Bios

 

Shauna Jaeger

SHAUNA JAEGER, Exec. Producer/Director/Writer

Shauna Jaeger is an entertainment production Jane-of-All-Trades with extensive experience in both creative and business. Her various professional experiences have allowed her to excel in production, research, story telling and performance for film, TV, theatre, print and the Web.

Ms. Jaeger has worked on award-winning productions for broadcasters and festivals worldwide including National Geographic (Canada/ US); A&E; Alliance Atlantis; BBC; Discovery Channel (Canada/US/Europe/ International); and CBC to name a few. King Kaufman: The Passion of Lloyd (2008) received its world premier at the SoCal Independent Film Festival in Huntington Beach, CA 
on September 12th, 2008 and was nominated for Best Documentary.

An honors graduate of the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts Musical Theatre program, Shauna is also an accomplished performer who has been singing, dancing and acting since the age of 3. Some of her favorite roles include
 Maggie in A Chorus Line, Rosemary in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Nell 
in The Me Nobody Knows, Shona in Fen, Jack’s Mother in 
Into the Woods and Vampire Zombie From Outer Space.

 

Lloyd Kaufman

LLOYD KAUFMAN, President of Troma Entertainment/Creator of The Toxic Avenger 

“Lloyd Kaufman has directed many of Troma’s best-known films, including The Toxic Avenger,” writes New York Post film critic Lou Lumenick, “And he has been cited as a major influence by Peter Jackson, Quentin Tarantino and Takashi Miike, among others.”  In light of his contribution to today’s cinema, there can be no doubt that what Kaufman has achieved is enormous.  In 30 years, Kaufman, along with partner Michael Herz, has built Troma Studios up to legendary status as a bastion of true independence, the world’s greatest concentration of camp.  Kaufman’s visionary body of work has had a huge impact on today’s mainstream filmmaking. 

In the late 1960s, Kaufman was enrolled at Yale University, where he met his future partner Michael Herz.  The Troma Universe was born in 1974 with a series of highly original, sexy comedies such as Squeeze Play!, Waitress!, and other titles ending with an exclamation point. These movies, independent precursors to such later smash hits as National Lampoon’s Animal House and Porky’s, did well financially, although Kaufman continued to work on such outside productions as Rocky and Saturday Night Fever.  Kaufman’s relationship with mainstream Hollywood would not last long. 

Kaufman achieved new levels of success with his 1984 breakthrough movie, The Toxic Avenger.  The Toxic Avenger led to an animated spin-off series, “Toxic Crusaders”, several different comic book titles (published by Marvel and Troma’s own independent comic book imprint), and three sequels.  Its success was followed by a string of commercial and artistic triumphs that blended fantasy, heavy action, comedy, and eroticism in a style that the Cinemateque Francais described as “Tromatic,” including the Class of Nuke ‘Em High trilogy, Sgt. Kabukiman NYPD, and Troma’s War.  These films created an entire generation of young fans some of whom, such as Kevin Smith, Mike Judge, Peter Jackson, and Trey Parker, went on to become filmmakers themselves.  Thanks to these admirers, Kaufman has been asked to make cameo appearances in films like Trey Parker’s Orgazmo and Richard Martini’s Cannes Man. 

Lately, Kaufman and the Troma Team have begun to win respect from even their harshest critics. Tromeo & Juliet became a surprise theatrical and critical hit, earning the grand prize at the Fanta Festival in Rome. Kaufman’s following opus, Terror Firmer, inspired by the book All I Need To Know About Filmmaking I Learned From The Toxic Avenger, played for six months in Los Angeles alone. In addition, Kaufman has been an honored guest at various international film festivals and Troma retrospectives around the world. The San Sebastian Film Festival, the British Film Institute, the Cinematheque Francaise, the American Cinematheque, the Chicago International Film Festival, the UCLA Film Archives, the Tokyo Film Festival, and the Shanghai International Film Festival are just a few of the venues to have showered Kaufman with praise and free booze. In 2003, Kaufman received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Fantasy Film Festival of Amsterdam.  

Kaufman has also earned the respect and trust of his peers in and out of the independent filmmaking community.  He has served as Executive Vice Chairman of the Independent Film and Television Alliance (IFTA).  Thanks to his vision of independent cinema’s future on the Internet, Kaufman was asked to help create and currently chairs IFTA’s New Technologies Opportunities Committee.  He has also served on the Board of Trinity School and ECO, the environmental foundation. 

In January 2000, Kaufman founded the TromaDance Film Festival, which gives filmmakers and audiences alike the opportunity to enjoy a broad spectrum of independent films for free.  He has released a feature length documentary about the Cannes Film Festival, entitled All the Love You Cannes: An Indie’s Guide to the Cannes Film Festival. His second book, Make Your Own Damn Movie, is in its second printing and has inspired him to teach a series of filmmaking Master Classes at colleges and institutions across the country.  He is also the co-author of the “The Toxic Avenger” novel, published in June 2006.  His fourth book, Greenlight Your Own Damn Movie, is currently in the works. Kaufman’s latest film, Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead, a satire about the fast-food industry, is currently playing in theaters across the country.  

On a personal front, Lloyd Kaufman has three daughters – Lily Hayes, Lisbeth, and Charlotte.  His beloved wife of 33 years, Patricia, is the New York State Film Commissioner. 

 

Greg Wessendorf

GREG WESSENDORF, Editor 

Greg Wessendorf’s love of film and comedy started early. As a child growing up in the Canadian prairies, Greg happily performed with and for friends and family at every opportunity. He created his first “film” at the tender age of 9. 

Most of his childhood friends weren’t surprised to find out that Wessendorf had chosen a career working in film and television as an editor. Thus far Greg has cut independent features, national TV commercials, short films and stories for various news outlets across Canada covering local, national, world news, and sporting events like the Pan American Games and the Western Canada Summer Games.  

Recently, Greg has had the chance to stretch his creative legs as both an actor and comedian. He has worked with The Second City in Toronto on several shows including an all-new production for the Second City Training Centre, which will debut this fall. Wessendorf also works with a long form improv (Harold) troupe, for which he performs and writes, and can be seen in their original show “Beat Surrender”, which plays regularly at the Bad Dog Theatre in Toronto. 

Of all the projects he has been lucky to have been a part of, few has Wessendorf taken pride in or enjoyed more than “King Kaufman: The Passion of Lloyd”. As a professor once told him, “Only a fortunate few get to do for a living that which brings them joy.” Greg honestly never thought he would get to be one of the few, but admits that it’s a great feeling.  

Currently Greg Wessedorf is an editor at CityTV News in Toronto.