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Anthony Grasso

Anthony Grasso

Director

Growing up as a native New Yorker, Anthony Grasso's professional career as an actor, director, and teacher in film, television and theatre spans over 25 years. Because of his upbringing in NY and his passion for the arts, he has been described as having the spirit of a soldier and the heart of a poet.

Anthony has starred in numerous independent feature films, most notably Gun Hill Road (2011, Sundance), Billy's Cult (2013), and The Pigeon Egg Strategy (Sundance, shot in Hong Kong). He most recently completed shooting five independents films soon to hit the film festival circuit: O2, Perception, Poughkeepsie, Legit, and The Last Night. He has also completed principal shooting on two TV pilots, A Beautiful Distraction and The 5th Borough.

Some of his primetime television credits include: Blue Bloods (CBS), Untitled Wall Street Project pilot with Jon Cusack (CBS), Unforgettable (CBS), Law & Order (NBC), Law & Order: CI (NBC), Law & Order SVU (NBC), The Black Donnellys (NBC), and Sex & the City (HBO). Anthony has also been seen in a variety of commercials both regionally and nationally, most notably the American Express campaign directed by M. Night Shamalayan.

Anthony studied at the legendary The Actors Studio with Frank Corsaro, Ellen Burstyn, Lee Grant, Estelle Parsons, Christopher Walken, and the late Arthur Penn. He also studied Meisner technique with Kevin O'Connor at the Neighborhood Playhouse and most recently completed several master classes with the renowned Larry Moss. He also went abroad to continue his studies at The British Academy of Dramatic Arts in Oxford, England, with John Barton, David Leveaux, Fiona Shaw, Debra Warner, and Jane Lapataire.

Anthony's teaching career started back in 1998. His eighteen years of teaching experience includes being on the faculty of the Film and Television Studio at NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Paper Mill Playhouse, the New York Film Academy, and The New York Conservatory For The Dramatic Arts, and heading up his own acting school, Anthony Grasso Studio (AGS), formerly Breakthrough Studios.

Anthony currently lives in New York with his wife, actress Diane Harrington, and their daughter.

www.AnthonyGrasso.net


Albert M. Chan

Albert M. Chan

Writer/Director/Producer

Albert M. Chan is a Chinese-Canadian filmmaker and actor based in the United States. Among his distinctions, he has been recognized by the National Film Board of Canada, is the recipient of a Puffin Foundation Grant, and was named a finalist for the prestigious Roy W. Dean Film Grant, awarded to films that are "unique and make a contribution to society...stories that can heal and enrich our lives."

Albert wrote, directed, and produced his first film, Fate Scores, which was recognized by the prestigious National Film Board of Canada. He directed and starred in his follow-up film, The Commitment, which screened at over 50 film festivals on six continents and won multiple awards, most notably edging out Oscar®-nominated Moonrise Kingdom to win a 2013 NASW Media Award. Albert's third film, Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future, stars Golden Globe®, Emmy®, and Drama Desk nominee Tina Chen, and won Best Screenplay and Best Actress at the 2015 NYC Downtown Short Film Festival. His latest narrative film, Welcome to the World, was shot on an iPhone in one continuous 7-minute take for less than $140, and has so far screened in over 50 festivals on six continents. Albert also directed, edited, and produced the documentary MAP for Health: 25 Years of Asian Pride, about a group of young people who banded together to help the largely neglected Asian-Pacific Islander population during the AIDS crisis in the early 90's, which premiered at the 2018 Boston Asian American Film Festival.

Albert is currently developing science-based feature projects including the Black List Endorsed script Incarnations as a writer and The Elucidation of Dr. Park as a creative producer, the latter a collaboration with writer/director Alice Cox Neff.

Also an accomplished actor, Albert's film and TV roles include Gotham (FOX), Julia (HBO Max), New Amsterdam (NBC), Love Life (HBO Max), Girls (HBO), Patriots Day, 30 Rock (NBC), Law & Order SVU (NBC), Body of Proof (ABC), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, The Makeover (ABC), and Brotherhood (Showtime). He has been cast by directors such as Spike Lee, Peter Berg, Greg Mottola, Henry Bromell, and Mark Waters to act opposite Kevin Bacon, Helen Hunt, Liev Schreiber, Julia Stiles, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Justin Long, Larry David, Cybill Shepherd, and Mariska Hargitay.

www.AlbertMChan.com
www.ChanalProductions.com


Richard Possemato

Richard Possemato

Producer

Richard served as Executive Producer for Chanal Productions' previous films The Commitment and Descendants of the Past, Ancestors of the Future.

Originally trained in biology, Richard obtained a Ph.D. degree from Harvard University in 2008 and is engaged in cancer research at the NYU School of Medicine, where he holds an Assistant Professorship in the Department of Pathology.