:: F I L M   M A K E R

Director Andrew Wagner graduated from Brown University with degrees in Creative Writing and Psychology. He attended NYU’s Graduate School for Film where his short, THE HARDEST HIT, won the Francois de Menil Scholarship. He moved to Los Angeles to write WACCABUC, a screenplay for United Artists, and then became a Directing Fellow at the American Film Institute where he received a Masters in Fine Arts and his thesis film, THE LAST DAYS OF HOPE AND TIME, won the Franklin J. Shaffner Fellowship for excellence in directing. Andrew then adapted THE MAN WHO GAVE UP HIS NAME -- from the collection of novellas, LEGENDS OF THE FALL, by Jim Harrison -- which he developed at the Sundance Writer’s Lab. He went on to direct the independent shorts, SOUTH MAIN and COUNTING, and write SPLITTING, THE HALFCOURT, HUNTING THE VICIOUS, and SOUTHERN MAN.

Andrew's first feature film, THE TALENT GIVEN US, was an Official Selection at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. THE TALENT GIVEN US also won the Jury Prize at CineVegas and Best First Feature Film at Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival. It went on to play theatrically in over 30 cities and made the New York Times and other critics Best Films of 2005 lists. Andrew was a Breakthrough Director nominee at the 2005 Gotham Awards. His second feature, the drama STARTING OUT IN THE EVENING, starring Frank Langella, Lili Taylor, and Lauren Ambrose, premiered in Dramatic Competition at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. It was also an Official Selection at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival and will be released theatrically on November 23 by Roadside Attractions.
ADDITIONAL BIOS

Judith Wagner was born and raised in the Bronx. She majored in writing and dance for three years at Bennington College in the 1950s; she returned to New York to continue her education and received her B.A. degree from NYU. After graduating, she continued to dance at the Martha Graham studio while working as an assistant editor on several literary journals. In 1957 she married Allen Wagner. The 1960s were spent raising her children, Maggie, Andrew and Emily, after which time she returned to full-time work in publishing in 1979. She became Managing Editor of The American Journal of Cardiology in 1979, and remained in that position for 24 years. In 2002, she retired, but continues to work at home as a medical free-lancer.

Allen Wagner was born and raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. He attended the University of Miami before leaving in 1952 to serve in the Air Force Intelligence Unit in Japan during the Korean War. He returned in 1954 to attend NYU and graduated with a degree in Finance. After many years as a specialist on the floor of the American Stock Exchange, he founded his own specialist firm (Heller, Hoffenberg, and Wagner). In 1977 he became a partner in the firm of Spear, Leeds and Kellogg. He left the Stock Exchange in 1984 and worked as a tax consultant for the IRS until retiring in 2001. Allen and Judy have been married for 46 years.

Maggie Wagner studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse and has trained extensively at The Actors Studio in New York City. She received her SAG card in 1986 when she landed a role in the feature film ANNA. Since then she has appeared in over twenty-five film projects including WORKING GIRL, ONE FINE DAY, FOR THE BOYS, THE DELI, BLUE MOON and THE JAMES DEAN TNT BIOPIC. Her latest role was in the recently completed THE A LIST. She will be appearing in Henry Jaglom's next feature GOING SHOPPING. Maggie has also acted on the New York stage and in regional theatre.

Emily Wagner began her acting career at age 6 as the youngest member of the theatrical troupe The Merry Mini Players. At 13 she starred in the 70’s NBC/PBS series HIGH FEATHER, in the role of Cathy Ehlers, the ‘healthy farm girl.’ This was the first time she really stretched as an actress. By the time she got to Vassar, she had put acting on the back burner and earned a BFA degree in Art History and Fine Art. Post college, she returned to NYC to study acting with Susan Batson, then moved to Los Angeles where she is now in her 11 th year on ER as paramedic Doris Pickman. Emily guest starred on several television shows and feature films, most recently in New Line Cinema’s MR. WOODCOCK, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Susan Sarandon. She studied improv with the Groundlings, performed at the Actor’s Studio and studied with Ivana Chubbuck and Ian Tucker. She created, wrote, produced and starred in several short and feature films, some with her brother Andrew (COUNTING, SOUTH MAIN), some with her longtime collaborator Julie Delpy (BLAH, BLAH, BLAH) and some with both of them ( Looking For Jimmy, Careful) all of which went on to have impressive festival runs. She is also an artist and shows with the Acuna-Hansen gallery in LA’s Chinatown and Mixture Contemporary Art in Houston, Texas. Emily is also a DJ and teaches a hybrid yoga-pilates class at Swerve. In September 2003 Emily was nominated United Diva of the Month by United Divas which is devoted to recognizing multi-faceted women in the arts.

Billy Wirth most recently booked the lead role in the independent film, THE DRONE VIRUS, for Little Studio Films and Pretty Dangerous Films. Past roles include a lost boy in Joel Schumacher’s THE LOST BOYS and Drew Barrymore's abusive boyfriend opposite Whoopi Goldberg in Herb Ross’s BOYS ON THE SIDE. In television, he played one of the many love interests of Kim Cattrall's character, Samantha Jones, on SEX AND THE CITY. Billy has also worked with directors Abel Ferrara, Allison Anders, Frank Roddam, and Gary Marshall, and has co-starred alongside Sidney Portier, Bonnie Bedilia and Forrest Whitaker. He directed MACARTHUR PARK, which premiered in the dramatic competition at Sundance in 2001. MACARTHUR PARK is being released through the Sundance Channel.

Judy Dixon was born in Los Angeles, and as a child and teenager worked as an actor and dancer, appearing in numerous television commercials, music videos and theater.  She studied acting at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and honed her improv skills at Second City.  In her early twenties, she moved to New York City where she studied with renowned acting coach Susan Batson, and took her first stab at stand-up. Judy has performed at numerous local NYC and LA comedy clubs including the Improv, Caroline's, New York Comedy Club, Luna Lounge and has opened for Jackie Mason and Joan Rivers. She has written and performed in plays Off-Off-Broadway, and co-founded a popular improv troupe, New Word Order, which performed to sold-out shows at college venues. Judy currently resides in Los Angeles, where she can be seen performing at local comedy clubs all throughout Southern California.