About Us
The Film Lab Cinema Arts Group - About Us.
We are a community of Film and Television Writers, Performers and Directors. Our goal is to share our experiences with students and working professionals.
Currently we provide Live Events across North America and Online Classes. Our faculty work in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto. We have extensive backgrounds in Feature films, Network television, Directing and Improvisation.
Our staff also assist with personal feedback for Screenplays and Teleplays.
Recent Faculty Press:
http://filmlabclasses.com/blog/online_writing_resources/press/
Recent Feedback:
http://filmlabclasses.com/blog/online_writing_resources/feedback/
Our instructors and consultants include:
Randy Pearlstein
Toronto native Randy Pearlstein was a regular cast member on the hit series CHAPPELLE'S SHOW and is currently a principal on Comedy Central's MICHAEL AND MICHAEL HAVE ISSUES. Randy is a professor of film and television writing at RUTGERS UNIVERSITY and is on the faculty at the Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT) in New York City. He has also written numerous screenplays including Lions Gate's CABIN FEVER. Randy studied directing under Mike Nichols and annually leads seminars for the esteemed DIRECTORS GUILD OF CANADA.
www.imdb.com/name/nm0669132
Toronto native Randy Pearlstein was a regular cast member on the hit series CHAPPELLE'S SHOW and is currently a principal on Comedy Central's MICHAEL AND MICHAEL HAVE ISSUES. Randy is a professor of film and television writing at RUTGERS UNIVERSITY and is on the faculty at the Peoples Improv Theater (The PIT) in New York City. He has also written numerous screenplays including Lions Gate's CABIN FEVER. Randy studied directing under Mike Nichols and annually leads seminars for the esteemed DIRECTORS GUILD OF CANADA.
www.imdb.com/name/nm0669132
Jeff Biederman
Jeff Biederman has just finished a successful run as a Writer and Producer for 70 episodes of the award winning teen comedy series LIFE WITH DEREK, which airs in 114 countries (including Family Channel in Canada and Disney Channel in the United States). Jeff was honored for his writing on Life With Derek, winning the 2006 CANADIAN SCREENWRITING AWARD FOR BEST YOUTH WRITING. Currently Jeff is showrunning OVERRULED!, a new live action comedy series he co-created set to air in 2009 for Family Channel and Disney Channel. Jeff has story edited over 130 episodes of live action television and has written multiple episodes of: THE LATEST BUZZ, RADIO FREE ROSCOE, MONSTER WARRIORS, DINOSAPIEN, BLACK HOLE HIGH and THE FAMOUS JETT JACKSON.
www.imdb.com/name/nm0081301.
Jeff Biederman has just finished a successful run as a Writer and Producer for 70 episodes of the award winning teen comedy series LIFE WITH DEREK, which airs in 114 countries (including Family Channel in Canada and Disney Channel in the United States). Jeff was honored for his writing on Life With Derek, winning the 2006 CANADIAN SCREENWRITING AWARD FOR BEST YOUTH WRITING. Currently Jeff is showrunning OVERRULED!, a new live action comedy series he co-created set to air in 2009 for Family Channel and Disney Channel. Jeff has story edited over 130 episodes of live action television and has written multiple episodes of: THE LATEST BUZZ, RADIO FREE ROSCOE, MONSTER WARRIORS, DINOSAPIEN, BLACK HOLE HIGH and THE FAMOUS JETT JACKSON.
www.imdb.com/name/nm0081301.
Ali Fahranakian
Ali Reza Fahranakian studied extensively with Charna Halpern and Del Close in the 1990s at ImprovOlympic (IO). He was also a founding member of the UCB with whom he helped to create the critically acclaimed show, "Virtual Reality". At The Second City in Chicago he was part of the Jeff-nominated show The Revelation Will Not Be Televised (dir. Jeff Richmond) for which he also received a Jeff nomination for Best Actor in a Revue. His one-man show Word of Mouth was an official selection to the US Comedy Arts Festival 2001 in Aspen. He was a writer on Saturday Night Live during its 25th anniversary season and received a Writers Guild Award nomination. He has worked on The Steppenwolf Mainstage in Chicago and BAM in Brooklyn. Television credits include all the Law and Order's, All My Children, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, 30 ROCK. He has been in many films, 3 of which have gone to Sundance and one went to Cannes. In 2002 he founded The Peoples Improv Theater (aka The PIT).
The PIT.
