AUGUST 25TH , 2003

Nitestar Productions is honored to be selected to produce: Looking Back at the Future: Celebrating 25 Years of Battlestar Galactica set to premiere at the 25th Anniversary Galacticon Convention at Universal Studios on October 24th through the 26th.

The very special retrospective and tribute program will feature new interviews with Galactica producer and writer Glen Larson, actors Richard Hatch, Laurette Spang, and Anne Lockhart .

This will be the second team-up between Jerry and Galactica star Richard Hatch, who is producing the convention. Jerry is directing the retrospective.

Visit GALACTICON 2003 for more information on the convention, where the retrospective will have it's world premiere.

AUGUST 24TH , 2003

Jerry has completed authoring the DVD program Jose Feliciano: Yesterday, Today and Forever for Raggaforce and Universal latino Music. The concert video was also edited by Jerry at Nitestar Productions. Jose Feliciano: Yesterday, Today and Forever will be available in late 2003 on Universal Music DVDs.

JULY 19TH, 2003

The presentation trailer for actor/writer/director Richard Hatch's sci-fi epic The Great War of Magellan has finished editing here at Nitestar Productions with Jerry as editor. It will be premiered at Dragon Con in Atlanta and other conventions across the world. Congratulations to Richard and Shu-Shann Productions!

MAY 19TH, 2003

Inspired - and angered -- by websites with a pro-conservative, pro-war slant, Nitestar president and film director Jerry Vasilatos and creative collaborator Lisa Nowicki decided that pro-war Republicans needed to be called to the mat about their own lack of armed service records. The result was The Deck of Republican Chickenhawks, a deck of playing cards the couple created intended as political satire of the "Iraqi Most Wanted" card deck produced by the U.S. Pentagon to aid stationed troops in Iraq identify the most wanted and notorious members of the Saddam Hussein regime. The website, at: www.chickenhawkcards.com, has already had over 30,000 visitors and over 1,500 orders placed.

JULY 1ST, 2001

Jerry has been contracted to edit the feature film Now You Know, a romantic comedy written and directed by Jeff Anderson (Clerks.) Now You Know is being produced by Ray Ellingsen and Jean-Luc Martin and is being executive produced by Thomas Stelter, Eric Nordness and Alec Petrovic of Chicago based Lumberyard Production.

On a tragic note, writer / director Jane Cusumano passed away in June right after finishing the final edit of What Matters Most. Jane had been battling breast cancer for the past year as she valiantly pressed forward with production on her film. We wish her husband Jim and daughter Polly our condolences.

APRIL 1ST, 2001

Nitestar has been given the assignment of editing the video training series Skills for Actors for Ugly Old Bird Productions. The series is hosted by actor Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica) and covers such areas as stage combat, weapons handling, voice skills and more! Skills for Actors was produced by Ray Ellingsen and Jean-Luc Martin and was also directed by Ray Ellingsen. Expect to see the Skils for Actors series available for rental and purchase in video stores near you soon!

Jerry is going to be an uncle! Stacy Sennott (nee Vasilatos) and her husband Burke are expecting a delivery in October. Congratulations Stacy and Burke, this is a production much anticipated and well worth waiting for!

FEBRUARY 1ST, 2001

This month we are editing the AFM Film Market trailer for the documentary Marlene Dietrich: Her Own Song. Directed by her great grandson David Riva and produced by Gemini Film and the Associated Producer's Group, the documentary itself should be released by summer 2001. For more information, visit the official site by clicking here: Gemini News

JANUARY 1ST, 2001

Jerry and Nitestar are currently involved in cutting the trailer for the film What Matters Most written and directed by Jane Cusumano and being produced by Chateau Wally Films. What Matters Most is the touching coming of age drama focusing on two teenagers from different sides of the tracks in Rural Texas. It features Chad Allen ("Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman"), Polly Cusumano and Marshall Teague. Expect to see What Matters Most at the end of 2001.

OCTOBER 18TH, 2000

A Refugee and Me has been selected for screening at the Denver International Film Festival in Denver Colorado. Director Kevin Leadingham and co-producer Jerry Vasilatos were invited as guests to speak at the festival premiere screening, which drew raves reviews from the local press. Read more about it here at the Metropolitan!

OCTOBER 10TH, 2000

Jerry and Nitestar Productions are proud to have been assigned the task of editing the film festival montage for The American Film Institute's tribute to director Philip Kaufman (The Right Stuff, Henry and June, Quills) being shown at the Egyptian Theater here in the heart of Hollywood on October 22nd!

FEBRUARY 1ST, 2000

Jerry and Nitestar Productions are proud to announce the completion of A Refugee and Me which will enjoy it's debut at the American Cinematheque on February 29, 2000. We hope you can attend!

OCTOBER 20TH, 1999

Congratulations to Mary McCloud (Solstice) and her new husband Scott Moore! Mary and Scott were married on October 17th here in Los Angeles, and we wish them a long and happy life together!

Nitestar Productions is proud to announce two new projects now available on it's recently launched home video label. First up, and right in time for Halloween, is the feature length spoof The Blair Witch Rejects. Satirizing (quite obviously) the original independent hit The Blair Witch Project, The Blair Witch Rejects chronicles the misadventures of an inept Beverly Hills producer (Deborah Wolff) who believes she can ride the coat-tails of the original movieÌs success by filming a follow-up. Bankrolled by her father, she hires a documentary director (Kevin Leadingham), his production crew and four actors (to give the project a sexy Scream-like quality) in an attempt to track down evidence related to the ÏWest Wood WitchÓ. This witch (supposedly) fled to the forests of California and ritualistically sacrificed several Spanish settlers in the early 1700Ìs. Rumors persist however, of campers disappearing in the woods to this very day. Events start to unravel very early on as the motley group encounter other film crews in the woods and end up getting lost themselves. Is the curse of the ÏWest Wood WitchÓ for real... or something else entirely? Mix the frenetic pacing of And God Spoke... with the chaos of ItÌs a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Spinal Tap and the style of the original Blair Witch Project, and you should get an idea of the mayhem that ensues (with a hilarious surprise twist at the end.)

