Rupert Wainwright (Echos)

Rupert Wainwright is the director of 4 features, over 200 commercials and more than 100 music videos. Winning numerous awards for his work, including several MTV Video Music Awards, Adweek's Effie and a Grammy, he has shot all over the world, from the Great Wall of China to the Mexican jungle, from the Italian Alps to the Caribbean. Before his move into features and television, Wainwright founded his own production company, Fragile Films, which he successfully sold to Propaganda Films in 1995.

Originally from England, Rupert Wainwright studied at Oxford University and put himself through college by acting in such 1980s British films as "Another Country" and "Dreamchild". In 1986, he attended UCLA on a Fulbright scholarship to study film and started directing music videos while still at film school.

Rupert Wainwright is the director of 4 features, over 200 commercials and more than 100 music videos. Winning numerous awards for his work, including several MTV Video Music Awards, Adweek's Effie and a Grammy, he has shot all over the world, from the Great Wall of China to the Mexican jungle, from the Italian Alps to the Caribbean. Before his move into features and television, Wainwright founded his own production company, Fragile Films, which he successfully sold to Propaganda Films in 1995.

Originally from England, Rupert Wainwright studied at Oxford University and put himself through college by acting in such 1980s British films as "Another Country" and "Dreamchild". In 1986, he attended UCLA on a Fulbright scholarship to study film and started directing music videos while still at film school.

In the feature world Wainwright is perhaps best known for his 1999 work, "Stigmata" starring Patricia Arquette, Gabriel Byrne and Jonathan Pryce. The picture – number #1 in the US box office opening weekend - was a worldwide hit and praised for its striking imagery and controversial themes.

Wainwright's first feature, "Blank Check", was a bona fide hit for Disney Studios. His second feature, "The Sadness of Sex", starring Peta Wilson, was later serialized on the Web on ifilm.com and was one of the most successful launches of a short film series ever.

One of Wainwright's recent spots, "Dunk Driving", was part of nationally publicized increase in Drunk Driving prevention, and was highlighted on The Today Show, US Today and The New York Times. Recently, Wainwright wrote and directed the spot "Sochi: The Door Is Open" for the Russian Government that was the centerpiece of Russia's successful campaign for the 2014 Winter Olympics. The spot garnered Wainwright a Mobius award for outstanding international commercial.

In Television, Wainwright directed "Dillinger", a two-hour TV movie for Warner Brothers and ABC starring Mark Harmon, Sherilyn Fenn and Will Patton and "Wolf Lake", a highly regarded pilot for CBS which went to series. Wainwright also directed a presentation for the Jeff Rake project, "Secret Service" for 20th Century Fox TV.

Today, Wainwright continues to successfully straddle the worlds of features and commercials with a unique visual style and driving sense of storytelling. His most recent feature was "The Fog" for Revolution Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, which opened at #1 in theatres in Oct 2005.

Rob Schmidt (Spirit Box)

An American film director and writer, his film credits include Wrong Turn, a 2003 horror film, Crime and Punishment in Suburbia and Saturn. He also created a pilot called American Town for Twentieth Century Fox. Rob has been lauded by Darren Aronofsky, Jonathan Demme and Stephen King.

An American film director and writer, his film credits include Wrong Turn, a 2003 horror film, Crime and Punishment in Suburbia and Saturn. He also created a pilot called American Town for Twentieth Century Fox. Rob has been lauded by Darren Aronofsky, Jonathan Demme and Stephen King. He directed a Masters of Horror episode called "Right to Die." His thriller The Alphabet Killer, which reunited him with Eliza Dushku (Wrong Turn), Martin Donovan ("Right to Die"), and Michael Ironside (Crime and Punishment in Suburbia), has been picked up for international distribution by New Films International.

He is married to photographer Zoë Barracano.

Stuart Gordon (Eater)

In 1985, winning the Critics' Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Stuart Gordon surprised audiences with his first feature film RE-ANIMATOR. With its stunning box office success, RE-ANIMATOR has become a cult classic and Stuart Gordon has developed a strong and loyal following.

