Speakers Dana Jackson and Kurt Voelker speak for Pitt in Hollywood

Ever wondered how someone from Pittsburgh could make it in Hollywood? Yesterday at 3:30 p.m…. Ever wondered how someone from Pittsburgh could make it in Hollywood? Yesterday at 3:30 p.m. in 1700 Posvar Hall, producer Dana Jackson and writer/director Kurt Voelker spoke for the student film group, Pitt in Hollywood.

Jackson, who formerly resided in Mount Lebanon, has made a name for herself in Hollywood, including director of development at Castle Rock Entertainment, senior vice president of Hunt/Tavel Productions and head of development for Freestyle Pictures. And now, Jackson can add producer of a multi-award winning film to that list.

Jackson’s film, entitled “Park” was written and directed by Kurt Voelker and stars William Baldwin, Ricki Lake and Cheri Oteri. “Park” has already produced a lot of hype at film festivals, winning such awards as Best Screenplay at the 2007 Fylmz Festival and the Bud Abbot Award for a feature-length comedy at the 2007 Garden State Film Festival.

“Park which is set in Los Angeles, is an edgy sex comedy that deals with love and loss by intertwining the lives of 10 different people, which include a pair of dog groomers and a van of inspiring nudists among others, over the course of an hour. If this sounds like your cup of tea, the film will be premiering this Friday at the South Side Works.

Pitt in Hollywood is a student-run organization at Pitt that looks to demystify how the film industry works by bringing in speakers and providing students with network connections and opportunities in the industry. This event is also being sponsored in conjunction with the Steeltown Entertainment Project, a non-profit organization looking to nurture promising talent and to incubate viable entertainment projects in Southwestern Pennsylvania.