Producer Will Packer from Rainforest Films on "Inside Urban Hollywood" Tuesday April 21st 5pm PST

Producer Will Packer discusses producing indie and studio-financed films. As Co-Founder and Chairman of Rainforest Films, Packer is responsible for producing and overseeing the company's studio financed and self-financed films and distribution projects. The company's first theatrically released motion picture, "Trois," grossed $1.2 million dollars and became the fastest million dollar grossing film distributed by African Americans. Based on Rainforest Film's success as an independent distributor, Packer brokered a profitable partnership in 2001 between Rainforest Films and Sony's Columbia Tri-Star to produce and distribute urban films, which resulted in Packer overseeing production and distribution budgets of numerous urban-themed releases including "Trois: The Escort," "Motives," and "The Gospel." Next, Will brokered a deal to produce Mekhi Phifer's feature film directorial debut, "Puff Puff Pass," in Los Angeles, before returning to Atlanta to produce the company's largest project to date, Stomp The Yard, which held the #1 position at the box office for two weekends and received the 2007 Movie of the Year honors from the BET Hip Hop Awards. Packer enjoyed the success of "This Christmas," which opened a strong #2 at the box office on Thanksgiving weekend in 2007. While many filmmakers struggle to get top talent in their films, the talent starring in Packer's films read like a "who's who" in music and entertainment. In April 2009, "Obsessed," a femme -fatal thriller starring Beyonce Knowles, Idris Elba and Ali Larter will release nationwide. Another star-studded film on the horizon is the action movie "Takers," starring Matt Dillon, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Hayden Christensen, TI, and Chris Brown.