Sean Cross
Encyclopedia
Sean Cross is an American
filmmaker, producer
, actor
, writer
, and founder of Vail Film Festival
.
, South Africa
and raised in New York
. He pursued undergraduate studies in Sociology at the University of Richmond
and graduate studies in film at New York University
. He currently divides his time between New York City
and Vail, Colorado
.
Sean's father is world renowned surgeon Dr. Johan Naude
, former president of the South African Urological Association and a pioneering transplant surgeon who worked closely with legendary heart transplant surgeon Christian Barnard. Dr. Naude is a staunch advocate of racial equality, and during the apartheid era, became the first Urology department head at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (now Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine), the first medical school in South Africa open to all races. Dr. Naude is the only South African elected to honorary membership of the British Association of Urological Surgeons. Sean's mother is pioneering family therapist Dr. Judith Landau, founder of Link therapy and president of the International Family Therapy Association. Dr. Landau is Senior Consultant to the International Trauma Studies Program at Columbia University
, and a former Fulbright Scholar. Sean's grandfather is acclaimed South African author Johannes H. Naude, and his great-grandfather is Judah Landau, former head rabbi of South Africa, leading rabbinical author and scholar, and a vocal advocate for race and class equality in pre-apartheid South Africa. Sean is the brother of Scott Cross
, and co-founder of the Colorado Film Institute and Vail Film Festival
.
with his brother Scott Cross
to serve as a platform to educate aspiring filmmakers, showcase unique artistic visions, and to ensure that powerful, creative independent films are seen by the movie-going public.
In 2006, Sean spearheaded the Vail Film Festival's partnership with Film Your Issue
, a national issue film contest, in partnership with the American Democracy Project (AASCU initiative), featuring 30 to 60-second films. Thirty-five semi-finalists were named by the competition, and five winners were selected through a combination of a jury including Walter Cronkite
, Brian Williams
, then Senator Barack Obama
, George Clooney
, Philip Seymour Hoffman
and others. The winning films from the Film Your Issue contest were screened at the Vail Film Festival
.
Sean's roots in South Africa and his interest in the AIDS epidemic (His mother, Dr. Landau, is a leading expert on AIDS, and author of "AIDS, Health and Mental Health") led to his involvement with Product RED
. In 2007 the Vail Film Festival became the only film festival to partner with Bono
and Bobby Shriver's Product Red
, an initiative to raise money for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Africa. Together, Product Red
and the Vail Film Festival launched the worldwide film competition, the RED Vision Contest, whereby filmmakers submitted positive, inspiring films. The winning films were screened at the festival. The Vail Film Festival donated 25% of Avanti pass sales to the Global Fund.
Sean helped grow the Vail Film Festival into a major national film festival, recognized in 2007 as "One of the top ten destination film festivals in the world".
The Vail Film Festival has screened groundbreaking independent and studio films, including Before Sunset
, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
, Snow Cake
, The Wendell Baker Story
and recognized some of the film industry's most talented actors and filmmakers, including Edward R. Pressman
, Harold Ramis
, Luke Wilson
, Kevin Smith
, Michelle Monaghan
, Tim Daly, Jeremy Davies
, Olivia Wilde
, Jesse Eisenberg
, Sophia Bush
, and Adrian Grenier
.
Sean co-founded Cross Hollar in 2007 with Scott Cross and Troy Hollar, a commercial, film, and new media production company. Cross Hollar produces a range of projects, from film to new media, from webisodes to digital shorts. Sean's production credits include a video interview with renowned broadcaster Walter Cronkite
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
filmmaker, producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, and founder of Vail Film Festival
Vail Film Festival
The Vail Film Festival is a four-day film festival that has taken place annually in late March or early April in Vail, Colorado since 2004. The 2011 Vail film festival took place March 31 - April 3 in Vail, Colorado...
.
Background
Sean was born in Cape TownCape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and raised in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He pursued undergraduate studies in Sociology at the University of Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
and graduate studies in film at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
. He currently divides his time between New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Vail, Colorado
Vail, Colorado
The Town of Vail is a Home Rule Municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,589 in 2005. The town was established and built as the base village to Vail Ski Resort, with which it was originally conceived...
