Discussing: Growing Up Smith

This week’s discussion group, moderated by Reading Film, will feature Growing Up Smith producer & Wilson High School alum, Steve Straka.

About Steve Straka:
After receiving his B.A. in English from Colgate University, Steve Straka earned a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership from Stanford University and completed the MFA program in Film Production at UCLA, where he garnered numerous awards as a director and writer, including the prestigious Seppi Award for Outstanding Comedy Screenplay. As a producer, he has focused on family and teen-oriented films. Steve’s first film, White Air, starred Dominique Swain, Riley Smith and Tom Sizemore and received international distribution despite a limited budget. Steve has also served as a financing consultant and development executive on multiple projects that have garnered financing and distribution from companies including Emmett Furla Films and Showtime Entertainment. In addition to Growing Up Smith, Steve is currently producing Nursery Crimes, a documentary focused on the roots of violence in America, by Emmy-winning director Amardeep Kaleka.