Directors ALLEN and ALBERT HUGHES, twin brothers, made a major leap into the entertainment industry with their jolting debut as twenty-year-old creators/directors of "Menace II Society." The film's compelling, realistic look at inner-city life garnered international critical acclaim and put them on the map as significant filmmakers.
Based on an idea the brothers hatched at age fourteen, the three million dollar picture grossed some thirty million dollars at the box office, was named one of the ten best films of the year by numerous critics, and received Best Picture honors at the 1994 MTV Film Awards™.
Their follow-up movie, "Dead Presidents," was the story of a young man's life that turns into shambles after serving in Vietnam. Expecting to return home a hero, he instead finds himself pulling off an armored car robbery in a desperate attempt to support his family. It was written by award-winning playwright Michael Henry Brown and starred Larenz Tate, Chris Tucker, Bokeem Woodbine, Seymour Cassci, Martin Sheen, Keith David and N'Bushe Wright.
The Hughes' most recent project was the feature-length documentary "American Pimp," which examined the men behind the world's oldest profession. Having debuted at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival, it garnered the highest per-screen average in the country during its initial weeks in release.
In addition to their vision as filmmakers, Allen and Albert have also proven their talents in the music field. The soundtracks for their first two films, which they produced, went platinum. Their other projects include music videos for Marvin Gaye's Inner City Blues and the re-release of Isaac Hayes' Walk On By. The Hughes' also directed two PSAs on gun control, Stray Bullets and These Walls Have No Prejudice, which have won forty-four awards, including four Clios.
Born in Detroit to a mother who supported her sons' creativity, Allen and Albert began making home movies at age twelve. Their formal education began their freshman year of high school, when Allen took a TV production class. They soon made a short film entitled "How to Be A Burglar" and people began to take notice. Their next work, "Uncensored Videos," was broadcast on cable, introducing them to a wider audience.
After high school, Albert began taking classes at LACC Film School. Their short films entitled "Menace" and "The Drive By" attracted industry attention, leading to their breakthrough film "Menace II Society."
Screenwriter TERRY HAYES has worked as writer and producer for both film and television in the U.S. and Australia. As a screenwriter, Hayes worked on such notable films as "The Road Warrior," "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome," and "Payback," all starring Mel Gibson.
Hayes wrote and produced the feature film "Dead Calm," starring Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill; and "Flirting," which garnered the 1990 Australian Film Institute Best Film award, starring Thandie Newton and Nicole Kidman.
Screenwriter RAFAEL YGLESIAS has written screenplays for the films "Fearless," based on his own novel, "Les Miserables" and "Death and the Maiden." For television he wrote "Rising Son." He has upcoming projects in the works at Miramax and New Line Cinema.
Born in New York to parents who were novelists, Yglesias dropped out of school at age 16 to travel and write his first novel. He has authored eight books.
Executive Producer AMY ROBINSON began her theatrical career as an actress, best known for her role in Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets" before turning to producing. In 1977 she formed Triple Play Productions with Griffin Dunne and Mark Metcalf. Their first film, "Chilly Scenes of Winter," based on the novel by Anne Beattie, was written and directed by Joan Micklin Silver and starred John Heard and Mary Beth Hurt.
In 1982, Robinson and Griffin Dunne formed Double Play Productions. Together they produced five feature films: "Baby It's You," written and directed by John Sayles; "After Hours," directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Dunne; "Running On Empty," directed by Sidney Lumet and starring River Phoenix; "White Palace," produced with Mirage Entertainment, directed by Luis Mandoki and starring Susan Sarandon; and "Once Around," Lasse Hallström's American directorial debut, starring Holly Hunter and Richard Dreyfuss. Alongside Paula Weinstein, Robinson produced "With Honors" starring Brendan Fraser and Joe Pesci.
She then produced two films: "Drive Me Crazy" for Twentieth Century Fox, directed by John Schultz and starring Melissa Joan Hart and Adrian Grenier; and "For Love of the Game," which she produced with Armyan Bernstein, starring Kevin Costner and Kelly Preston and directed by Sam Raimi.
Robinson went on to make "Autumn in New York" starring Richard Gere and Winona Ryder, producing with Gary Lucchesi and Tom Rosenberg and directed by Joan Chen. In 2001, Amy Robinson, in association with USA Films, is presenting "Never Again" starring Jill Clayburgh and Jeffrey Tambor, written and directed by Eric Shaeffer.
Producer DON MURPHY formed Angry Films at Columbia Pictures in 1998, where he has a first-look overall deal. His producing credits include "Natural Born Killers" directed by Oliver Stone, "Apt Pupil" directed by Bryan Singer based on the Stephen King novella, and "Permanent Midnight" starring Ben Stiller.
