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ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

JAMES WAN (Director)

James Wan was one of the youngest students ever to be accepted into the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology’s highly respected film and media school in Australia. After directing several award-winning shorts during his three years there, Wan then went on to work for several advertising agencies as a director, editor and graphic artist and also spent a year at the ABC’s groundbreaking digital youth network, FLY-TV, where he wrote, directed, produced, and animated his own content.

Saw was Wan’s first feature film as a director. The film, starring multi-award winning Danny Glover, Cary Elwes and Monica Potter, was invited to the prestigious Sundance Film Festival in 2004, where it became a hit with festival-goers. Saw was picked up by Lionsgate prior to the Festival and was released in October 2004 with a gross domestic box office of over $55 million and a world wide theatrical of over $100 million. Saw II followed and was released in October 2005 with a Lionsgate record three-day opening weekend of $31.7 million. Saw II went on to earn more than $87 million in domestic box office and over $147 million in worldwide theatrical box office. Saw II also debuted as the #1 DVD in North America. Together, Saw and Saw II have grossed $250 million in worldwide box office. Saw III was released on October 27, 2006. Wan is an executive producer on Saw II and Saw III.

Prior to DEATH SENTENCE, Wan directed Dead Silence for Universal Pictures.

Wan received the Greg Tepper Award in 2004, a prestigious award for outstanding achievement in Film.

HOWARD BALDWIN (Producer) LDWIN (Producer)

Howard and Karen Baldwin formed the Baldwin Entertainment Group in February, 2004. Mr. Baldwin is the President and CEO.

Baldwin was President of Crusader Entertainment and partner of Philip Anschutz from 2000 through early 2004. At Crusader Baldwin developed and produced an impressive slate of films scheduled for release in 2004-2005, which include: Ray (Universal), directed by Taylor Hackford and starring Jamie Foxx as the legendary music icon Ray Charles; the Paramount action-adventure film Sahara, starring Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz in the title roles and based on the popular best selling Clive Cussler book of the same name; Swimming Upstream, with Academy Award winner Geoffrey Rush and Academy Award Nominee Judy Davis (MGM release); Danny Deckchair, the 2003 Toronto Film Festival Closing Night Gala film starring Rhys Ifans and Miranda Otto (Lion’s Gate Entertainment); Sound of Thunder (Warner Bros.) with Academy Award winner Sir Ben Kingsley; and The Game of Their Lives, starring Wes Bentley and Gerard Butler and written and directed by the team of Hoosiers and Rudy fame – David Anspaugh and Angelo Pizzo.

From1984-2000 Baldwin formed andran BALDWIN/COHENProductions with partner Richard Cohen, producing a variety of films such as Sudden Death, Gideon, Resurrection and the Russell Crowe hockey drama Mystery, Alaska.

Prior to his career in film, Baldwin was integral in the formation and ownership of numerous sports franchises. In 1971, at the age of 28, he started the Hartford Whalers WHA hockey franchise; later he helped formPrismNew EnglandSports Channel.Baldwin also co-brokered the historic merger of the WHA with the National Hockey League. In the early 90’s, Baldwin became Chairman of the Board and owner of the two-time NHL Stanley Cup Champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Concurrently, Baldwin was the first American sports entrepreneur to break through the Iron Curtain and become 50% partner with the Russian government in ownership of the famous CCCPRed Army teaminMoscow.

Equally noted for his diverse charitable activities, Baldwin was the driving force behind the Whalers’ award-winning community relations program that was second to none in professional sports. He established the Whalers Foundation for Giving and a Whalers Teaching Chair in Pediatric Oncology at the University of Connecticut Health Center – a $500,000 gift.

Presently,Howard Baldwin ispartnered with Global Spectrumonthe$217 millionIowaEvents Center under construction in downtown Des Moines, Iowa that will house Baldwin’s American Hockey League franchise.

KAREN BALDWIN (Producer)

Karen Baldwin, Executive Vice President of Creative Affairs for Baldwin Entertainment Group has been involved in many different aspects of the entertainment business over the years. Karen feels her diversity of experience in all aspects of the entertainment business have helped to make her a well- rounded executive with an awareness of each component of the industry. Her wealth of personal experience "in the field" has served her well in her executive capacity. Having attended Holy Cross and Wellesley, Karen graduated Phi Beta Kappa and holds a degree in Psychology. her well in her executive capacity. Having attended Holy Cross and Wellesley, Karen graduated Phi Beta Kappa and holds a degree in Psychology.

