Mary Lou Belli is an Emmy Award winner producer, writer, and director. She has just finished directing “Monk” starring Emmy award winner Tony Shalhoub. This season she also directed “The Game,” the spinoff to “Girlfriends” on the CW which she directed for 7 consecutive seasons. She directed the pilot of the Web series 3Way, winner of 2 Logo awards and The AfterEllen.com 2008 Visibility Awards for Best Lesbian/bi Web Series, which is about to start its second season. With over 100 episodes to her credit, Mary Lou directed "Living with Fran" starring Fran Drescher, "Misconceptions" starring Jane Leeves, and "Eve" starring hip hop artist Eve, as well as “The Hughleys,” “Charles in Charge," "Major Dad," and “Sister, Sister.” Mary Lou received BET nominations for directing "Girlfriends" and "One on One” as well as a Prism Award for "Girlfriends." She is the co-author of two books: “The Sitcom Career Book.” and "Acting for Young Actors" and is the head of the Education Advisory Committee for 3 Minute Highschool.com.
Pete Crooks is the senior editor and senior writer at Diablo magazine. His blog, Pete's Popcorn Picks at www.diablomag.com, focuses on the Bay Area's cinema scene—from new movies at the multiplex to independent film festivals and special screenings at rep theaters. Pete has been the movie critic for KFRC and KSAN radio's morning shows, and appeared on KRON's Bay Area Backroads and KPIX's Eye on the Bay. His five favorite films are Singin' in the Rain, This Is Spinal Tap, Gimme Shelter, The Apartment, and Dr. Strangelove.
Toshiya Kubo a media Producer and Representative of Maverick Creative Works. After graduating from the Department of Broadcasting, Faculty of Arts, Nihon University, worked for an advertising agency, a game company, and a CG production company. Mr. Kubo established Maverick Creative Works in 2002. He is an executive committee member/producer of the SAPPORO Short Fest (a sister film festival to CIFF) and One Dot Zero, a short film festival. Mr. Kubo is a specialist in marketing, entertainment business and character licensing business and is the Chief Coordinator of the Intercross Creative Center in Sapporo.
Frosene Phillips is a restaurant/entertainment columnist for the Bay Area News Group which includes the Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune and San Jose Mercury News among other daily/weekly Bay Area newspapers. Her "Frosene On The Scene" column has been covering Bay Area food and entertainment events for over 20 years.
Diane Dwyer is the weekend anchor for NBC Bay Area News. She's been reporting in the Bay Area for 20 years (first at KTVU and now at NBC). Diane has covered Barack Obama's historic Presidential Inauguration from Washington DC, and she traveled to Torino, Italy and Beijing to cover the Olympic games. Diane also teaches at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley (her alma mater) and serves on the board of the International House at UC Berkeley. She has won several awards including: Emmy, Associated Press, New York Film Festival and Bay Area Society of Professional Journalists. Diane lives in the East Bay with her husband, two children and rescue dog.
Victor Miller is a three-time Emmy Award recipient for "Outstanding Drama Series Writing", and a four-time Writers Guild Award Recipient for "Outstanding Daytime Serial Writing". Mr. Miller’s television credits include "All My Children", "Another World", "General Hospital", "Guiding Light" and "One Life To Live". His motion pictures' screenplays include "Friday The 13th", "Jury Duty", "A Stranger Is Watching" and "Asylum", just to name a few.
