MICHAEL SERGIO
CEO & Founder
Michael Sergio (Member: SAG, IFP, AIVF) is an Emmy Award-winning director, screenwriter, independent film producer and distributor. He began his career as an actor, musician and singer appearing in Manhattan clubs, on Broadway, television and in films before succumbing to a career as a director in the early 1990's.
As an actor, Sergio worked with Sidney Lumet on the film Prince of the City, with director Mark Rosman on House on Sorority Row and in Men of Respect with John Turturro and Rod Steiger. Television appearances included roles on ABC's Loving, CTW's Mathnet, Ryan's Hope, The Equalizer, The Street, Law & Order, Kojak and The Last Days of Brian Darling for HBO. He also acted in over 50 national TV commercials. Sergio was tapped by director Gene Saks for the original Broadway production of I Love My Wife.
An accomplished singer and musician, Sergio has performed in some of NY's most cutting-edge clubs including The Bitter End, Folk City, The Comic Strip and The Original Improvisation where he was the house singer for almost 17 years.
His directorial career began with TV commercials for clients as diverse as Disney, AT&T, Continental Airlines, American Express and ESPN. Sergio directed for TV, crafting Emmy Award-winning TV specials, music videos and pilots before navigating the shoals of the independent film industry.
Some of Mr. Sergio’s directing projects include, John Ford Noonan's Night Man at the Sardi Building, Creating the Wizard of Oz on Ice, for which he was nominated for a DayTime Emmy and Ringling Bros. 1996 TV Circus Special for which he won an Emmy. Sergio's directorial feature debut "Under Hellgate Bridge" garnered Best Director and Best Film honors at various film festivals, including Best Film award at the Nashville Independent Film Festival, and the Regal Cinemas' Dreammaker Award. Lions Gate Entertainment acquired domestic video rights and after a successful theatrical run, "Under Hellgate Bridge" was released on video and DVD nationwide in November '02. IFM Film Associates is handling foreign distribution for the film.
Sergio has been at the heart of the NY theatre and film scene for over twenty-five years.
In 2001 Sergio and producing partner, Isil Bagdadi, started CAVU Pictures to deliver indie-film alternatives to the marketplace.
ISIL BAGDADI
President of Distribution & Marketing
Co-Founder CAVU Pictures
Isil Bagdadi has worked in the film industry as a producer, marketing and distribution executive. In addition to producing the independent feature film "Under Hellgate Bridge", she oversaw the theatrical distribution and marketing of the film for CAVU Pictures and brokered the domestic video deal with Lions Gate Entertainment. "Under Hellgate Bridge" has won numerous awards at film festivals, including "Best Film" and "The Regal Cinemas Dreammaker" awards at the Nashville Film Festival. The film is now available on DVD worldwide, and had its broadcast premiere on ABC.
In 2001, Isil and her business partner Michael Sergio started CAVU Pictures in order to finance, develop, produce, acquire and distribute independent films. Isil executive produced and oversaw CAVU's theatrical distribution of Eitan Gorlin's award-winning and critically acclaimed film "The Holy Land" which won the Grand Jury prize at the Slamdance Film festival. “The Holy Land” is now available on DVD.
Isil wrote, produced, and directed the short film “The Blue Marble”, which premiered in April'01 at the Avignon/New York Film Festival, and at the Angelika Film Center as part of the IFP Market. The film had its broadcast premiere on Metro TV as part of their “Urban Indies” series in April'02. It was then released by Lions Gate Entertainment on the DVD of "Under Hellgate Bridge”.
Isil served as a consultant for the NY Turkish Film Festival in 2005 and 2006. Isil spends her time attending numerous film festivals throughout the year, and is frequently asked to be a panelist, moderator and mentor. She was on the Jury at the 2005 Nashville Film Festival, and has taught film producing classes at the Digital Film Academy and lectured at the CUNY Graduate Center.
Last summer, CAVU released the award-winning documentary film "The Real Dirt on Farmer John" in theatres nationwide, and most recently Ivan Reitman's hit comedy "Trailer Park Boys" along with Screen Media Films. Isil is currently preparing for CAVU's upcoming releases of the feature films "Lbs." (Official Selection, Sundance Film Festival), and "Take Out" (Winner, Nashville Film Festival) which opens at the Quad Cinemas in NY on June 6th.
She has a graduate degree in Film from the New York Institute of Technology and her undergraduate degree in Communication Arts from St. John's University. Isil is a long-standing member of IFP, and New York Women in Film & Television.