His professional career began in 1970 as artistic director of The Organic Theater Company of Chicago, a position he held for fifteen years. The ensemble, which included actors Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz, produced original plays and adaptations. Gordon was able to work directly with Ray Bradbury, Roald Dahl, Mary Renault and Kurt Vonnegut bringing their works to the stage. And in 1974 he produced and directed the world premiere of David Mamet's SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO. The company…

In 1985, winning the Critics' Award at the Cannes Film Festival, Stuart Gordon surprised audiences with his first feature film RE-ANIMATOR. With its stunning box office success, RE-ANIMATOR has become a cult classic and Stuart Gordon has developed a strong and loyal following.

His professional career began in 1970 as artistic director of The Organic Theater Company of Chicago, a position he held for fifteen years. The ensemble, which included actors Joe Mantegna and Dennis Franz, produced original plays and adaptations. Gordon was able to work directly with Ray Bradbury, Roald Dahl, Mary Renault and Kurt Vonnegut bringing their works to the stage. And in 1974 he produced and directed the world premiere of David Mamet's SEXUAL PERVERSITY IN CHICAGO. The company performed on and off-Broadway, and toured the US and Europe. Gordon left Organic in 1985 when he was offered a three picture deal in Los Angeles after the success of RE-ANIMATOR.

Gordon followed RE-ANIMATOR with another H.P. Lovecraft adaptation, FROM BEYOND (1986), solidifying his notoriety in the horror genre. His subsequent directing credits include DOLLS (1987), ROBOT JOX (1990), PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1991) starring Lance Henricksen, FORTRESS (1993) starring Christopher Lambert, CASTLE FREAK (1995) which won a Golden Chainsaw Award from Fangoria Magazine and SPACE TRUCKERS starring Dennis Hopper. In 1998 in an astonishing change of pace, he directed Ray Bradbury's comical fable THE WONDERFUL ICE CREAM SUIT starring Edward James Olmos and Esai Morales for Disney Studios. The film premiered at the Sundance Festival and won the Best Director award at Rome's Fantafestival. Joe Mantegna played the same role he had performed onstage at Organic almost twenty five years earlier.

Gordon returned to another Lovecraft inspired project, DAGON in 2001 and followed that with KING OF THE ANTS a brutal crime drama in 2003. Last year he and David Mamet reunited on the film version of EDMOND (based on his controversial play). William H. Macy and Julia Stiles star. The film won The New Visions Award at last year's Sitges Festival in Spain. And he has just completed STUCK with Stephen Rea and Mena Suvari. This Hitchcockian suspense thriller, based on a true story will be released this summer.

In 2005, Gordon was invited to take part in a new television series for Showtime: MASTERS OF HORROR. Joining a team that included John Carpenter, Dario Argento, Joe Dante, and John Landis, Gordon directed an hour-long adaptation of Lovecraft's DREAMS IN THE WITCH HOUSE which was nominated for an Emmy Award. Based on the success of the series, he was invited back for the second season and directed a new version of Edgar Allan Poe's THE BLACK CAT with his RE-ANIMATOR star Jeffrey Combs as Poe himself.

Brad Anderson (Spooked)

The Darien Gap, Brad Anderson's first feature, screened in competition at the '96 Sundance Film Festival. Because of this film he was honored by Variety in '97 as one of the "Ten Leading New Independent Directors to Watch." In 1998 his film Next Stop Wonderland, featuring Hope Davis and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, was picked up at Sundance by Miramax. It won the Grand Prix and Audience awards at the Deauville Film Festival, as well as the Excellence in Filmmaking Award by the National Board of Review.

In 2001 he had the unusual experience of having two of his films simultaneously hit theaters, both to overwhelming critical praise: the romantic comedy Happy Accidents (IFC Films), which stars Marisa Tomei and Vincent D'Onofrio; and the psychological thriller Session 9 (USA Films), which stars…

The Darien Gap, Brad Anderson's first feature, screened in competition at the '96 Sundance Film Festival. Because of this film he was honored by Variety in '97 as one of the "Ten Leading New Independent Directors to Watch." In 1998 his film Next Stop Wonderland, featuring Hope Davis and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, was picked up at Sundance by Miramax. It won the Grand Prix and Audience awards at the Deauville Film Festival, as well as the Excellence in Filmmaking Award by the National Board of Review.

