Staff
Carl Kurlander
Executive Producer
ckla2@yahoo.com
Carl grew up in Pittsburgh but moved to Los Angeles in 1982 after winning the MCA-Universal Studios Scholar Award while attending Duke University. For two decades, Carl worked as a screenwriter ("St. Elmo's Fire") and television writer/producer ("Saved By The Bell") writing screenplays under contract for Columbia, Paramount, Universal, Twentieth Century Fox, Orion, and Disney Studios, in addition to writing and producing over 150 episodes of television for NBC, Fox, and CBS. In 2001, Carl returned to Pittsburgh, began teaching at the University of Pittsburgh, and in 2003, co-founded the Steeltown Entertainment Project. Carl has remained in Pittsburgh and in his free time, enjoys spending time with his supportive wife, Natalie, and daughter, Campbell.
Lisa Smith
Film Factory Producer
lisa@steeltown.org
Lisa is Co-Executive Producer of The People Speak and has spent the last ten years working in reality and documentary television in Los Angeles, including the Emmy nominated Project Greenlight, and just wrapped on the feature film, Abduction. She is also a producer with the Pollie Award winning First Tuesday Media. Prior to that, she was on staff at Pittsburgh Public Theater and City Theater where she worked with noted artists such as August Wilson, Marsha Mason, Keith Reddin and Spalding Gray. She is a native of Dormont and a graduate of Gannon University.
Erika Knox
Film Factory Production Coordinator
erika@steeltown.org
Erika graduated from The Indiana University of Pennsylvania in the fall 0f 2010, majoring in Communications Media and minoring in Theater and English. Erika loves animation, film production, and graphic design.
Stephanie Dangel
Legal Advisor
stephanie@steeltown.org
Stephanie came to Steeltown with a degree from Yale Law School and has served as a producer for 1905 Productions' "My Tale of Two Cities" and most notably as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her three adorable kids.
Steeltown Spotlight
"The Film Factory has done a wonderful job of nurturing emerging talent in Pittsburgh, while at the same time, reconnecting established people in the entertainment industry with the hometown they still love."
- Jamie Widdoes
Director: 'Two & a Half Men'
Co-Star:'Animal House'