Next up, is the documentary film directed by Kevin Leadingham and co-produced by Nitestar Productions entitled A Refugee and Me. A Refugee and Me documents Kevin's journey to Thailand and his relationship with Burmese refugee and monk Twai Thongdee. Twai's efforts to secure an illegal Thai ID card so he can obtain a well paying job to help support his refugee family sets the stage for this fascinating and entertaining "road" documentary. A Refugee and Me was recently entered into the Sundance and Slamdance Film Festivals, and will have it's world premiere at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood in early November. Watch for more details here or order a copy of this entertaining film by clicking here.

Check out the Nitestar Lounge for updates to Jerry's Photo Album, and make sure to leave a hello in our guestbook by clicking here.

Jerry and Nitestar Productions wish you a scary and safe Halloween season, and check back soon for more updates!


AUGUST 16TH, 1999

It's been awhile since the last update, but thankfully it's because we've been very, very busy ;-)

This past weekend Jerry produced and directed a Blair Witch Project spoof entitled The Blair Witch Rejects in which a producer, director, camera crew and four actors attempt to track down evidence related to the "West Woods Witch" (not to be confused with the Wicked Witch of the West), who is the sister of the original Blair Witch. This witch (Nelly) fled to the forests of California and ritualistically sacrificed several Spanish settlers in the 1700's until she was eventually tracked down and burned at the stake. Rumors persist however, of campers disappearing in the forests of California. Could it be Nelly's restless spirit... or something else? Once it's cut, The Blair Witch Rejects will be shopped around for a straight to home video release, so check back soon for more details. The very talented ensemble cast includes: Kevin Leadingham, Chanda Willis, Brent Beebe, Deborah Wolff, Kristl Allison, Monique Russell, Lisa Nowicki, Sam Shorr, Mary Laina, Jennifer Parsons, and Al Magliochetti.

Speaking of Kevin Leadingham (another Columbia College Alumni), his documentary project A Refugee and Me is very close to nearing completion. Kevin has been editing Refugee here at Nitestar since June, and the response to it in test screenings thus far has been extremely positive. A Refugee and Me will be submitted for consideration to the Sundance Film Festival later this year.

Aaron Vanek's Return to Innsmouth was onlined here at Nitestar, and has been screened at several horror conventions to a rousing response. Make sure to visit the official website at the link right above!

Also completed recently at Nitestar was the rock video Ellegirl, Shegirl, Bitchgirl, Model performed by the Petrol Fish and directed by Geri Gordon Miller. Her documentary I've Got the Music (In Me) will be going into post-production here in September, check the link to her website above for more info on the project.

Watch for the "101-6868" long-distance television spots featuring Murder She Wrote regular Ron Masak and Dee Wallace Stone... they were edited by Jerry for the Winning Edge Group.

Also being edited at Nitestar this month were the projects Black Beach produced by Mark St. Juste for U-Group, Crawlspace written and produced by Sara Coover Caldwell and directed by Amy Klitsner, and the independent comedy short Too Sexy by first-time director Kristen Dehn. Congratulations Kristen!

More momentum on the Shelter Me front as it is sent out for consideration to actresses and a trip to Chicago coming up for my younger brother Lee's wedding will make this summer a memorable one... check back soon for more news and information as it happens here at Nitestar Productions, and make sure to drop a line in the guestbook to say hello too!


MAY 8TH, 1999

Nitestar Productions is now open for business, editing projects currently slated for post-production include I've Got the Music (In Me), a documentary on the Los Angeles Karaoke sub-culture directed by Geri Gordon Miller and produced by John Halecky, and the horror film Return to Innsmouth, adapted from an H.P. Lovecraft tale and directed by Columbia Alumni Aaron Vanek.



APRIL 10TH, 1999

The Avid MC Express has been delivered this week, and we are proud to announce the opening of our offices at Crossroads of the World, 6671 Sunset Boulevard, Building 1509, Suite # 104 in Hollywood, CA, 90028. The phone number is(323) 468-8089. Check back soon at our post-production link to the left for pictures of our edit suite as well as forthcoming rate information..


MARCH 6TH, 1999

We are getting our Avid in place the second week of March. On a personal note, Jerry was elected President of the Columbia College Alumni Association, the west coast alumni chapter of his alma matter in Chicago.

Make sure to visit the development area for Jerry's newly unveiled story treatment The Seahawks , a fantasy adventure story that he is currently scripting.

And make sure to sign our guestbook on the front page too!


MARCH 1ST, 1999

Greetings, and welcome to the first update page posted here at Nitestar Productions.

Lots of exciting stuff is happening behind the scenes here, as well as renovating the site with it's new look (make sure to check out the Lounge and Development areas), Nitestar is very close to acquiring it's own Avid Non-Linear System for soon to be offered Post Production Services. We'll make an official announcement as soon as the new office space is selected and system is in place. As well as advertising in Variety and the Hollywood Reporter, we will also be posting an ad in the IFP West and rely on heavily on word-of-mouth referrals so if any of you out there need post-production services on your projects, give us a call as our rates will be extremely competative.

Until the next update, good luck on your projects, stay safe, and thanks for visiting!