Larry Namer
Entertainment and media entrepreneur who founded E! Entertainment TV. ($7 Billion Valuation)
He is a founding partner of Metan Global Entertainment Group (MGEG), a venture created to develop and distribute entertainment content and media. He is also the President of FilmCapital.io
Louise Brooks
Job title
Celeste Friedman
A dynamic entrepreneur with a diverse career spanning real estate, retail, technology, and the arts. Beginning her journey in residential real estate in 1986, she later transitioned into shopping center leasing while also owning and operating multiple retail businesses in fashion and gift amenities.
She is the founder of the lifestyle brand Bontika, CEO of Bontika Films LLC, and a partner and co-founder of InfoweUSA Technologies.
Beyond her business ventures, Celeste is an accomplished pianist and musician, using her talents to inspire and uplift others.
Lastly, as Celeste dedicates to spreading joy, inspiration, and peace, she has authored a book called "Butterfly - Where Hearts Meet Fate: The Infinite Journey of Love & Karma" for those who feel life has passed them by and for those who have lost faith in love.
Minh Collins
Minh Collins embarked on his filmmaking journey in 1997 with the independent feature film "Sparkler," a pivotal experience that led him to transition from the medical field to the entertainment industry.
Embracing this new path wholeheartedly, Minh has since crafted an impressive portfolio of projects that underscore his versatility and talent.
Minh directed two television pilots, "Bottom Feeders" and "Venice Beach Sushi," with the former earning the prestigious Aloha Accolade Award for Excellence in Filmmaking at the 2009 Honolulu International Film Festival.
In 2019, he helmed the powerful documentary "Rocking the Couch," shedding light on the issue of sexual harassment in Hollywood, followed by his writing and directing of the horror feature film "Clown Fear" for Lionsgate in 2020.
In 2021, Minh directed the sports action-drama feature film "Qualifying" for Nu Boyana Studios & Millennium Media.
Among his directorial achievements is the 2011 dark-romantic comedy feature film "Hit List," boasting a stellar cast including Joey Lawrence, Shirly Brener, Andrea Evans, Chris Owen, Curtis Armstrong, and Laura Wiggins. This internationally distributed film marked a significant milestone in Minh's career.
As the CEO of OIC Productions, LLC, Mr. Collins is currently attached to direct a slate of compelling films including "In a World of Blue," “McCraven House” and "Prey" Beyond his directorial pursuits, Minh is the visionary founder of the Hollywood Florida Film Festival, further cementing his dedication to championing independent filmmaking.
Notable highlights of Minh's career also include his role as a producer for several high-profile commercials, endorsing brands such as Budweiser for the Chinese market. With an unwavering commitment to storytelling and a knack for bringing diverse
narratives to life, Minh Collins continues to leave an indelible mark on the world of cinema.
Stephanie Graziano
A COO of Mind House Media, a full-service creative agency specializing in bringing important and meaningful stories to life using video, photography, publishing, social media and marketing.
Stephanie spent more than 30 years as a C-suite executive, navigating high-stakes environments with strategic insight and emotional intelligence. Her leadership experience, combined with her deep understanding of human behavior, informs her leadership philosophy one that blends practical strategies with spiritual wisdom and Taoist principles for a balanced, harmonious approach to growth.
She has held executive level positions at The Walt Disney Company, DreamWorks TV Animation, Marvel Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting. She is Co-Founder of Green Flower Media and previously, CEO of Sensi Media LLC.
Stephanie has been recognized by CNN, Los Angeles Times Business, Hollywood Reporter, and LA Start-Ups Magazine. She is known for her empathetic approach, helping artists, visionaries, and entrepreneurs not only find their voice but refine it so they can lead, create, and thrive in alignment with their true purpose.
Y A Lam
Y A Lam (aka Lam) was born in Hong Kong. He moved to the United States and first settled in San Francisco. He attended the University of Wisconsin, where he worked as an assistant photographer for a local commercial studio.
