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American
Addiction
Synopsis
Interview
Director
& Producers & Cast
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Director
Bryan Poffenberger
Bryan Poffenberger has extensive experience in the theatre. He has
worked as a professional actor and performed from the Guthrie Theatre
in Minneapolis to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. He has
taught numerous acting workshops and produced and directed several multi-media
productions, including video projects for corporate clients. In addition
to his interest in the arts, he has also been a computer programmer,
business consultant, multimedia producer and internet entrepreneur.
His internet software development company was at the forefront of integrating
data on to the web for the Fortune 500 companies and the United States
Military.
For the past one year Bryan has been developing and producing original
material for movies and television.
Producers
Vishal Shah
Although stepping into the entertainment Industry only one year
ago, Vishal Shah has already proven that if you have the will, you will
find a way. In less than one year, Vishal has held two prestigious titles:
Mr. India USA 2000 (Runner up) and Mr. India California 2000 (Runner
up). In addition to holding two Associates' Degrees in acting, Vishal
possesses extensive training in martial arts (with a black belt), dancing
and floor gymnastics.
Vishal's strengths do not end there, as he is also proficiently trained
behind the camera. He has extensive training in video production, editing,
still photography, web designing and graphic designing, among others.
His passion for the entertainment industry is second to none and has
given him the strength to become a "one man army".
PankitJ. Doshi
With a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Business Administration,
as well as a law degree, Pankit has chosen to pursue a career in entertainment
law. As an attorney, Pankit has been trained in numerous business aspects
of filmmaking, including contract negotiations and investment procedures.
In addition to these skills, Pankit is no stranger to the entertainment
industry. His reign as Mr. India USA 2000 provided him the opportunity
to enter into many entertainment-related ventures and projects, including
special guest status at the Bollywood Music Awards and radio and television
interviews. These experiences have motivated him and gjven him the knowledge
by which to participate in the development of this production, and as
a Producer, Pankit intends to employ his hard work and ethic to the
completion of the task.
Saurabh Shah, Producer
Although his long-term career goal Is within the technology industry,
Saurabh Shah has a similar passion for the art of making films, He is
currently at the top of his class with numerous achievements and has
gained recognition in certain theatre circles with his co-direction
of "Colorblind" and "Dreams." Saurabh is currently studying many aspects
of malting a film, including: graphic and web design, video production
and editing, and still photography, He has also mastered the craftsmanship
behind putting together the massive amounts of paperwork it takes ensure
a film's success. Saurabh is currently enrolled at the University of
Southern California with a major in Business Administration and an Emphasis
in Cinema Television. His drive to absorb as much knowledge as possible
has proven that he is a valued asset to the team, and his continued
success is a testament to his hard work and passion.
Cast
Vishal Shah, Jay
Vishal is a multi-talented entertainer with two degrees In acting and
extensive training in martial arts, dancing and gymnastics. He has performed
in theatrical productions of G.R. Point, The Rainmaker, and Lone Star.
He has modeled with leading Indian boutiques and has participated In
numerous fashion shows and won many cultural dance competitions. Following
his victory as Mr. India USA 2000, Runner-Up, Vishal has had the opportunity
to venture into and participate in numerous ventures within the entertainment
industry. He has been highlighted as Fem/na Magazine's Bachelor of the
Fortnight, one of the few Indian- American models to be profiled in
India, and his passion for acting has been described as second to none
in the South Asian entertainment industry.
Rita Rani Ahuja, Varsha
Being a strong advocate of formal education and training, Rite leaves
no stone unturned in her effort toward becoming a fine artist. She has
studied various forms of dance and continues to study and perform Kathak.
For the past year and a half , she has also been studying at the Lee
Strasberg Theater Institute. After graduating from UCLA, Rita performed
in various theatrical productions, as v/ell as commercials in Bombay,
such as Maggie Noodles, Lux Soap, and Colgate. Recently, she played
the lead in two independent short films for the festival circuit, and
has been involved in various theatrical productions in Los Angeles,
the latest being Shakespeare's, "The Merry Wives of Windsor." In addition,
Rita has just completed the production of an independent South Asian
feature film prior to her association with Indo- American Films, Inc.
Mitesh Patel, Amar
Mitesh's training began at the University of Texas in Austin where he
studied dramatic arts as a minor, while receiving a bachelor's degree
in Psychology and Spanish. He pursued and received advanced degrees
with a Masters in Business Administration (concentration in Accounting)
iand a Doctorate of Jurisprudence. More recently, Mitesh has trained,
on a full time basis, at the Lee Strasberg Theatrical Institute for
an extended period of time. His theatrical experience is diverse, and
he has been in several productions, including Howard Korder's Boys Life
and Stephen Metcalfe's Strange Snow. Other theatrical works which he
has worked on include: Golden Boy, Beyond the Horizon, and Beyond Therapy.
