Producer Bio
Veteran filmmaker Julia Verdin is a multi-hyphenate – she is known as an accomplished producer, award-winning Director and has written a number of screenplays. Having been in the film business for 30 years, Julia has established herself as one of Hollywood’s leading independent producers, with over 36 critically acclaimed feature films produced to date. She founded and has been running Rough Diamond Productions since 1995.
Some of the memorable, acclaimed theatrical releases and top film festival favorites Julia has produced, includes 2 Jacks, directed by Bernard Rose, based on the Leo Tolstoy short story “Two Hussars”: the film starred Danny Huston, Jack Huston, Sienna Miller, Jacqueline Bisset, and Billy Zane; Stander, directed by Bronwen Hughes starring Thomas Jane, Deborah Unger, Dexter Fletcher, and David O’Hara; Sony Pictures Classics released The Merchant of Venice, directed by Michael Radford, starring Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, and Joseph Fiennes; and Riding The Bullet based on a Stephen King story, directed by Mick Garris, and starring David Arquette, Jonathan Jackson, Erica Christensen, and Barbara Hershey. Julia’s faith-based film, The Least Among You was a Lionsgate release, starring Lou Gossett Jr., Lauren Holly, and William Devane, and featured in major festivals, being nominated for two N.A.A.C.P awards. Julia also Executive Produced the 2015 Lionsgate release Born of War, directed by Vicky Jewson, starring James Frain and Sophia Black D’Elia.
Julia’s films have been selected for many major film festivals including Sundance, Toronto, Venice, AFI, Raindance, Vancouver International, and London.
Julia’s producing background enables her to stay on budget and schedule while bringing out the best creative results.
Recent producing work includes Pursued for director Jeffrey Obrow, starring Sam Trammell, Molly Ringwald, Angus Macfayden and Miesha Tate and Paul Sorvino and One by One directed by Jeffrey Obrow, starring Dwight Yoakam and Christopher Lloyd as well as The Unwilling starring Dina Meyer, Lance Henriksen and Jake Thomas, which won many awards at top horror festivals.
Some other films Julia produced earlier in her career include: I Witness, directed by Rowdy Harrington, starring Jeff Daniels and James Spader, Blast, directed by Tony Hickox, starring Eddie Griffin, Vinnie Jones and Vivica Fox, Green Mail starring Steven Baldwin and Tom Skerritt, The Shipment starring Mathew Modine, Nick Turturro and Elisabeth Berkley, The Contaminated Man starring William Hurt, Peter Weller and Natasha McElhone and STYX starring Peter Weller, Angus MacFayden and Brian Brown, directed by Alex Wright, Ballad of the Nightingale with Virginia Madsen, Maria Cuccinota (Il Postino), Seymour Cassell, Michael Madsen and Harry Dean Stanton, Lone Hero directed by Ken Sanzel starring Lou Diamond Philips, Sean Patrick Flanery and Robert Forester, Slipstream starring Sean Austin and Vinnie Jones, The Set Up, a bank heist thriller based on a James Hadley Chase best-selling novel, directed by Strathford Hamilton starring Billy Zane, James Coburn, Mia Sara and James Russo for MGM/Showtime, and Temptation, an action-packed revenge thriller for Dino De Laurentiis Communications starring Jeff Fahey, David Keith and Alison Doody, also directed by Strathford Hamilton.
Julia received the La Femme 2015 Executive Achievement Award and was honored for her work in film and supporting female filmmakers. She served as a judge at the 2015 LA Shorts Festival, speaks regularly on film festival panels and supports up and coming filmmakers. She served on the board of BAFTA LA for ten years and chaired the film committee and was instrumental in starting up the BAFTA newcomer program and encouraging mentorship of up-and-coming filmmakers.
Julia founded and serves on the board of directors of Artists For Change, a 501c non-profit with a mission of raising awareness on key social issues through film and media.
Julia is passionate about raising awareness on critical social issues through the powerful medium of film and encourages filmmakers to think about making content that contributes to a better world. She is an inspiring public speaker when raising awareness on issues or encouraging people in tapping into their talents, reaching their full potential, and using their voices for good.
For more information visit:
www.roughdiamondproductions.net/julia-verdin
www.imdb.com
www.artists4change.org
BOARD MEMBER OF ARTISTS FOR CHANGE ( Non profit creating social issue driven media)July 2017- current
BOARD MEMBER OF BAFTA LA (BRITISH ACADEMY OF FILM AND TELEVISION ARTS) – JAN 2006 – JAN 2016
BOARD MEMBER OF SEVEN ARTS PLC – FILM PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANY – FEB 2007 – OCT 2010
MEMBERSHIPS: BAFTA, SAG, EQUITY, SOHO HOUSE