Karen began her career in professional sports as the Assistant All Star coordinator for the 1986 NHL ALL STAR game hosted by the Hartford Whalers. She then went on to write and co-host her own local sports-oriented talk show in Hartford called Ahead of the Game.

A move to Los Angeles with her husband, Howard, in the 90’s provided Karen with the opportunity to pursue an interest she had developed in high school and college – a career in acting. As an actress Karen’s credits include Blue Grass, Spellbinder, Sudden Death, and Eyewitness to a Murder, plus several other films and television guest appearances.

Having enjoyed a fair amount of success as an actress, Karen then became interested in the writing aspect of the business, which was to become her focus. Karen created several concepts for films and had them produced. Redline, Hot, Eyewitness to a Murder, Seeing Red and Sudden Death are a few of her writing credits.

Karen and Howard subsequently formed Baldwin/Cohen Entertainment with Richard Cohen, where Karen became interested in the development and producing end of the business and served as Vice President of Creative Affairs. During her tenure at Baldwin/Cohen, Karen helped develop and produce films such as Sudden Death, Gideon, Resurrection and Mystery, Alaska.

Due to the passing of their partner, the Baldwins moved on to form a partnership with Philip Anschutz, and Crusader Entertainment was created. As Executive Vice President of Creative Affairs for Crusader Entertainment, Karen was involved with the day-to-day running of the company and the development and production of eight films in three years: Ray, Joshua, Children on Their Birthdays, A Sound of Thunder, Game of Their Lives, Danny Deckchair, Swimming Upstream, and Sahara.

In 2004 the Baldwins formed their own independent development and production company, Baldwin Entertainment Group. With numerous projects in various stages of development, Karen Baldwin is currently the Senior Executive Vice President of Creative Affairs and a partner in the company. Karen's goal at Baldwin Entertainment Group is to work with talent (writers, directors and actors) in a highly collaborative fashion to develop quality scripts that will resonate with the public.

ASHOK AMRITRAJ (Producer)

Chairman and CEO Ashok Amritraj has grown Hyde Park Entertainment into a cutting-edge option to the traditional Hollywood studio system for filmmakers by making it one of the few progressive independent companies that encompasses most elements of a full-fledged studio. The company is capable of developing, producing and co-financing projects as well as handling their international sales and marketing. Hyde Park has a first-look deal with 20th Century Fox and a second-look deal with The Walt Disney Studios. The primary objective of the company is to produce four major films per year at budgets that range from $20 -$90 million.

Hyde Park’s most recent projects include the psychological thriller Premonition for Sony Pictures starring Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon; Disney’s Shopgirl starring Steve Martin and Claire Danes; DreamWorks’ “Dreamer” starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning; MGM’s Walking Tall starring The Rock; Disney’s Raising Helen starring Kate Hudson; and the 2003 box office smash Bringing Down the House starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah. Raising Helen starring Kate Hudson; and the 2003 box office smash Bringing Down the House starring Steve Martin and Queen Latifah.

Next up for Hyde Park will be the horror/thriller Asylum, directed by David Ellis (“Snakes on a Plane”).

ANDREW SUGERMAN (Executive Producer)

Andrew Sugerman has been involved in the production of a diverse range of motion pictures as an executive producer and line producer over the past thirty years . Some of his recent works include Disney’s Shopgirl, starring Steve Martin, Claire Danes and Jason Schwartzman, directed by Anand Tucker as well as Grilled for New Line Cinema, starring Ray Romano and Kevin James, directed by Jason Ensler. He also executive produced the hit family road-trip comedy Johnson Family Vacation starring Cedric the Entertainer, Vanessa Williams and Bow Wow, for Fox Searchlight; and served as line producer on Howard Deutch’s caper comedy The Whole Ten Yards starring Bruce Willis, Matthew Perry and Amanda Peet, released by Warner Bros. Other credits include the action-thriller Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever starring Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu, directed by Kaos; the comedy Boat Trip starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Roger Moore, Vivica A. Fox and Will Ferrell; and Walter Hill’s boxing drama Undisputed, starring Wesley Snipes, Ving Rhames and Peter Falk. Most recently, he line produced Erik Skoldbjaerg’s drama Prozac Nation, based on the Elizabeth Wurtzel novel, starring Christina Ricci, Jessica Lange, Anne Heche and Jason Biggs.

