Jon Timothy Anderson Writer/Director
A native of Miami, Florida, Jon Anderson currently teaches in Orlando at Valencia Community College in their award-winning Film Production Technology Program. Anderson is also a product of Valencia's film program, having graduated in 1992 with fellow classmates and noted filmmakers Gregg Hale (Blair Witch Project), Ben Rock (Meeting Mr. Subian), Chad Sahley (When Stand Up Stood Out) and Silver Wings producer/editor David Brame. In addition to teaching, Anderson works in Central and South Florida as a freelance filmmaker and photographer.
Silver Wings & Civil Rights: The Fight to Fly is Jon Anderson's first feature. He was inspired to make his documentary after visiting with one of the original Tuskegee Airmen he befriended in 1998. He was intrigued with the story of the Tuskegee Airmen and set out in 1998 collecting interviews from original airmen, beginning first with airmen living in Florida and then interviewing airmen from around the country. Throughout the interview process, Anderson shot reenactments of the airmen's stories in collaboration with Valencia's Film Production Technology Program.
Silver Wings & Civil Rights: The Fight To Fly is the winner of the 2004 Miami International Film Festival's Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Read Street Miami's interview with Jon Anderson (1/30/04)
David Brame Producer/Editor
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, David Brame currently lives in the Phoenix, Arizona area where he has his own business specializing in event production services, graphic design, video production/post-production, and digital content creation. Prior to moving to Phoenix in 2001, Brame lived in Orlando, Florida where he graduated from Valencia Community College's Film Production Technology Program in 1992 together with fellow filmmakers Gregg Hale (Blair Witch Project), Ben Rock (Meeting Mr. Subian), Chad Sahley (When Stand Up Stood Out) and Silver Wings writer/director Jon Anderson.
Silver Wings & Civil Rights: The Fight To Fly is David Brame's first feature. Former Valencia classmate and friend Jon Anderson shared his dream for the Tuskegee project with Brame early in the stages of production, and Brame eagerly signed on as producer and editor. Hundreds of hours went into the organization and assembly of the final project, hours, Brame says, that paid off in the end with a product both he and Anderson are proud of.
Kristi Newman Original Music Composer/Performer
Kristi Newman is a graduate of the Music Production Technology/Business program at Valencia Community College in Orlando, Florida. She is thrilled to be a part of the award-winning Silver Wings & Civil Rights: The Fight To Fly documentary through its musical score. She has been writing music since the age of 14 and is actively pursuing a career in songwriting. Newman currently resides in Winter Garden, Florida.
Ralph Clemente Executive Producer
On January 27, 1943, Allied planes bombed the town of Cologne, Germany. Amidst all this death and destruction Laura Clemente gave birth to her son Ralph Clemente. The following day his father, Otto, fearing for their safety moved the family to the town of Garmish. Within minutes of their evacuation his home was totally destroyed by bombs. Growing up in post war Germany he has no memories about the war itself but does remember the allied occupation. Ralph is a 4th generation of a European show business family. His great grandfather built the famed Vienna Opera house. The first license for a theater in the American Zone after World War II was granted to his mother. Clemente's first professional appearance in show business was at the ripe old age of two in a play with renowned German actor Curd Jürgens playing his son.
At the age of 14, Ralph and his mother left Germany and moved to Greenwich Village in the United States. After a few months they relocated to Englewood, Florida, and eventually moved to nearby Port Charlotte. At this time in his life Ralph could not speak a word of English. His stepfather insisted that they speak no German in the house and that they learn the language of this country. One of the tools for learning to speak English was constantly watching television. Ralph put his acting skills to work in the Community Theater while attending Sarasota High School. After High School he acted in the Equity Theater at the Palm Tree Play House in Sarasota, coupled with Summer Stock in New Hampshire.
Ralph's career started taking off at the age of twenty one in several ways: as a stand in for the lead actor in Flipper (1963), doing commercials, print work and theater at night.
Valencia Community College in Orlando was looking into expanding their film program. The offer they made him to head the department was so lucrative that he couldn't resist. Classes were begun in 1988 at Disney and MGM and soon expanded with a second grant to Universal. The college decided now to make this a full time course taught at the Valencia Campus itself. Ralph eventually came on board and took over as head of the program, where he still serves today.
Ralph constantly gets job offers in the film industry, but he chooses to stay at Valencia because he loves Orlando and the challenge of inspiring young filmmakers. He recently finished his own feature film, Florida City, in collaboration with Valencia.
William L. Whitacre Supervising Producer
www.showbizlaw.net
William Whitacre, based at Universal Studios in Florida, is an Entertainment Attorney and Producer. Mr. Whitacre began his entertainment law career in the mid 80's representing Master Y.K. Kim, the Producer of the feature film Miami Beach Cops . His music clients have included Jaco Pastorius, Bill Ward, D. J. Magic Mike, Razzy Bailey, and many others. His feature film screen credits include The Blair Witch Project , (Haxan Films) Attorney; Rick Pamplin's Michael Winslow Live , Executive Producer/Attorney; Paul Sirmons' The First of May , starring Julie Harris and Mickey Rooney with Joe DiMaggio, Supervising Producer/Attorney; and Gabrielle Savage Dockterman's The Woodcutter , starring Danny Glover, with Ron Perlman and Linda Hamilton, Associate Producer/Attorney. Mr. Whitacre is a member of the Director's Guild of America as a Production Manager. Mr. Whitacre has been an instructor and lecturer in Valencia Community College's Film program. He has been quoted in Forbes Magazine on financing independent films, and has been a panelist at the Hollywood Film Festival, ShowBizExpo LA and NYC, IFP Midwest, The Sarasota Film Festival, and The Florida Film Festival.
Additional Crew
Narrated by Mark Daniel
Executive Producers: Ralph Clemente & Chuck Weise
Associate Producers: Gregory L. Spalding & Rick Rietveld
Production Designer: Chris Jones
Digital Imaging Supervisor: Chris Schwein
Second Unit (WWI) Directed by: Joe Stone
Unit Production Manager: Michael J. Winton
First Assistant Director: Rich Massucci
Director of Photography: Corey Besteder
2nd Unit Director of Photography: Stuart Hall
Sound Supervisor: Rachel Becker
Production Legal: Scott Goldberg
Download the complete production credits.
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