The Producers Guild of America & Cadillac Announce Finalists in Make Your Mark Short Film Competition

DETROIT, Oct. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

• Winning Short & Producer's Name To Be Featured In Cadillac's :30 Spot During 2015 Oscars®
• Award-Winning Producers Bruce Cohen, Gale Anne Hurd & Peter Saraf to Mentor Finalists

Three finalists have been named in the Make Your Mark short film competition sponsored by the Producers Guild of America (PGA) and Cadillac. The competition, launched in April, offers producers the opportunity of a lifetime. Each finalist will produce a three-to-five minute short film, collaborating with one of the Make Your Mark short film competition mentors —award-winning producers and distinguished PGA members Bruce Cohen (AMERICAN BEAUTY, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK), Gale Anne Hurd (THE TERMINATOR movie trilogy, THE WALKING DEAD) and Peter Saraf (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE). A portion of the winning short film and the producer's name will be featured in a Cadillac :30 spot that will air on ABC during the Oscars ceremony broadcast, on Sunday, February 22, 2015.

The three finalists were selected by judges among 10 semi-finalists for the Make Your Mark competition. The finalists are:

• Michael Burke and Ian Wagner
• Alvaro Ron
• Tim Wen and Chidi Onyejuruwa

"The Producers Guild of America and Cadillac look for opportunities to celebrate personal achievement and creativity," said Uwe Ellinghaus, Global Cadillac chief marketing officer. "With Make Your Mark, we are giving aspiring filmmakers a unique opportunity to feature their talent before a large and highly receptive audience."

The winning short and producer will be announced at the 2015 Producers Guild Awards on January 24, 2015.

In the final round of judging, a distinguished panel will review the new three-to-five minute films to decide on the winner of the competition. They include Kathy Bates (About Schmidt, At Play in the Fields of the Lord, Titanic), Craig Bierley (Global Director of Advertising, Cadillac), Matthew Zelley, Lowe and Partners (Executive Creative Director), Danny DeVito (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Batman Returns, Taxi), Michael Douglas (Wall Street, Basic Instinct, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Hawk Koch (Source Code, Primal Fear, Wayne's World), Gary Lucchesi (The Lincoln Lawyer, Million Dollar Baby, Underworld), Lori McCreary (Invictus, The Maiden Heist), and Chris Moore (Good Will Hunting, American Pie).

"We take pride in the Make Your Mark short film competition as a platform to celebrate the next generation and give them the opportunity to work closely with highly respected and talented producers within the industry," said Vance Van Petten, PGA National Executive Director. "This competition is a special way for the PGA to support aspiring producers through the production of their short films and highlight their hard work with national recognition."

The Make Your Mark film competition is presented by the Producers Guild of America and Cadillac through the Producers Guild of America Foundation.  The competition enhances the annual PGA Weekend Shorts Challenge.

About the Make Your Mark Finalists
Michael Burke is a native of Chicago, IL, the oldest in a family of four children. For six years, he wrote and produced for Discovery Channel, A&E, History Channel, and Animal Planet. In 2013, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of working in scripted television and features.

Ian Wagner is a freelance television and new-media producer in Los Angeles. He has produced and written documentaries for The History Channel, National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel, and PBS. In addition, Ian recently finished producing the third season of "In the Booth," a behind-the-scenes web series for world-famous EDM DJ, Tiesto, and is currently producing the 3rd season of Lebron James' animated series "The Lebrons."

Alvaro Ron has written, directed and produced numerous award-winning short films around the world including "Summer Splendor", "The Yawn Jar" with James Merendino, and "Behind the Curtain" starring Emmy Award-winner Peter MacNicol. He has executive produced and directed critically acclaimed TV shows – including the Spanish version of "Life on Mars" – and also developed "The Protected" for ABC Family.

Tim Wen was born in New Jersey but spent most of his youth in Taipei, Taiwan. He moved back to America to attend college at The Ohio State University, and then moved to New York to work at Merkely + Partners.  There, he worked on accounts like Tic-Tac, Dave and Buster, PSEG and a handful of pharmaceutical products.  In 2010, Tim headed west to attend USC film school and has been working towards a focus in commercial directing. 

Chidi Onyejuruwa is originally from Miramar, Florida. Upon arriving in L.A. in 2012, Chidi immediately began working as a production assistant and volunteering all of his free time on various sets. His passion for film really grew, and he has since worked on numerous indie films, music videos, and promotional videos. Over time, he also began collaborating with other film/media enthusiasts in producing media for productions, events, and short films.

About the Producers Guild of America
The Producers Guild of America is the non-profit trade group that represents, protects and promotes the interests of producers and the producing team in film, television and new media.  Its more than 6,500 members work together to protect and improve their careers, the industry and the producing community by providing members with employment opportunities, seeking to expand health benefits, promoting fair and impartial standards for the awarding of producing credits, in addition to other education and advocacy efforts such as encouraging sustainable production practices. Visit www.producersguild.org, www.pgagreen.org, www.pgadiversity.org for more information.

About the Producers Guild of America Foundation
The Producers Guild of America Foundation is the Producers Guild of America's 510(C)(3) charitable entity.  The Foundation's core mission is to educate, promote and expand opportunities for those who work in the producing profession.  Among the Guild's major initiatives supported by the Foundation are the annual Produced By Conference, the Make Your Mark short film competition and the Producers Guild Seminar Program.

About Cadillac
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. Today Cadillac is growing globally, driven by an expanding product portfolio featuring dramatic design and technology. More information on Cadillac appears at www.cadillac.com. Cadillac's media website with information, images and video can be found' at media.cadillac.com.

SOURCE Cadillac