MISS BALA (2019) About The Crew
Catherine Hardwicke, Kevin Misher, Pablo Cruz, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, Mauricio Katz, Gerardo Naranjo, Samson Mucke, Arturo Sampson Alazraki, Andy Berman, Jamie Marshall, Patrick Murguía, Marco Niro, Terilyn A. Shropshire, Graciela Mazon, and Alex Heffes
CATHERINE HARDWICKE (Director / Executive Producer), KEVIN MISHER (Producer), PABLO CRUZ (Producer), GARETH DUNNET-ALCOCER (Screenplay / Executive Producer), MAURICIO KATZ (Executive Producer), GERARDO NARANJO (Executive Producer), SAMSON MUCKE (Executive Producer), ARTURO SAMPSON ALAZRAKI (Executive Producer), ANDY BERMAN (Executive Producer), JAMIE MARSHALL (Executive Producer), PATRICK MURGUÍA, AMC (Director of Photography), MARCO NIRO (Production Designer), TERILYN A. SHROPSHIRE (Editor), GRACIELA MAZON (Costume Designer), and ALEX HEFFES (Composer).
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
Choosing material that is thought-provoking and controversial, CATHERINE HARDWICKE’s (Director / Executive Producer) films have helped to redefine popular culture, showcase notable figures from the past, and raise light on important social issues. At the helm, Hardwicke’s passion for storytelling and attention to detail help create films rich in visual texture and narrative depth.
Hardwicke’s first film as a director was the critically-acclaimed Thirteen , which garnered numerous awards and nominations including the Director’s Award at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, Golden Globe nominations for Holly Hunter and Evan Rachel Wood, an Academy Award® nomination for Best Supporting Actress for Holly Hunter and an Independent Spirit Award for Nikki Reed.
Hardwicke has since become best known as the director of Twilight , which launched the worldwide blockbuster franchise, The Twilight Saga and earned nearly $400 million at the worldwide box office. Her book, The Twilight Director’s Notebook , was an international best seller, translated into 20 languages.
Hardwicke's other credits include the classic skateboard film with Heath Ledger and Emile Hirsch, Lords of Dogtown , Red Riding Hood with Amanda Seyfried and Gary Oldman , The Nativity Story with Oscar Isaac and Keisha Castle-Hughes, and Plush with Emily Browning. Her previous film, Miss You Already, was an intimate look at the lives of two dynamic best friends as they go through very challenging times. Starring Drew Barrymore, Toni Collette, Dominic Cooper and Jacqueline Bisset, the film premiered at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Also in 2015, Hardwicke directed the video for the Oscar® nominated song by Lady Gaga and Diane Warren: “Til It Happens to You.” The video highlighted the rape crisis on college campuses as exposed in the documentary The Hunting Ground .
Hardwicke has ventured into television, directing episodes of This is Us , Hell on Wheels, Low Winter Sun and the pilots of Reckless and EyeWitness, as well as developing original series at multiple studios.
Hardwicke previously worked as a production designer on films directed by Richard Linklater, David O. Russell, Cameron Crowe, Lisa Cholodenko, and Costa Gavras. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree from UT Austin, and did graduate work in animation at UCLA Film School. She frequently works as a mentor at labs for the Sundance Institute, Film Independent, and the Ghetto Film School and teaches workshops at film schools and film festivals around the world.
KEVIN MISHER (Producer) produces movies and television via his Los Angeles-based production company, Misher Films.
Misher was raised in Queens, New York, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in economics from the Wharton School of Business. His first job in the entertainment industry was at HBO in New York, where he served as a financial analyst for then-CEO Michael Fuchs. He soon relocated to Los Angeles and landed in the mailroom of the ICM talent agency before moving to the InterTalent Agency as an agent’s assistant. His talent for identifying quality material convinced legendary executive Mike Medavoy to hire Misher as a creative executive at TriStar Pictures directly from the mailroom.
Misher ascended the ranks quickly, and during his six years at TriStar, oversaw numerous productions, including Donnie Brasco, directed by Mike Newell, starring Al Pacino and Johnny Depp and the sports classic Rudy.