Sugerman’s extensive line producing credits also include Spiders starring Lana Perillo and Josh Green; The Prophet’s Game starring Dennis Hopper, Stephanie Zimbalist and Sondra Locke; Kimberly starring Gabrielle Anwar, Sean Astin, Molly Ringwald, Patty Duke and Lainie Kazan; The Sterling Chase starring Alanna Ubach, Jack Noseworthy and Nicholle Tom; Michaelangel starring Dennis Hopper and Richard Greico; and Blue Motel starring Sean Young, Soleil Moon Frye and Robert Vaughn. He executive produced Love Kills starring Mario Van Peebles, Leslie Ann Warren, Daniel Baldwin and Louise Fletcher.

Additionally an accomplished writer and director, Sugerman shared the writing credit for the story of the NBC Family Special, “A Place at the Table,” starring Danny Glover and Lukas Haas; and directed the feature film comedy Basic Training, starring Ann Dusenberry and Marty Brill.

His television credits include executive producing the special “The Bulkin Trail” starring David Hasselhoff, and producing and directing “The Hayburners” and “Mandy’s Grandmother,” starring Maureen O’Sullivan, which garnered an Academy Award nomination.

NICK MORTON (Executive Producer)

Nick Morton is Executive Vice President of Development at Baldwin Entertainment Group. Prior to

B.E.G. he served as Vice President of Development at Crusader Entertainment and was a co-producer on Ray, Joshua, Children on Their Birthdays, Game of Their Lives, Swimming Upstream, and Sahara. Before Crusader, Nick spent five-years at Phoenix Pictures where he served as Vice President of Production and oversaw such movies as Whatever It Takes, Urbad Legends: Final Cut, Dick, and Vertical Limit. He began his career in the Independent Film Department at the William Morris Agency where he worked on a team that focused on building films and companies around filmmakers both inside and outside of the studio system. . He began his career in the Independent Film Department at the William Morris Agency where he worked on a team that focused on building films and companies around filmmakers both inside and outside of the studio system.

NICK HAMSON (Executive Producer)

Having spent 15 years in the financial sector, Nick Hamson founded Lighthouse Group, the UK's third largest quoted independent financial advisory company, in 2000.

In the same year, Nick took Lighthouse Group to its flotation onto AIM with a market capital of £20M, before overseeing the growth of the advisory business from 12 to over 400 financial advisers.

Nick founded Brass Hat Films with Lars Sylvest in 2004 having already established the Brass Hat Group in 2003.

Nick oversaw the successful launch of four film funds and acted as Co-Producer / Executive Producer on seven films over the first two years.

Recent productions include: Dreamer starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning with DreamWorks; Shopgirl starring Steve Martin and Claire Danes with Disney; Trade, produced by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Day After Tomorrow) staring Kevin Kline with Lions Gate; Premonition

starring Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon with Columbia TriStar; The Other End of the Line; and The

Persuaders (motion picture remake of the hit TV-series)

LARS SYLVEST (Executive Producer)

Lars Sylvest has a background as a media lawyer/MBA and holds an MFA from the American Film Institute where he trained as a script doctor.

Lars began his career in the entertainment sector in 1994 as COO of DMC where he was responsible for the Scandinavian TV adaptations of leadingEuropean TV shows.

Four years later, Lars founded Mondrian Entertainment and together with various specialised film financing groups Lars subsequently structured film financing transactions involving a number of Studios and major Independents.

In 2004 Lars founded Brass Hat Films with Nick Hamson. Lars jointly manages the company with Nick Hamson and acts as Co-Producer/ Executive Producer on each film that Brass Hat Films is involved with.

Recent productions include: Dreamer starring Kurt Russell and Dakota Fanning with DreamWorks; Shopgirl starring Steve Martin and Claire Danes with Disney; Trade, produced by Roland Emmerich (Independence Day, Day After Tomorrow) staring Kevin Kline with Lions Gate; Premonition

starring Sandra Bullock and Julian McMahon with Columbia TriStar; The Other End of the Line; and The

Persuaders (motion picture remake of the hit TV-series)

JOHN R. LEONETTI, ASC (Director of Photography)

John R. Leonetti is re-teaming with Director James Wan after shooting Dead Silence with him. He began his career as an assistant cameraman and camera operator working with such great cinematographers as Vittorio Storaro and his brother Matt Leonetti, and with such directors as Steven Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola. Soon thereafter, Walter Hill asked John to be the Director of Photography on one of the first “Tales From The Crypt” episodes entitled “The Man Who Was Death”. Spielberg and Francis Ford Coppola. Soon thereafter, Walter Hill asked John to be the Director of Photography on one of the first “Tales From The Crypt” episodes entitled “The Man Who Was Death”.

