Blue Heron International Pictures LLC

Our Business

Blue Heron International Pictures LLC is a limited liability company registered with the State of Florida Division of Corporations.

First and foremost, we are a film production company (in-house projects only). As story development consultants, we also offer research services to feature movie screenwriters.

In addition, we are engaged in activities which promote student film-making, and hope to launch an international student film festival in the near future.

Finally, we offer limited production services to major projects with SAG agreements filming in the Daytona Beach area.

Who We Are

R.I. Lester, Jr.

Executive Producer

Richard Lester brings a wide variety of television and motion picture experience to Blue Heron International Pictures.

Lester has appeared in a number of major motion pictures, including Silverado (Columbia), American Anthem (Columbia), Police Academy 5 (Warner Bros), White of the Eye (Paramount) and Cobra Mission by Italian film director Fabrizio DeAngelis (released in the USA as Operation Nam).

His most recent roles include a German security specialist in Ted V. Mikels' Astro-Zombies M4: Invaders From Cyberspace, and a mobster's body- guard in the Spanish production of Corpse-Grinders 3.

Lester is a current member of Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television & Radio Artists (AFTRA).

He is also the author of several best-selling books, including Flight of the Blue Heron, Hollywood Legend, and A Wish Beyond the Stars.

                                                    Richard Lester in SILVERADO

Since 2009, Lester has worked as an associate producer for Producer/Director Ted V. Mikels on two feature motion pictures -- Astro-Zombies M3: Cloned and Astro-Zombies M4: Invaders from Cyberspace. He is also an associate producer for Corpse-Grinders 3, produced by Tyrannosaurus Entertainment in Barcelona, Spain.

Lester holds a bachelors degree in theatre and speech from The College of William & Mary; a masters degree from the University of Southern Mississippi; and an Ed.S degree from Nova University in Miami, Florida.

He created Blue Heron International Pictures in 2005.

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Gary Lester

Director 

Gary Lester holds an associate of science degree in photography from Daytona Beach Community College and a bachelor's degree in photography from the University of Central Florida.

In addition to seven graduate courses in Motion Picture Production from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Gary also completed training at The Hollywood Film Institute in Los Angeles, where he earned a certificate of completion in motion picture production.  

Gary's film debut as an actor occurred in 2001 when he appeared in Flamingo Rising on The Hallmark Hall of Fame. The production aired on CBS and is available on VHS.

Gary is an award-winning director. His documentary films includeCourtney, Fuzzy Little People, Eyewitness To History, The Cleansing, Deliver Us From Evil, Bogart & Friends, Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo, and A Night With Johnny Duncan. He also directed the paranormal comedy Henry Blackhart Is Dead, and a short thriller, The Hit, starring Johnny Martino.

All of Gary's films have screened at film festivals ranging from Boca Raton, Florida to Busan, South Korea to Ontario, Canada. Three have won Best Documentary awards, Crystal Reels, Best Director awards, and one captured an Audience Choice award at the Daytona Beach Film Festival. On-line presskits for all films are available at the ultimate film festival website, Withoutabox.

In February 2008, Gary finished Deliver Us From Evil, his gripping story of two people who survived the Holocaust. On May 1, Israel 10 television broadcast the film as part of the nation's Holocaust remembrance events. In August, 2008, the film won the prestigious Crystal Reel Award from the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association.

During the summer of 2008,Gary released his docu-thriller, Henry Blackhart is Dead and his animal documentary, Bogart & Friends. His most recent Holocaust project -- Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo -- was released in March, 2009, and premiered at the historic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California.

The film went on to capture six Crystal Reel Awards from the Florida Motion Picture & Television Association, a Special Juror Mention from the West Hollywood International Film Festival, and a Best Director award at the Treasure Coast International Film Festival.

Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo has been translated into Hebrew, Russian and Polish, and has been seen by approximately eight million people worldwide. It has been broadcast four timeson Israeli network television, and screens regularly at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, as well as the Warsaw Zoo in Poland.

In 2009, Gary worked as second unit director for Hollywood icon Ted V. Mikels, in his horror movie Astro Zombies M3: Cloned.

In 2011, Gary worked as assistant director on Astro-Zombies M 4: Invaders From Cyberspace. He also directed the award-winning documentary,The Weatherwax Legacy.

In 2012, Gary produced and directed a feature length animal documentary, Forever Friends, featuring animal lover and former child star Beverly Washburn (Old Yeller, Shane).

He also worked as second unit director (USA) for the Spanish production of Corpse-Grinders 3.

 Gary's official filmography is available on IMDb -- The Internet Movie Data Base.

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John Martino

Producer/Screenwriter

John Martino serves as a consultant to the Project Development Division and recommends which scripts should be produced by the company and which projects should be pitched to the major studios or major independent filmmakers.

