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Synopsis

Dateline: Miami. August, 1992. Tropical storm Andrew threatens to become a hurricane. A multiple murder leaves three dead at Woodlawn Cemetery. Headlines trumpet violent acts of nature and man as the summer sun beats down over the steamy city. At a murder scene, Miami Herald crime reporter Maggie Harris finds herself being pulled into a storm far greater than that of Andrew’s fury.

On a Sunday afternoon excursion to the Keys with some of her newspaper cronies, Maggie goes snorkling. In the water, she is overwhelmed by a series of disturbing hallucinations. Disoriented, she hits her head, and nearly drowns except for the quick thinking of her colleague, Erik Miller. Yet, Maggie recalls the image of a different man, bending over her with care and concern in his face.

The event marks the beginning of a succession of frightening visions and visitations by the ghostly image of an unknown man. Her fear and confusion drive her further into herself as she spurns the interest of Erik and the concerns of others. Her walls are strong, cultivated through years of denial and the pain left by her mother’s suicide. She is not about to let anyone into her heart.

The ghost recalls old wounds and beckons her into his own mystery world. Compelled to return to the cemetery crime scene for an unknown reason, Maggie meets Emily Thornton, an older woman who may somehow be connected to this otherworldly personage. Their relationship develops as Hurricane Andrew follows his own deadly path. They find in each other the mother/daughter connection they both have missed.

As Miami braces for a hit, everyone prepares for Hurricane Andrew. Erik follows when Maggie leaves the safety of the newsroom to ensure that Emily and her house are secure. Emily welcomes them to prepare for the onslaught. It is at the height of Andrew’s rage that they will all come to face not only the torrent of his winds, but their own long-held sorrows.

The storm howls as the ghost returns for one last time. His death almost 60 years ago in another deadly hurricane took him from his lover and left the circle unended. And now he’s come to take her home. His presence on this earthly plane has served as a reminder of how fleeting is our chance to share our love. For Maggie, it is an awakening.

LANDFALL stars Jean Louisa Kelly, Frances Sternhagen, Josh Hamilton and Bill Curry. The dramatic thriller is directed by Emmy Award-winning director Dan Hamilton from a screenplay by Barbara Connell, who adapted her work from an original teleplay, "Kindred Spirits," written by Patricia Johnson. David Doepel, Andy Howard, Barbara Connell and Doug Snyder produce for Echo Bridge Productions and Andy Howard Productions for distribution by Tanglewood. The Director of Photography is Peter Stein. Jonathan Altschuler is the film editor.

Jean Louisa Kelly plays Marguerite "Maggie" Harris. Kelly starred as the luminous, young vocal prodigy opposite Richard Dreyfuss’s music teacher in "Mr. Holland’s Opus," a film for which Dreyfuss was nominated for an Academy Award and is heading the cast of the upcoming NBC series, "Cold Feet." Tony Award-winning veteran actress Frances Sternhagen ("Misery," "Raising Cain") plays Emily Thornton, an older woman whose life not only mirrors Maggie’s in many ways, but is also connected through a debt still owed from lives past.

Josh Hamilton plays a budding novelist and Miami Herald reporter who is romantically interested in Maggie. The Emmy Award-winning actor starred opposite Parker Posey in the dark comedy, "The House of Yes," and starred in the films, "Alive" and "Kicking and Screaming." He is also well known for his theatrical and television, and is the son of director Dan Hamilton. Bill Curry plays the ghost of Andrew who returns to reunite with his lover long after his death.

In 1984, producer David Doepel saw "Kindred Spirits," a mystery/love story aired on Australian television. He responded to the movie’s romantic notions of what might have been and how circumstances alter our lives, tear us apart and bring us together once again. Over the years, he found himself replaying the storyline in his head. A former minister, he’d heard couples object to the phrase "till death do us part" in wedding ceremonies and as he attended the widow or widower left behind after a spouse had died. "The idea of being separated, the idea that when you die that relationship is relinquished is weird to people," he said. "Love doesn’t feel like that. It lasts beyond."

His shared his idea with writer Barbara Connell, who agreed to take the project on. Echo Bridge acquired the rights to the project, and Connell began the long process of screenwriting, investing the story with her own point of view and creating the character of Maggie as a reporter whose job it is to investigate and uncover the source of mysteries. She also restructured the relationships.

"I liked the premise of using two points in history linked by a ghost and saw the relationship between the ghost and the young woman, but I felt that the relationship between the two women was where I wanted to go," said Connell.

