Celik Kayalar, PhD: Founder and Director of "Film Acting Bay Area"
Director / Actor / Producer / Instructor

Celik writes, directs and produces independent films and plays. His first digital short-film "For the Love of Dance" played at local festivals in the San Francisco Bay Area. One of his latest short-film "The Valiant" has been playing at festivals, nationally. Celik's feature-length film "Moonlight Sonata" which he wrote, directed and executive-produced in 2009 features 22 FABA acting-students in speaking roles. It's been accepted to 13 film festivals (US and International) and won 4 prestigious awards:

• Gold Kahuna Award for "Excellence in Filmmaking" at Honolulu International Film Festival;
• "Most Memorable Movie" Award at Eugene International Film Festival;
• Platinum Reel Award for "Excellence in Filmmaking" at Nevada Film Festival, and
• "Outstanding Cinematography" Award at Sacramento International Film Festival.

Celik's most recent narrative short-film "99%" can be watched at: www.the99percentmovie.com. It already played at two festivals; Studio City and IFQ (where it won the Best Narrative Award) and is short-listed for a Webby Award in May (Equivalent of Oscars for the internet). It will play at the Maryland International Film Festival in April. The film's large cast includes many FABA acting students and four FABA faculty (sixteen in speaking roles and thirty-five in non-speaking roles).

His latest documentary short-film he directed, shot and edited, "Valentin Popov: FACE" has recently played at Sonoma; Albany; and Sacramento International Film Festivals.

Also trained as an actor, Celik recently acted in feature-films "9@Night"; "Presque Isle" and "Take" (by Cannes and Sundance-Winner and FABA faculty, Rob Nilsson); "A Leap to Take" which Celik also produced is now available as video-on-demand at FANDOR (fandor.com). His other roles include those in feature-films such as "Razors Ring" (by Morgan Hampton); "Around June" (by James Savoca); "Two Mothers" (by Jeremiah Birnbaum); "Love on Line" (by Bernadette McCarthy) and in numerous short-films.

His on-stage acting credits include "Couch" (which he wrote, directed and produced at Shelton Theater in San Francisco and Ruby Theater in Hollywood); "Death and the Maiden"(Mystic Bison); "Dirty Story" (Actors Theatre of San Francisco) and "Our Town" (The Playhouse, San Francisco).

 

Brian Degan Scott: Associate Director
Actor / Director / Producer / Instructor

Brian has been a professional actor (SAG, AFTRA, AEA), director and producer in film, television and on stage for many years. He has been teaching film and stage-acting in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles for more than twenty years at a number of prestigious acting schools including the Jean Shelton Acting School, the Daedalus Studio, Mark Monroe Acting Lab, San Francisco State University and the San Francisco School for Digital Film. He also is a well known dialect coach and public speaking teacher.

His film credits include the CBS Movie of the Week "Johnnie Mae Gibson FBI", "Want", the cult classic "Killer Klowns From Outer Space", "Torn" and "Moonlight Sonata". In 2011, he won Best Actor in a Feature Comedy at "The Best Actors (in a) Film Festival" for his lead-role in "Nominated" (which he also co-produced and edited). "Nominated" also featured a number of FABA students and faculty in supporting and non-speaking roles. Television appearances include principle roles on "Trauma", "Nash Bridges", "Hearts Afire", "Renegade", "Midnight Caller" and "The Evidence".

In addition, Brian has appeared in numerous industrial films and theatrical productions locally as well as in Los Angeles. He recently appeared in the critically acclaimed "Our Lady of 121st Street", "The Fantasticks", "Coraline" and "Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party" at the SF Playhouse which went on to win "Best of the Fringe" at the New York International Fringe Festival.

Stage Directing credits include "Picasso at the Lapin Agile", "Zero Positive", "Geography of a Horse Dreamer", "The Hothouse" and "House of Blue Leaves" which was nominated for a Bay Area Critics Circle Award. Film directing credits include "The Suitcase", "The Gatherers" and "One El Camino" which he wrote, directed and produced in his Advanced Film Acting classes.

He recently launched a training and resource blog "Film Actors Café" giving advice and information about the many facets of the acting business.

Celia Shuman
Actor / Instructor

An accomplished performer (SAG, AFTRA, AEA) in film, television, theatre and commercials for over 27 years, Celia rounds out her professional expertise as a teacher, director and corporate trainer. In addition to numerous independent and industrial films, on-camera credits include an upcoming role in the new Clint Eastwood movie, "Hereafter", Pixar's "The Incredibles", "Moonlight Sonata" (by Celik Kayalar),"Midnight Caller", "Nash Bridges", the CD-ROM game "Top Gun".

She is the recipient of a Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Award for creating the role of "Jackie-O" in Magic Theatre's "The House of Yes". Other principle theatre venues include ACT, Berkeley Rep, San Jose Rep, Marin Theatre Company, Theatreworks and Center Rep. Her credits include development of new works with award winning playwrights Peter Sinn Nachtrieb, Charles Mee, Michelle Carter, Barbara Dameshek and in the musical and dance realm, Joe Goode, Janine Tesori, and Theatreworks New Works Festival. Her recording credits include on the first ever cast album recording of Kurt Weill's "Happy End", with musical direction by award winning Konstantine Kitsopolus.

Celia holds a BFA in Acting with High Honors from Pennsylvania State University. She has also worked in New York and Los Angeles. She was both founding member and instructor at Full Circle Productions in San Francisco and the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking. Her expertise includes teaching advanced film acting, commercials and auditioning for the camera. Celia's well- rounded background influences her technique-based teaching style, creatively drawing from many artforms and styles to challenge her students to achieve self-sufficiency on the set.

Jessica Heidt
Director / Actor / Casting Director / Instructor

Jessica is a highly accomplished, multiple award-winning director, producer, actor and acting instructor. She's been the Associate Artistic Director, as well as the Casting Director (9 years) of the "Magic Theatre," where she directed several world premiere productions. She is currently the Artistic Director of "Climate Theater" in San Francisco, where she most recently directed The Bright River by Tim Barsky.

As a casting director, Jessica is in constant demand for feature-films and plays produced by numerous companies in the Bay Area, such as the Aurora Theater in Berkeley, Reflective Films, and Z Space Studios. She is also a casting consultant at Pixar (Emeryville).

She teaches acting, directing and audition techniques at various prestigious colleges in the Bay Area.