In Madison, he met renowned Jazz Bassist Richard Davis. By traveling with Richard Davis on his performances in Chicago, New York City, and the University of Kentucky, Lam had the opportunity to photograph other Jazz greats, such as Clark Terry, Stanley Turrentine, Elvin Jones, Kenny Barron, Frank Wess, etc.
Lam then moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career as a professional photographer and started working in the field of filmmaking. As a freelance photographer in Los Angeles, Lam had been assigned to test out new films for Kodak and Fuji in the Los Angeles region.
Lam photographed celebrities like Elton John, Alison Krauss, Jacky Chan, Missy Elliot, 50 Cent, Jason Alexander, Kimberly Williams, Ron Perlman, and Alison Eastwood. His clients included WB Television Network, 20th Century Fox Television, CBS TV Network, and Sony Pictures. Commercial clients included those in the fields of fashion, jewelry, automobile, cosmetic/hair care, and restaurants. His works were published in Vogue Magazine, WWD Magazine, Robb Report Magazine, Savoy Magazine, The Source Magazine, and DIstinction Magazine.
In addition, Lam worked for TVB-USA, a Hong Kong-based #1 rated television station, as a TV commercial producer and director for 6 years. His freelance commercial work was aired on PBS alongside the BBC's period drama, "Call the Midwife".
He collaborated with Azoulay Film Fund to bring quality Chinese Films and Filmmakers to the U.S. film market at the 11th DTLA Film Festival in the hope of bridging the Chinese and the American cultures.
Corrie Martin
Corrie Martin is a contributing writer to AsAmNews.com
Development Manager and Great Wall Researcher at SPARC, The Social and Public Art Resource Center in Los Angeles.
A former educator at the high school and University levels.
Corrie's favorite subjects are the literature, theater, arts, and film of Asian American.
Leo Partible
Leo Partible is a filmmaker, a comic book creator and Singer-songwriter. He began in the entertainment industry as a storyboard artist and later a film executive specializing in developing comic books into feature films for various production companies. He previously taught screenwriting at Act One in Los Angeles and Regent University and contributed insightful essays to several books; his public speaking includes panels and lectures at U.C. Berkeley and Biola University, as well as pop culture gatherings such as the Sunscreen Film Festival, Stan Lee's Comickaze, Hollywood Black Film Festival and the San Diego Comic-Con. Leo has been interviewed by NPR, The Atlantic Monthly, Publisher's Weekly, World Magazine, The Washington Post. His current projects include writing and drawing a number comic book stories based on his own creations, starring and directing in a Rock ’n’ Roll feature film called “The Trouble with Love,” (with a soundtrack album featuring music he wrote, produced , and performed) and a documentary called "We All Rise" about Filipinos in the entertainment industry.
Cher Holmes
Cher Holmes is an innovative event producer, nonprofit leader, CEO and community strategist with over a decade of experience creating purpose driven events and building meaningful collaborations across the spirits, hospitality, entertainment, and social impact industries. With a talent for blending creativity and strategy, Cher’s work brings together brands, influencers, and communities in ways that elevate experiences, inspire action, and generate lasting impact.
Nathan Votran
Nathan Votran is first generation Vietnamese-American cinematographer, born in 1993 in Anaheim, CA. Based out of Los Angeles, California I graduated from University of Long Beach in Documentary Filmmaking.
He has experience in many crew roles that serves as a foundation to my career as a Director, Producer, Cinematographer, and Film-maker. Through these experiences Nathan was able to take a bottom up approach and apply it to the responsibilities required project by project, making himself highly versatile and adaptive. He prioritizes communication, planning, and efficiency to ensure each production runs smoothly. Nathan priding himself on staying up to date in visual trends and technical techniques.
He worked on a variety of projects including, commercials, documentaries, music videos, short films, and feature films. A few of his short films he has been seen in the festival circuit, and feature films have been in the market.
From 2022-2023 I worked as a Diector of Operation at a start up video production company.