After many drafts, only the bare bones of the Australian teleplay were left to frame a new story set in between two natural disasters, 180 degrees different from the original. When Doepel and Connell relocated to Miami Beach, they found the perfect place to make the movie. Miami offered great weather, an independent film community and a history of hurricanes.

Connell immersed herself in research, finding clues and confirmation. Using the 1992 Hurricane Andrew as a bookmark, she traced events to 1935 when a devastating storm known as the Labor Day Hurricane hit the Florida Keys, killing hundreds and flattening the landscape. The story would be woven in between these events.

Research was fruitful. The 1935 hurricane was documented in newspaper clippings. Photographs were found, an article by Ernest Hemingway uncovered. The storm wrought further disaster with a train wreck that could have been averted. Connell’s research led her to a house once lived in by Jane Wood Reno, a journalist who wrote poignantly about the 1935 hurricane. The late Ms. Reno was the mother of Attorney General Janet Reno and a model from which Connell created the character of Emily Thornton. She found Woodlawn Cemetery and a memorial still standing in testament to those who had lost their lives in the 1935 storm. The final pieces fell into place when the rescue train engine was found intact at the Gold Coast Train Museum.

With these elements in place, the feasibility of production became that much more evident. Echo Bridge’s capability in computer graphics, sound editing, digital editing and effects would add further benefits to the production––advantages rarely obtainable in independent filmmaking where costs can be prohibitive––particularly in the creation of the special effects needed to simulate a hurricane. Line producer Richard Seres’ early involvement was a great help to Doepel in making the hard decisions necessary to cut the fat off the bone and make the film a reality.

Next on the list was finding the right director. Doepel, Connell and partner Doug Snyder were fortunate to meet Emmy Award-winning director and veteran actor Dan Hamilton, one of the subjects of a documentary they were producing. As they watched him work on the set, they were immediately impressed by his style.

"I loved his authority and his command of what he was doing," said Doepel. "It was clear that he knew exactly what he wanted and it seemed, in that context, that he had great rapport with the actors -- but that doesn’t a feature film director make. When we interviewed him on camera, he talked about his artistic life and his transition to directing. It was his empathy as a human being, a gentle spirit and he was very good at what he did."

For Connell, "We wanted somebody to work with us, add his own strength to the mix and also respect what we were bringing to it."

Though he’d been directing television for over a decade and had been an actor prior to that, Hamilton had never directed a feature film and by now did not expect to be given the opportunity.

"There’s an on-going problem with typecasting on and off screen," said Doepel.

Connell continued, "There’s something really odd about that. People in the industry are more willing to give a 20-year-old kid who’s never had responsibility for anything in his life a shot at being a first-time director when they’re resistant to the idea of working with a guy in his fifties who’s been doing this professionally in television for years."

"I trusted Dan to honor what we’d done and take it to another level and at the same time, bring us with it," said Doepel. "I trusted him from the start and after filming this movie, I trust him even more now."

They tested the waters first in telephone conversations with his wife before broaching the subject to the director. "When we flew to New York to propose the idea to him, we were nervous wondering what he’d say," remembered Connell. "He didn’t hesitate."

"What first attracted me to the project was the personal integrity of the people involved and the feeling that I got from the story," said Hamilton. "Barbara and I worked for about a year in developing the structure, the characters and the clarity of the story. To her amazing credit, she was extraordinarily flexible and willing to take my ideas and incorporate them."

"That whole relationship played out over e-mail," said Connell. "I spent more time e-mailing him about the story than I ever did talking to him about it, chattering to each other. I don’t know why that was, but it worked for us. There was a lot of ‘what if’ and huge discussions about why the ghost and what he was all about and the ‘rules of the ghost universe.’"

"There was a lot of writing and re-writing, creating nuances of character and narrowing the plot down," said Doepel. "When Josh Hamilton came on board, his role was completely rewritten. Originally, it had been a much more ‘supporting’ role, but we felt that we owed it to him for the calibre of actor that he is. Ultimately, it enriched the whole story."

Landfall is not an easy story to explain, let alone structure. It began with a true event that took place over 60 years ago and culminates with the shedding of each character’s emotional barriers during the most harrowing moments of Hurricane Andrew in 1992. We go from one realm to the next, in one life and out another. It is not until the characters are thrust into the storm that we come to understand why they have been brought together and how forgiveness makes way for love. Perhaps Dan Hamilton explains it best.

