Film Commission Mission: to encourage, promote and assist the motion picture/television film industry in utilizing Suffolk County's natural and man-made resources.
The Film Commission was created by the County Legislature in 1979. The County Executive appoints each of the fifteen members, who are presented and approved by the members of the Legislature. Each member has a 4 year term. The County Executive selects member candidates that work in the industry professionally; such as filmmakers, producers, camera operators, content providers, independent movie house managers and curators, and more.
VINCENT BUTTA
DIANA CHERRYHOLMES, CHAIR
Diana Cherryholmes in addition to serving as the Chair of the Film Commission is the Director for Suffolk County Office of Cultural Affairs in the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning. Formerly, she served as Executive Director of the Huntington Arts Council in Huntington, Long Island for over 14 years, and prior to that was the Program Director for 3 years. . She also serves on the board of the Long Island Arts Alliance. Since 1999, Cherryholmes has served as a member of the NYS DanceForce.
SUSAN GATTI, VICE CHAIR
Susan established QUE Productions in 1998 to assist businesses, corporations, and agencies produce quality branded media, TV commercials and video for corporate communications. QUE designs and develops strategic marketing solutions to help clients target their audience and achieve measured results. Honored with over a dozen Telly awards, Susan and her team have been recognized for producing high quality, unique TV/Video content for their clients. For more information, please visit her: www.queproductions.com
DYLAN SKOLNICK, SECRETARY
Dylan Skolnick is Co-Director at the Cinema Arts Centre, Long Island’s leading venue for alternative film. He maintains the Centre’s forty-plus year focus on using film to expand the awareness and understanding of Long Islanders to the vital local and global issues facing our society. Mr. Skolnick is a Consultant and Film Buyer for a number of Cinemas across the USA, including the Circle Cinema in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Hollywood Theater in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Art Mission and Theater in Binghamton, New York, the Old Greenbelt Theatre in Greenbelt, Maryland, and the Lyric Theatre in Stuart, Florida. For more information, please visit his website: www.cinemaartscentre.org
CAMPBELL DALGLISH
Campbell Dalglish is an award winning director, screenwriter, playwright, and founding director of D'Arc Productions. His short narrative Dance of the Quantum Cats was selected by CINE to represent USA at the 12th International Film Festival of Peace. Dalglish has been a Film Commissioner for Suffolk County since 2003, and is currently President of The Plaza Cinema and Media Arts Center. He has taught film at NYU, the School of Visual Arts and is a tenured professor of film at City College of New York, where he orchestrated THE IMPROFILM FESTIVAL NEW YORK. For more information, please visit his site: www.darcproductions.net
NAOMI HOGARTY
Naomi Hogarty is the creative director and owner of 91 East Productions, a full service video production company based in Westhampton Beach. A versatile and reliable creative shop with relationships that includes advertising and private companies as well as most of cable's heavy hitters: ESPN, Disney, HBO, Showtime, Lifetime, Bravo & MTV Networks. She has helped to build brands and launch digital channels, creating many inspiring corporate films, short-docs and commercials. 91 East Productions is a certified woman owned business in NYS. For more information, please visit her website: www.91east.com
GREG PACE
Greg Pace started his career in TV but made an early transition to Feature Films. He served as Director of Production for Alec Baldwin's LA-based production company, El Dorado Pictures and was a Producer on The Confession, starring Alec Baldwin, Ben Kingsley, and Amy Irving, as well as several other feature and TV projects. Pace has served as a producer on reality series for networks including Bravo, Oprah Winfery's OWN, Animal Planet, and VH1. Pace is currently in post-production on a feature film as he continues to develop new reality series, feature films, scripted TV and documentaries under the Kismet Films banner. For more information, please visit his website: www.kismetfilms.com
AMANDA RAMIREZ
GREG SCHIMIZZI
Gregory F. Schimizzi has been a Suffolk County Film Commissioner for over a decade. In 1977 the brothers established a worldwide motion picture production and distribution company called Video Voice. Video Voice has produced over 300 motion pictures with distributed worldwide. In 1994 the brothers acquired an FCC TV broadcast license for Eastern Suffolk County. The Schimizzi Bros. grew this into Hamptons Television which is seen today into millions of homes from Montauk to NYC. Today VVH-TV can be viewed on a variety of devices including any iPhone worldwide. Greg is committed to television and film making in Suffolk County and is proud to be a member of the SCFC. Contact: GSchimizzi@WVVH.Com
LENNY STUCKER
Lenny Stucker joined the NBC Television Network in 1969. After performing a various amount of functions, he was ultimately promoted to a TV network director and remained with NBC for 23 years. He directed a variety of network shows from entertainment to major sports broadcasts. In 1987, Lenny Stucker formed his own International production company called TalentWorks, Inc. TalentWorks, Inc. went on to have many of the worlds’ leading broadcasters as their clients. TalentWorks, Inc. created and produced television shows around the world. TalentWorks, Inc. acquired broadcast rights for many of the major sports and entertainment broadcasts in the USA for its international clients. TalentWorks, Inc. started licensing products that were connected with the shows that were broadcasted. TalentWorks, Inc. created and co-created shows here in the USA. In 1998, Lenny Stucker was asked to come and live in Europe to become Program Director of European TV. Lenny Stucker lived in Europe and helped to change television, as Europeans knew it. Lenny Stucker holds 10 National Emmys for his work in television. Lenny is a member in good standing of The Directors Guild of America.
JIM VIGNATO
Born in Suffolk County, Jim has had more than 25 years experience as a film & theatrical technician, he is an energetic actor & performer as well as a rock tenor vocalist currently touring the USA with Rockin' The Paradise the #1 tribute to STYX. He has produced low budget films and music videos, currently he produces his tribute shows nationwide from New York to LA and has been the resident acting teacher at an arts school/sound stage in Westhampton for over 14 years. Jim enjoys developing artists in the recording studio, making music videos, directing musical theater shows and teaching acting and voice to up and coming local talent. www.eastend-studios.com