Known best for his intensity and emotional vulnerability, "as convincing in his long slow burns as in his explosions of anger" (Amy Taubin, Village Voice), Michael Rodrick first caught audiences' attention as the lead in Tim McCann's independent feature Desolation Angels (1996), (Winner, International Critic's Prize, Toronto Film Festival, Critic's Choise, Rotterdam Film Festival). Since then he has starred in five feature films, including Under Hellgate Bridge (2001), playing opposite opposite Sopranos stars Dominick Chianese and Vincent Pastore. Under Hellgate Bridge won numerous film festivals including the prestigious Regal Cinemas "Dreammaker Award”. Rodrick also created the role of Cameron on NBC's Another World (1998-2000), a character which grew immensely popular with fans. Rodrick had a pivotal role in the indie feature Revolution #9 (2001) and Sidney Lumet handpicked him for his pilot episode of “ 100 Centre Street ” (2001). Most recently, Rodrick played the lead role in Tim McCann's Nowhere Man . McCann believes "Rodrick has an immensely powerful screen presence, and his performance in Nowhere Man is a revelation." Rodrick was born in Jersey City , NJ in 1970.

Debbie Rochon began her prolific film career at the age of 13 in Ladies and Gentlemen: The Fabulous Stains!   starring Diane Lane . Early on, Rochon worked with numerous off-off Broadway theater companies, performing in over 25 stage productions. She garnered her first printed review in Backstage which read: "Debbie Rochon acquitted herself well as the cocaloony bird in Tennessee Williams' The Gnadiges Fraulein." Feeling like she had gone as far as she could on the stage, Rochon focused on the cinema, and has worked on over 100 independent features since. The Hubcap Awards founder Joe Bob Briggs crowned Rochon runner-up Best Actress of the year in 1994 for her work on the Canadian lensed Abducted II: The Reunion . In 1995 she was singled out for her work as the conniving television producer in Broadcast Bombshells winning her the prestigious Barbarella Award. She cut up the small screen in a commercial for Gillette directed by Pedro Almodovar and was a featured guest player on Fox's New York Undercover . In 2002 Rochon was crowned Scream Queen of the Decade (1990 - present) by the horror genre publication Draculina magazine based on reader voting. She also received Best Psychette Award 2002 (best female psycho in a movie) for her work in American Nightmare by Videoscope Magazine. Currently Rochon is featured in 2 horror movie themed documentaries; Something to Scream About and the Canadian produced Sex in Horror co-starring David Cronenberg. Debbie hopes to one day co-host a cooking show with The Amazing Kreskin.

In fifth grade, Frank Olivier and Tim McCann got into a fistfight. On the way to the principal's office, they shook hands and made up, then returned to class, convincing the teacher to let them stay. They have been good friends ever since. Frank has had a role in every film McCann has made, including college short films. Olivier has worked as a Corrections Officer at a County Jail for the last fifteen years, but more importantly, he has established himself as a porn legend in the international underground porn scene, sporting a humungous talent. For recreation, Olivier likes to fight in Golden Gloves tournaments.

Bob Gosse has produced the films New Jersey Drive, Handgun , and Laws of Gravity , among others, has directed the films The Last Home Run, Niagara Niagara (starring Robin Tunney and Henry Thomas) and Julie Johnson (starring Courtney Love and Lili Taylor) and has acted in the films Nadja, Time Expired , and Theory of Achievement . In 1991, Bob and friend Larry Meistrich took $7,000 and founded the Shooting Gallery which made a name for itself by producing no- and low-budget pics for edgy, young directors such as Billy Bob Thornton. The Shooting Gallery produced Thornton 's Sling Blade which received a nod from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Michael Risley received rave notices for his lead acting debut in the feature film Revolution #9 , starring opposite Adrienne Shelly and Spalding Gray. Michael was cited for his convincing portrayal of a schizophrenic in this award winning film, but in Nowhere Man , Michael plays a naïve Canadian, a role that is the polar opposite of Jackson in Rev9 . Michael grew up in Nova Scotia and was working in the family seafood business when the Sandra Bullock's movie Two If By Sea sailed into town and gave him his first non-fish related job in the role of The Reporter. Enamored of acting, he broke ranks and enlisted in the Neighborhood Playhouse. After two years of learning what not to do, monologues on Vietnam included, he hoed to Shakespeare co-creating the GCSF that went on to hold two shows each summer outside mansions in Long Island's state parks. He also appeared in numerous short films before landing the role in Revolution #9. Soon Michael will take another stab at comedy, starring in the pilot Chad Winger: Canadian Pop Star.

