Film Crafts Organization Board of Directors
Lenny LoRusso
Founder, Executive Director
Producer, Filmmaker
“Lenny” Lorusso was born in Rome, Italy and later migrated to New York City. He currently lives in Central Florida.
In 2016, Lenny and his wife Tzvia decided to dive into filmmaking by starting a film group based in Orlando, Florida. The Orlando Independent Filmmakers (OIF) The group has since evolved into a very active community with about 10,000 members. Hundreds of short films as well as several features have been produced for OIF “Challenges”. All of these film projects have screened in a commercial theater.
In 2020 the couple started Sunbelt Productions, a media company that produces film, video projects, as well as screening and awards events. Additionally, Sunbelt manages talent and crew members.
In 2019, after experiencing the tremendous impact that the Orlando Independent Filmmakers group made on the local film community, Lenny founded the Film Crafts Organization in 2023 to provide educational opportunities for individuals yearning to keep improving, growing and showcasing their artistic talents.
Jason D. Gregory
Director
Writer, Director, Producer
The MFA film production graduate manages the Telly-award winning, multi-cultural advertising and marketing agency, Gregory Media Group and is the creator of the television pilot Waking Up White.
In 2019, he became the director of the Orlando Urban Film Festival; a festival dedicated to celebrating minority filmmakers.
Gregory is also a producer with 13Brains, a reality TV show, “think tank” which sold its first project to Netflix.
He most recently produced the first E-sports event at the National Association of Television Producers and Executives (NATPE) in January 2020.
And finally, he is a lecturer in the English department at the University of Central Florida where he teaches intro and advanced screenwriting.
Will Covington
Record Producer/Music Publisher
Grammy-Award winning drummer, Inferno Music Group CEO, record producer, and music publisher,
WILL COVINGTON, is currently Chairperson of Orange Technical College Music Department Advisory Board; Founder of So You Want Your Name In Lights Youth Mentoring Program (501c3 non-profit organization); and since 2011, member of Valencia College Sound & Music Technology Program Advisory Committee in Orlando, Florida. Over his 50+ year music career, Will began as a freelance professional drummer/performer with the Ink Spots, James Brown, Gladys Knight & The Pips, Betty Wright, Raw Soul Express, and toured with The Commodores, The Chi-Lites, Richard “Dimples” Fields, Roy Ayers, and more. He organized and was drummer with Miami’s OMARi Band when he produced their first international hit single, “After Loving You” in 1983. Then in 1985, his drumming skills gained attention of Blues icon, B B King; who hired him to record Kings’ entire 50th Anniversary album, the Grammy-Award “Six Silver Strings’ project for MCA Records. Afterwards, Will spent many studio hours producing for scores of clients who include Russian famous artist Li Li; Country music artist Chris Martin; Rock music artists Zeg, Petey & Ravins, and Scott Vervill; hip/hop artists Omeez and Peezy & LaLa, Pastor Joan Brightharp (New York), Poet Alonzo McClain (Miami), Deadbolt Revival (Leesburg), R&B artists Nina Skyy and Ariee, and Orlando-based Gospel artists Darwin “D-Brass” Brascomb, Minister Ed Brown, Jr (Notorious Praise), Gospel Daytonaires, Deadbolt Revival (Leesburg,FL), Gwen Covington; and three So You Want Your Name In Lights Gospel Showcase Winners: Jamarien Moore (who subsequently became BET Sunday’s Best Finalist/Season 5), Titus Lennon (Lakeland, FL), and Bernardette Miles (Deland, FL). Will’s film song credits include the movies, Clarinet (“Get Up, Get Freaky”); Lucky (“Funk Track Instrumental”); and HBO/TV series, Winning Line (“Get Up, Get Freaky”). His numerous accolades include recipient of “We Care” gold-record plaque for co-producing this song that generated sales over 500,000 units and raised funds for Ethiopian refugees support; City of Orlando Police Citizen Service Award, President Barack Obama Community Service Award, Underground Music Association Worldwide 2020 “Micheal Robinson Leadership Award”, and Orlando Urban Film Festival (2022) Life & Legacy Award. His 43- year marriage to Gwen (Realtor/Gospel Recording Artist/Events Specialist) procreated one son, Omari, (artist/composer/music producer) and three grandchildren.
Marianne Eggleston
Director
Author
Marianne S. Eggleston, MBA has over twenty-five years of experience in the music, film, and entertainment business as an executive and strategist. In 2016, she completed a master’s degree in international business and entrepreneurship with a Study Abroad Team in Beijing and Shanghai, China which made presentations at Microsoft China Corporate and ten other major corporations.
In 2013, Marianne Eggleston created and developed the Orlando Urban Film Festival (OUFF). OUFF is a 501 (c)(3), and it is a “Movie & Music Showcase”, created to bring awareness of the business functions to newcomers in film, television, and music as well as helping to develop upcoming talent in these areas.
Eggleston was the Director of Urban Music for PPI Entertainment a major independent music and video label and distributor located in Newark, New Jersey. During a twelve-year period, she helped to create, develop, and manage ten various record labels, which included Michael and Whitney Houston’s Landlord Entertainment, and several publishing companies within the international distribution company. She won one of the first Telly Awards for her work on PPI Entertainment’s Children’s label for a Fox TV Special “It’s a Trollie Christmas”.
Earlier in her career, Eggleston worked with BMG Entertainment, formerly known as RCA, A&M, and Arista Records Distribution. For over ten years as a Northcentral Ohio Marketing Manager, she was responsible for market sales of well over $1.2 million dollars per month. Eggleston succeeded in these revenue objectives through creative communication programs such as radio, retail, clubs, concerts, and media exposure. A few of the BMG associated labels artists she has worked with are Glenn Jones, Janet Jackson, Yanni, Whitney Houston, The Police, Bruce Hornsby, Alabama, Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Hall & Oates, Jefferson Starship, The Go-Go’s, The Whispers, Lakeside, Shalamar, Aretha Franklin, Jazzy Jeff-Will Smith, Eurhythmics, Rick Springfield, Dunn Pearson, Melvin Van Peebles, and hundreds of others.
Eggleston has been featured in Black Enterprise Magazine, Jet Magazine, Billboard, Hollywood Reporter, Cash Box, and many other trade magazines as an executive on the move. Her extensive knowledge and strategic business development expertise have helped to build a solid foundation for Talent Room Entertainment and Publishing, Inc.
Lawrence Haber
Director
Entertainment Law
Lawrence Haber has been a practicing attorney for over 35 years, with the last 25 years devoted primarily to entertainment law. He has extensive experience in all aspects of legal, business and union matters in the entertainment industry, including the production, distribution and sales of long and short form film and television programming, and the negotiating and drafting of agreements for financing, production, and distribution of such programming.
His clients also include software, web site, design and graphics companies. He represents production companies, talent, and producers in all phases of development and production in all types of media worldwide.
His legal experience is grounded in intellectual property, corporate, general business and transactional law. He was an in-house attorney at both Universal Studios Florida and Walt Disney World for over seven years, with his last four years at Disney focused exclusively as Director of Business Affairs for original television programming. Among other projects while at Disney, he packaged, negotiated and sold worldwide rights for two episodic television series.
Joseph O’Connor
Director/Treasurer
Actor, Writer, Stage Director
Joseph O’Connor is a writer, producer, director, actor and multi-instrumental musician. He has worked in entertainment for over 30 years. Projects include feature films, short films, theater productions and live stage events. He has training as an actor from American Academy of Dramatic Arts and was a member of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreography.