Our Board

Hal Ackerman

Hal Ackerman has been on the faculty of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television for the past twenty-two years and is currently co-chair of the screenwriting program. His book "Write Screenplays That Sell…The Ackerman Way" is now in its third printing and is becoming the text of choice in a growing number of screenwriting programs around the country. Ackerman has had numerous short stories published in literary journals over the past two years, including "New Millennium Writing," "The Pinch," "Words and Pictures," "Southeast Review" and "Passages."

Michael Arabian

Co-founder of Theatre Insight, has directed and produced nearly 100 theatrical productions and events.

Wendy Bernstein

Assistant Principal of Hollywood High, formerly Belmont High. Teaches ESL and Drama.

Ron Carlson

Author of eight books of fiction, his short stories have appeared in Esquire, Harper's, The New Yorker, and other journals, as well as The Best American Short Stories, The Pushcart Prize Anthology, and dozens of other anthologies. Among his awards are a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction, the Cohen Prize at Ploughshares, and a National Society of Arts and Letters Literature Award.

James Franco

Successful film and television actor. Credits include "James Dean", "Spider Man1,2 & 3" and "Flyboys", to name a few.

Willie Hagan

Vice President for Administration and Finance California State University, Fullerton. Bachelors Degree and Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Connecticut, Master of Fine Arts from UCLA. Navy "Brat", to a career Navy Submariner. Raised on the East coast, loves to travel and write.

Philip J Starr

Former trial attorney with the Office of Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, having oversight of abusive tax shelters and tax exempt organizations. Former head of business and legal affairs for an independent film company. Presently involved in film production and internet technology.

April Webster

2006 Recipient of the Hoyt Bowers Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Casting Profession. Casting credits include "Mission Impossible III," "The Day After Tomorrow," "Criminal Minds," "Lost," "Alias,"

Brian Kaufman

A partner of Westridge Capital and a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Brian graduated with highest honors from the University of Notre Dame, and later obtained his law degree, cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center.

Paula Silver

Has more than 20 years experience in the developing, producing and marketing of motion pictures.

Deborah Del Prete

A veteran producer as well as director, Deborah Del Prete is co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Odd Lot Entertainment. Since 2001 her business partner and she have shepherded the growth of the L.A.-based development, finance and production company, which works in film as well as theatre. Del Prete is a longtime past treasurer of the board of directors for the New York chapter of Women In Film. She was an artistic advocate for the foundation of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and serves as an executive mentor for both the Producers Guild of America and Step Up Women's Network.

Leslie M. Werlin

A partner in the Los Angeles office of McGuireWoods specializing in complex business litigation. Mr. Werlin is graduate of UCLA and UCLA Law School and is currently a member of the State Bar of California Committee on Administration of Justice (Southern Section). For the last several years, he has been a volunteer and supporter of the Reading To Kids program in Los Angeles