John is an accomplished screenwriter with several of his own projects presently under consideration in Los Angeles. He is currently a member of SAG and has starred with Sylvester Stallone in Capone, with Warren Oates in Dillinger, and as Paulie with Marlon Brando and Al Pacino in The Godfather.

Johnny has also appeared in The Wild Wild West, Astro-Zombies M4: Invaders From Cyberspace, Dead By Friday, The Hit, and Corpse-Grinders 3.

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Alex Ringer

Producer

Alex Ringer worked with us as our associate producer in Israel on our first Holocaust film, Deliver Us From Evil.

Alex is also the producer of our latest award-winning Holocaust film, Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo. He has been responsible for airing our Holocaust documentaries on network television throughout Israel (NANA Channel 10), and has produced a Hebrew version of the Safe HavenDVD.

Against all odds, Alex was able to locate a survivor who spent part of his childhood in hiding at the Warsaw Zoo.

Alex resides in Nesher, Israel. He enjoys nature walks and trips throughout the region, when not working as a professional photographer and graphic art designer.

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Feliks Pastusiak

Producer

Feliks Pastusiak is our Warsaw-based producer of Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo.

Feliks is one of Poland's busier producers. He has worked on a few major projects such as Steven Spielberg's Schindlers List , The Ogr, Proof of Life, Jacob the Liar, Aimee and Jaguar, and Roman Polanski's Holocaust film, The Pianist.

Feliks holds a diploma in geology from The Warsaw University.

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Charlie Carlson

Producer

Charlie Carlson is Florida's most famous folklore story-teller and historian. Author of numerous books, including the iconic Weird Florida coffee-table book published by Barnes & Noble.

Charlie is also known as Florida's Master of the Weird. His numerous books about the paranormal have generated excitement among sci-fi fans around the world.

In addition to being an accomplished stage magician with his own side show, Charlie Carlson's World of the Weird and Wacky, Charlie is also a veteran radio performer and film actor. He is still seen occasionally on cable television in his debut film role as Professor Morehouse in Curse of the Blair Witch.

Charlie is the producer of our first blockbuster feature film, Henry Blackhart is Dead. He has also starred in The Cleansing from Blue Heron, as well as the Blackhart film.

Most recently, he has starred in two PBS road show specials: Weird Florida: Roads Less Traveled and Weird Florida: On The Road Again.

Charlie's most recent movie role was as the sheriff inAstro-Zombies M4: Invaders From Cyberspace.

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Anthony Reece

Narrator

Anthony Reece is the narrator of the Holocaust documentary Safe Haven: The Warsaw Zoo.  In recent years, Anthony has produced, directed, or personally voiced hundreds of broadcast and e-learning projects.

As director of Voicetoons, Anthony has also produced and cast animations in more than 20 countries. Along with numerous radio, tv and commercial credits, past animation collaborations include his work on Jasper: The Story of a Mule, animated byBill Melendez of Peanuts fame, dozens of studio pilots such as the new Carter and Son, along withShipAntics from Boulder Media, (producers of Fosters Home to Imaginary Friends).

Anthony and Voicetoons have also directed and cast voices for gaming titles includingCreature Conflict, Bingwood, Frontline Dawn and more.

You can read more about our narrator Anthony Reece at his personal web site located at

Damon Easley

Cinematographer/Set Photography

Damon is an accomplished photographer and videographer.

His feature film work includes Hunt For The Devil released by Spookhunters Productions and Astro Zombies M3:Cloned for Blue Heron's second unit shoot for TVM Studios.

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David Karner

Cinematographer

Dave Karner behind the camera, as legendary actorJohnny Duncan signs autographs for the fans.

Dave is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Motion Picture Production.

Before coming to Florida, he was the production manager for a major foundation in Santa Monica, California.

Dave is extremely talented behind the camera, as well as with all facets of post-production.

In addition, heowns his own professional web designing company -- Thunder Mesa Designs

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Film Production

Blue Heron's Film Production Division produces a limited number of in-house projects each year, and takes them all the way from pre-production through post-production.

Student Film

The Student Film Division seeks out a few worthy student projects and provides support to those productions.

Films produced in this unit will be listed as a student project in association with Blue Heron International Pictures LLC.

This division also hopes to develop an international student film festival in the Daytona Beach area.

On Location

The Film Services Division will provide location support to major productions filming in the area.

Support services include:

*location scouting and photography

* acquisition of all necessary releases and licenses

* acquiring catering sevices

* locatinghousing, transportation

* arranging security services.

Production assistants will also be available on location.

Script Research

Research material is available for documentary producers working with Blue Heron International Pictures. Approximately 1.6 million pages of de-classified government documents and files have been retrieved and saved electronically. Research topics and rates are available upon request.