Desolation Angels, McCann's first feature film, won the International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI) at the Toronto Film Festival and the Merchant Ivory/Kodak Award at the Telluride Film Festival, and was Critic's Choice at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. With directors Jonathan Demme and Barbet Schroeder presenting, Desolation Angels had a limited release and landed on several “best films of the year” lists in 1996. McCann was one of five finalists in the IFP-West SPIRIT awards.

Revolution #9 , McCann's second feature, premiered at the 2001 Telluride and Toronto film festivals, where critic Roger Ebert praised it as one of the best films at each festival, calling it “brave” and “utterly absorbing”. Variety reviewed the film as “a highly assured, ambitious pic… located somewhere between the loopy fantasy of David Cronenberg's Videodrome and the harsh sterility of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest .” Revolution #9 won a Special Jury Award at the Mar del Plata Film Festival in Argentina , and won the Grand Jury Award at the 2002 Nantucket Film Festival. The film stars Adrienne Shelly, Michael Risley, Spalding Gray, and Callie Thorne. Upon it's limited theatrical release, A.O. Scott, in his New York Times review, declared “We need movies like Tim McCann's Revolution #9 ”. The film also won the 2003 Media Award from the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) for it's accurate depiction of schizophrenia.

McCann also directed Barry Levinson's Homicide: Life on the Street , working with Eric Stoltz, Joan Chen and Tate Donovan. He also works as a cinematographer, and has shot four feature films, including Larry O'Neil's Throwing Down (Winner, Hampton 's Film Festival). He has guest lectured at Ithaca College and Cornell University .

Lawrence O'Neil has written professionally for HBO, Warner Brothers, Fox, MGM, and Artisan, and has directed two feature films. He has been sited as one of Variety's fifty up and coming directors to watch. Throwing Down , his first film as writer and director, won the award for best feature at the Hampton 's International Film Festival. Variety called it, “An audaciously original crime drama... a splendid debut by writer/director Lawrence O'Neil... suspenseful and impeccably directed.” Seattle Times wrote, ‘A twisted treat that manages to be as suspenseful as it is funny.'

He then directed the HBO feature Breast Men , starring David Schwimmer, Chris Cooper, and Emily Proctor. Entertainment weekly described it as ‘the Boogie Nights of the fake boob industry' and Variety called it ‘an entertaining treasure.' Breast Men , which deals with the true story of the two doctors who invented silicone breast implant surgery, is to date the highest rated HBO original movie.

Currently, Larry, is adapting the novel, “Dark Sister” for Lion's Gate, which he is attached to direct in 2004. Nowhere Man is his debut as producer.

Mark Tchelistcheff
PRODUCER

Mark Tchelistcheff, founder and director of Open Films, is a passionate filmmaker, philosopher and solution finder. Mark is the driving force behind Open Films, a full service production company producing commercials, animation, multi media content, television and film.

Mark comes from an international background (having lived, studied and worked in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America). He brings a unique perspective to his work including a solid working knowledge of both international and domestic production where he has forged alliances with production companies and crews around the world.

Mark’s recent work includes producing and directing on A & E’s Christmas special “At Home with the Brave”, as well as spots for Microsoft, eDiets.com, Edwin Jeans, Kyocera Copiers, Casual Male Big & Tall George Foreman collection, Smith & Wollensky Restaurants, Ad Council – U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services HIV PSA’s and for Viacom / Spike TV. Mark’s work can be seen at: http://www.openfilms.net/

Production design and art direction credits include: Pizza directed by Mark Christopher, The Reawakening directed by Diane Fraher, Nowhere Man directed by Tim McCann. Three Way directed Mark Larkin and Tront's Ques t directed by Lawrence O'Neil. Television credits include Bright Nights-Big City directed by Mark King.

Laura Hyman's set design credits: Yellow Flesh Alabaster Rose directed by Miguel Montalvo, Jimmy Carter Was a Democrat directed by Michael Sexton at PS 122 and The Kitchen; Frumious Thermodynamics directed by Brian Howrey at Here; Square One directed by Jemma Levy at Greenwich Street Theater; Pavane directed by Rosemary Andress at Julliard, The Hostage directed by Michael Sexton at the Atlas Theater.

Laura is a graduate of NYU Design (MFA) and also has a Bachelor of Architecture from California College of Arts.