Fran Rzeznik is a native of the Bronx, a survivor of all girls Catholic high school and the director of Equinox Knocks. 

Fran has an MFA from NYU in directing and has worked in New York and Los Angeles. Her short film, "Jesus Christ is Alive and Well and Living on Castle Hill Avenue" was based loosely on growing up in the Bronx. The film won the prestigious Columbia Pictures Production Award 2 years in a row and was a finalist for the Mobil Awards for Excellence in Filmmaking. The film screened in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and at other festivals before being picked up for distribution. 

Deviating from fiction storytelling, Fran produced and directed One Nation Under God, a feature documentary that sold out a 1500 person theater at its first festival outing -- Frameline in San Francisco. It won the Audience Favorite Award at that festival and went onto the prestigious festival stops of Montreal, Chicago, Nyon and Berlin before a theatrical run at the Landmark Theaters. The film was picked up by the PBS series P.O.V. and was one of their highest rated shows. 

While living in LA, Fran has produced for cable television and garnered three Cable Aces for her work. She also has 2 Emmy Awards for editing.
But she also dreamed of directing a feature. Equinox Knocks was the perfect opportunity to join forces with writing and producing partner Zinka Benton. 

The journey began by leaving home and going to Austin, Texas where she knew exactly three people: A Lawyer; the Owner of a Seedy Motel; and a Natural Foods Broker. The Motel Owner provided a key location. The Natural Foods Broker helped feed the crew. And the Lawyer was the morale booster.
 

With a shoestring budget, few contacts and just barely enough time, Fran pulled together a cracker jack cast and the magic began. It was the hottest summer on record, she was the furthest thing from Texan you could get and they didn't have football in her high school... but Fran took the bull by the horns and got busy. By the time the movie was done, she had created not just a movie but an experience and a sense of family that's usually only seen in wartime. 

With Equinox Knocks under her belt, Fran is already writing her next feature, this time set in her home town of The Bronx. 

FILM 1999 Equinox Knocks Writer-Director Feature Comedy

1994 One Nation Under God Director-Producer Documentary Festivals include: Berlin, Montreal, Nyon, Frameline, Outfest, New Festival Domestic Broadcast on PBS series P.O.V. ; European Broadcast on Planéte

1993 Buckshot Producer Short

1993 Jesus Christ is Alive and Well and Living on Castle Hill Avenue Writer-Director Short

TELEVISION House Hunters (HGTV) - Director Mega Movie Magic (TLC) - Writer-Director
Storm Warning (TLC) -Story Editor 
Anatomy of Disaster (Discovery) - Producer Make Your Mark on Life (LA35) - Writer-Producer-Director 
Jeopardy (LA35) - Writer-Producer-Director LA Fire (LA35) - Producer Positive: Life with HIV - "Viviana Martinez" (PBS) - Writer-Producer
 

1997 Cable Ace Award, LA Fire 1996 Cable Ace Award,
Jeopardy 1996 Cable Ace Award, 
Make Your Mark on Life 1994 Audience Favorite Award, 
Frameline Film Festival One Nation Under God 1993 Mobil Award for Excellence in Filmmaking
Finalist, Jesus Christ is Alive and Well and Living on Castle Hill Avenue 1993 Emmy Award, 
NBC Barcelona Summer Olympics 1993 Columbia Pictures Award, Jesus Christ is Alive and Well and Living on Castle Hill Avenue 1992 Columbia Pictures Award, 
Jesus Christ is Alive and Well and Living on Castle Hill Avenue 1992 Emmy Award, NBC NFL Live 
 

A native Texan conceived in Boston, Mass., Zinka Benton is a mix of cowboy pragmatism and Northeastern intellect and edge. Her Hollywood odyssey began as an agent's assistant in Beverly Hills. With a brand spanking new MFA in film from NYU, Zinka moved to LA to seek her fortune and found that the agent's desk was as good a place as any to start.

From there the journey led to television and producing. Zinka cut her teeth in network reality programming and quickly segued to cable where she made enough to save for the big dream -- the feature. 

But where to start? She had a script, co-written with the director, so the next step was the money. Zinka got some investors together and sold them on the idea of making a movie in Texas. Then the hard part started, putting the whole thing together with no ties to anybody in the Texas film community. 

After about three million phone calls, reams of letters and so many weekend trips to Austin that the Burbank Airport seemed like a second home, it came together. The troops were assembled, the equipment was in place, the moment was at hand. Two dozen days later it was done; production wrapped on Equinox Knocks. 
 
 

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Producer Zinka Benton (center) with cast members,
Brandon Howe and Michael Hernandez