"The story is about taking four incomplete people through a journey that makes each one of them whole," said the director. "To reach a level of intimacy and trust with another human being is a difficult journey for all human beings. It’s a universal struggle. The power of love is what brings them together so that they can heal each other and then continue with their own lives and their own destinations."

With Hamilton came cinematographer Peter Stein. His beautiful lighting, experienced eye and long-standing association with the director have added immeasurable value to the production. Producer Andy Howard would later join the team bringing 20 years of filmmaking experience, much-need capital and distribution through his company, Tanglewood.

"I’ve worked with some of the top cinematographers and Peter Stein remains a favorite," said Howard. "He’s a great talent. I’ve done a lot of action movies and wanted to have the chance to do a film where the value lies in the story and the characters. Barbara Connell did a good job, especially for a totally unknown writer. What truly motivated me to become involved, though, was David Doepel’s charisma and drive."

And it would be this drive that was necessary to raise the funds to make the film. At one point in pitching potential investors, Doepel heard himself say, "If you give us the money, then we’ll make the movie." "One of them stepped up to the plate and one of them stepped back," he remembered. Later, reviewing his presentation, he realized that if he and his partners didn’t commit to making the film, their dream would be lost. His statement changed from "if you give us the money, we’ll make the movie" to "we’re making a movie."

"It was a faith decision," said Doepel. "We had a successful company and we didn’t want to run it into the ground. We decided that instead of vacation this year, we’d make a movie. Rather than sit on a beach drinking umbrella drinks, we’d spend twenty hours a day making a movie."

The start of principal photography was set for October 21, 1997 -- come hell or high water.

It had been Hamilton’s idea to cast the highly acclaimed veteran actress Frances Sternhagen in the role of Emily. Not only was he enamored of her work, he had also appeared with her in a television series years before. As he read the script, he immediately saw the actress in the role of Emily. It was early on in Landfall’s development Sternhagen turned him down. She was, however, intrigued by the story and interested in discussing what she felt needed to be fleshed out in the script.

"We talked for a long time about character and story," said Hamilton. "Frances was willing to offer suggestions and criticisms which we were able to integrate and balance with all of the other leading characters," said Hamilton.

Screenwriter Barbara Connell worked hard to realize other facets of Emily’s personality, her feistiness, her decision to remain alone after her lover’s death, her sensitivity towards those less fortunate than she, and her silence in doing so. Sternhagen became increasingly more interested and attached. She eventually declined a New York stage production choosing to play the role of Emily as Hamilton had early on envisioned.

"It’s rare to find such a well developed character and such a real and original story," said Sternhagen. "What I want people to get from this is what I got when I read it -- a real feeling of hope and positivity. Both women have pushed down this self-guilt and not admitted how deeply the events in their lives affected them. We have to forgive ourselves and let go. It’s strange but true that through meeting each other, somehow the release comes and we’re able to continue. For Emily, it’s very brief in this life, but Maggie sees that and goes on."

Even before filming began, Sternhagen’s involvement in Landfall enriched the project and gave it a reality and strength it had not had without her. The opportunity to work with her was a powerful inducement to others in both cast and crew. The crucial next step was finding the right person to play Maggie. Casting sessions were conducted in New York where Jean Louisa Kelly was clearly the right choice for the role.

"I was so pleased that Jean turned out to be such an interesting actress. When I first met her, I thought she was pretty, but rather up tight," commented Ms. Sternhagen. "Her face doesn’t reveal a lot at first, but when she breaks through that, it’s charming. She’s a delight."

"I can’t say that I was surprised at Jean Louisa Kelly’s ability," said the director. "I was always impressed by the strength of character and emotional backbone that she presented in her auditions. She has a combination of vulnerability and intelligence, and a craft and technique far beyond her years in terms of knowing how to be simple in front of the camera. It wasn’t a surprise to me when it developed and flowered in the course of the filming."

"There were so many layers to the character of Maggie and so much to explore in her," said Kelly. "There’s a connection between the ghost, the meetings with Emily, the visions of destruction, the corpses of the victims of the 1935 hurricane and images of her mother’s body. It was difficult to keep track of my emotions for each scene. In the outcome these things happened for a reason, to open up that place that she has closed off."

It was Hamilton’s clarity that kept everyone aligned. "He has such an understanding of the story and knows the process an actor goes through to get where they need to be," commented Kelly.

