Document 189237

‘HOW TO FALL IN LOVE’
PRODUCTION BIOS
JEAN ABOUNADER (Executive Producer) – Jean Abounader is a producer whose work
ranges from documentaries to movies for television. She was formerly a researcher for CBS
News in New York, working on “CBS Reports” and “60 Minutes.” She became an Emmy®
nominated producer at CBS News and would likely have stayed there had not Sheila Nevins
offered her a job in the newly created documentary programming department at HBO.
At HBO, she originated the acclaimed series of hard-hitting documentaries, “America
Undercover.” She served as executive producer on “Down and Out in America,” which won an
Academy Award®, and “Soldiers in Hiding,” which received an Academy Award Nomination.
Other pioneering reality hours under her aegis include “Missing Persons,” “Growing up Stoned”
and “Life and Death in the Emergency Room.” She also negotiated and developed coproductions between HBO and the BBC, including “The Search for Josef Mengele.”
Abounader moved to Los Angeles to pursue making dramatic films, and has produced more
than a dozen movies for television. Recent productions include “Love Sick” for Lifetime, “12
Days of Christmas Eve” for USA and Hallmark Channel’s Mother’s Day presentation, “Life on
Liberty Street.” Another recent film was “Her Best Friend’s Husband” for Lifetime. Other films
for which she served as executive producer include “Ebbie” for Lifetime, “Dying to Belong” and
“Every Nine Seconds” for NBC and “Dead Husbands” and “No Laughing Matter” for USA. Also,
Abounader was the executive producer for the Hallmark Channel Original Movie “Three Weeks,
Three Kids.” Her films have featured a who’s who of Hollywood, including Hilary Swank, Gail
O’Grady, Cheryl Ladd, John Ritter, Nicolette Sheridan, Robert Urich and Diane Ladd.
She also produced the documentary special “A Century of Living” for HBO, which her husband,
Imre Horvath, directed. This documentary featured remarkable centenarians who reflected on
the last one hundred years.
Abounader received her Masters in Drama from Tufts University, spending a year in London, and
graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Wheaton College.
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TIM JOHNSON (Executive Producer) – Tim Johnson is among the most active and reliable
producers in the business, thanks to top rate productions and an 'on time, on budget'
reputation. Previously, he managed the production of ABC's “The Days.” Prior to forming
Johnson Production Group and Ignite Entertainment, he served as Head of West Coast
Programming and launched the successful series “Doc,” “Sue Thomas,” “FBI,” “Mysterious
Ways,” “Just Cause,” “Ponderosa,” It’s a Miracle” and “Miracle Pets.”
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HALLMARK CHANNEL / ‘HOW TO FALL IN LOVE’ – Production Bios – Page 2
Johnson is also responsible for producing the international hit series, “Dr. Quinn, Medicine
Woman” for more than five seasons. During his 100 episode tenure, he also launched “Live
From the Ranch” with Orson Bean - a nationally syndicated talk show focusing on family values
in America. He also developed and produced the original docu-drama “Cold Case” for CBS
network, which was the first program to integrate television with the internet. Most recently,
Johnson was the executive producer of the Hallmark Channel Original Movie “Three Weeks,
Three Kids.”
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MARK GRIFFITHS (Director) – Mark Griffiths wrote and directed the feature films “Running
Hot,” “Hardbodies” and “Hardbodies 2,” and has directed both television and feature films. As a
director, his feature film credits include “Heroes Stand Alone,” “A Cry in the Wild,” “Tactical
Assault” and “Behind Enemy Lines.”
Griffiths has directed numerous made for television movies, including the Hallmark Channel
Original Movies “Love’s Unending Legacy,” “Safe Harbor,” “Our House,” “McBride: Requiem,”
“What I Did for Love,” “Jane Doe: The Wrong Face,” “Mystery Woman: Mystery Weekend” and
“Growing the Big One.” Additional TV movies include “Going the Distance,” “The Miracle of the
Cards,” “Au Pair (I and II)” and “The Cowboy and the Movie Star.”
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BART FISHER (Writer) – Bart Fisher graduated Magna Cum Laude with his Master of Fine
Arts in Film Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts after graduating from Indiana
University, Bloomington with a B.A. in Biology, a minor in Comparative Literature and a Film
Certificate in Film Studies. Fisher has worked on such feature films as “Freddy Vs. Jason,” “The
Alamo” and “Blade Trinity.” As a writer/director, Fisher has garnered such noteworthy film
festival recognition as the Special Jury Prize from the Worldfest International Film Festival. One
of his feature-length screenplays was honored in the 2008 Outfest Screenwriting Lab
Fellowship. Fisher is a WGA and WGC member and is currently developing additional works.
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