In 1996, Misher moved to Universal Pictures where he became President of Production at the age of 33. During his tenure Universal enjoyed unprecedented success, and Misher supervised production of some of the studio’s most acclaimed features, such as Out of Sight and Erin Brockovich , as well as initiating four of their most profitable franchises: the series of films spawned by The Fast and the Furious, Meet the Parents, The Mummy and The Bourne Identity.
Misher left Universal in 2001 to form Misher Films. His first project was the hit follow up to The Mummy franchise, The Scorpion King. His subsequent productions include The Rundown, starring Dwayne Johnson and directed by Peter Berg, The Interpreter, directed by Sydney Pollack starring Nicole Kidman and Sean Penn, Public Enemies, directed by Michael Mann, starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale, Mirror, Mirror starring Julia Roberts and the remake of Stephen King’s classic horror novel, Carrie , for Sony/MGM starring Chloe Moretz and Julianne Moore.
Misher currently has a full slate in both film and television, across a broad array of genres, amassed for the upcoming years:
2019 will see the release of Stephen Merchant’s Fighting with my Family, which stars up-and-coming British stars Florence Pugh ( Lady Macbeth ) and Jack Lowden ( Dunkirk ) along with Nick Frost, Lena Headey, Vince Vaughn and Dwayne Johnson for MGM/Annapurna.
In October of 2020 Amblin and Universal Pictures will release Bios , starring Tom Hanks and to be directed by Miguel Sapochnik ( Game of Thrones ). Misher is producing with Robert Zemeckis’ company Imagemovers.
Misher is also readying the sequel to the comedy classic Coming to America with Eddie Murphy for Paramount Pictures; the drama Richard Jewell to star Jonah Hill in the title role for 20th Century Fox; and a movie version of the iconic children’s character Carmen Sandiego starring Gina Rodriguez for Netflix. He is also preparing the scripted dramatic television series, “Gridiron,” in partnership with the NFL about the history of football in America for the Fox Network.
Misher lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Danielle, and their two sons, Griffin and Beckett.
In 2007, Variety cited PABLO CRUZ (Producer) as one of its 10 Producers to Watch. Four years later, in 2011, he returned to Variety’s list as one of its People to Know. In 2017, Cruz was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in recognition of his career, participating in the decision-making process for the Oscars®.
In 2011, Cruz set up operations from Mexico to LA. During his first year there, Cruz completed production on the film Cesar Chavez , based on the struggles and triumphs of legendary labor union organizer Cesar E. Chavez, in collaboration with Emilio Azcárraga, Haim Saban and Participant Media. Cruz has produced over thirty films including: Gerardo Naranjo’s Drama/Mex, Voy A Explotar (I’m Gonna Explode) , and his critically acclaimed Miss Bala , coproduced with Sanford Panitch for Fox; Diego Luna’s J.C. Chavez, Abel in co-production with Mister Mudd, Cesar Chavez, and Mr. Pig , starring Danny Glover and Maya Rudolph, which premiered at Sundance in 2016; The Chosen Ones , directed by David Pablos, which premiered at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival’s Un Certain Regard section, won five Mexican Academy Awards including Best Picture and was nominated for Best Iberoamerican Film at the Spanish Academy Awards; Gael Garcia Bernal’s directorial debut, Deficit ; Agustin Diaz Yanes’ Sólo Quiero Caminar; Israel Cardenas and Laura Amelia Guzman’s Cochochi, Jean Gentil and Dolares de Arena ; Cary Fukunaga’s Sin Nombre with Focus Features; and Werner Herzog’s Salt & Fire .
Aside from features, Cruz has successfully produced TV series both in Mexico and in the US: “Soy Tu Fan,” starring Ana Claudia Talancon; “Niño Santo,” a sci-fi thriller written by Pedro Peirano and Mauricio Katz with Karla Souza in the lead role; “Alguien Mas” with actress Ana Serradilla; and the second season of the hit AMC TV show “Fear The Walking Dead,” which was shot in Tijuana and at the Baja Studios in Rosarito.