Hamilton’s grasp of the material came not only from his intelligence and abilities as an actor and director, but also from a core part of himself. "Probably the strongest personal element I brought to the film from my own life was the painful process of growing up and reaching out to other people," said Hamilton. "This is probably the strongest unwritten aspect of the film that I instilled into the story."

Joining Sternhagen and Kelly would be Dan’s son, Emmy Award winning actor Josh Hamilton. "I was very attracted to the idea of working with my father," he said, "I was also a little nervous because relationships between fathers and sons are very complicated. It’s been amazing on a lot of different levels. On a purely professional level, he’s a fantastic director - probably because he was, and still is, an actor.

"It’s funny because he’s the kind of director where all the actors say, ‘Oh, he’s such a good actor’s director’ and the crew will say, ‘he’s such a great technical director.’ He really covers all of that," he continued. "As his son, it’s been fascinating to see. It’s important to see family members --- especially parents -- out of the context of your normal family life and see them as people as opposed to parents."

It was not until a few days before the start of production, that the filmmakers found Bill Curry to round out the principal cast. Curry, a former student of Sanford Meisner, had seen Frances Sternhagen’s work in American Theater’s Best Kept Secret, director Sydney Pollack’s documentary about the legendary acting coach and his Neighborhood Playhouse. A great fan since that time, Curry was more than enthusiastic about the possibility of working opposite the actress. He flew to Miami to audition for the filmmakers and was immediately cast as the ghost whose spirit haunts Marguerite.

"When I met Dan what impressed me was his ability to listen to where I came from, about my background, and let me get caught up in it," Bill Curry said. "The whole time he was watching me to see what I was about. When he saw what he needed, he turned the conversation to the script. Then he drew me in further. It didn’t matter what was going on on set, he would take me aside and spend however long it took until I felt comfortable. I knew I could totally trust him."

Curry’s character has no dialogue, not a word. His challenge would be to create a rich, fully realized character using only physical movement and facial expression.

"He can’t sob, he can’t yell or scream. He can’t do the things that mortals do to release our pain," said Curry. "When he meets Maggie, this is the first time he can smell or touch, see and be seen. It’s a shock to him. For a moment, he’s drawn into the idea of a temporal relationship, but his purpose is something else entirely. In real life, love is much deeper than that." Curry also saw a deeper meaning in the character of the ghost.

"I think he represents the past that we all have to deal with in our lives. We can bury it, forget about it, put it in a box of pictures, but until we deal with the issues surrounding our shame, we can’t go forward into real love."

In the story, there are a number of relationships evolving at the same time. "What I saw between Frances and Jean, between Emily and Maggie was what I had hoped for," said Hamilton. "That was the mutual discovery of the lack in their own characters’ lies, the mother-daughter relationship, the woman to woman relationship and the friend to friend relationship that allowed both woman to take a further step toward love and commit to the men in their lives."

For Maggie, it is her involvement with Erik Miller whose persistence is met with her seeming indifference. When Josh Hamilton talks about the relationship, you can see how these two diametrically opposed people might actually have a chance at love.

"Erik covers human interest stories while Maggie covers heavy crime. He’s a bit of a joker, while she’s someone who takes things a little too seriously. Erik’s starting to think about what he really wants and how he wants to live his life. He feels a connection with her much more than he’s been aware of or necessarily wanted in his life right now. I think they make a good balance for each other."

His statement reminds us what life is all about. If we leave the door open for another person to come in, they just might. Through all of the pain and sadness we go through, there’s always a new beginning. This is the legacy of Hurricane Andrew, the storm that turned Miami into a wasteland only to revive again in time.

Landfall began shooting in Coconut Grove where a ramshackle, old house would serve as Emily’s home. With little time to prepare, the crew, under the direction of Peter Glynn, rigged the house to tear off the roof and create wind and rain effects to simulate the hurricane. The scrubby yard was transformed into a lush garden by landscaper Daniel Martin. Rather than object to the production, neighbors were unusually supportive. One neighbor allowed production to use his home for catering, actors’ quarters, wardrobe, make-up and hair for 10 days of filming. It was tough going. High humidity, mosquitoes and a most uncomfortable couple of days of recreating the hurricane left cast and crew tired but triumphant. The company wrapped the location on Halloween and celebrated their hard-won success compliments of a barbecue put on by another generous neighbor. The house would later be demolished by the property’s new owners.

Production happily moved on to the air-conditioned comfort of the Miami Herald before heading out again to Jimbo’s fishing village on Key Biscayne, Miami Beach, Fairchild Tropical Gardens and Woodlawn Cemetery where victims of the 1935 hurricane are buried. After 21 days, filming wrapped on November 13.