Murphy was born an raised in Long Island, New York and attended Georgetown University, earning degrees in business administration and English. He received a master's degree at USC Film School and formed JD Productions in 1990 with partner Jane Hamsher. In September 2001, Murphy has two films in the Venice Film Festival: FROM HELL and director Larry Clark's "Bully."
Producer JANE HAMSHER's credits include "Apt Pupil," "Permanent Midnight," "Natural Born Killers," "Double Dragon" and "An American Summer."
Director of photography PETER DEMING, ASC has credits that include the second and third films of the "Scream" trilogy, "Mulholland Drive," "Music of the Heart," "Mystery, Alaska," "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," "Lost Highway," "Joe's Apartment," "Son in Law," "Loaded Weapon," "My Cousin Vinny," "Scorchers," "Drop Dead Fred," "House Party" and "Evil Dead 2."
His television work includes "If These Walls Could Talk 2," David Lynch's "Hotel Room" and "Cosmic Slop." A graduate of Wisconsin University, Deming has also acted in several films, including "Scream 2" and "House Party," the latter earning him an Independent Spirit Award.
Production designer MARTIN CHILDS received an Academy Award“ for "Shakespeare in Love." He previously collaborated with the film's director, John Madden, on "Mrs. Brown." His other credits as production designer include Philip Kaufman's "Quills," "The Clandestine Marriage," "The Misadventures of Margaret" and the telefilms "True Tilda" and "Double Image," the latter directed by Mick Jackson.
Childs has collaborated as an art director with Kenneth Branagh on four films: "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein," "Much Ado About Nothing," "Peter's Friends" and "Henry V."
Born in England, outside Cambridge, Childs received a degree in architecture from Leicester University. He worked for seven years in industrial design before beginning a career in the film industry, the result of a query letter to the BBC. Under the guidance of Tim Harvey, he spent nine years at BBC learning all aspects of design. He then left with Harvey to work on the acclaimed mini-series "Bleak House," followed by the mini-series "Fortunes of War" and the telefilms "Voice of the Heart" and "Coins in the Fountain."
Costume Designer KYM BARRETT rose to prominence with her work on the "Matrix" and "William Shakespeare's Romeo+Juliet." Her other films include "Titan A.E.," "Zero Factor" and "Red Planet." She is designing the costumes for the next two "Matrix" films.
Barrett was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia. She studied literature and drama at the university before moving to Sydney to learn design. She worked in the theater for eight years before relocating to Miami to help in the lengthy development process of "William Shakespeare's Romeo+Juliet." She now resides in Los Angeles.
Editor DAN LEBENTAL previously collaborated with The Hughes Brothers on their acclaimed documentary "American Pimp" and on their drama "Dead Presidents." Lebental's credits also include "Where the Money Is" starring Paul Newman, "Very Bad Things," "Deceiver," the acclaimed television series "Wonderland," and the television film "Don't Look Back."
Editor GEORGE BOWERS, A.C.E. has an extensive list of credits that include "Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo," "How Stella Got Her Groove Back," "The Preacher's Wife," "Renaissance Man," "A League of Their Own," "Sleeping with the Enemy," "True Believer," "Harlem Nights," "Shoot to Kill," "Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai" and "A Fable."
Bowers has also directed four films, including "My Tutor" and "Body and Soul," and he was associate producer of "Jumpin' Jack Flash." For television he served as editor on the long-running series "The Dukes of Hazard."
Composer TREVOR JONES has written scores for more than 60 motion pictures. He received BAFTA nominations for "Brassed Off," "Mississippi Burning" and "Last of the Mohicans," the latter also earning him a Golden Globe nomination. He also received a Golden Globe nomination for his song for "The Mighty," and he was nominated for an Emmy Award for scoring the television miniseries "Merlin."
Among Jones' film credits are "13 Days," "Notting Hill," "Titanic Town," "Dark City," "G.I. Jane," "Richard III," "Desperate Measures," "Kiss of Death," "In the Name of the Father," "Cliffhanger," "True Colors," "Arachnophobia," "Sea of Love," "Angel Heart," "Dominick & Eugene," "Runaway Train," "The Dark Crystal," "Labyrinth" and "Excalibur." His TV work includes "Gulliver's Travels," "Cleopatra" and "The Last Days of Pompeii."
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Jones won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Music where he studied for four years before earning an M.A in Film and Media Music from the British National Film School, whose music department he currently chairs. Jones was the first graduate from the British National Film School to win an Oscar“ (shared credit), with the short film "The Dollar Bottom."
