Films to Cast a Spell on You...
Legal Representative
Jonathan Gray
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    Zealey Bess, is an award winning filmmaker and theatre director with a résumé that features work with the legendary Sidney Lumet, John Leguizamo, Kevin Smith, Matt LeBlanc, Frank Whaley, Bruce Beresford and many others. Her work has crossed boundaries and platforms for many years as an independent director and producer in film and theatre.
    She has specialized in new work since she arrived on these shores and established Weird Sisters, as a theatrical entity in 1997. Under the auspices of her company she has developed projects in collaboration with many writers both established and newly emerging on the New York scene.
    She subsequently directed and produced her debut film, the award winning baseball trilogy: Play Ball! (Fanfare for A Common Man, Random Acts of Intimacy, Caught in Time) that screened throughout the globe including the Berlin Film Festival, Cannes Director Fortnight, and at over 40 USA festivals including New York, Newport, Seattle and Savannah.
    In addition to garnering Best Film at seven USA festivals, she was awarded 1st Prize for Best Short Film by woman director at the LA Women In Film Competition. The panel of judges included Jamie Lee Curtis, Gale Ann Hurd, Amy Heckerling, Susan Seidelman, Allison Janney, Andie Macdowell and Catherine Wyler.
    She continues to head Weird Sisters developing feature film projects and theatrical ventures and that promote and support prolific women artists and writers giving voice to new and exciting work. Latest Film Projects include the webisode series with Amy Staats, entitled Here’s what I Like and Now I’ll tell you Why (LA Comedy Shorts 2010, 2011, Trimedia Film Festival 2011, Garden State Film Festival, Winter Film Awards, Brooklyn Girl Film Festival, Chashama Film Festival)
    She directed the award winning script by Staats, Mary & Louise, (Best Short film screenplay LA Film Festival 2012, Brit Penrod Audience Award 2014), a black and white/colour film that pays tribute to Mary Pickford and Louise Brooks.
    Her latest project is Icarus Stops For Breakfast (Jerome Grant Finalist), by Holli Harms, a magical love story set in a landscape overwhelmed by nature, currently on the film festival circuit as of March 2019.
    Full Length Features in development include Walking Shadows, the story of two unlikely Vets finding friendship and rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of Vietnam, by Chris Ceraso,
    7 Variations on the Same Lover, a live animation feature length script, by Crystal Skillman and Little Girls, Big Trouble, a high jinx comedy feature, by Leslie Brockett.
    She is a member of Ensemble StudioTheatre, the Actors Studio Director/Playwrights Unit, SDC, NYWIFT.
    She is on the Faculty for the Graduate Film Program at Tisch School of the Arts, New York University and is represented by Linda Weaver at Access Talent.
    Website: www.weirdsistersfilms.com,
    Award Winner Best Experimental
    Icarus Stops for Breakfast + English Subtitles
    Assurdo FF
    2020
    Finalist
    Icarus Stops for Breakfast + English Subtitles
    Sicily Independant FF
    Sicily
    2020
    Semi Finalist
    Icarus Stops for Breakfast + English Subtitles
    Night of Comedy Shorts
    2020
    Best Short Film
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Aasha International FF
    Maharashtra
    2020
    Best Director Short Film
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Hunter Mountain FF
    Hunter Mountain
    2020
    Awards Winner Best Experiemental
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Andromeda FF
    Istanbal
    2020
    Best Director Experimental film
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Brazil International Monthly FF
    Rio de Janero
    2020
    Finalist
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Lonely Wolf London Int FF
    London
    2020
    Award Winner Best Experimental
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Wallachia International FF
    Wallachia
    2020
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    The Long Island International Film Expo
    Long Island
    2020
    Award Winner Best Experimental
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    LA Short Film Channel FF
    LA
    2020
    Best Experimental Film
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Toronto Short Film Channel FF
    Toronto
    2020
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Monthly Indie Short Film Festival
    Online FF
    2020
    Semi Finalist
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Venice Shorts
    California
    2020
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    PIMFF
    Prague
    2020
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    After Hour Film Festival
    Online FF
    2020
    Semi Finalist
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Dumbo Film Festival
    Brooklyn
    2020
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Montreal Int Short Indie Film Festival
    Montreal
    2020
    Winner Honerable Mention
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Kosice International Monthly Film Festival
    Online FF
    2020
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Kesari Movie Awards
    Online FF
    2020
    Audience Award Winner
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Directors Circle Festival of shorts
    Erie PA
    2019
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    YoFi Fest Yonkers Film Festival
    Yonkers New York
    2019
    Best Film Winner
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Bali Film Awards
    Bali
    2019
    Best Fantasy Film Winner
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Hollywood Blood Horror Festival
    Los Angeles
    2019
    Best Women Film Winner
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Calcutta International Cult FF
    Calcutta
    2019
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Rainier Independent FF
    Kesari Movie Awards
    2019
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Maine International FF
    Watersville
    2019
    Official Selection
    Icarus Stops For Breakfast
    Maryland International Film Festival
    Hagestown
    2019
    Best Film Winner
    Mary and Louise
    Bedford Falls Film Festival
    New York
    2019
    Official Selection
    Mary and Louise
    Maine International FF
    Watersville
    2016
    Official Selection
    Mary and Louise
    Cayman international FF
    Cayman Islands
    2016
    Official Selection
    Mary and Louise
    31st international short film festival berlin
    Berlin
    2015
    Official Selection
    Mary and Louise
    Silver Dollar FF
    Online Festival
    Best Composer Score
    Mary and Louise
    Garden state FF 2015
    New Jersey
    Finalist
    Mary and Louise
    Short film sharer 2016
    Best International short Film
    Mary and Louise
    Video Festival imperia Italy
    Special Merit Winner Award
    Mary and Louise

    Accolade Film Competition
    Best Short Screenplay
    Mary and Louise

    LA Comedy Screenwriting Festival
    Best Trailer
    Mary and Louise

    Britt Penrod Competition
    Birth City
    London
    Current City
    New York
    Hometown
    New York
    Gender
    Female
    Eye Color
    Green
    Married To
    Denny Dale Bess
    Films to Cast a Spell on You...
    Legal Representative
    Jonathan Gray
      1 Representative
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