In the editing, there would be more to come...

"There’s a marvelous element to this film that we’re not aware of yet," said Hamilton. "The story moves forward like a train because it’s pushed by the oncoming hurricane. We have four characters moving forward to get what they want coupled with their collision with the storm. It’s not a question of people falling lazily into life. They have no choice."

JEAN LOUISA KELLY (Marguerite Harris) was only 15 years old when she was chosen to star in the original cast of the Broadway production "Into the Woods." Kelly played Snow White and understudied the role of Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood in the show. She made her film debut starring opposite John Candy in the film "Uncle Buck" at the age of 16. Kelly starred in "Mr. Holland’s Opus" opposite Richard Dreyfuss as the talented, young singer to his music teacher.

Kelly is a native of Massachusetts. She began her career in community theater and summer stock in New England, starring in "Annie" and other musicals. At 14, she won the Talent America Contest and was signed to the J. Michael Bloom talent agency. After starring in Uncle Buck, Kelly took some time off to finish high school and to earn her degree in English from Columbia University during which time she appeared in college productions of "Our Town" and "The Fantasticks."

After graduation, she challenged herself with a three month deadline to confirm that she could support herself as an actress. If she didn’t win her own bet, she would consider a career as an English teacher. Teaching would have to wait. A national MCI commercial -- for which she is still remembered -- was quickly followed by her being cast in "Mr. Holland’s Opus." She went on to star in Michael Ritchie’s as yet unreleased film version of "The Fantasticks" with Joel Grey Barnard Hughes and Teller (of Penn and Teller), as well as the independent features "Origin of Species" and "Stranger in the Kingdom."

Kelly has appeared in a number of television movies including "Breathing Lessons," "Stolen Women," "Harvest of Fire," "One More Mountain" and the upcoming "The Day Lincoln Was Shot" and "The Ruby Bridges Story." She was a guest star on the series, "Homicide: Life on the Streets," and "Mad About You." Other theater credits include "A Little Night Music," "Gigi," "Wait Until Dark" and "RSVP Broadway." Kelly is heading the cast of the new NBC series, "Cold Feet."

Veteran actress FRANCES STERNHAGEN (Emily Thornton) has enjoyed critical, industry and audience acclaim during a 40-year career on stage, screen and television. A six-time Tony nominee, Ms. Sternhagen won Tony Awards for her starring roles in both "The Heiress" and "The Good Doctor." She was nominated for an Emmy for her performance on the much-loved series "Cheers," and is the recipient of the Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award: The Delia Austrian Medal.

Frances Sternhagen has appeared in 20 motion pictures, working with some of cinema’s finest directors. She has appeared in Rob Reiner's "Misery," Brian de Palma's "Raising Cain," Alan Pakula's "Starting Over" and Billy Wilder's "Fedora."

Sternhagen was born in Washington, D.C., and studied theater at Vassar College, the Perry-Mansfield School of the Theatre and with the legendary Sanford Meisner at New York's famed Neighborhood Playhouse. She began her professional career in 1953 with the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., and made her New York off-Broadway debut in 1955.

Robert Mulligan's "Up the Down Staircase" marked her motion picture debut in 1967. That same year, she appeared in Arthur Hiller's "Tiger Makes Out" with Eli Wallach and Anne Jackson. Among her other film credits are "Sibling Rivalry," "Communion," Robert Mandel's "Independence Day" and both "Bright Lights, Big City" and "Doc Hollywood" opposite Michael J. Fox.

Sternhagen, who currently plays a recurring character on the hit dramatic television series, "E.R.," starred with Blair Brown in "The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd." Among the many series on which she has guest-starred are "Law and Order," "Tales of the Crypt," "Down Home" and "Outer Limits." She has also appeared in the movies for television, "Reunion," "Labor of Love," "Follow Your Heart" and the Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation of "Resting Place."

JOSH HAMILTON (Erik Miller) starred in "The House of Yes," a dark comedy about an eccentric, rather dysfunctional family in which he played Parker Posey's twin brother. He previously starred with Posey and with Eric Stolz in Trimark’s "Kicking and Screaming" in which a group of friends ponders life after college graduation. He starred with Joe Pesci and Brendan Fraser in "With Honors" and with Jeanne Moreau and Sean Young in Ismail Merchant’s "The Proprietor." After starring with Ethan Hawke in "Alive," the true story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashes in the Andes, Hamilton starred in Hawke’s directorial debut, the short film "Straight To One."

