Susan LaSalle, WIF/IFP
Producer

Susan LaSalle has worked fifteen years as an award-winning producer, experienced in both production and post-production. Her strengths are team building, an ability to flourish in a fast-paced environment, multi-tasking, and her character. She is known as the producer who gets "the most bang for the buck." Susan has been line producer of more than 100 long format films and has worked as a post production supervisor in every available format: film, beta, digital video, and HDTV.

In 1990, Susan graduated from Evergreen State College, which offered the only documentary film program in the United States at that time, with a degree in Documentary Filmmaking. Her student documentary, The Seven Gables, aired on the public access channel in Seattle. That same year, while serving as a board member for the non-profit organization INFACT, Susan was instrumental in leading the organization and it's fundraising efforts for the short documentary film, Deadly Deception. A documentary exposé of General Electric, of nuclear weapons and their effect on the environment, Deadly Deception, won the Academy Award for "Best Documentary Short of 1991."

After graduating, Susan spent the next six years working her way from production coordinator to producer at Malcolm Clark, Inc., a cutting edge media production agency that regularly won national awards for production excellence and directing. In 1996 Susan was offered the opportunity to buy the company. After a name change and restructuring of the company, Susan served as Lead Producer of the newly formed Millennium Arts for five years. During her tenure at Millennium Arts Susan was responsible for managing the company finances, personnel, and production. She played an active role in sales before leaving to pursue her dream of producing feature films.

In 1996 Susan produced It's Your Choice, a dramatic short which won a World Gold Medal at the New York Film Festival. The 27-minute short filmed in 16mm, featured an original score, an ethnically diverse cast, and was produced with virtually no budget. It's Your Choice was packaged and sold to AIMS Media and has been in distribution nationally for over seven years.

Susan volunteered at the Seattle International Film Festival from 1994-1998 and pursued her interest in feature film production by attending Syd Field's Screenwriting Seminar and Robert McKee's Story Seminar. She continuously attends film festivals, including Sundance, Austin, Clermont-Ferrand, Seattle International Film Festival, and the New York International Film Festival.

During her tenure at Millennium Arts, Susan worked as a producer for Reuben Gonzales' film Mambo Café, executing the production deal with KushnerLocke in Los Angeles. The film was distributed internationally and aired on HBO.

Susan has been a long time friend and colleague of director Virginia Bogert, and for her part, Susan believes, despite the pervasive misconception that Shorts don't sell, Susan has proved this maxim to be untrue. She will secure distribution for Tootie Pie for the world to see.