COTTON ALLEY
MARTY LANDAU and JONATHAN LANDAU
Both Jonathan and Marty have focused their careers on independent filmmaking. With a combined 40 years in the industry, this Wilmington-based filmmaking team has conquered the Carolinas with their locally made, independently produced short and feature length films. The works supported by their production company, Brand Spanking New Productions, reflect their commitment to local, independent filmmaking. There, they have produced films like Remember Yesterday, The Last Summer, Beyond the Living, and Positive Impact. Their films have screened at Cucalorus in Wilmington, York County, SC’s Underexposed Film Festival yc, and Charlotte’s 48 Hour Film Project.
Of the Landaus, Karen Collins, Festival Director of the Underexposed Film Festival yc states, “It is often presumed that to be a successful filmmaker one must go to Hollywood. Jonathan and Marty Landau bucked the system by believing not only in their own talent to successfully make movies in the Carolinas but by believing in the talent of the cast and crew living in their own backyard. By doing so, they have provided opportunities for like-minded filmmakers who wished to ‘work from home.’ In addition to supporting locals, they have mentored those wishing to enter the field. The Landaus do not just support filmmaking but the festivals that screen their work by attending their films’ screenings and participating in question & answer sessions and panel discussions during the festivals.”
MARTY LANDAU
PRODUCER, ACTOR, LOCATION MANAGER
Marty Landau has been involved in independent filmmaking for a decade. Mrs. Landau produced the feature films, The Devil’s Stomping Ground, Remember Yesterday, The Terrible Two, and Beyond the Living. In addition to these features, Marty has produced many short films, including Underexposed Film Festival yc entrees: Pushing Buttons, Cezanne, and The Vamprentice. She also serves as location management on larger budget shows. Most recently, she was the Location Manager on Simu Liu’s new film, One True Loves, which comes out in theaters this April. Her involvement in filmmaking doesn’t stop behind the camera. She has acted in several projects including the upcoming film, Beyond the Living, as well as The Struggle is Real, Awaiting Grace, and Intimate Apparel, and even appeared in Tammy as Melissa McCarthy’s body double.
JONATHAN LANDAU
PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, WRITER
Jonathan Landau has produced, directed, and written independent films for over 3 decades. His debut feature as a writer/director, The Last Summer, was shot in 2001 on 35mm. Since that time, Mr. Landau has produced 7 features, 6 shorts (3 of which he also was writer/director), 3 pilot episodes, and 2 full seasons of a webseries. His last two short films as a writer/director, Pushing Buttons and The Vamprentice, as well as the short Cezanne, have all played at the Underexposed Film Festival yc. Most recently, Jonathan’s second feature as a writer/ director, The Devil’s Stomping Ground, made its world premiere and opened the 2022 Cucalorus Film Festival. It followed its success at Cucalorus with a 2-week run in theatres across the Carolinas this February.
ABOUT THE COTTON ALLEY AWARD
First presented in 2015, the Cotton Alley Award is an honorary award that recognizes outstanding contributions and commitment to the world of independent filmmaking.
Past honorees include Patrick Fugit, actor – Outcast, Rita Mahtoubian is not a Terrorist, and Almost Famous in 2015; Dale M. Pollock, producer, founder – River Run Film Festival, author – Skywalking: The Life and Times of George Lucas in 2016; and Joanne Hock, producer, writer, director – When We Last Spoke, Purple Dreams, The Ultimate Legacy, Trinity Goodheart in 2017.