About

Midtownfilms was established in 2001 by Joan Brooker-Marks. It is dedicated to independent documentary filmmaking, combining interviews, archival footage, with fly-on-the-wall observations. Midtown films concentrates and specializes in people — creating documentary portraits of lived life.

Joan Brooker-Marks

Director
Joan Brooker-Marks was a television writer in Los Angeles, working on such shows as ‘Designing Woman’, ‘McGyver’, and ‘Full House’. She moved to New York in 1991, where she returned to graduate school at Columbia University, earning two masters degrees.

She is the director of two award winning short documentaries, ‘We Got Us’, and ‘The Loud Ladies of South Fork’, and a feature documentary on Larry Flynt, entitled, ‘Larry Flynt: The Right to be Left Alone’ which played in festivals throughout the world and was acquired by IFC. The film will soon be available on line through FilmRise. In 2012 she completed the film ‘The Silent Truth’ which premiered in New York City at the SVA Theatre, and played in various venues throughout the country as well as Europe. The film is available online through Orchard Entertainment.

She has been a member of WGA, SAG,AEA, CineWomen, and New York Women in Film. She currently teaches at the School of Visual Arts.

Walter Marks

Composer/Producer
Walter Marks is probably best known for his song “I’ve Gotta be Me”, recorded by Sammy Davis, Tony Bennett, Michael Jackson and many others. He has also written songs recorded by Barbra Streisand, The Temptations, Ella Fitzgerald, Little Anthony and the Imperials, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme, and other artists.

He wrote the songs for the Broadway musicals “Bajour” and “Golden Rainbow”, the book, music and lyrics for the off-Broadway musical “Body Shop”, the screenplay and songs for the motion picture “The Wild Party” (Merchant-Ivory Films – directed by James Ivory). He also wrote the off-Broadway comedy-mystery “The Butler Did It”.

On television, he won an Emmy award for his music on the PBS Series “Getting On”, and wrote songs for the ABC series “That’s Life”, and the NBC Hallmark Hall of Fame production of “Pinocchio”.

His musical “Langston in Harlem” was produced in NYC at Urban Stages. The show won 4 Audelco/Vivian Robinson Awards for Excellence in Black Theater, including best musical. The show is now headed for Broadway.

Walter Marks’ first novel ­— “Dangerous Behavior”, a psychological thriller, was published in hardcover by Carroll & Graf. The book was purchased by Paramount Pictures. Now on Amazon.com

His second book is a crime/thriller introducing Detective Jericho — “Death Hampton”. (Top Tier Publishers) available on Amazon (print) and Kindle. The sequel — “The Battle of Jericho” and the Amazon Kindle Singles “The Hated” and “A Man’s Partner” are also for sale online.

In addition, he has produced and written the musical score for a feature length documentary film on Hustler publisher Larry Flynt, which is directed by his wife, prizewinning documentary filmmaker, Joan Brooker-Marks and her most recent film, ‘The Silent Truth’.

Kamil Dobrowolski

Editor
Kamil Dobrowolski is a freelance editor, sound designer and colorist based in New York City. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, Dobrowolski has worked both in narrative and documentary film as well as various commercial venues. Kamil Dobrowolski is a freelance editor, sound designer and colorist based in New York City. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, Dobrowolski has worked both in narrative and documentary film as well as various commercial venues.

Katharina Rohrer

Cinematographer
Kat Rohrer graduated with honors from The School of Visual Arts in New York in 2004. Her thesis short film The Search won Best Short at the 2005 LA Femme Film Festival. Her 2011 short film Wantless was selected for the 2011 Hamptons Film Festival. Kat has also been DP on various feature length documentaries including Larry Flynt: The Right To Be Left Alone for Midtown Films, which screened around the world and has been aired on IFC. She has also collaborated in different capacities with Midtown films on numerous projects over the years and loves her collaboration with Joan.

Her documentary, Fatal Promises, deals with human trafficking and has been shown across the United States and Europe in film festivals, anti-trafficking and fundraising events, as well as college campuses.

She is currently working on her new documentary Back to the Fatherland, which tells the story of young Israelis moving to Germany and Austria, and their grandparents, who fled those former Nazi countries.

Paola Bernardini

Paola Bernardini holds a BFA in Film directing from the School of Visual Arts. During her stay in New York she obtained experience in filmmaking and theater production. She directed and produced over 10 short films. Her short ‘Citta’ dei Sogni’ gathered several awards and played in film festivals around the world, including the 69th Cannes Film Festival . She will be in production with Midtown Films for the upcoming documentary.