Hamilton won an Emmy for his performance in the CBS Schoolbreak Special "Abby, My Love," and starred opposite Jessica Lange in the CBS Hallmark Hall of Fame special "O, Pioneers." His television credits include the American Playhouse presentations of "The Prodigious Hickey," "The Return of Hickey" and "The Beginning of the Firm" and "Women and Wallace." Most recently, Hamilton appeared in television mini-series "The 60s."

Hamilton starred in the Eric Boghosian play, "Suburbia," at Lincoln Center’s Mitzi Newhouse Theater. He appeared in the title role of Wallace in Jonathan Marc Sherman’s award-winning play, "Women and Wallace," a presentation of Playwrights Horizons. Among his many other theater credits are "Life During Wartime," "The Perfectionist," "Korea," the Naked Angels production of "As Sure As You Live" and the American Place Theater’s "Four Corners" and "Eden Cinema" at the Harold Clurman Theatre. Recently, Hamilton has been seen in "Ciderhouse Rules" in Los Angeles and New York.

Hamilton was born and raised in New York City and attended Brown University. Hamilton, Ethan Hawke and Jonathan Marc Sherman are the founding members of the Malaparte Theatre Company in Manhattan.

BILL CURRY (Andrew) is an actor, an accomplished fine arts photographer, a documentary filmmaker, an environmental activist and a highly successful international fashion model. He appeared in Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves and Harold Ramis’ "Club Paradise." He starred in the independent features, "Mindbenders" and "A Face to Remember" (which he also produced) and the short film, "McGruder’s Gold." On television, he played the role of Luke Taylor on the daytime soap opera, "Guiding Light."

Born and raised in West Virginia, Curry is a descendent of Devilanse Hatfield of the legendary Hatfield and McCoy family feud. As a young boy, he watched his mother choreograph and star in summer stock productions of musical comedies and later spent his summers working backstage. Curry attended Ohio University where he played football, baseball and trained for the Olympic trials in the long jump competition. When he didn’t make the cut, he moved to New York City to explore his options.

It was there that he met Wilhelmina, who signed him as a fashion model with her agency. His career took him to Europe where he worked with Versace, Armani, Valentino and other top designers. Returning to New York, he continued his successful print career and appeared in a number of national television commercials. During this time, he studied acting at Julliard and trained with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

Unfulfilled with his modelling career and not yet achieving success as an actor, Curry left Manhattan for the mountains of Montana. His career followed him when he was cast for "Dances with Wolves" and a low budget film shot in Canada. It was also there that he became involved with Native American causes and environmental issues. Curry is the producer of the documentaries "Evolutions End" and "Wilderness: The Last Stand" and a spokesperson for the Native Forest Council.

DAVID DOEPEL (Producer) is the President of Echo Bridge Productions, serving as producer and overseeing all management and strategic planning for the company. Under his direction, Echo Bridge has become a full service production company and an award-winning producer of educational documentaries, video, film, print, CD-rom, computer animation, websites and other new technology products. Doepel and partners founded Echo Bridge in 1988.

Doepel produced the magazine format tv pilot, "At Nine Knots," and "The Rapid," a documentary about a U.S. ship-wreck off the remote northwest Australian coast. In development is his second feature film, Pandora’s Box, a mystery that takes place when a long-forgotten safe deposit box is opened after 50 years.

Doepel produced the critically acclaimed video series, "Understanding Psychological Trauma," which is distributed in North America and Australasia. The scientific merit of the series is evidenced by the numerous awards it has garnered and substantial grants awarded by the National Institutes of Health. He is also the producer of "Trying to Get Some Dignity," a documentary concerning sexual and emotional abuse based on the book by Pulitzer Prize winning author Richard Rhodes (The Making of the Atomic Bomb) and Ginger Rhodes. Among his other productions is the award-winning documentary, "Not Always Who They Seem," the legacy of child abuse in the lives of teenagers.

An Australian citizen and permanent resident of the United States, Doepel is a former pastoral counselor with a background in traumatic stress, death education and crisis management. His work has been published in a number of periodicals and he has been a distinguished speaker on numerous national and international panels. In looking for a means to support his work, he became a producer of documentaries, later branching out into the use of new technologies. His association with screenwriter Barbara Connell and appreciation of dramatic narrative has prompted Doepel to move Echo Bridge Productions into the arena of theatrical features.