.
Sean's father is world renowned surgeon Dr. Johan Naude
Johan Naude
Johan Naude is a surgeon and urologist. Naude was former president of the South African Urological Association and a pioneering transplant surgeon who worked closely with legendary heart transplant surgeon Christian Barnard.-Training:...
, former president of the South African Urological Association and a pioneering transplant surgeon who worked closely with legendary heart transplant surgeon Christian Barnard. Dr. Naude is a staunch advocate of racial equality, and during the apartheid era, became the first Urology department head at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (now Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine), the first medical school in South Africa open to all races. Dr. Naude is the only South African elected to honorary membership of the British Association of Urological Surgeons. Sean's mother is pioneering family therapist Dr. Judith Landau, founder of Link therapy and president of the International Family Therapy Association. Dr. Landau is Senior Consultant to the International Trauma Studies Program at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, and a former Fulbright Scholar. Sean's grandfather is acclaimed South African author Johannes H. Naude, and his great-grandfather is Judah Landau, former head rabbi of South Africa, leading rabbinical author and scholar, and a vocal advocate for race and class equality in pre-apartheid South Africa. Sean is the brother of Scott Cross
Scott Cross (film director)
Scott Cross is an American film director, producer, actor, and writer, and founder of the Vail Film Festival, one of the top ten destination film festivals in the world, according to MovieMaker magazine.-Background:...
, and co-founder of the Colorado Film Institute and Vail Film Festival
Vail Film Festival
The Vail Film Festival is a four-day film festival that has taken place annually in late March or early April in Vail, Colorado since 2004. The 2011 Vail film festival took place March 31 - April 3 in Vail, Colorado...
.
Career
Sean is a filmmaker and entrepreneur who has spent almost a decade working in film. In 2003, Sean co-founded the Colorado Film Institute and the Vail Film FestivalVail Film Festival
The Vail Film Festival is a four-day film festival that has taken place annually in late March or early April in Vail, Colorado since 2004. The 2011 Vail film festival took place March 31 - April 3 in Vail, Colorado...
with his brother Scott Cross
Scott Cross (film director)
Scott Cross is an American film director, producer, actor, and writer, and founder of the Vail Film Festival, one of the top ten destination film festivals in the world, according to MovieMaker magazine.-Background:...
to serve as a platform to educate aspiring filmmakers, showcase unique artistic visions, and to ensure that powerful, creative independent films are seen by the movie-going public.
In 2006, Sean spearheaded the Vail Film Festival's partnership with Film Your Issue
Film Your Issue
Film Your Issue is a national issue film contest featuring 30 to 60-second films by U.S. residents from the ages of 18 to 26. Spearheaded by Heathcliff Rothman, in partnership with The American Democracy Project, the contest had its first "beta" round in 2005....
, a national issue film contest, in partnership with the American Democracy Project (AASCU initiative), featuring 30 to 60-second films. Thirty-five semi-finalists were named by the competition, and five winners were selected through a combination of a jury including Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
, Brian Williams
Brian Williams
Brian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...
, then Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, George Clooney
George Clooney
George Timothy Clooney is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. For his work as an actor, he has received two Golden Globe Awards and an Academy Award...
, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
and others. The winning films from the Film Your Issue contest were screened at the Vail Film Festival
Vail Film Festival
The Vail Film Festival is a four-day film festival that has taken place annually in late March or early April in Vail, Colorado since 2004. The 2011 Vail film festival took place March 31 - April 3 in Vail, Colorado...
.
Sean's roots in South Africa and his interest in the AIDS epidemic (His mother, Dr. Landau, is a leading expert on AIDS, and author of "AIDS, Health and Mental Health") led to his involvement with Product RED
Product Red
Product Red, styled as RED, is a brand licensed to partner companies such as Nike, American Express , Apple Inc., Starbucks, Converse, Bugaboo, Penguin Classics , Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark and Dell...
