Kate Atkinson, Founder of Purple Mountain Productions, a Los Angeles production company, has created, developed, and produced documentaries, feature films, and a complement of television projects. She recently acquired distribution for McCartney’s Genes, the independent feature film she produced in Austin, TX in 2008 starring Hamilton Von Watts, Lisa Sheridan, and Ron Livingston (Office Space, Swingers, Sex and the City). In 2009, she produced and acted in a romantic comedy, The Ones, as well as directed her first short film, Enough Is Enough. Since then, she has produced several more shorts, as well as begun the financing on a feature film scripted by Emmy Award-winning writer Paul Raley (David Letterman, SNL, Grace Under Fire). Kate is currently attached to direct her first feature film, Ms. Vinyl, set to shoot in January 2011. Her documentary, Extra: In the Background of a Dream, has also been distributed both in the U.S. and internationally.
On the television side, Kate signed a deal with Reveille Entertainment (The Office, Ugly Betty) for a reality show. Additionally, she teamed up with the producers of Dog Eat Dog and showrunner Tom Gianis (Saturday Night Live, The Man Show) to executive produce an alternative pilot for MTV. She has also served as a producer on shows/projects for Fox Sports Net, UPN, and Castle Rock Entertainment.
Holding an MBA from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg School of Management in Marketing, Finance, and International Business, as well as undergraduate degrees in Mathematics and Education, Kate is an active member of Women In Film, The Hollywood Film Society, and the Screen Actors Guild.
Alex Dawson - Actress/Writer/Producer
Alex Dawson is an emerging writer and producer and is excited to present her first completed short film, Clara’s Carma, at the BendFilm Festival. She produced this film by bartering private yoga sessions in exchange for talent and crew. Her budget was essentially $250 + 3,487 downward facing dogs. Along with producing partner Kate Atkinson, Alex is in development on three new projects, including developing Clara’s Carma into a series.
An Atlanta native, Alex made her move to New York after starring in her first feature, In The Flesh. She studied Meisner Technique at William Esper Studios and worked as an actress in several plays throughout Manhattan. While there, she also began teaching yoga when an opportunity came her way to teach for Kathleen Turner and the Broadway cast of The Graduate.
Still, she continued to audition for television and film, and once she booked Law & Order, Alex knew she had received the token pass that all New Yorkers get before moving to LA. And so in 2005, she did just that and made the move to LA.
In Los Angeles, Alex is now developing new projects and currently filming a mockumentary, entitled Ron and Laura Take Over America. She continues to teach yoga and leads retreats in California, Mexico and Hawaii.