Ali Reza Fahranakian studied extensively with Charna Halpern and Del Close in the 1990s at ImprovOlympic (IO). He was also a founding member of the UCB with whom he helped to create the critically acclaimed show, "Virtual Reality". At The Second City in Chicago he was part of the Jeff-nominated show The Revelation Will Not Be Televised (dir. Jeff Richmond) for which he also received a Jeff nomination for Best Actor in a Revue. His one-man show Word of Mouth was an official selection to the US Comedy Arts Festival 2001 in Aspen. He was a writer on Saturday Night Live during its 25th anniversary season and received a Writers Guild Award nomination. He has worked on The Steppenwolf Mainstage in Chicago and BAM in Brooklyn. Television credits include all the Law and Order's, All My Children, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, 30 ROCK. He has been in many films, 3 of which have gone to Sundance and one went to Cannes. In 2002 he founded The Peoples Improv Theater (aka The PIT).
The PIT.
Kevin Allison
Kevin Allison is a regular on VH1's hit series Best Week Ever and was a writing and performing member of The State, the sketch comedy group best known for The State on MTV, which The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Details called the funniest sketch show on the air. Recent film and TV appearances include Reno 911!: Miami, The Ten, The Next Girl I See and HBO's Flight of the Conchords. Kevin currently leads the sketch group Big Flux, a popular favorite at the PIT. His writing has appeared in The Village Voice, Giant, Premiere and Film Journal International. Kevin has been teaching sketch comedy classes since 2002. He also teaches film classes at NYU.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0021457.
Kevin Allison is a regular on VH1's hit series Best Week Ever and was a writing and performing member of The State, the sketch comedy group best known for The State on MTV, which The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Details called the funniest sketch show on the air. Recent film and TV appearances include Reno 911!: Miami, The Ten, The Next Girl I See and HBO's Flight of the Conchords. Kevin currently leads the sketch group Big Flux, a popular favorite at the PIT. His writing has appeared in The Village Voice, Giant, Premiere and Film Journal International. Kevin has been teaching sketch comedy classes since 2002. He also teaches film classes at NYU.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0021457.
Alan Cross
Alan Cross is a former head writer for VH1's POP-UP VIDEO, where he was nominated for 3 Emmy Awards. He was a freelance contributor for SATURDwww.imdb.com/name/nm1843331AY NIGHT LIVE'S "WEEKEND UPDATE" for four years. Other credits include MTV's CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH and Comedy Central's THE MAN SHOW. Currently, Alan is writing and producing a syndicated radio program for PAUL SHAFFER (from The Late Show with David Letterman) and is a co-creater of "VIDEO SCHMIDEO", a winner at the 2007 NEW YORK TV FESTIVAL. In 2004 he published his first book (with writing partner Paul Fourie), WHAT WOULD W DO? As an actor you saw him during the 2006 Superbowl in an ad for Sprint, a spot that Adweek called "one of the ten funniest."
www.imdb.com/name/nm1843331.
Alan Cross is a former head writer for VH1's POP-UP VIDEO, where he was nominated for 3 Emmy Awards. He was a freelance contributor for SATURDwww.imdb.com/name/nm1843331AY NIGHT LIVE'S "WEEKEND UPDATE" for four years. Other credits include MTV's CELEBRITY DEATHMATCH and Comedy Central's THE MAN SHOW. Currently, Alan is writing and producing a syndicated radio program for PAUL SHAFFER (from The Late Show with David Letterman) and is a co-creater of "VIDEO SCHMIDEO", a winner at the 2007 NEW YORK TV FESTIVAL. In 2004 he published his first book (with writing partner Paul Fourie), WHAT WOULD W DO? As an actor you saw him during the 2006 Superbowl in an ad for Sprint, a spot that Adweek called "one of the ten funniest."
www.imdb.com/name/nm1843331.
Lori Pearlstein
Lori is a Toronto casting director and acting coach. Her casting experience includes projects for Universal Studios, Global Television and the MTV Best Video Nominated '30 Seconds To Mars' directed by Jared Leto. Her coaching style is based on many exciting and practical techniques that she has picked up from some of her wonderful teachers including Uta Hagen and Austin Pendleton.
Lori is a Toronto casting director and acting coach. Her casting experience includes projects for Universal Studios, Global Television and the MTV Best Video Nominated '30 Seconds To Mars' directed by Jared Leto. Her coaching style is based on many exciting and practical techniques that she has picked up from some of her wonderful teachers including Uta Hagen and Austin Pendleton.
Mary Crosbie
Mary Crosbie is a graduate of the University of Toronto School for Drama. She has been working in New York City for ten years and has appeared in numerous national commercials including At&t (with Martin Scorsese), All Bran (with John McEnroe) and Motorola (with Danica Patrick). She is a member of the all girl sketch troupe The GTOs.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Absv00MBl50.
Noam Rosen
Noam Rosen won a Canadian Comedy Award in 2001 for the best one person show. He has been working in New York City for 6 years and has appeared in many national commercials including Carfax, Nyquil, and Lipton. He received his Improv training at the Peoples Improv Theater in New York City.