OLYMPIA GELLINI
FOUNDER
Mr. Gellini is WFI’s president and founder. He has written over forty plays and has appeared in numerous films and television shows worldwide. He has been recognized in such diverse parts of the world as Afghanistan, where he won the Best Director Prize in 1984 for his film The Border, and again in Tashkent ( former Soviet Union ) in 1985 for his short film the Dictators. The son of a diplomat, Mr. Gellini has lived in 23 countries, before landing in Los Angeles where he has established several acting schools. It was in Los Angeles where he pursued his dream to truly globalize the art of filmmaking by making the World Film Institute a reality and a recognized resource for filmmakers, film students and motion picture fans around the globe.
ALLAN JAY FRIEDMAN
PRESIDENT
Award-winning producer, composer and president of Picture Books Productions, Mr. Friedman is veteran in the entertainment industry. He also serves as President of The Center for Top Performance. He has composed over 5000 musical pieces and has produced 15 musicals. Some of his work includes the musical stage adaptation of “The Hobbit” and A.A. Milne’s “Winnie The Pooh” as well as the Producer-Creator and Composer of the Emmy Award winning Television Documentary based on the life of JFK, “The Young Man From Boston.
The World Film Institute has always attracted the support of the most wonderful people in the film industry. We want to thank our former board members from the past. The biographies listed here are from the time of their participation.
STEVEN NIA
CHAIRMAN
Mr. Steven Nia is a true visionary and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience in Entertainment and Technology industries. As Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Wardour Studios, Mr. Nia commands a wide range of business, creative and strategic resources, providing them with expert leadership. Simultaneously, Mr. Nia serves as the Chairman of World Film Institute (WFI), a nonprofit organization supporting the advancement and recognition of the arts and the motion picture industry worldwide. WFI offers a vast resource of services, including film studies, scholarships, motion picture industry seminars, advanced technological support, networking opportunities as well as exclusive entertainment and fashion industry events. NIA Also serves as the Chairman of Family Film Awards and Olympia Awards. Dr. Nia is also the chairman of W1 Platform, Hollywood’s first and leading entertainment blockchain ecosystem. In addition, Dr. Nia serves as the chairman of Hollywood Golden Kids Awards, his inauguration was witness by 12 countries’ ambassadors who are from Belt and Road territories.
ANGELINA LEO
SPOKESPERSON
Angelina serves as the Spokesperson of World Film Institute (WFI) and serves as a board member and Chief Operating Officer of Wardour Studios since its inception. Angelina is responsible for the Wardour Studios’ film operations from development to release. In addition to managing the Creative/Development group, she also oversees Animation, Casting, Business Affairs, and Physical Production, including Film & Development Finance, Post Production, and Music.
Ms. Leo primarily is responsible for driving financial methodology, processes, best practices and synergies in co-production and co-finance. Angelina brings extensive experiences of motion picture productions and distributions, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution, new channel platforms and international distribution and sales.
