Bower: Jenson
Tom currently appears in films playing in theatres everywhere: Appaloosa, directed by and starring Ed Harris, with Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons and Renee Zelwiger; Bad Lieutenant, directed by Werner Herzog with Nick Cage, Val Kilmer, and Eva Mendes; Crazy Heart, directed by Scott Cooper, with Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell and Robert Duval; and Gospel Hill, directed by Giancarlo Esposito with Samuel L. Jackson, Danny Glover, Angela Bassett and Julia Stiles.
In 1981, Tom was invited by Robert Redford to be a resource actor at the Sundance Institute for film and television. He has remained active in the Institute since that time, and has served as a member of the Nominating Committee. He has also served on the National Board of Directors of Screen Actors’ Guild; was the architect of Global Rule One and created the SAGIndie Outreach Program. Also, a veteran of the stage, Tom has appeared in more than 80 theatrical productions across the United States, including a recent production of Harold Pinter’s “No Man’s Land” and “The Caretaker”, for which the production received the “Best Revival” and “Best Ensemble” award from LAWEEKLY.
Jessica Spotts: Lynn
Jessica Spotts grew up in Franklin, MA where climbing in trees, on swing sets, and over chain link fences shaped her childhood. She recently graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Theatre. While there, she acted in over forty student films, directed two original plays and produced and acted in an original short play “Four Girls Are Standing” written by Ri Versteegh, which was performed and discussed at high schools around Los Angeles. Jessica is also a writer/songwriter/poet and has been singing all her life, but consistently on-key for the past nine years. Jessica is grateful to have been able to work on “Red Mesa” with such talented, passionate, and wonderful people. She thoroughly enjoyed both the shoot and the 10 days she spent on a cattle ranch in southern New Mexico to prepare for the role. Driving a bulldozer, fixing fences, and learning how to swing a lasso were only some of the adventures she got to experience along the way.
Gabriel Rivera: Octavio
Gabriel Rivera likes to describe himself as “spirit having a human experience.” Born in El Paso, Texas, he began acting at the age of five in local community theatre. While a student at Rice University, Gabriel continued to act and sing in college theatre. In 2007, Gabriel made his feature film debut in Ethan Hawke’s, The Hottest State. He is an accomplished singer/songwriter and when not working on entertainment projects he devotes his time to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ as a youth evangelist and worship leader. “Red Mesa” is Gabriel’s first lead role in a 35mm film. For more information about Gabriel’s art, music, and ministry please visit: www.gabrielriveramusic.com.
FRANK MACKEWICH: Agent Hotchkis
Frank Mackewich portrays U.S. Border Patrol Agent Hotchkis in Ilana Lapid’s “Red Mesa”. Frank is a full time Deputy Sheriff and a part-time actor. His many years of police experience provide a natural background and interest for Law Enforcement roles. A graduate of the F.T.T.P. film crew training program created by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, Frank has acted in many films and has served as a crew member, extra actor and featured extra actor. Frank is a former professional motorcycle and automobile stuntman. He has served as a stunt coordinator and stunt driver in several films. Frank is represented by the Mannequin Talent Agency and agent Diane Horner (talentmannequin@aol.com).
ADAM MACKEWICH: Agent Johnson
Adam Mackewich portrays U.S. Border Patrol Agent Johnson in Ilana Lapid’s “Red Mesa”, featured as the canine officer with his German Shepherd drug dog. Adam is a full time Security Officer for the U.S. Government and a part-time actor. In his spare time, Adam proudly serves as a Reserve Deputy Sheriff for Otero County. Adam has served as a crew member, FX makeup and extra actor as well as a speaking actor in other films. Adam is a graduate of the F.T.T.P. film crew training program created by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. He is represented by Diane Horner of the Mannequin Talent Agency (talentmannequin@aol.com).
CREW
ILANA LAPID: Director
“Red Mesa” is Ilana Lapid’s thesis film in the MFA program in film production at the University of Southern California. Ilana grew up in NYC, Jerusalem, Israel, and Ottawa, Canada. At age 12, she moved with her family to southern New Mexico. After graduating from Yale University with a BA in International Relations in 1999, she worked for several years as an arts educator in New Mexico and taught creative writing at a juvenile detention center. In 2001-2002, she spent a year in Romania on a Fulbright Fellowship, leading a traveling mural project with Gypsy children living in a garbage dump in Transylvania. This project led to an exhibit of murals and photographs, “Dreaming in Color; Living in Black & White,” shown at museums and cultural centers in Bucharest, New York and New Mexico. Ilana worked at a production company in NYC before coming to LA in 2003 to attend USC. In the summer of 2004, she returned to Romania as a directing trainee at Castel Studios (“Cold Mountain”, “Train of Life”). While there, she conducted research for her feature script about political informers in Communist Romania. In the summer of 2005, she traveled in Mexico to research the world of illegal immigration, the backdrop of “Red Mesa.” Ilana is the recipient of the 2005 Jack Nicholson Directing Award, the 2006 Institute of Humane Studies Film & Fiction Scholarship, and the 2006 John Huston Directing Award. Her short, “Jabez,” screened at several festivals and won “Best Director” at the 2005 Hollywood DV Festival. As a writer/director, Ilana is interested in telling stories about individuals struggling to negotiate the complexities of our world – stories that explore the personal faces of global conflicts.
