Todd Traina

Todd Traina is an American film producer and the founder of Red Rover Films in 2007.[1] In 2007 Traina was named by Daily Variety as one of its "10 Producers to Watch."[2] My Suicide, a quirky low-budget dark comedy released in 2009 which Traina produced, won a Crystal Bear at the 2009 Berlin Film Festival,[1] among other prizes.

Traina was named to the board of the San Francisco Film Society in 2009.[1]

Personal life

Traina was born on October 22, 1969 in San Francisco,[3] the son of shipping executive and art collector John Traina and Dede Wilsey, a San Francisco socialite, chair of the board of trustees of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and member of many other boards of non-profit organizations.[2] Traina's stepmother is the romance novelist Danielle Steel.

Traina's brother, Trevor Traina, is a technology entrepreneur in San Francisco and a contributor to the online magazine Huffington Post. His late brother Nick Traina was a member of the punk/ska band Link 80.

On his mother's side of the family, he is descended from Herbert Henry Dow, the founder of Dow Chemical.[2] Traina has served as an associate on the Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation board.[1]

Traina, his mother and grandmother all were graduated from Connecticut College. He majored in government and minored in English.[4] Traina says he decided to become a producer while an undergraduate, saying “...I knew I didn't want to act or direct. The job of a producer has the right balance between the right and left brain, between the creative and business sides."[4]

Traina is married to Katie Traina and has a young daughter, Daisy. He commutes between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Film career

Fresh from college, Traina began his career in the film industry in 1991 as a production assistant on television movie-of-the-week adaptations of his stepmother's novels.[2][4] He turned independent producer two years later. His very first complete film was Stanley's Gig, which he sold to the Starz Network and was finally released in 2000.[2]

Traina has compared being a producer to being a wedding planner and "the father of the bride in a wedding that lasts a whole year."[4]

Films

Traina has served as producer, co-producer or executive producer on the following films:

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "San Francisco Film Society Elects Jennifer Chaiken and Todd Traina to Board of Directors". Press release (San Francisco Film Society). October 8, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Zinko, Carolyne (February 5, 2008). "Todd Traina's passion is movies, not money". SFGate. San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 2, 2010.
  3. ↑ "Todd Traina". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved May 4, 2010.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Howard, Mary (Winter 2008–2009). "Making Movie Magic: Close-up with independent film producer Todd Traina ´91". Connecticut College Magazine. Retrieved May 3, 2010.

External links