Cruz’ most recent TV show, “Luis Miguel La Serie,” premiered on Telemundo and Netflix in April 2018.
GARETH DUNNET-ALCOCER (Screenplay / Executive Producer) is a Mexican writer-director. He is currently adapting Blue Beetle for Warner Bros and DC, based on the comic book super hero character of the same name. He previously wrote Let it Bleed for Alfonso Gomez Rejon ( Me, Earl and the Dying Girl) to direct with Ken Kao / Kevin Misher producing & financing, Colonel’s Wife for Pete Berg to direct at CBS Films, as well as Scarface for Universal with Antoine Fuqua directing.
MAURICIO KATZ (Executive Producer) is currently an Executive Producer on Starz’s “Possum,” which has been picked up to a mini room. Mauricio also wrote and executive produced the upcoming Amazon and Sky TV 8-episode limited series, “ZEROZEROZERO,” with Leonardo Fasoli, Max Hurwitz, Stefano Sollima, and Maddalena Ravagli. Prior to that he was a Co-Executive Producer on “Maniac” for Netflix and a Consulting Producer on “The Bridge” at FX. He also recently adapted “Niño Santo” for US television at A&E, which was based on his own Mexican series produced by Canana. Mauricio also wrote the feature Miss Bala , which Gerardo Naranjo directed and Canana produced.
GERARDO NARANJO (Executive Producer)
SAMSON MUCKE (Executive Producer), originally from Munich, Germany, began his career as a commercial and music video producer for the European market. Mucke’s move into feature films came early on as he forged a relationship with world renowned director Wim Wenders and the two have continued to collaborate ever since. Together, they have made four films, including two critically acclaimed award-winning independents, Land of Plenty, which premiered at the 2004 Venice Film Festival and Don’t Come Knocking, which premiered at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.
Mucke has been privileged to work with some very notable filmmakers, such as Alan Ball, Wayne Kramer, Tim Story, Steve Zaillian, Josh Schwartz, Jason Reitman and Michael Bay. At 42 years old, Mucke has completed over seventeen films, starting as a Production Supervisor and AUPM and quickly moving up to UPM, Line Producer and Executive Producer - in some cases, taking on all roles. Some of these films include Unthinkable, Hurricane Season, Crossing Over, Towel Head, The Good Doctor, The Informers, and the Oscar® nominated hit film Up in the Air. In 2009 Mucke entered the Studio world, first being hired as an Executive Producer by Disney for their teen dramedy Prom. Following this Mucke teamed up with Paramount Pictures for Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones and Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocolypse , both helmed by critically acclaimed director Christopher Landon. In 2016, Mucke worked with Michael Bay on Transformers 5 – The Last Knight, shooting all over the world. In 2018 Mucke reunited with Christopher Landon on Happy Death Day 2 U for Universal Pictures.
In 2019 Mucke is breaking into the TV world by producing the much anticipated eight-part mini-series “Looking for Alaska” based on the John Green novel by the same title for Paramount TV and Hulu.
ARTURO SAMPSON ALAZRAKI (Executive Producer) has worked in film, television and commercials for over 15 years. He began his career as an assistant director, to shortly after become a producer and, currently, an executive producer on several projects. Arturo has a degree in filmmaking, with a minor in directing, from the Centro de Capacitación Cinematografica, in his home country, Mexico. He also attended workshops of directing actors and screenwriting at the prestigious Escuela Internacional de Cine y Televisión in Cuba.
His work as a director includes many commercials and shorts films that premiered in film festivals such as the Guadalajara Film Festival, Tribeca Underground and Los Angeles Film Festival.
In 2005, Sampson was selected to join the Berlinale Talent Campus and, in 2009, he was awarded the Jóvens Creadores Fund for best screenplay from the National Fund for Culture and the Arts (FONCA).
In 2006, Sampson joined the Mexican production company Canana. Currently, he is the head of production and was recently named partner.