This episode earned John a nomination for a CableAce Award for Best Cinematography. John subsequently worked with many “Tales” directors including Peter Medak, Tom Hanks, and John Frankenheimer. John went on to achieve three more CableAce nominations for his work on “Tales From The Crypt”.

John proceeded to collaborate with John Frankenheimer on the films Against The Wall starring Kyle MacLachlan and Samuel L. Jackson and The Burning Season starring Raul Julia, which won the Golden Globe for Best Picture.

John has shot such films as The Mask starring Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz, Detroit Rock City, The Scorpion King, Honey, The Perfect Man, Raise Your Voice, and The Woods.

JULIE BERGHOFF (Production Designer)

Julie Berghoffbegan her filmcareer workinginSpecialEffects. Thatsoon lettostop motion animation (The PJ’s with Eddie Murphy and Fox Television) and digital animation as an Art Director and Production Designer. Soon After, she began working on commercials and music videos with acclaimed directors such as Herb Ritts, David LaChapelle, Frank Todaro and Jared Hess. Her segue into feature films began with James Wan and the independent film Saw. Since then she has collaborated with actor and producer, Laurence Fishburne on the feature Five Fingers and James Wan’s Dead Silence.

MICHAEL N. KNUE, A.C.E. (Editor)

Michael N. Knue, A.C.E., has been editing both television and major motion pictures for over 25 years. His credits range from Sylvester Stallone films (Lock Up and Rocky V) to the Horton Foote drama, Lily Dale, for which he received an American Cinema Editor’s Eddy nomination and starred Mary Stuart Masterson, Stockard Channing, and Sam Shepard. His television credits include “St. Elsewhere” and “The Guardian,” as well as the NBC earthquake mini-series, “10.5.”

Much of Michael’s work can be seen in a variety of science fiction and horror. He cut the cult favorite, The Hidden, and the live-action version of Todd McFarland’s The Ring 2 directed by the Ring’s creator, Hideo Nakata. He edited Nightmare on Elm St: The Dream Master and directed 2nd unit photography for Nightmare on Elm St., VI.

DEATH SENTENCE is the second film Michael has edited for director James Wan; he also cut Dead Silence for Universal Studios.

Michael started making documentaries and producing and directing local educational television in his native town, Cincinnati, Ohio. For the past 13 years he has taught editing courses in UCLA Extension’s Department of Entertainment Studies.

KRISTIN M. BURKE (Costume Designer)

Kristin Burke was born March 20, in Orange, CA. Educated at Northwestern University in

Evanston, Illinois, she majored in both Radio/Television/Film and French Studies. Ms. Burke was trained in the art of costume design at Northwestern by Virgil C. Johnson, an acclaimed designer for opera and the theater. WhileatNorthwestern,Ms. Burkegarnered awards at the Seattle Short FilmFestival, the Nimes Festival in France, and the Dallas Film Festival for her experimental short films.

She has designed costumes for more than thirty feature films, including Time To Kill with Nicolas Cage, The Grudge 2, Walker Payne, Crazy, Running Scared, The Cooler, The Slaughter Rule, and Star Maps. She has also designed costumes for music videos, commercials, and two television series. In addition, Ms. Burke is an internationally-exhibited artist, specializing in collage and mail art, and had her first solo exhibition in Los Angeles in September, 2001.

Burke has also authored two books -the first of which she co-authored with Holly Cole of Ohio University, Costuming for Film: the Art and the Craft, was published in August, 2005 by Silman James Press. It is a college-level textbook on the ins and outs of designing costumes for films. This book is also intended to reach industry professionals looking to broaden their understanding about the role of costumes in the collaborative medium of film. The second book, Going Hollywood: How to get started, keep going, and not turn into a sleaze , was published in September, 2004, and is in use at film schools and universities in 7 countries.

Burke was Selected by the Hollywood Reporter as "2005 Next Gen" Ones to watch under 35, in 2005. Additionally, she was chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for "50 Designers: 50 Costumes,” a tribute to Hollywood film costuming. The exhibit is currently touring the US, Canada & Japan.