CIRINA CATANIA, Writer, Director Journalist – Basically, a Creative Person
“Conversations” with Host, Cirina Catania
Cirina Catania is Writer, Director, Journalist and former marketing executive with a long history of success in both the major studio and independent film environment. She is one of the co-founders and former director of the Sundance Film Festival. Her credits include National Geographic’s “Nat Geo’s Most Amazing Photos” as writer/field producer, the ground-breaking 12-part series for Discovery Channel, “Southern Steel;” a made-for-TV movie/pilot entitled, “John Douglas-Mindhunter;” 13 episodes of Lifetime’s “ Merge,” starring Lisa Rinna; 16 episodes of “Worst Case Scenario,” for Columbia Television, 6 episodes of “Untold Stories from the ER,” for TLC; and 2 episodes of “Animal Kidding,” for Animal Planet. Cirina produces the popular weekly tech podcast, Digital Production BuZZ .
She loves creating biographies of interesting people. You can see a few of them (Danny Glover, Ang Lee, Morgan Freeman, John Singleton, etc.) on her YouTube channel, “BrenCara Films” or on Vimeo. (And, yes, she knows they need to be recompressed, and will get to it as soon as she can.)
Cirina devotes much of her time to charitable organizations specializing in global human rights and was one of the official filmographers for the UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Program (documenting the contributions of Danny Glover and Dkembe Matumbo). She has worked with such organizations as Free Wheelchair Mission, Amnesty International, the Global Health Network, Save the Children, Global Mothers and Children’s Aid International and the Producers Guild of America.
Cirina has produced and directed numerous marketing campaigns in various capacities for over 100 major motion-pictures and mini-series including, “Rainman,” “Tombstone,” “Stargate,” “Yentl,” “The Arrival,” “Les Miserables,” “Rocky IV,” four James Bond films beginning with “A View to a Kill,” “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventures,” “Poltergeist III,” “2010,” “Hamlet,” and “Total Recall.”
During her tenure as Vice President of Worldwide Marketing and Chief Operating Officer of the Theatrical Motion Picture Division of United Artists Pictures, Cirina was responsible for the management of an average yearly operating budget of $200 million. Departments under her supervision included, Strategic Planning, Creative Advertising, Licensing/Promotions, Publicity, Research, Music/Soundtrack Marketing and Budgetary/Administrative.
For the ten years prior to her move to California, she resided in Salt Lake City, Utah where she was one of the co-founders of the Sundance Film Festival, Associate Director of the State Film Commission reporting to the Governor and head of the J.F. Images Talent Agency.
Cirina is an active member of the Producer’s Guild of America (Serving on the Documentary/Non-Fiction Committee and the Diversity Committee), the Writer’s Guild of America and IA Local 600 (Publicist’s Guild & Cinematographers’ Guild).
She can be reached at news@catania.us and welcomes inquiries from potential clients and other filmmakers open to networking opportunities.
This photo of Carsten Peter, a National Geographic Photographer, was shot for National Geographic by Cirina Catania :0) that’s a mouthful!