As a producer, his repertoire includes films like Chavez, by Diego Luna, Paraíso, by Mariana Chenillo, Manto Acuífero by Michael Rowe, Voy a Explotar by Gerardo Naranjo, Cochochi by Israel Cárdenas and Laura Amelia Guzmán, and among his more recent projects, Salt and Fire , by Werner Herzog and Mr. Pig , by Diego Luna. His television credits include the shows: “Niño Santo ” and “Soy Tu Fan,” both from Canal 11 in Mexico, and the second season of AMC’s “Fear the Walking Dead.”
ANDY
BERMAN
(Executive Producer)
Born in the United Kingdom and raised on the numerous film sets that his father Alan Marshall produced, JAMIE MARSHALL (Executive Producer) grew up observing and learning from the ever-evolving world of filmmaking. Marshall quickly climbed the ranks as a First Assistant Director and successfully completed multiple projects working for award winning directors including Martin Campbell, Antoine Fuqua, John Woo, Adrian Lyne, Terry Gilliam, Catherine Hardwicke, Tarsem, Scott Cooper, and Gavin O’Connor.
Taking advantage of his experience as a First Assistant Director, Marshall began to get involved as a producer on various projects, including Twilight, Warrior, Immortals , Snow White , Out of the Furnace, Marauders, and Hunter Killer.
In 2011 Marshall made his transition to directing and helmed 2nd Unit on Antoine Fuqua's action film Olympus Has Fallen . In 2014 Marshall set up his first feature, Dirty Lies , which he both produced and directed, and is distributed internationally by ITN.
Marshall’s recent projects include The Foreigner, starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan, where he served as a Producer (PGA) and directed 2nd Unit. He then went onto Executive Produce and 2nd Unit Direct the recently released STX’s “Den of Thieves” starring Gerard Butler.
Marshall just wrapped an Untitled WB Film starring Ben Affleck in December and is currently in development on numerous projects including Hair of the Dog with Gerard Butler producing and Vanished with Martin Campbell directing.
PATRICK MURGUÍ A, A MC (Director of Photography) is a Mexican-born Director of Photography. He began his career after studying fine arts and photography in Florence, Italy and later cinematography at the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica in his native Mexico City. After establishing himself as a much sought-after cinematographer in both Mexico and Europe, he relocated to the United States and has worked with some of Hollywood's most well-known directors including Antoine Fuqua, Diego Luna, Scott Walker, and Cameron Crowe.
Throughout his career Patrick has received international acclaim for his work in both the commercial and narrative world. He has lensed many award-winning films including Brooklyn’s Finest starring Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke and Diego Luna's directorial debut Abel . Both films premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Additional feature credits include The Frozen Ground, Mountain Cry, and Asura .
The LA based Cinematographer has also taken to the world of TV, having shot both pilot and season one of AMC's critically acclaimed “Low Winter Sun" as well as episodes for Season Two of Amazon’s “Jack Ryan”.
After graduating from the Istituto Europeo di Design with a degree in art direction, MARCO NIRO (Production Designer) decided to travel the world and enrich himself with different cultures while viewing various regional architecture styles. In 1993, Niro started working in the film industry as an assistant art director and began his career in the art department.
Marco Niro’s impressive line of feature film credits include the award-winning film Titanic , Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World , directed by Peter Weir starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany, Troy based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poem “Iliad,” Jarhead and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader both films in which Niro snagged his first nominations with the Art Directors Guild.
The success he had as an art director was the catalyst for his career as a production designer in film and television. After production designing in film for five years, Niro has started on his first episodic project entitled “Mayans MC” for FX networks and currently working as a Prod Designer for “Legion” as well for FX networks.
As a motion picture editor, TERILYN A. SHROPSHIRE (Editor) collaborates with some of the industry’s most talented feature filmmakers and television creators.
