BIOGRAPHIES
Jessica
Funches was honored early in her career as a producer when she received one of
the three coveted Stark Special Project grants offered to students of the
prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at the University of Southern
California. The script,
HOPE’S CHOICE, penned by screenwriter Jerry Whitfield has led to several other
exciting producing projects for Jessica including a video release of a play that
will begin touring the U.S. in October 2003 as well as her first feature film
with Taylor-Reid Entertainment.
An
Indianapolis, Indiana native, Jessica began her career in the entertainment
industry at the age of seven when she landed her first acting job with the
Indiana Repertory Theatre’s seasonal production A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
She continued performing in various community and school productions
until high school where she first directed a one-act play.
Jessica would later produce campus wide variety shows while a student at
Indiana University from where she holds a degree in Marketing and Advertising
and a MBA in Marketing/Entrepreneurship. Jessica
also holds a MFA degree in Motion Picture & Television Producing from the
University of Southern California.
DIRECTOR: GARRETT THOMPSON
Born
in East Lansing, Michigan and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Garrett
Thompson has resided in Los Angeles since 2001 in pursuit of his MFA in film
directing from the University of Southern California. Previous to his film studies, Garrett received a Bachelors
Degree in Broadcast Communication from Susquehanna University.
As an undergrad he and a friend founded and operated an independent
recording studio called Show-E Productions.
Together they recorded and produced several groups and artists, ranging
from pure Hip-Hop and R&B, to country and gospel music and also wrote and
produced three CD’s for their own group The Foundation.
They marketed their sound by performing at local events, college
campuses, talent shows, and clubs. The
group’s most note worthy accomplishment was opening for the Grammy Award
winning Hip-Hop group, The Roots.
Additionally,
as a broadcast communication major Garrett directed a documentary for a campus
multicultural group, helped produce a sports talk show airing on a local cable
channel, and both filmed and edited a highlight tape for the university’s
conference championship winning football team.
During the summers, he interned at an arts organization, working with at
risk youth selected for their artistic talents. These youth worked with a local artist to create a sculpture
that was displayed at the state capital building.
He also interned with JPL Productions, where he assisted editors on
projects, including cutting a Public Service Announcement for the YWCA.
Garrett
is currently in his third year of graduate study where he has directed, edited,
completed sound design on several shorts. He
is currently writing a feature with the goal of producing it independently.
WRITER:
JERRY WHITFIELD
A native
Californian, Jerry Whitfield moved to Los Angeles when his
father took a job as a LA County Sheriff. While
attending high school, he wrote feature articles for the school paper and
later became the feature-page editor. Jerry earned his
Bachelor's Degree in Television/Radio Communications while working
as a Jungle Cruise guide at Disneyland, and moonlighted as a disc jockey at Q96 FM in
Twenty-nine Palms, California.
Jerry has always had a passion for writing and completed his first screenplay while working for the Walt Disney Company. Several years later, he took a job in Los Angeles, and obtained an MFA from the University of Southern California’s Graduate Screenwriting Program.
HOPE'S CHOICE was adapted from a play Jerry had written for a church group in Houston, Texas. He has just recently completed a screenplay and another of his feature-length projects is in development.
DANTE:
JOCKO SIMS
Jocko Sims grew up in San Antonio, TX with the desire to become a doctor after finishing high school. However, an introduction to theatre at the University of Houston sealed Jocko's love of acting, and without hesitation he made a move to realize his dream in Los Angeles.
While studying theatre at Santa Monica College, Jocko landed his first leading role as Lt. Daniel Kaffee in Aaron Sorkin's A FEW GOOD MEN. This role showed his diversity as an actor and led to nominations for collegiate acting awards and scholarships including becoming a 2002 ACTF Irene Ryan Finalist, and attending the Dawn Wells Film Acting Boot Camp in Wyoming. This was early recognition of the talent that would ultimately place him in the class of 2004 in the UCLA School of Theatre, Film and Television. Honors and opportunities continued as Jocko played a role with the Steppenwolf Theatre of Chicago's production of Lanford Wilson's THE BALM IN GILEAD. He was "Dopey" and assisted the founders of the theatre with the production that ran at California State University in Fresno. While at UCLA, Jocko has participated in workshops and studied with such notable actors as Anthony Hopkins, one of his favorite artists.
Jocko landed the role of “Dante” in HOPE’S CHOICE after he was seen portraying “Ice” in Miguel Pinero’s controversial play SHORT EYE’S.