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The Faculty of the Academy Of Cinema represents a wide spectrum of today's industry leaders in the business and art of film making.  Take a closer look at this year's faculty members below.


Film Instructors
 
Paul Aaron
Writer/Director/Producer
Hollywood, California

Mr. Aaron is a leading Hollywood film professional who runs his own production company, Suntaur Entertainment, and for the past 20 years has owned a management company, Elsboy Entertainment, which primarily represents writers.

Some of Mr. Aaron’s credits include the following: Writer/Director of the feature film “Maxie” starring Glen Close; writer/producer of the feature film ‘In Too Deep” for Miramax Films, “A Different Story,” and “A Force of One.”

He has written screenplays for Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Films and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.

In addition to feature films, Mr. Aaron has developed original dramas for HBO, CBS, NBC and other television and cable networks. In association with Robert Redford’s company Wildwood Enterprises, Mr. Aaron developed and served as the Executive Producer with Robert Redford on a the three-hour dramatic mini-series, “Grand Avenue,” for HBO. Mr. Aaron co-created and executive produced a three-hour mini-series for HBO, entitled “Laurel Avenue.” For television: Director of “The Miracle Worker,” “In Love and War,” “When She Says No,” “Thin Ice,” and “Maid in America".

Mr. Aaron, in cooperation with the Academy of Cinema, taught a one-week master screenwriting workshop in Athens, at the Karamanos Studio. In addition, Mr. Aaron gave a series of lectures in Athens entitled "The Language of Hollywood." Mr. Aaron also teaches a course for the University of Miami which is held in Los Angeles each summer. Mr. Aaron graduated from Bennington College and holds an honorary doctorate in cinema.
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Ted Baer
Legal Affairs
Hollywood

Mr. Baer recently assisted the Tupac Shakur estate in the financing and distribution of the documentary, "Tupac: Resurrection," based upon Tupac's life. Mr. Baer is expert in the area of financing, distribution and production. Mr. Baer has served as a Business Affairs Executive for CBS Television and MGM Television.
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Christopher Canaan
Screenwriter
Hollywood, California

Mr. Canaan has written movies and mini-series for CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, USA, Showtime and many more networks. His feature films include, “Robinson Crusoe,” starring Pierce Brosnan, and Dasheill Hammett’s “The House on Turk Street,” starring Samuel L. Jackson. His credits include the Emmy Award winning mini-series, “Camerena: Drug Wars.” Mr. Canaan teaches screenwriting through the UCLA Writing Program in Los Angeles. He holds an MFA in Theater from University of California at San Diego.
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Tobe Carey
Documentary Filmmaking
New York

Mr. Carey is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. His latest documentary, School Board Blues premiered at the 2004 Woodstock Film Festival, and is now being distributed nationally. Some of his documentaries include, Deep Water: Building the Catskill Water System, Indian Point-Nowhere to Run, Woodstock Summer of '94, and Cancer:Just a Word...Not a Sentence. He has a Masters Degree in Film from Boston University.
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Norman I. Cohen
Producer
Hollywood/New York

Before forming The Academy of Cinema, Mr. Cohen was a Hollywood film producer. Among many films which Mr. Cohen developed and produced under his public company banner, Co*Star Entertainment, Inc., were “Last Flight Out” starring James Earl Jones, for NBC Television Productions, filmed in Thailand.

The film received the International Golden Eagle Award. “Blind Judgment” starring Peter Coyote and Leslie Ann Warren for CBS Television. In addition, Mr. Cohen has also produced feature films, some of which include, “The Gig,” and “The Luckiest Man.” Both of these films were written and directed by Pulitzer Prize winner, Frank D. Gilroy.
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Tim Hatzis
Director / Director of Photography / Screenwriter
Athens, Greece

Ph.D Candidate ,University of Sheffield, United Kingdom in English Literature;
Master of Fine Arts, New York University, Tish School of the Arts, Graduate Film Department, B.A. University of Pennsylvania, Annenberg School of Communications. Director/Screenwriter “Shores of Twilight,” Feature film; “Trinity” Short Fiction Film;
“Relics; Short Fiction Film, all three films won awards in various film festivals in America and Europe. Mr. Hatzis, has also directed four documentaries. Mr. Hatzis teaches film directing, screenwriting and cinematography in three colleges in Greece;
New York College, Akmi, and the National Greek Film School, Aristotelio University.
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George Iakovidis
Film Production
Athens

Mr. Iakovidis is the leading production manager in Greece, having served on numerous foreign productions.

