Sharon’s mentors and advisors for this film include Julie Mallozzi, Fernanda Rossi, Robb Moss, and Judith Helfand. Sharon augmented this learning experience by taking classes on film theory and technical training at Massachusetts College of Art and Design. My Louisiana Love has been screening at festivals, museums, and universities, and will be broadcasted on Public Television (2012). Sharon founded Within A Sense, LLC, an independent production company aspiring to create portrait documentaries reflecting on social and environmental issues through personal perspective.
Co-Producer, Co-Writer
Monique Michelle Verdin is a native daughter of southeast Louisiana. Her intimate documentation of the Mississippi River Deltas’ indigenous Houma nation exposes the complex interconnectedness of environment, economics, culture, climate and change. Her photography has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and is included in The Good Pirates of the Forgotten Bayous, Yale University Press (2008) and Nonesuch Records’ Habitat for Humanity benefit album Our New Orleans (2005). She received her bachelors degree in Mass Communication at Loyola University in New Orleans. My Louisiana Love (2012) is her first documentary film.
Camera
Mark Krasnoff was an actor, artist, and activist. He was born in New Orleans and raised on the Cajun prairies in Ville Platte, Louisiana. He worked as a camera operator and assistant news producer at KATC-TV in Lafayette, while attending the University of Southwestern Louisiana. Krasnoff graduated from USL with a Bachelors Degree in Public Relations and Mass Communications. He moved on to study and perform in New York City with the Actors’ Ensemble from 1986-1993. Krasnoff studied at the Michael Checkhov Studio under: Beatrice Straight, Hurd Hadfield, Ted Pugh, Fern Sloan and spent time in Russia to further his studies of Michael Checkhov technique under: Vladimyr Ilyan. Krasnoff returned home to New Orleans in 1994. He had an unforgettable stage role as Salieri in “Amadeus” (2002) and his performance as title role in “The Elephant Man” (1999) won him the Big Easy Entertainment Award for best male actor. He was featured in over 30 television and film productions, including La Comtesse de Baton Rouge (1998), The Badge (2002), and Oil Storm (2005). Krasnoff starred in and co-wrote Acapulco Gold (2004) with world-renowned filmmaker, Andre Forcier. In 2005, Krasnoff partnered with photographer, Monique Verdin to raise awareness about the conditions plaguing coastal south Louisiana. Post hurricane Katrina and Rita, Krasnoff and Verdin exhibited their multi-media presentations to Universities across the nation including Princeton and Columbia University. They also guided researchers, professors and students on tours through the devastation in Orleans and St. Bernard Parishes. Krasnoff shot 60 hours of digital video with Verdin; after his suicide in 2006, his footage was edited and became the heart of the feature documentary, My Louisiana Love (2012).
Co-Producer, Editor
Julie MallozziJulie Mallozzi is an independent documentary filmmaker whose work explores the fluidity of cultural identity and historical memory. Julie’s films have been supported by Sundance Documentary Fund, ITVS, Center for Asian American Media, LEF Foundation, and Humanities Foundations. Her recent film Monkey Dance screened at festivals around the world and was broadcast nationally on public television in 2006. Julie has served as a consultant and editor for several films, including editing Ross McElwee’s In Paraguay. She received her BA from Harvard University and her MFA from San Francisco Art Institute. Julie has taught filmmaking at Harvard University, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and Boston University.
Music Composer
Alex Weinstein is a New York based composer and music producer who’s work has been featured in numerous television shows and commercials (Audi, Buick, Jack Daniels, MTV and more). Weinstein’s composition style spans genres, but his roots are in classical and acoustic music. A classically trained guitarist from the age of four, he studied at the Aspen School of Music and received his Bachelor of Music degree from SUNY College at Fredonia School of Music. You can learn more about his work here: www.alexweinstein.com.
In My Louisiana Love, Weinstein combines traditional orchestral and folk instruments to create an intimate and emotional score.
Cartographer
Jakob Rosenzweig is the Creative Director of Thalweg Studio in New Orleans. He graduated from Tulane University School of Architecture in 2006. His thesis, an interdisciplinary research and design project, titled “Reinventing the Mississippi River Delta” combined landscape, infrastructure, and urbanism to create sustainable solutions for urban life in the unique territories of Southeastern Louisiana. Currently, Rosenzweig is working on an atlas of the sustainable food systems of the New Orleans Region.
Additional Editor
Shondra Burke’s main editor credits include Errol Morris’ award-winning feature documentary, FAST, CHEAP AND OUT OF CONTROL and also Morris’ Bravo TV series, FIRST PERSON: The Parrot, The Stalker, I Dismember Mama & Digging up the Past. Her work has aired theatrically, on PBS, MTV, Bravo and nationally for spots. Shondra has also worked closely with Pete Favat of Arnold Worldwide to edit the documentary I CAN’T BREATHE for MTV, and the award-winning national anti-smoking spots for TRUTH. Shondra has been main editor of the documentaries: THE FLUTE PLAYER, ADRIFT & JAMMING and has done additional editing on: MY LOUISIANA LOVE, MONKEY DANCE, INDELIBLE LALITA, HAVE YOU SEEN ANDY? & THIS OLD HOUSE. Shondra has edited and post-produced commercials for:Ford, Sony, Boston Globe, Stride Rite, Bose and more…and edited campaign films for Boston Public Health Commission, Smith College, Mt. Holyoke College & SUNY/Binghamton. Shondra is a Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Alpha Theta, Magna Cum Laude graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, having also studied at NYU. Currently she edits, is an adjunct professor at MassArt and works hard at being a wife and mom of two elementary school aged kids.
Producer Assistant
Minhae Shim was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in Washington, D.C. She attended Dartmouth College, where she studied film and creative writing. After moving to Boston, Minhae was awarded the Chancellor’s scholarship grant at the University of Massachusetts, where she continues to train in film and art. She has worked in film, television and music video. She freelances at Powderhouse Productions, working on television programs for 20th Century Fox, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic. She worked as an associate producer with award-winning filmmaker Irene Lusztig on The Motherhood Archives. She works as the assistant producer and graphic designer at Julie Mallozzi Productions, and designed the website and title for Indelible Lalita. Minhae is an active writer, multimedia artist and filmmaker.
Camera
Monique Michelle Verdin
Mark Krasnoff
Sharon Linezo Hong
Story Consultant
Fernanda Rossi
Editorial Advisor
Robb Moss
Post Production Services Provided by
The Station
Head of Production
Hugh Broder
Post Production Supervisor
Jeremy L Kotin
Post Audio Engineer
John Northcraft
Sound Editor
James Panepinto
Animations/Titles
Brian Budak
Molly Intersimone
In Association with Chicken & Egg Pictures
Julie Parker Benello, Wendy Ettinger, and Judith Helfand
Fiscal Agent
Center for Independent Documentary
Legal Counsel
Sandra Forman
Original Music Performed by
Victor Lowrie
Jody Redhage
Gregory Chudzik
Alex Weinstein
“Oil Storm Music”
Written and Performed by
Mark Sayer-Wade
“Down by the Riverside”
Performed by The Soul Rebels Brass Band
Courtesy of Hep Cat Entertainment
“Fee Fee Poncho”
Written by Nathan Abshire
Performed by Ryan Brunet, Roland Cheramie,Tysman Charpentier
Courtesy of Flat Town Music Co.
“Down by the Riverside”
Performed by Sarah Quintana
Recording Engineer Alex Weinstein
at The Lodge
Executive Producer for NAPT:
Shirley K. Sneve
This program is produced by Within A Sense, LLC for a presentation of Native American Public Telecommunication (NAPT) with major funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting