Bicoastal Moss/Petermann/Holtzman (MPH) Films, the commercial production house headed by executive producer Donna DiStefano, has launched Bandolero Films, a Santa Monica-based shop that specializes in the stateside Hispanic spot market. MPH is part of the Stoney Road family of commercial production companies owned by Michael Romersa. DiStefano, who is based on the West Coast, serves as executive producer of the new venture while continuing in that same capacity at MPH.
Bandolero represents director/cameraman Adolfo Doring and director Anibal Suarez in the domestic Hispanic ad market. The directors are handled in the general spot market by MPH. Suarez and Doring hail from Cuba and Mexico, respectively, and were the impetus for forming Bandolero. "Anibal’s reel was brought to us and we really liked it," the executive producer said. "We already had Adolfo at MPH. And we thought it was a good time to get into the expanding Hispanic market."
Suarez was most recently repped by The Directors Network, Studio City, Calif. At press time, the director was wrapping his final assignment for that company: a Hispanic market campaign for Albertson’s grocery stores via Enlace Communications, Brentwood, Calif. Additional credits include several ads for J.C. Penney out of Cartel Creativo, San Antonio, Texas. He won an ADDY in ’99 for an anti-smoking campaign, "Carlos," via Optimo Advertising, Phoenix, which was produced by Small But Mighty Films, Phoenix. Suarez has also directed ads for Jack in the Box, Cheetos and The Queen Latifah Show.
Doring’s credits include commercials for Coca-Cola via J. Walter Thompson, Atlanta, and Bruegger’s Bagels out of Lotas Minard Patton McIver, New York. The Coca-Cola ad was produced by bicoastal X-Ray, a division of bicoastal Crossroads Films. X-Ray was Doring’s prior commercial roost; he joined MPH last fall. He continues to be represented for music videos by Notorious, New York, which produced the Bruegger’s assignment. Most recently, Doring helmed a clip for Shannon Curfman, a 14-year-old blues singer. Other music videos include the Dixie Chicks’ "You Were Mine," Savage Garden’s "Truly, Madly, Deeply" and Sting’s "You Still Touch Me." Doring’s 16-minute documentary, Karaoke Man, screened at the ’99 MVPA Director’s Cuts Film Festival in Los Angeles. It will screen next as part of the PS 2000 short film festival at New York’s Anthology Film Archives on April 17.
DiStefano expects to increase Bandolero’s directorial roster, but declined to hypothesize how large it might become. She also plans to hire production staff, but at this juncture relies on various Stoney Road staffers. MPH and Bandolero share office space on the West Coast with bicoastal sister companies M-80, Bedford Falls and Message.
"The Hispanic market has so many possibilities and options, so we’re exploring a lot of things," DiStefano said. "Putting a company together is very exciting; it’s something [Stoney Road] hasn’t done before. But we’re looking forward to being a strong force in the Hispanic market. Because we have Stoney Road and Michael Romersa behind us, we are well positioned."
DiStefano rose through the production ranks at Stony Road. Prior to taking over at MPH eight months ago, she served for four years as head of production at MPH and M-80 alongside executive producer Greg Stern (now executive producer of M-80). Previously, DiStefano worked for five years in various production positions. Earlier in her career, she was an assistant to director Joe Pytka of PYTKA, Venice, Calif.
Bandolero’s sales are handled by the same contingent that reps MPH: Los Angeles-based Delores Hively on the West Coast; Chicago-based Robin Pickett and Maureen Butler in the Midwest; and New York-based Lori Youmans and Amy Jones on the East Coast.