He arranges for AOC students to observe and participate on Greek and foreign productions while attending the Academy. He is also a consultant to the Karamanos Studio.
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Abigail McGrath
Acting/Casting/Producer
New York

Ms. McGrath, is a guest lecturer at New York University teaching acting for the past decade. Her recent feature film, “Au Pair Chocolat,” which she produced has won the Best of Festival at several film festivals, including the Black International Cinema, Berlin Germany, Pan African Film Festival and African Diaspora Film Festival. It has appeared in over 17 festivals both in North America and Europe.

As a casting director in New York City, she has been involved with numerous feature films and worked with such talents as Brad Pitt, F. Murray Abraham, Andy Warhol, Frank Gilroy and many others. She is the Founder of the Helene Johnson & Dorothy West Foundation for Artists in Need, a not-for-profit organization, dedicated to identifying and encouraging artists.
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Hank Moonjean
Producer/Author
Hollywood, California

In 2004, Mr. Moonjean’s book was published, entitled, "Bring In The Peacocks – Memoirs of a Hollywood Producer”. He was the producer of “Dangerous Liaisons,” directed by Stephen Frears, which was nominated for an Oscar as best picture of 1989. In addition, he has produced three films starring Burt Reynolds, all directed by Hal Needham; "Hooper,” “Smokey and The Bandit II,” and “Stroker Ace.” He also produced "Paternity," directed by David Steinberg, "Sharkey's Machine," directed by Burt Reynolds, "The Incredible Shrinking Woman," directed by Joel Schumacher, and "Beauty and the Beast," directed by Fielder Cook. He was the Executive Producer for “The End,” directed by Burt Reynolds and “The Fortune,” directed by Mike Nichols.

Mr. Moonjean graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in cinema. He is a visiting professor in film at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia, teaching film courses.
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Film Graduate Mentors
 
Joey Carey
Film Production
New York

Mr. Carey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film. While a student, for two semesters he studied painting and film in Havana, Cuba, where he was mentored by a well-recognized Cuban artist and a feature-film editor. In his senior year he traveled across the United States driving a vegetable-oil fueled Mercedes while co-producing and directing the documentary, "Greasy Rider", which features interviews with Morgan Freeman, Yoko Ono and Noam Chomsky.
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Christos Godas
Film Production
Athens

Mr. Godas, has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Athens and a Masters of Fine Arts in Motion Pictures from the University of Miami. He was the Deputy Broadcast Venue Manager at the 2004 Summer Olympics Games, held in Athens, Greece. Mr. Godas has acted as an assistant director on Greek productions and as a production executive on various T.V. commercials. He is fluent in English and serves as a film instructor for the Academy. He is currently completing his Doctorate in Film at the University of Athens.
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History Instructors
 
Dimitri C. Demopoulos
History

Mr. Demopoulos graduated Harvard University, with a BA in Modern European History. For the past three years, he has traveled extensively in Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. He has also taken the Trans-Mongolian Railway from Beijing to Moscow. He has practical experience on the set of a TV series entitled “Renegade” produced in San Deigo for USA Networks. He has also worked on a cable shopping network as floor/stage director with some hands-on experience in directing a 3 camera show.
He is certified as a Basic Keelboat Instructor with the American Sailing Association of America. Has been sailing for over 10 years with experience in PHRF and one-design racing.
He is part owner of Baked in the Sun Bakery, in San Diego and Las Vegas it serves the Southern California Region.
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Ryan Preston
Historical Sites of Athens & Mainland Greece:
Athens, Greece

Ph.D Harvard University (Dissertation To Be Completed 2007; M.A University of Washington;
B.A. Arizona State University in both English Literature & Religious Studies.
Presently teaching history & archeology at The Arcadia Centre in Athens, Greece.
Areas of teaching experience: Ancient Greek History; Great Books of Western Civilization; Introduction to World Religions; Byzantine History of Art.
Teaching experience: Harvard University, University of Berkeley, St. John’s University Study Abroad in Greece, Lake Forest College Study Abroad in Greece.
Languages: English, Greek (Classical, Biblical, Byzantine, Modern) French, German.
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