Laurel Harris, an award-winning producer and actress—best known as Willem Dafoe's wife in the screen adaptation of Dean Koontz's best selling novel, "Odd Thomas," and for the American Girl film, "Saige Paints the Sky," opposite Jane Seymour—announces the launch of Laurel Leaf Productions, a multimedia company aimed at creating conscious film and television content. On the heels of her recurring role on the hit television series, "Big Sky," Harris unites an award-winning team of collaborators to present the 2022 slate of projects, including "47," "Pink Boa," and "I Met Her at Birkenau."
Harris says, "Working with Nobel Peace Laureates—including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu—in the 'Nobel Legacy Film Series' fueled a burning desire to create stories that uplift and empower humanity. At Laurel Leaf Productions, we spark intelligent conversations around delicate or less popular topics, while creating content that inspires and empowers people from all walks of life."
Laurel Leaf Production's first film, "47," which begins filming this month, focuses on the often lonely anguish facing women with infertility issues. It grapples with the complex social dilemma of what it means to be a woman and working professional over 40 in America struggling with the stigmas of motherhood.
Dan Lauria, who is set to star in "47," is a familiar face to the Broadway and off-Broadway scene, having performed, written or directed over fifty equity productions—including starring on Broadway as Vince Lombardi in "Lombardi," and as the narrator in "Christmas Story, The Musical." Lauria has a score of feature films and over 70 TV guest spots to his credit. He is most familiar to audiences as the dad on the Emmy-winning television show, "The Wonder Years."
"Pink Boa" examines the seedy world of sex-trafficking through the innocent eyes of a teen girl grappling with sexuality, family and social acceptance, while reminding us that predators are not always who they seem.
"I Met Her At Birkenau" explores the more obscure side of concentration camp life in Nazi Germany through the manipulation of a brilliant girl determined to save her family no matter what the cost.
"47" is co-written by Harris and Laurie Clemmens Maier, who also wrote "Pink Boa" and the award-winning screenplay, "I Met Her At Birkenau." Maier is an accomplished screenwriter whose lengthy awards list includes the American Movie Awards, New York City International Screenplay Awards, Scriptapalooza Screenplay Competition, and winner of Best Feature Script at the California Women's Film Festival, and a Silver Winner at the WRPN Women's International Film Festival.
Award-winning writer, director and producer Rick Ramage serves on the Laurel Leaf Productions Advisory Board. As an alumni of The American Film Institute, Ramage has numerous credits from his illustrious career as a screenwriter, including involvement in over 40 Hollywood scripts. He is perhaps best known for "The Proposition" starring Kenneth Branagh, William Hurt, Madeleine Stowe and Neil Patrick Harris, as well as "Stigmata," starring Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne.
About Laurel Leaf Productions
Founded in 2022 by Emmy-winning producer and renowned actress Laurel Harris, Laurel Leaf Productions explores bolder, often delicate topics, with grace, all the while seeking to inspire humanity to greater levels of connection with themselves and each other. The company's value for tolerance, compassion and creativity speaks to its vow to create entertainment that offers better human connections for and to the world around us.
Harris unites an award-winning team of entertainment professionals with her decades long experience in the entertainment industry. Working alongside teams from the BBC and PBS, she traveled the world to film such notable figures as Nobel Peace Laureates Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama, fueling her passion to create media content that highlights underserved populations. Harris has been recognized with an EMMY®, multiple NATOA, and TELLY awards for producing.
