Diana Lesmez
Email: DLesmez@TheStoryMakerEntertainment.com
Diana Lesmez has vast and diverse experience in most areas of the entertainment industry, spanning production,
development, acquisitions, distribution, physical production, film finance, and business and legal affairs. Currently, she
is an independent writer/producer and creative consultant, developing a number of film and television projects for her
own company, as well as for a number of clients. Moreover, Diana is producing a feature film titled, FLIGHTS OF
FANCY, inspired by the remarkable rags-to-riches, American Dream life story of Dr. Ricardo E. Saca, brother of Elias
Antonio ("Tony") Saca Gonzalez, who is the current President of El Salvador. Diana is also developing and
simultaneously training the writers, as well as serving as the consulting producer, on a new scripted one-hour television
dramedy for Puntos de Encuentro, a Nicaraguan NGO dedicated to eradicating inequality and oppression of human
rights, while advancing education and empowerment of women and youth.
In addition, for years Diana has been a screenwriter, as well as a screenwriting and producing teacher, working with
private clients and lecturing at various universities and industry organizations. She has taught producing, screenwriting,
and marketing and distribution at The Los Angeles Film School, screenwriting at NALIP's intensive Writers Lab, and
development and producing at NALIP's Producers Lab, as well as at the Screen Actors Guild Conservatory. Lastly, she
has been a Contributing Editor for the Brentwood Media Group, which publishes six magazines in the Los Angeles area.
Recently, Diana was the UPM on the feature film based on Julia Sweeney's award-winning, one-woman stage show,
LETTING GO OF GOD. Diana is also the producer of the feature-length concert film, CULTURE CLASH IN
AMERICCA, which was directed by Emilio Estevez. CULTURE CLASH IN AMERICCA premiered at the SXSW
Film Festival and also screened at the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival.
Simultaneously, Diana was the President of Production, also in charge of development and acquisitions, at Arenas
Entertainment. She was responsible for establishing and managing the development department by organizing and
developing the company's slate of film projects, and for pursuing film acquisitions for theatrical and DVD/home video
distribution. Diana also served as post-production supervisor on the acquired feature films, NICOTINA, IMAGINING
ARGENTINA, THE THREE WISE MEN, and A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE. Furthermore, she created the
English subtitles for NICOTINA and A GAME OF CAT AND MOUSE, as well as edited the dialogue and oversaw the
dubbing to English and Spanish of the animated feature film, THE THREE WISE MEN (a Disney DVD release in
November of 2005).
Formerly, Diana produced television commercials for The Media Shop, Bread & Butter Productions, Adobe
Entertainment, and The AdMark Group, as well as two independent short films, BROKEN CIRCLE and A SONG
FOR HONEST ABE for SunriseWest Productions.
In her tenure as Vice President of Creative Affairs at Atlantic Streamline (THE THIRTEENTH FLOOR and IGBY
GOES DOWN), a self-financing film production company, Diana developed the slate of film projects. Additionally,
she launched domestic distribution talks with Lions Gate for the film project, FRAILTY.
Before then, Diana was head of development at Patriot Pictures and Banque Paribas (AIR FORCE ONE, THE
MADNESS OF KING GEORGE, KILLING ZOE). While these were two separate companies, she worked with
Michael Mendelsohn, CEO of Patriot Pictures (a production company), and portfolio manager of the Entertainment
Finance Group at Banque Paribas (a French bank that provided gap-financing for film production). Diana pursued new
projects to be developed, produced, and financed by Patriot Pictures or gap-financed by Banque Paribas.
At Twentieth Century Fox, Diana worked in the legal affairs department, where she became well versed in the areas of
music licensing, as well as theatrical and television contracts. She translated legal documents between English and
Spanish and also served as a simultaneous interpreter in Licensing and Merchandising. Diana was promoted to Manager
of Business Affairs at Canal Fox (Fox Latin American Channel), in charge of all aspects of affiliate relations.
Diana graduated with honors from Wheeling Jesuit University, in Wheeling, West Virginia, with a major in Professional
Writing and a minor in Political Science. Continuing her education at the University of California, Los Angeles
(UCLA), Diana earned her Master of Arts degree in Theater, Film, and Television.