In 2001 he had the unusual experience of having two of his films simultaneously hit theaters, both to overwhelming critical praise: the romantic comedy Happy Accidents (IFC Films), which stars Marisa Tomei and Vincent D'Onofrio; and the psychological thriller Session 9 (USA Films), which stars David Caruso, Josh Lucas and Peter Mullan.

In 2005 he made The Machinist (Paramount), which was produced and shot in Spain. It stars Christian Bale and Jennifer Jason Leigh and premiered at Sundance and the Berlin Film Festival. It won the 2006 Silver Melies as part of the European Fantastic Film Festival.

His newest film: the Hitchcockian thriller Transsiberian, which he co-wrote and directed, premiered at Sundance and Berlin, 2008. It was shot in Lithuania, Spain, and China and stars Emily Mortimer, Woody Harrelson, Ben Kingsley and Eduardo Noriega.

Projects in development include: an adaptation of J.G..Ballard's novel Concrete Island; and a musical called Non Stop to Brazil.

His television credits include episodes of Homicide; The Wire; The Shield; Surface; Sounds Like, an hour long film which he wrote and directed for Showtime's "Masters of Horror"; as well as an episode of this season's NBC horror anthology "Fear Itself".

Larry Fessenden (Skin & Bones)

Larry Fessenden (born 1963) is an American writer, director, and actor, living in New York City. He is president of Glass Eye Pix, an independent film production company based in New York City.

Fessenden's works include The Last Winter, Wendigo, Habit, No Telling, Hollow Venus: Diary of a Go-Go Dancer, Experienced Movers, and A Face in the Crowd.

Darren Bousman (New Year's Day)

Darren Lynn Bousman is quickly becoming one of the most sought after directors in the film industry after his first three major films ("Saw II," "Saw III" and "Saw IV") opened at #1 at the box office three years in a row.

Bousman has recently completed production on what he calls his "passion project." He calls "REPO! The Genetic Opera" "indescribable" - but characterizes it as "'Blade Runner' meets 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'." The futuristic gothic opera, based on the original stage play which Bousman directed in 2002, stars Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head, Sarah Brightman & Paris Hilton.

Darren Lynn Bousman is quickly becoming one of the most sought after directors in the film industry after his first three major films ("Saw II," "Saw III" and "Saw IV") opened at #1 at the box office three years in a row.

Bousman has recently completed production on what he calls his "passion project." He calls "REPO! The Genetic Opera" "indescribable" - but characterizes it as "'Blade Runner' meets 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show'." The futuristic gothic opera, based on the original stage play which Bousman directed in 2002, stars Alexa Vega, Paul Sorvino, Anthony Head, Sarah Brightman & Paris Hilton.

"REPO! The Genetic Opera" takes place in the year 2056 - the not so distant future - when an epidemic of organ failures devastates the planet. GeneCo, a biotech company begins to offer organ transplants - for a price. Those who miss their payments are scheduled for repossession and hunted by villainous Repo Men. There is no spoken dialogue in the film, and all the actors performed their own songs. The eclectic soundtrack features songs by artists from Filter, Jane's Addiction, Slipknot, Guns & Roses, Bauhaus and Love & Rockets.

Bousman will next helm an episode of the new NBC horror anthology series "Fear Itself" and then begins working with Dimension on two upcoming features - the first of which will be a remake of David Cronenberg's 1981 cult hit "Scanners."

Bousman was born and raised in Overland Park, Kansas where he was heavily involved in the theater community. He attended Kansas University where he majored in theater and film. During his sophomore year, he left KU to attend Florida Full Sail, a film school in Orlando. It was there that Bousman began writing and directing short horror films. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Los Angeles where he began his career directing music videos and commercials. During this time, he was introduced to Twisted Pictures producers Gregg Hoffman, Mark Burg and Oren Koules who had read the script Bousman had written called "The Desperate." They then hired him to direct the "Saw II" sequel, which lead to the hugely successful "Saw" franchise, as Bousman then directed "Saw III" and "Saw IV." He currently resides in Los Angeles.

Mary Harron (Community)

Mary Harron directed the episode of NBC's FEAR ITSELF entitled "Community." FEAR ITSELF is a provocative, new 13-episode suspense and horror anthology series from the Emmy-winning team behind "Masters of Horror."

