Diana Lesmez - Bumptious Media Consulting

Diana Lesmez has vast and diverse experience in most areas of the entertainment industry, spanning production, development, acquisitions, distribution, physical production, film finance, business and legal affairs, and new media. Currently, she is an independent writer/director/producer, developing a number of film, television, and new media projects for her own company, The StoryMaker Entertainment, as well as for a number of clients. Diana is also a creative, producing, marketing/distribution, new media, and pitching consultant, under her banner company, Bumptious Media Consulting.

Moreover, Diana is in postproduction on a feature-length documentary, THE RESURRECTION OF BOBBY PURCELL, which captures the complicated and not always truthful life story of its protagonist. She is also in postproduction on a quirky romantic comedy short film, IN BETWEEN THE GUTTER AND THE STARS, which she recently wrote, directed, and produced, starring Jacob Vargas and Yvonne Delarosa.

Diana is also producing a feature film titled, FLIGHTS OF FANCY, which is inspired by the remarkable rags-to-riches, American Dream life story of Dr. Ricardo E. Saca, brother of Elías Antonio ("Tony") Saca González, who is the former President of El Salvador. Diana is also the co-creator, writer, and producer of a new web series, YOU DON’T KNOW DICK, which is in early pre-production. And recently, Diana developed and simultaneously trained the writers on an original scripted one-hour television dramedy, CONTRACORRIENTE, for Puntos de Encuentro, a Nicaraguan NGO dedicated to eradicating oppression of human rights, while advancing education and empowerment of women via entertainment.

In addition, for years Diana has been a screenwriter, as well as a screenwriting and producing teacher, working with private clients and lecturing at various universities and industry organizations. She has taught pitching to the MFA students enrolled in the Producing program at the New York Film Academy, as well as has taught producing, screenwriting, marketing, and distribution at The Los Angeles Film School, screenwriting at NALIP’s intensive Writers Lab, and development and producing at NALIP’s Producers Academy, as well as development at the Screen Actors Guild Conservatory.

Lastly, she was a Contributing Editor for the Brentwood Media Group, publisher of six magazines in Los Angeles. As a writer, she has also placed as a finalist in the Walt Disney Fellowship Program, The BroadHumor Film Festival, and the Slamdance Screenwriting Competition.

Previously, Diana was the UPM on the feature film based on Julia Sweeney’s award-winning, one-woman stage show, LETTING GO OF GOD, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and aired on Showtime. Diana is also the producer of the feature-length concert film, CULTURE CLASH IN AMERICCA, which was directed by Emilio Estevez. CULTURE CLASH IN AMERICCA premiered at the SXSW Film Festival and also screened at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.

Simultaneously, Diana was the President of Production, also in charge of development and acquisitions, at Arenas Entertainment. She established and managed the development department, and pursued film acquisitions for theatrical and DVD distribution. Diana also served as post-production supervisor on the acquired feature films, NICOTINA, IMAGINING

ARGENTINA, THE THREE WISE MEN, and A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE. She also created the English subtitles for NICOTINA and A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE, as well as edited the dialogue and oversaw the dubbing to English and Spanish of the animated feature film, THE THREE WISE MEN (a Disney DVD release in November of 2005).

Diana has written, directed, and produced radio and television commercials for Evolve Post and Crosscrreek Entertainment, and previously for The Media Shop, Adobe Entertainment, and The AdMark Group. She also produced two short films, BROKEN CIRCLE and A SONG FOR HONEST ABE for SunriseWest Productions.

In her tenure as Vice President of Creative Affairs at Atlantic Streamline (THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR and IGBY GOES DOWN), a self-financing film production company, Diana developed the slate of film projects. Additionally, she launched domestic distribution talks with Lions Gate for the film project, FRAILTY.

Diana was head of development at Patriot Pictures and Banque Paribas (AIR FORCE ONE, THE MADNESS OF KING GEORGE, KILLING ZOE). She worked with Michael Mendelsohn, CEO of Patriot Pictures (a production company), and portfolio manager of the Entertainment Finance Group at Banque Paribas (a French bank that provided gap-financing for film production). Diana pursued new projects to be developed, produced, and financed by Patriot Pictures or gap-financed by Banque Paribas.

At Twentieth Century Fox, Diana worked in the legal affairs department, where she became well versed in the areas of music licensing, as well as theatrical and television contracts. She translated legal documents between English and Spanish and also served as a simultaneous interpreter in Licensing and Merchandising. Diana was promoted to Manager of Business Affairs at Canal Fox (Fox Latin American Channel), in charge of all aspects of affiliate relations.

Diana graduated with honors from Wheeling Jesuit University, in Wheeling, West Virginia, with a Bachelor in Arts in Professional Writing and a minor in Political Science. Continuing her education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Diana received her Master of Arts degree in Theater, Film, and Television.