Doepel holds an undergraduate degree in Biology with a major in Biochemistry from Murdoch University in Western Australia, a B.D. with honors with distinction from the Melbourne College of Divinity and a Masters Degree in Sacred Theology from Boston University. He was inducted into the international honor society, Phi Beta Delta, while in graduate school at Boston University.

Doepel is an active participant in the independent film community of South Florida and is associated with the Independent Feature Project (South) and the Florida Entertainment Industry Council.

After undergraduate work at the University of California at Los Angeles,

Howard entered the film industry at the prestigious talent agency of Creative Management and Associates, and soon began a production career with the legendary financier/distributor American International Pictures.. Howard subsequently worked in production in the capacity of a production accountant and line producer on over two dozen films with such major studies as Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Tristar and Orion.

Howard is also the Chief Executive of Cinecom, a preeminent Hollywood software and financial services company. Howard's credits include "Lords of Tanglewood," "Top Dog," "Silent Rage," "Overkill," "Ripperman," "The Passage," "Ordinary Hero," "K2," "The Butterfly Revolution," "Stoneboy," "Momentous Events," "Hotel Colonial," "Pet Semetary II," "Cohen & Tate," "Edo," and the television show, "Cops."

In the course of this exciting career, Howard has had the privilege of working with some of Hollywood's finest talents, including actors such as Robert Duvall, Roy Scheider, Glenn Close and Massimo Troissi, as well as directors such as Federico Fellini, Orson Welles and many others.

BARBARA CONNELL (Writer/Producer) is the Vice President of Communications for Echo Bridge Productions and the principal writer for the company’s productions of educational documentaries, interactive, multi-media and feature film projects.

Connell has been a professional writer for the past 12 years during which time her work has garnered numerous awards. Her scripts for the documentaries "Trying to Get Some Dignity," "Healing Our Children," "More Than Words" and "Not Always Who They Seem" focus on the subjects of psychological and sexual abuse and domestic violence. The intelligence and sensitivity with which she approaches the subject matter inspired Pulitzer-prize winning author Richard Rhodes (The Making of the Atomic Bomb) to allow her to adapt his book "A Hole in the World" into a feature film script. A number of other documentaries written by Connell have also been made into interactive products for therapeutic use.

A graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelors Degree in Communications, Connell went on to graduate studies in screenwriting at Boston University. She began her career in publishing and worked as a freelance writer in Washington, D.C. She was a technical writer and proposal specialist before becoming a partner in Echo Bridge Productions.

A former member of the Harvard Square Scriptwriters Group, Connell currently chairs the Independent Feature Project/South screenwriters group and teaches screenwriting at the International Fine Arts College in Miami, Florida.

DOUGLAS SNYDER (Producer) has been involved in media production since the mid-1980s. He taught post-production/editing at the prestigious Boston University School of Communication. His work has appeared in the Emmy Award-winning series "Frontline" (Charles Stuart, Producer) and in the David Mamet production, "Lip Service." Snyder is a founding partner of Echo Bridge Productions, and has shot and edited the vast majority of the company’s documentary and multi-media titles. He enjoys a solid reputation in the production community in both Boston and Miami and is well versed in all aspects of film and video post-production, specializing primarily in sound post-production and in non-linear editing using the Media 100. As Vice-President of Production at EBP he supervisors three editors, and two graphic artists (including special effects animation). He has written and has had published two books on graphics and layout programs. In addition, he oversees all new media work for clients such as Johnson and Johnson.

Emmy Award-wining director DAN HAMILTON (Director) makes his feature film directorial debut with Landfall. His history in film and television, however, is on both sides of the camera, first as an actor for almost 30 years and then as a director for theater and television. For the past 12 years, he has directed the daytime television dramas "As the World Turns," "The Guiding Light" and "Search for Tomorrow." His reputation as a strong "actor’s director" is well founded. He received the Emmy Award for his work on "As the World Turns."

Born in Illinois and raised in California’s wine country, Hamilton’s early talent and interest in the dramatic arts inspired him to move to New York City. He arrived in Manhattan during a particularly auspicious time in American theater and studied with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse.

He went on to appear in over 120 theatrical productions in venues ranging from Broadway and off-Broadway to prestigious regional theaters such as the Williamstown Theater Festival, Yale Repertory and the McCarter Theatre. Among his stage credits are the Broadway productions of "Midsummer Night’s Dream" and "Conduct Unbecoming," "Godspell" and "Long Day’s Journey Into Night" and the West Coast premiere of "For Gillian on Her 37th Birthday," directed by Michael Pressman.