. In 2007 the Vail Film Festival became the only film festival to partner with Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
and Bobby Shriver's Product Red
Product Red
Product Red, styled as RED, is a brand licensed to partner companies such as Nike, American Express , Apple Inc., Starbucks, Converse, Bugaboo, Penguin Classics , Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark and Dell...
, an initiative to raise money for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Africa. Together, Product Red
Product Red
Product Red, styled as RED, is a brand licensed to partner companies such as Nike, American Express , Apple Inc., Starbucks, Converse, Bugaboo, Penguin Classics , Gap, Emporio Armani, Hallmark and Dell...
and the Vail Film Festival launched the worldwide film competition, the RED Vision Contest, whereby filmmakers submitted positive, inspiring films. The winning films were screened at the festival. The Vail Film Festival donated 25% of Avanti pass sales to the Global Fund.
Sean helped grow the Vail Film Festival into a major national film festival, recognized in 2007 as "One of the top ten destination film festivals in the world".
The Vail Film Festival has screened groundbreaking independent and studio films, including Before Sunset
Before Sunset
Before Sunset is a 2004 American romantic drama film and the sequel to Before Sunrise . Like its predecessor, the film was directed by Richard Linklater. However, this time Linklater shares screenplay credit with both actors from the movies, Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy...
, Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Forgetting Sarah Marshall is a 2008 American romantic comedy film directed by Nicholas Stoller and starring Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Russell Brand...
, Snow Cake
Snow Cake
Snow Cake is a 2006 independent drama film directed by Marc Evans and starring Alan Rickman, Sigourney Weaver, Carrie-Anne Moss, Emily Hampshire, and Callum Keith Rennie...
, The Wendell Baker Story
The Wendell Baker Story
The Wendell Baker Story is a 2005 American film. It is the first film directed by Luke Wilson and his eldest brother Andrew Wilson, which premiered at the 2005 South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas in March 2005...
and recognized some of the film industry's most talented actors and filmmakers, including Edward R. Pressman
Edward R. Pressman
Edward R. Pressman is an American film producer.Pressman was born in New York City, New York, the son of Lynn and Jack Pressman, known as the "King of Marbles", who founded the Pressman Toy Corporation.-Filmography:...
, Harold Ramis
Harold Ramis
Harold Allen Ramis is an American actor, director, and writer, specializing in comedy. His best-known film acting roles are as Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters and Russell Ziskey in Stripes , both of which he also co-wrote...
, Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson
Luke Cunningham Wilson is an American film actor known for his roles in Old School, Bottle Rocket, The Royal Tenenbaums, Legally Blonde, Idiocracy and Death at a Funeral.-Early life:...
, Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
, Michelle Monaghan
Michelle Monaghan
Michelle Lynn Monaghan is an American actress known for her roles in Mission: Impossible III, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Gone Baby Gone, Made of Honor, The Heartbreak Kid, Eagle Eye, and Source Code.-Early life:...
, Tim Daly, Jeremy Davies
Jeremy Davies
Father Jeremy Davies , an English Roman Catholic priest whose parish is based around Old Hall Green, is a former doctor and also a leading exorcist....
, Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde
Olivia Wilde is an American actress and fashion model. She began acting in the early 2000s, and has since appeared in a number of film and television parts, including roles in the serial-drama The O.C. and The Black Donnellys. She portrayed Dr...
, Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Eisenberg
Jesse Adam Eisenberg is an American actor. He made his screen debut with the comedy-drama television series Get Real from 1999 to 2000...
, Sophia Bush
Sophia Bush
Sophia Anna Bush is an American actress, director and spokesperson. She currently stars in the CW television series One Tree Hill where she portrays Brooke Davis. Bush is additionally known for her film portrayals in the 2007 remake The Hitcher, John Tucker Must Die and The Narrows.-Early...
, and Adrian Grenier
Adrian Grenier
Adrian Grenier is an American actor, musician and director. He is best known for his lead role on the HBO original series, Entourage, as Vincent Chase.-Early life:...
.
Sean co-founded Cross Hollar in 2007 with Scott Cross and Troy Hollar, a commercial, film, and new media production company. Cross Hollar produces a range of projects, from film to new media, from webisodes to digital shorts. Sean's production credits include a video interview with renowned broadcaster Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
.