DIANA LESMEZ
Writer / Producer
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0504209/
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dianalesmez
Diana Lesmez has vast and diverse experience in most areas of the entertainment industry, spanning production, development, acquisitions, distribution, physical production, film finance, and business and legal affairs. Currently, she is an independent writer/producer and creative consultant, developing a number of film and television projects for her own company, as well as for a number of clients. Moreover, Diana is producing a feature film titled, FLIGHTS OF FANCY, inspired by the remarkable rags-to-riches, American Dream life story of Dr. Ricardo E. Saca, brother of Elías Antonio (“Tony”) Saca González, who is the current President of El Salvador. Diana has also developed and simultaneously trained the writers on a new scripted one-hour television dramedy for Puntos de Encuentro, a Nicaraguan NGO dedicated to eradicating inequality and oppression of human rights, while advancing education and empowerment of women and children.
In addition, for years Diana has been a screenwriter, as well as a screenwriting and producing teacher, working with private clients and lecturing at various universities and industry organizations. She has taught producing, screenwriting, and marketing and distribution at The Los Angeles Film School, screenwriting at NALIP’s intensive Writers Lab, and development and producing at NALIP’s Producers Lab, as well as at the Screen Actors Guild Conservatory. Lastly, she has been a Contributing Editor for the Brentwood Media Group, which publishes six magazines in the Los Angeles area.
Recently, Diana was the UPM on the feature film based on Julia Sweeney’s award-winning, one-woman stage show, LETTING GO OF GOD. Diana is also the producer of the feature-length concert film, CULTURE CLASH IN AMERICCA, which was directed by Emilio Estevez. CULTURE CLASH IN AMERICCA premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and also screened at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
Simultaneously, Diana was the President of Production, also in charge of development and acquisitions, at Arenas Entertainment. She was responsible for establishing and managing the development department by organizing and developing the company’s slate of film projects, and for pursuing film acquisitions for theatrical and DVD/home video distribution. Diana also served as post-production supervisor on the acquired feature films, NICOTINA, IMAGINING ARGENTINA, THE THREE WISE MEN, and A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE. Furthermore, she created the English subtitles for NICOTINA and A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE, as well as edited the dialogue and oversaw the dubbing to English and Spanish of the animated feature film, THE THREE WISE MEN (a Disney DVD release in November of 2005).
Formerly, Diana produced television commercials for The Media Shop, Bread & Butter Productions, Adobe Entertainment, and The AdMark Group, as well as two independent short films, BROKEN CIRCLE and A SONG FOR HONEST ABE for SunriseWest Productions.
In her tenure as Vice President of Creative Affairs at Atlantic Streamline (THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR and IGBY GOES DOWN), a self-financing film production company, Diana developed the slate of film projects. Additionally, she launched domestic distribution talks with Lions Gate for the film project, FRAILTY.
Before then, Diana was head of development at Patriot Pictures and Banque Paribas (AIR FORCE ONE, THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE, KILLING ZOE). While these were two separate companies, she worked with Michael Mendelsohn, CEO of Patriot Pictures (a production company), and portfolio manager of the Entertainment Finance Group at Banque Paribas (a French bank that provided gap-financing for film production). Diana pursued new projects to be developed, produced, and financed by Patriot Pictures or gap-financed by Banque Paribas.
At Twentieth Century Fox, Diana worked in the legal affairs department, where she became well versed in the areas of music licensing, as well as theatrical and television contracts. She translated legal documents between English and Spanish and also served as a simultaneous interpreter in Licensing and Merchandising. Diana was promoted to Manager of Business Affairs at Canal Fox (Fox Latin American Channel), in charge of all aspects of affiliate relations.
Diana graduated with honors from Wheeling Jesuit University, in Wheeling, West Virginia, with a major in Professional Writing and a minor in Political Science. Continuing her education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Diana earned her Master of Arts degree in Theater, Film, and Television.
RICARDO E. SACA, M.D.
Executive Producer
Ricardo (“Lalo”) was born in Usulutan, El Salvador. He immigrated to the United States of America in 1976 at the age of 19, arriving in Los Angeles, CA. Ricardo attended Lincoln High School and Evans High School at night, in order to learn the English language.
In 1977, Ricardo enrolled at Long Beach City College, where he completed his associate’s degree before transferring to the University of California, Irvine. Ricardo successfully passed his Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and was accepted to the University of California, Irvine’s Medical School. He received his Medical Doctor (M.D.) degree in 1987, and then completed his medical residency and specialty in Internal Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1990.
In 1995, he served as a chairman in Internal Medicine at Chino Community Hospital and as Medical Director of the Diabetes Center for several years at the same facility. Ricardo has participated in humanitarian medical care in El Salvador, with an international medical group by the name Mission Medical Care for Children (MMCC). Ricardo has provided surgical services to children at Bloom Hospital in San Salvador.
Currently, Ricardo is in private practice in the city of Chino, California and is affiliated with several community hospitals.
Ricardo has written the memoirs of his life story, detailing the particularly harrowing experiences of illegally crossing the U.S./Mexico border and his subsequent years making the American Dream a reality for himself and his family. The memoir is being edited before being shopped around to publication houses, and a film adaptation is in the works.
NIDIA M. COLOMER SACA, M.D.
Executive Producer
Nidia was born in Cuba, and for political reasons, her family was forced to immigrate to Spain, in 1972. Two years later, Nidia and her family moved to Southern California, where they have lived ever since.
Nidia graduated from the University of Southern California, with a Bachelor of Science degree. She then attended George Washington University Medical School. Nidia completed her internship and residency at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) in General Psychiatry, and her specialization in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Upon completion of her medical training, Nidia established her private practice in psychiatry, in the city of Chino, CA.