Harron's most recent film was "The Notorious Bettie Page" for Picturehouse/ HBO Films and Killer Films. She previously directed the internationally successful "American Psycho," which she adapted from Brett Easton Ellis' notorious bestseller. For her work on this film, she was nominated for "Director of the Year" by the London Film Critics Circle.

Mary Harron directed the episode of NBC's FEAR ITSELF entitled "Community." FEAR ITSELF is a provocative, new 13-episode suspense and horror anthology series from the Emmy-winning team behind "Masters of Horror."

Harron's most recent film was "The Notorious Bettie Page" for Picturehouse/ HBO Films and Killer Films. She previously directed the internationally successful "American Psycho," which she adapted from Brett Easton Ellis' notorious bestseller. For her work on this film, she was nominated for "Director of the Year" by the London Film Critics Circle.

Harron made her debut as a feature-film writer / director in 1996 with "I Shot Andy Warhol." The film won star Lili Taylor a Special Jury Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and garnered an Independent Spirit Award nomination for best first feature film. It was also chosen to open the "Un Certain Regard" section of the 1996 Cannes Film Festival.

Harron has also directed episodes of many television series including "Homicide," "Oz," "The L Word," "Six Feet Under," "Big Love," "The Nine" , "Six Degrees", and "Fear Itself". She is currently creating an original television series for IFC which she will write and direct with her husband, writer/director John C. Walsh ("Ed's Next Move", "Pipe Dream"). They live in Brooklyn with their two daughters.

John Landis (In Sickness and in Health)

John Landis made his feature debut as a writer-director at age 21 with Schlock, an affectionate tribute to monster movies. Clad in a Rick Baker-designed gorilla suit, Landis starred as "Schlockthropus", the missing link. After working as a writer, actor and production assistant, Landis made his second film, The Kentucky Fried Movie, in collaboration with the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams. Landis rose to international recognition as director of the wildly successful Animal House. With blockbusters such as The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos and Coming to America, Landis has directed some of the most popular film comedies of all time. Other feature credits include Into the Night, Innocent Blood and the comedy/horror genre classic An American Werewolf in London, which he also wrote. In 1983 Landis wrote and directed the groundbreaking music video of…

John Landis made his feature debut as a writer-director at age 21 with Schlock, an affectionate tribute to monster movies. Clad in a Rick Baker-designed gorilla suit, Landis starred as "Schlockthropus", the missing link. After working as a writer, actor and production assistant, Landis made his second film, The Kentucky Fried Movie, in collaboration with the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams. Landis rose to international recognition as director of the wildly successful Animal House. With blockbusters such as The Blues Brothers, Trading Places, Spies Like Us, Three Amigos and Coming to America, Landis has directed some of the most popular film comedies of all time. Other feature credits include Into the Night, Innocent Blood and the comedy/horror genre classic An American Werewolf in London, which he also wrote. In 1983 Landis wrote and directed the groundbreaking music video of Michael Jackson's Thriller, created originally to play as a theatrical short. "Thriller" forever changed MTV and the concept of music videos, garnering multiple accolades including the MTV Video Music Awards for Best Overall Video, Viewer's Choice, and the Video Vanguard Award - The Greatest Video in the History of the World. In 1991 "Thriller" was inducted into the MVPA's Hall of Fame. In 1991, Landis collaborated again with Jackson (I) on Black or White, which premiered simultaneously in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million. Although it was not the first motion picture or music video to do so, "Black or White" popularized the use of "digital morphing", where one object appears to seamlessly metamorphoses into another; the project raised the standard for state-of-the-art special effects in music videos. Landis has also been active in television as the executive producer (and often director) of the Ace- and Emmy Award-winning HBO series Dream On. Other TV shows produced by his company, St. Clare Entertainment (St. Clare is the patron saint of television), include Weird Science, Sliders, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: The TV Show, Campus Cops and The Lost World. In 2004 the Independent Film Channel broadcast his feature-length documentary about a used-car salesman, Slasher. Deer Woman, an original one-hour episode written by Landis and his son Max Landis, inaugurated the Masters of Horror series in the fall of 2005 on Showtime.