It was during a period of time when Hamilton was co-starring and guest starring on such series as "Dallas," "Remington Steele" "Knott’s Landing" that he became interested in directing. He made his debut as a theater director at the Los Angeles Ensemble Studio Theater. He continued directing with a number of regional theater companies with productions of "Agnes of God," "Orphans" and others before returning to New York where he directed the off-Broadway production of Israel Horowitz’s "The Line."

During his 25 year career, he has worked with such prestigious actors as Harvey Keitel, Richard Gere, William Hurt, Blythe Danner, Frank Langella, Olympia Dukakis, Frances Sternhagen and many others.

PETER STEIN (Director of Photography) has been the director of photography on almost 40 feature films, mini-series and movies for television, a number of which have been honored with nominations and awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy.

A New York native and the son of distinguished still photographer Fred Stein, he began his career in documentaries and feature films. He became a director of photography on the Peabody Award-winning PBS Special "A Good Dissonance Like a Man," the story of American composer Charles Ives. He received Emmy nominations for both "Don’t Touch," a drama starring Blaire Brown and directed by Beau Bridges, as well as "Robbers, Rooftops and Witches," a drama composed of short stories by well known authors O. Henry and Ray Bradbury.

Stein was the director of photography on the films "Pet Sematary," "Necessary Roughness," "Ernest Saves Christmas," "Ernest Goes to Jail," "Friday the 13th - Part 2," "C.H.U.D.," "A Great Wall" and "Reuben, Reuben" for which actor Tom Conti and writer Julius Epstein were both nominated for Academy Awards.

Among his movies for television are the Emmy Award-winning "Starstruck;" "Izzy and Moe," starring Jackie Gleason and Art Carney; "Private Contentment," with Peter Gallagher; and "Under Seige," with Peter Strauss, Hal Holbrook, E.G. Marshall and Victoria Tennant.

RICHARD SERES’ (Line Producer) wide range of experience encompasses all aspects of film and television production. He most recently served as line producer for the independent feature "Cafe and Tabaco."

Seres co-produced the comedy spoof "Miami Models" and line produced "International Beach," both of which are distributed by Kushner-Locke.

A Miami native, Seres quickly moved through the ranks from production coordinator, first assistant director and production manager to producer. He began his career in casting shortly before becoming involved in development. In studying the feasibility of an early project, Seres became interested in the nuts and bolts of film: budgets, crew, scheduling. He honed his skills working on music videos, industrials, commercials, television programs and independent feature films.

His feature film credits include I.R.S. Media’s Exit; "The Gallery"; Showtime’s "Miami Hustle," starring Kathy Ireland, John Enos and Alan Rich; and "The Point of Betrayal," starring Dina Merrill, Rod Taylor and Rebecca Broussard. He also produced and is credited with the story of "Eight for Freedom," an award-winning short film.

Seres is the publisher of The Miami Production Guide, the virtual bible of the South Florida film industry. As the Executive Director of the Independent Feature Project/South, he continues to provide support and budget consultation for a myriad of independent productions. He formerly served as marketing coordinator of the Miami International Co-Production Film Market and Conference from 1989-1994.

JONATHAN ALTSCHULER (Film Editor) was assistant editor of William Friedkin’s "Jade," starring David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino and Chazz Palminteri and edited by Augie Hess. He was the editor for the independent dramatic feature, "All the Rage," directed by Roland Tec. Most recently, he has been involved in editing a number of interactive projects and was the programmer for the CD-Rom, "Understanding Partner Abuse."

Prior to joining Echo Bridge, he assisted Hess in editing the series "McKenna" for ABC-TV and the MTV series "Dead at 21." He was also assistant editor on movies for television "The Corpse Had a Familiar Face," starring Elizabeth Montgomery, "Beyond Suspicion," starring Corbin Bernsen, "To My Daughter with Love," and Turner Broadcasting’s premiere Native American epic "The Broken Chain."

Altschuler holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Upon graduation, he moved to Los Angeles where he began his career as an apprentice editor on the network television movies "Battling for Baby," "Marilyn and Me," "Claws" and "White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd."

In 1996, he moved back to the east coast where he began working with Echo Bridge Productions. Altschuler is experienced in working with Media 100, Avid, Lightworks, Macromedia Director and mTropolis.