Behind the Scenes – focus on the filmmaker

November’s Scene is a bit different, as we wanted to give our members more information on the festival finalists. So in alphabetical order by finalist film, we present the top four filmmakers for Season One of the Haydenfilms Online Film Festival.

Fortunate Son – directed by Quinn Saunders

Born and raised in Mt. Holly, New Jersey, Quinn Saunders attended Rutgers University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in English and a minor in Art History. After Rutgers, Quinn settled in New York City, spending his free time writing and studying acting with William Esper and at the Actor’s Studio while slowly working his way down the corporate ladder at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Accepted into the Film Production program at the University of Southern California in the spring of 2000, he has written and directed several short films and received his MFA in August 2003. At USC, Quinn was chosen by Robert Zemeckis to be one of the rare students the director mentors. “Fortunate Son” is the result of that mentorship process.

I Killed Zoe Day – written and directed by Powell Weaver

Powell Weaver recently graduated from the Tisch School of the Arts film program at NYU. The recipient of one of only two $35,000 scholarships given by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Powell’s films have screened in over 25 festivals. He has shot, edited and directed projects for Universal Records and VH1, and his work has screened on MTV, MTV2 and BET. He currently works as a production assistant at Nickelodeon in New York.

Life or Breath – written and directed by Steve Desmond

Steve is a Chicago native and a recent graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in Cinema-Television Production. Based on his previous film work and screenplays, Steve was chosen as one of only four seniors to direct a 480 project, a prestigious advanced level production at USC. His film was Life or Breath: a darkly comedic thriller based on a short story by Nelson DeMille. Last year, Steve won a Student Emmy Award from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for producing the USC Thesis film, Saving Worms. Since graduating, Steve has written three original feature screenplays and is currently shopping them around to different companies.

SmartCard – directed by James Oxford

James Oxford holds a B.A in Fine Art from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI, as well as an M.A. in Fine Art from the New York Academy of Figurative Art in New York. James has worked in the movie industry since 1993, and his feature film credits include Xmen 2, Planet of the Apes, The Patriot, and the upcoming Superman feature film. His second film, Dark Waters, is currently in production. James’ art can be viewed at his website, www.jamesoxford.com

Now it’s your chance! Tell us about your latest project, and you could be chosen for Behind the Scenes in the coming months. Whether you’re a producer, actor, or grip, we’re looking for YOUR story.

Contact our news staff by submitting the form at http://www.haydenfilms.com/contact_files.php?context=news and you may be selected as the focus of our next feature!