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January 10, 2007
Kari Nevil, President, JuneBug Films, 1-12-07
A filmmaker with 22 years in the business, Kari Nevil still has the spunk and tenacity of recent film school grad but with the confidence and wisdom that only “time served” can bring.
The Los Angeles native transitioned to the film industry from advertising in the mid-1980s, landing at Walt Disney Studios where she worked in script coverage. For the next five years, she worked in various areas of movie and music video production for Touchstone Pictures, Universal Studios, EMI, Capitol Records and MCA.
In 1990, she opened up her own shop, JuneBug Productions and JuneBug Films Incorporated (named for her beloved Labrador retriever), in San Francisco. Since its formation, JuneBug has created numerous commercials, music videos, PSAs and corporate videos.
But Nevil’s true passion is filmmaking, evidenced by the company’s diverse array of award-winning short films and feature films including The Strange Condition of Professor DeGroot and At Risk, which Nevil produced, and Your Guardian, Planting Melvin, and Car Stories, which she wrote, directed and produced. Nevil is currently writing the screenplay for JuneBug’s upcoming feature film, Jonathan’s Wedding.
Planting Melvin (2005), also written, directed and produced by Nevil, was named as the Audience Award Winner for Second Best Feature at the Hearts & Minds Film Festival (Wilmington, DE) and selected as a finalist at the Moondance International Films Festival . The film, about an unlikely friendship between a beautiful socialite and a dying veteran and the secret lives they are protecting, has won acclaim from advocacy groups and arts organizations including its recent selection by the National Film Review Board of Canada for “representing anti-violence against women and children in an international way.” Planting Melvin has also screened at the ReelHeART International Film Festival (Toronto) and Breckenridge Film Festival.
Car Stories (2006), JuneBug’s first foray into documentary films, made its debut at Cinequest. With an original score by guitar legend Ronnie Montrose, the documentary, which also screened at the Jacksonville Film Festival and California Independent Film Festival (October 2006), explores Americans’ love affair with their cars.
Posted by David Lemberg at January 10, 2007 02:09 PM Return to ARTSCAPE home page