VINEET DEWAN: Producer
Selected by Filmmaker Magazine as one of 25 New Faces of Independent Film, Vineet Dewan is committed to creating film and television with standout style and content. As a result of his diasporic upbringing, Dewan is drawn to stories about characters caught between two worlds like “Red Mesa”. Like Ilana, Vineet is an alumnus of Yale University and the USC School of Cinematic Arts. At USC Dewan was awarded the school’s top directing and cinematography prizes consecutively. Dewan’s short film “Clear Cut, Simple” (2007) went on to win top student awards at the DGA, Emmys, BAFTAs as well as jury awards at international film festivals including SXSW, Shanghai, Aspen and Palm Springs and screened at over two dozen international festivals from Tribeca to China between 2007 and 2008. Vineet has just completed the NBC Director Training Program and is currently developing several feature projects.
FRANCIE WASSER: Producer
JOHN DEFAZIO: Cinematographer
John attended Carnegie Mellon University’s design and art programs, where he practiced taking pictures, building robotic sculptures and playing with sharp metal objects. After a long stint on the streets of suburban Pittsburgh, rumored to include art installations on his parents frozen backyard pool and “shock” videos for the high school set, John DeFazio stumbled on his true love – cinematography. John received an MFA at the University of Southern California for film production, as well as a Kodak Achievement in Cinematography Award. John has since shot over 25 short films, some of which have hit Sundance (“Crossing”, “Roam”) and the Cannes international Film Festival (“9:30″), using 35mm, super 16mm, 16mm, super 8, High Definition, miniDV, and digital stills. John recently finished work on the feature “Undoing”, which was singled out by the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival for its “striking imagery.”
Adán Avalos: Production Designer
DENNIS CROW: 1st Assistant Director
Dennis grew up on the outskirts of Philadelphia in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He went to film school at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Dennis’ first job was as a Stage Manager at Mother Sound Stages where he worked on over 200 television commercials, music videos and industrial productions. Dennis credits his production experience in Manhattan for an understanding of set etiquette. He left New York with professional knowledge ingrained in him. He now resides in Los Angeles after working in New York (4 years), Orlando (1year), Miami (1 year), Chicago (9 years), and New Mexico (9 years). In 1999 Dennis entered the Directors Guild of America (DGA) as an assistant director and now primarily works on feature films. Not inspired by the consumerism of commercials, Dennis searched for projects with more meaning. He transitioned to films because of the positive impact they can have on society. He says, “There are some fantastic films, like “Red Mesa” that allow an audience to go to unfamiliar places and meet inspiring people.”
ED VEGA: Production Design FTTP (Film Technician Training Program) Mentor
Ed Vega is a native of New Mexico and a graduate of New Mexico State University’s Fine Arts program. He resides in Albuquerque, NM. First trained as a painter and a sculptor, Ed has worked in the entertainment industry as a scenic artist and art director since the late 1980’s.
His credits as Art Director include:
BORDERTOWN (2006), directed by Gregory Nava, with Jennifer Lopez and Antonio Banderas.
THE FLOCK (2006), directed by Wai Keung Lau, with Richard Gere and Claire Danes.
BELIEVE IN ME (2005), directed by Robert Collector, with Samantha Mathis and Bruce Dern.
SPY KIDS 1 & 2 (2001, 2002), directed by Robert Rodriguez, with Antonio Banderas and Steve Buscemi.
THE FACULTY (1998), directed by Robert Rodriguez, with Elijah Wood and Salma Hayek.
SELENA (1997), directed by Gregory Nava, with Jennifer Lopez and Edward James Olmos.
PAUL FONAREV: Sound Design
Westwind Media: Sound
CRAIG WOOD: Editing Mentor
SID LEVIN: Editing Mentor
MARK MEDOFF: New Mexico Mentor
Mark Medoff is an award winning playwright, screenwriter and director. His play “Children of a Lesser God,” about the romance between a hearing-impaired young woman and her teacher, won the Tony Award for Best Play, and an Oscar nomination for Best Screen-play. Having received his master’s degree from Stanford University, Medoff became a Professor of English and Drama and later, Dramatist in Residence and Chair of the Drama Department at New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. His many other awards include: the Obie Award for Distinguished Playwriting, Drama Desk Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, and John Gassner Playwriting Award all for “When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder?”; a Guggenheim Fellowship in Playwriting, 1974-75; the Westhafer Award, 1973-1974; the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts; and the Drama Desk Award and the Kennedy Center Medallion for Excellence in Education and Artistic Achievement.