Key Teaching Staff
Lauren Vilchik
School: University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA)Field of Teaching: Producing
Website Reference:
Major Achievements: Ms. Vilchik is a film producer and production attorney specializing in independent film finance as well as production. In 1998, she started her own company, Tonic Films, LLC, which is based out of Los Angeles. At the helm of Tonic Films, Ms. Vilchik has produced 10 feature films, including the 2003 venerated horror hit CABIN FEVER, purchased by Lionsgate in one of the largest bidding wars in the history of the Toronto Film Festival. Produced for a meager $1.5 million, CABIN FEVER has reached a total gross profit to date of more than $70 million. In addition to CABIN FEVER, which was nominated for a 2004 Saturn Award for Best Horror Film, Ms. Vilchik produced a string of other critically acclaimed and award-winning independent films which garnered her a nomination for the 2004 Independent Spirit Awards Producer’s Award for outstanding achievement for a body of work. Ms. Vilchik was also honored with the distinction of being named one of Variety’s Top 10 Producers to Watch, announced at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Ms. Vilchik’s most recently released projects include BORDERLAND, produced in conjunction with Lionsgate. BORDERLAND was released theatrically in the United States and around the world and was called a “brutally suspenseful crime drama” (Variety) that “mixes the dramatic aspects of a true crime story with elements indicative of modern horror cinema to great triumph” (Bloody Disgusting). CABIN FEVER 2: SPRING FEVER, the long-awaited sequel – which some critics are touting as “better than the first” (Killer Film) was released by Lionsgate on Feb. 16, 2010. Ms. Vilchik is in development on DEATH ANGEL’S SHADOW, featuring dark-fantasy legend Karl Edward Wagner’s immortal anti-hero, KANE. Ms. Vilchik acquired DEATH ANGEL’S SHADOW, a collection of three Wagner short stories, and will produce the film based upon “Reflections for the Winter of My Soul,” which is the first of three short stories comprising the book. The other two short stories, “Cold Light” and “M