He has recently delved into the television and film industry with his
\vork on Rising Shores, a Kavi Raz Production.
Artec Patel, Sonali
Artec made her feature film debut as the lead actress In Westown this
year. Since then, Artee has completed the South Asian film Kuch to Karo
to be released 2003 and X, which is expected to hit the film festival
circuit. Her theatre credits include Guys and Dolls, Fiddler on the
Roof, Up the Down Staircase and Everyman. She has also appeared on the
FOX television show Texas Justice and held the title of Miss India Texas
2001. Artee is agraduate of the University of Houston where she received
her Bachelor of Arts in Communication and continues to study at the
Actors Theatre of Houston.
Sanjay, Manu
Sanjay has appeared in a wide array of films, Including Gone In 60 Seconds,
Shoot or be Shot, Desperation Blvd., and The Cloning, as well as TVshows
such as, Boldand the Beautiful, The Agency, Cityof Angels, The Man Show,
Chicago Hope, and The Jamie Foxx Show He has also appeared in a "Wills
Cigarettes" commercial for India, and does a lot of commercial work
for Japan. Sanjay was born in Luton, England, and has been fond of drama
since he was 6 years old, performing in school plays, high school theatre,
local theatre, and cultural shows and music videos, His career in Hollywood
began when he went with his friend to drop off an 'Ultra Sound machine"
to the set of ER, where he met Babu Subramanium.
Fabiola Francesca, Tera
Fabiola Francesca graduated from The Studio IV, where she studied under
the direction of Herb Nector for two and a half years, and subsequently
moved on to perform on stage in productions including Harlem Duets,
Wit, African Medea, Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it a// For You, and
most recently, Shakespeare's As You Like It with the critically acclaimed
New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad, California. She has also performed
for the screen in the independent gems Women and Men, Song of Songs,
The Meeting, and Man's Best Friend. Sticking to her Independent roots,
Fabiola will join the wonderful ensemble cast of the independent romantic
comedy Angels With An Attitude following her work on Filmmaking: The
Beginning. Fabiola continues to study her craft and grow as an actor
with New Village Arts under the guidance of Francis Gerke and Kristianne
Kurner. She is a member of the New Village Arts Actor's Workshop and
the Actor's Alliance of San Diego.
Rakesh Modi, Nikhil
Rakesh Modi, a native Califomian, Is the co-owner and manager of a very
successful printing company based in Los Angeles, California. Rakesh's
passion for computers has led him to die pursuit of a degree in Information
Systems and he is currently finishing up his degree in Information Systems
at the California State University in Northridge. This film is Rakesh's
first on screen appearance. He has always had an interest in acting,
but it was not until his girlfriend secretly sent his resume and headshot
to Indo-American Films, that Rakesh ever seriously thought of acting
as an option. His natural talent has secured Rakesh the role of Nikhil
in this film, for which he plans to make the best of his opportunity.
Ajit Bhargava, Praful
Starting from his school days in Mumbai where they discovered his natural
acting talent, Ajit Bhargava has had consistent lead roles in theatre
productions, Ajit received his Bachelors Degree in Engineering at IIT
Kharagpur, India and later established the Abhiyan Group in Ranchi,
India. He won various Indian drama competitions at Allahabad and IPTA
competitions at Mumbai. After migrating to the U.S. in 1980, Ajit completed
two Masters Degrees and a Doctorate Degree in Engineering and simultaneously
participated in many short films and documentaries Ajit currently heads
his own Computer College in Anaheim, California, is a professor at California
State University, Fullerton and DeVry University in Pomona and Long
Beach.
Hamid Daudani, Pramod
At the age of eleven, Hamid began participating in the broadcast of
All India Radiom Indore. Later, when Hamid moved to Pakistan, he was
a regular artist at Radio Pakistan performing the tasks of writing,
producing and acting in plays, Hamid has also written, produced and
directed many plays. In 1991, he formed Hamid Daudani & Group to produce
plays for the San Diego community. This group has become a San Diego
tradition and a community Institution. His plays receive wide coverage
in newspapers and receive high marks for excellence. This is the only
group in Southern California that consistently produces plays annually.
Some of his plays, such as Prem Nagar Ka Me/a, Shehnai Goonjegi, and
Ek Bijli Giri, have di eiwn tremendous appreciation from die audience.
Hamid is also involved in cultural activities. He is the former president
of the Gujarat! Association of San Diego. He has to his credit a number
of shows where he has been master of ceremonies for famous artists including
Anup Jhalota, Sudhir Narayan, and Yusuf Azad.
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