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Ron Senkowski is a writer and producer based in Los Angeles. He is the chief executive officer and president of Symply Entertainment, a production company he founded with Lebanese producer and actress Samira Kawas. [1] Together they also founded The Hollywood Pop Up Comedy Club in 2018. [2]
Senkowski possesses an MBA from the University of Tennessee and an MFA from the University of Michigan. [3]
His directorial debut Let's Kill All the Lawyers (1992) was the first feature film edited using Avid. [4] [5] For a long time Senkowski was Michael Mann's head of development. Furthermore he wrote features for most of the major studios, as well as for Adam Sandler, Quentin Tarantino and Barry Levinson. [6] [7] He directed and produced several TV shows and features. [8] In 2013 he produced Decoding Annie Parker starring Helen Hunt and Aaron Paul. [9] In 2014 together with actress and producer Salma Hayek Senkowski adapted the worldwide bestseller The Prophet by author Kahlil Gibran. [10] The animated drama film was directed by Roger Allers who is known for his work on some of the biggest Disney hits such as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. [11] An in-progress preview of The Prophet took place at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. [12] The film had its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015. [13]
Senkowski is an active member of the Writers Guild of America and Producers Guild of America, where he is on the International Committee. He is also a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. [3]
Senkowski's production company Symply Entertainment operates internationally from offices in Los Angeles, Dubai and Beirut. Their focus is on adapting internationally acclaimed novels that have multi-cultural components to the storylines. In 2018 Ron Senkowski and Samira Kawas, who is also the Vice President of Symply Entertainment, founded the brand The Hollywood Pop Up Comedy Club. [2] Together they bring American A-list comedians to the Middle East, mostly to cities which do not have comedy clubs yet. Their first stand up comedy event was held in Beirut at the St. Georges Yacht Club in April 2018. [2] Ever since they have produced over 60 shows throughout the Middle East, including the Maz Jobrani "Peaceful Warrior" Tour 2019. [14]
| Year | Title | Credits | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Life is a Cabaret | Director Executive Producer | TV series |
| 2014 | Only Happens in Dubai | Director Executive Producer | TV special |
| 2014 | The Prophet | Producer | |
| 2013 | Decoding Annie Parker | Producer | |
| 2006 | Farmers' Almanac TV | Writer | TV series documentary |
| 2003 | American Almanacs: A Living History | Director | Video documentary |
| 1999 | Under Contract | Writer Director Producer | |
| 1999 | Wicked Ways | Writer Director | |
| 1992 | Let's Kill All the Lawyers | Writer Director Producer |
Salma Hayek Pinault is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela Teresa (1989–1991) as well as the romantic drama Midaq Alley (1995). She soon established herself in Hollywood with appearances in films such as Desperado (1995), From Dusk till Dawn (1996), Wild Wild West (1999), and Dogma (1999).
Gibran Khalil Gibran, usually referred to in English as Kahlil Gibran, was a Lebanese-American writer, poet and visual artist; he was also considered a philosopher, although he himself rejected the title. He is best known as the author of The Prophet, which was first published in the United States in 1923 and has since become one of the best-selling books of all time, having been translated into more than 100 languages.
Miguel Arteta is a Puerto Rican director of film and television, known for his independent film Chuck & Buck (2000), for which he received the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award, and for the films The Good Girl (2002) and Cedar Rapids (2011).
Dean Obeidallah is an American lawyer, comedian, and journalist. He is the host of SiriusXM Progress' The Dean Obeidallah Show and a frequent contributor to CNN, The Daily Beast, and MSNBC.
Roger Allers is an American film director, screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist, and playwright. He is best known for co-directing Disney's The Lion King (1994), the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time, and for writing the Broadway adaptation of the same name. He also directed Sony Pictures Animation's first feature-length animated film, Open Season (2006) and the animated adaptation of The Prophet.
The Prophet is a book of 26 prose poetry fables written in English by the Lebanese-American poet and writer Kahlil Gibran. It was originally published in 1923 by Alfred A. Knopf. It is Gibran's best known work. The Prophet has been translated into over 100 languages, making it one of the most translated books in history, as well as one of the best selling books of all time. It has never been out of print.
Amanda Palmer is an Australian-English media and film executive and international journalist, whose 18-year-career in film and media entertainment, content creation and entertainment platforms has spanned Australia, Britain, United States and the Middle East.
Ventanarosa is an American film and television production company formally founded by Salma Hayek in 1999 and run by Hayek and her production partner, Jose Tamez. Siobhan Flynn serves as its Head of Development and Production. Ventanarosa means “pink window” in Spanish.
Maziyar Jobrani, better known as Maz Jobrani, is an American comedian and actor who was part of the "Axis of Evil" comedy group. The group appeared on a comedy special on Comedy Central. Jobrani has also appeared in numerous films, television shows, including Better Off Ted, on radio, and in comedy clubs. His filmography includes roles in The Interpreter, Friday After Next, Dragonfly, and Jimmy Vestvood: Amerikan Hero. He appeared as a regular character on the 2017 CBS sitcom Superior Donuts. He had been an advisory board member of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC).
Clark Peterson is an American film producer and entertainment executive. He produced the Academy Award-winning film Monster, starring Charlize Theron, and has created and produced a wide variety of award-winning films, documentaries, and television movies. He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
The Baháʼí Faith (بهائی) has a following of at least several hundred people in Lebanon dating back to 1870. The community includes around 400 people, with a centre in Beit Mery, just outside the capital Beirut, and cemeteries in Machgara and Khaldeh. On the other hand, the Association of Religion Data Archives estimated some 3,900 Baháʼís in 2005.
Just Like Us is a 2010 documentary about a comedy tour of international comedians throughout the Middle East. Directed by Egyptian-American actor/comedian Ahmed Ahmed, the film premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.
The Prophet is a 2014 animated drama film adapted from Kahlil Gibran's 1923 book of the same name. Produced by Salma Hayek, whose voice is also present, the production consisted of different directors for each of the film's collective essays, with animation director Roger Allers supervising and credited as screenwriter. Segment directors include Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi, Joan C. Gratz, Mohammed Saeed Harib, Tomm Moore, Nina Paley, Bill Plympton, Joann Sfar and Michal Socha.
Jonathan Kesselman is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer, who first gained notice as the writer and director of The Hebrew Hammer (2003).
A Simple Wedding is a 2018 American romantic comedy film directed by Sara Zandieh and starring Tara Grammy, Christopher O'Shea, Rita Wilson, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Maz Jobrani and Houshang Touzie.
The Hollywood Pop Up Comedy Club is a Los Angeles and Beirut based brand which brings U.S. comedians to cities where they do not have comedy clubs yet. It was launched by co-founders Ron Senkowski and Samira Kawas in April 2018.
Samira Kawas is a producer and actress based in Beirut. She is the vice president of Symply Entertainment, a production company co-founded by her and American writer, director and producer Ron Senkowski. In 2018 they founded The Hollywood Pop Up Comedy Club.
Anthony Salame is an Australian comedian and former radio host, who has also had appearances in multiple Australian television series.
Haifa Charbel is a Lebanese television presenter, executive producer, and documentary maker. She has created travel documentaries and high profile interviews with Lebanese businessmen, and prominent political figures. Haifa Charbel creates and produces Soufaraa al Arez, a Lebanese diaspora affairs talk show. In 2015, she founded, and serves as the CEO of True Story Productions.