Barbara DeFina made her start in the film industry working as a production assistant and worked her way up through various production capacities, eventually acting as a production coordinator on over 15 films, including Paul Mazursky’s AN UNMARRIED WOMAN, THE GAMBLER, THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123, THE VALACHI PAPERS and Woody Allen’s INTERIORS.
Ms. DeFina then became associate producer for Rupert Hitzig and Alan King’s company King/Hitzig Productions. There she developed feature film properties including CATTLE ANNIE AND LITTLE BRITCHES, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEMINI and WOLFEN as well as a number of television movies and TV pilots.
She worked as unit manager/associate producer with Jay Presson Allen on Sidney Lumet’s highly acclaimed PRINCE OF THE CITY and as unit manager for a number of Universal and Spelling/Goldberg television productions, including PAPER DOLLS and THE EQUALIZER. She was also unit manager on the film THE CHOSEN.
Ms. DeFina then became associated with filmmaker Sean Cunningham, working as associate producer on SPRING BREAK and THE NEW KIDS.
She began her association with Martin Scorsese on THE KING OF COMEDY where she worked as unit manager during post production. She then produced with Irving Axelrad, THE COLOR OF MONEY and then served as producer on BAD, Scorsese’s music video with Michael Jackson.
She produced the following films with Scorsese directing: THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, the LIFE LESSONS segment of NEW YORK STORIES, CAPE FEAR, THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, CASINO, KUNDUN, BRINGING OUT THE DEAD as well as his documentaries MY VOYAGE TO ITALY and MADE IN MILAN and DANGEROUS EDGE a documentary about Graham Green. She executive produced Scorsese’s films GOODFELLAS and HUGO.
Ms. DeFina also worked with the director Stephen Frears, executive producing THE GRIFTERS, and producing THE HI LO COUNTRY. She produced KICKED IN THE HEAD with Matthew Harrison directing and YOU CAN COUNT ON ME with Kenneth Lonergan directing as well as THE MESMERIST with Gil Cates, Jr. directing, BRIDES with Pantelis Voulgaris directing and LYMELIFE with Derick Martini directing.
She is currently developing ME THE MOB AND THE MUSIC based on the book of the same title by Tommy James and Martin Fitzpatrick and CASSINO IN ISCHIA directed by Frank Ciota and written by Joe Ciota to be shot in Italy.
Paul Hardart (Moderator): Paul Hardart is the Director of the Entertainment, Media and Technology Program at New York University (NYU). Paul is also a partner in the online storytelling platform Witnify, which captures and curates first-person accounts of important world events. He has produced a number of critically acclaimed feature films and documentaries, including MARY AND MAX, ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: LIFE THROUGH A LENS and BEFORE THE RAINS. He is an active speaker at conferences and panels related to media and technology.
Before joining NYU Stern, Paul was the founding director of the Graduate Program in Media Management at The New School. He has guest lectured at the University of California Los Angeles, The American Film Institute, Columbia University, Temple University and the University of California at San Diego. He founded and ran Universal Focus, the independent film label of Universal Pictures. During his tenure there, he oversaw the release of such films as BEING JOHN MALKOVICH, PITCH BLACK, NURSE BETTY and BILLY ELLIOT. He also created Universal Pictures’ library management program, overseeing the restoration and re-issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s REAR WINDOW and the re-edit of Orson Welles’s TOUCH OF EVIL. Prior to Universal Focus, he oversaw strategic planning for Universal Pictures, which included launching new businesses and helping shape the Studio’s long-term strategy. He has also held senior positions at Warner Brothers and Turner Broadcasting and began his career at ABC Sports, CNBC and The Newark Star-Ledger.
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