Her feature film credits include: Beyond the Lights, The Secret Life of Bees, and Love and Basketball directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood; as well as Kasi Lemmon’s films Eve’s Bayou, The Caveman’s Valentine, Talk to Me, Black Nativity, and the Lifetime Achievement Award tribute to Sidney Poitier for the 74th Annual Academy Awards®, for which Shropshire earned an Emmy nomination. She has edited Salim Akil’s films Sparkle and Jumping the Broom.
Currently, Shropshire is on the editing team of Central Park Five, directed by Ava DuVernay.
She earned an American Cinema Editors (ACE) Eddie Award for Redemption: The Stan Tookie Williams Story,” directed by Vondie Curtis Hall and edited his follow-up film, Waist Deep. Her other credits include: Wrinkle in Time (add’l editor) directed by Ava DuVernay, Among Ravens, directed by Tim Disney, Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman directed by Darren Grant; Biker Boys and One Night in Vegas both directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood. She was on the editing team for the premiere seasons of the Fox event drama series “Shots Fired,” ABC series “Quantico” and edited Marvel’s pilot “Cloak and Dagger.”
Shropshire holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in broadcast journalism and cinema from the University of Southern California. She is a member of Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, American Cinema Editors and Diversity Committee of the Motion Picture Editor’s Guild.
A native of Mexico, GRACIELA MAZON (Costume Designer) holds degrees in art from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma and Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes. She also studied at L’École Jaques Lecoq in Paris and earned her PhD from the University of Paris. Her paintings, drawings, and sculptures have been exhibited in museums and galleries in Mexico, France, and the United States and led her to work on various commercials, videos, and television programs, designing masterful costumes. She has been honored twice with the Arieles Award from the Mexican Academy of Science and Cinematographic Arts for her designs in the Mexican films Miroslava and Queen of the Night. In addition, she was nominated for a BAFTA and a CDG Award for her work on The Mask of Zorro.
Mazon has closely collaborated with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez on multiple films, including From Dusk Til Dawn, Desperado, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, and with director Martin Campbell on The Mask of Zorro, Vertial Limit, and The Legend of Zorro. Other notable credits include Nacho Libre , the recent Amazon Studios series “Mad Dogs.”
Golden Globe nominated composer ALEX HEFFES (Composer) is known for his scores to award-winning films such as The Last King of Scotland , State of Play and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom . Most recently he completed the score to the Robert Redford-narrated documentary Earth: One Amazing Day for which his score was nominated for the International Film Music Critics Award. It was his scores to Kevin Macdonald’s Academy Award®-winning films One Day In September, The Last King of Scotland and BAFTA-winning Touching The Void that first brought him to international attention. Alongside his long collaboration with Macdonald he has worked with many of cinema’s top filmmakers such as Stephen Frears ( The Program ), Mira Nair ( Queen of Katwe) , Peter Webber ( Emperor ), Catherine Hardwicke ( The Last King of Scotland ) and J.J. Abrams (on the Stephen King mini series 11.22.63.). His score to the 8-hour event miniseries Roots premiered in 2016 on History, A&E Network and Lifetime receiving widespread critical acclaim and winning Alex the Hollywood Music in Media award for best TV score.
Alex’s versatility has led to scoring across a vast range of movie genres from Charles Ferguson’s Academy Award-winning Inside Job to the New Line horror film The Rite and Mikael Hafstrom’s action thriller Escape Plan starring Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. He collaborated with director Tim Burton on his screen adaptation of Sweeney Todd. His score to Justin Chadwick’s film Boy was featured at the opening ceremony of the Olympic velodrome at the 2012 London Olympics.
Heffes was nominated for a Golden Globe for his score to Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom . He received a BAFTA nomination for the HBO drama Tsunami: The Aftermath and in 2011 was awarded Discovery of the Year by the World Soundtrack Academy. In 2012, Heffes won the Ivor Novello Award for best film score of the year for The First Grader and in 2016 he was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Heffes’ work includes Disney’s feature film Queen Of Katwe, the Idris Elba thriller The Take and the Netflix hit series Black Mirror. Most recent is Peter Webber’s Columbian drama Pickpickets. Upcoming for Heffes is the documentary The Elephant Queen.
