It Starts with a Script Moderator: Susan Cartsonis

The Hollywood Reporter named Susan Cartsonis one of the top five grossing producers of the year for her box office record-breaking film, WHAT WOMEN WANT (the second highest grossing romantic comedy of all time to this day) and the crowd-pleaser WHERE THE HEART IS starring Natalie Portman. Most recently, she produced the teen hits, BEASTLY and AQUAMARINE and executive-produced NO RESERVATIONS, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones. She served as an executive at 20th Century Fox for nearly ten years and built two successful independent film companies, giving her well-rounded knowledge of the film landscape.

Cartsonis creates movies that “women want to see, and men like too.” Cartsonis’ films for this dominant but often underserved demographic have grossed well over 1 billion dollars in theatrical box office. One example of the over 20 films Cartsonis has been responsible for is the iconic and genre breaking BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, which became a film under her executive supervision and went on to become a billion dollar business in television.

She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Chairs the Board of Trustees of Women in Film’s Foundation, serves on the Independent Producers Committee at the Producer’s Guild of America and has been appointed to the Women’s Board of Digital Hollywood. Cartsonis serves on the Advisory Boards of Wilkes University’s Creative Writing Program, Chapman University’s Dodge School of Film and Television, has taught Advanced Producing at USCʼs Graduate Producing Program in the School of Cinematic Arts and serves as an annual guest speaker and graduate critique advisor at NYU’s TischAsia Singapore campus (2012, 2013, upcoming May 2014). Cartsonis consults for Australia’s Screen NSW as well as other international companies and organizations.

Cartsonis was featured in a national Girls Scouts of the USA Ad Campaign about the importance of telling women’s stories. Speaking engagements include a panel in Sydney, Australia by Google Hangout in Australia 6/13 “Talking about the F Word,” The Catalyst Awards and 50th Anniversary Conference in New York City (2012), and recent publications include Women in Hollywood and Arthub, “Why Women Should get the Jobs,” the New York Times online Room for Debate “Finance, Track, Research and Promote,” Indiewire “Note to the Studios: Stop Trying to Get the Boys Back and Chase theWomen.” Cartsonis serves as a judge for the Motion Picture Academy’s Nicholl Fellowships and the National Woman’s Political Caucus Exceptional Merit in Media Awards. Cartsonis is a graduate of UCLA (BA) and NYU (MFA).

The Storefront Film Group Opportunity The Storefront Film Group, a diversified film fund led by Cartsonis, recognizes that there is a market for smart, high-quality films that appeal to female audiences and that the independent production of women’s films presents a significant opportunity for investors.

Storefront seeks to raise 75 million in equity which will be leveraged to make 6-8 female focussed films for wide distribution to serve as strategic counter-programming to the studio “tentpole” franchises (SPIDERMAN, BATMAN, IRONMAN, TRANFORMERS).

Cartsonis has gathered an advisory board of leaders and artists in the industry to assist in this enterprise. Storefront is currently meeting with and seeking partners and investors who share a female market focus and an understanding of this market. She’s committed to using the dominance of women in digital media to take advantage of the marketing, distribution, and possibilities for innovation that this target audience provides.

Women,