Only A Number is Steven’s first independent documentary project under AriJoe Productions. In addition to having a life-long passion of bringing his parents’ Holocaust and love story to the screen, Steven has had a successful career in television, film/video production and digital media creative direction.

Steven spent fifteen years working in television, where he was responsible for editing, packaging and promoting the network broadcast of more than 400 feature films. Steven also produced The Making of Ellis Island, a “behind the scenes” look at the production of this television mini-series. He also served as a program executive for The Equalizer, a network series produced in New York City.

Steven joined a healthcare marketing agency in 1990, and he produced and directed dozens of award-winning films and videos for patient and professional education as well as for brand and corporate marketing communications.

Steven has always had a particular affinity for documentary-style programs and has deftly helped real people tell their stories. Some of his best work in this regard was with patients and caregivers affected by mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Cyndi Haas is an award-winning producer with over 16 years of production experience. She began her career at a medical advertising and marketing agency in Philadelphia, where she produced film and video projects including commercials for major corporations, professional and patient education programs, and corporate image films that earned several prestigious awards.

Cyndi then traveled around the world producing and directing various corporate videos and commercials. In 1998, she completed production on The Curse of Tutankhamun, a one-hour documentary for Discovery Network’s The Learning Channel, which took the gold at the Houston International Film Festival. Cyndi then became Senior Producer on Animal Planet's Pet Story, where she researched, coordinated, produced and directed for three seasons. 

 For the past seven years, Cyndi has been Senior Producer for several new cable series on HGTV’s lineup and has also produced a number of one-hour specials, including Homes of Paris and Homes of Madrid. Currently, Cyndi is producing a series for the DIY (Do It Yourself) Network and is also in post-production on her own documentary, Adam’s Heart, for Sonar Pictures.

An internationally renowned Cinematographer, Gerardo Puglia has been the recipient of many prestigious awards for excellence, including two Emmys, a Peabody, and two qualified entries for the Academy Award (the Oscar).

A native of Cardigan, Wales (the United Kingdom), Gerardo began his career at the age of 16, where he gained a reputation for innovative documentaries. He later went on to work as a Director of Photography for a myriad of film and television entities, including the BBC, PBS, CBS, National Geographic, RAI (Italian Television), Imagine Entertainment, and Warner Brothers, as well as numerous documentaries, independent films and television commercials.

A member of the International Cinematographers Guild since 1990. Gerardo also has a long-standing relationship with Eastman Kodak Company, where he is a preferred cinematographer, and consults in the testing and development of innovative Kodak film products.

Known for his striking visuals and both subtle and dramatic use of light, Gerardo’s cinematic art has been featured in numerous industry periodicals, such as iCOM Magazine and INCamera.

Iván brings broad and deep experience to his work, and has worn many hats during his 20+ years in film and video production on a variety of projects and programs. As President of Bilingual Media Company, he has provided design, production and translation services across media.

Iván was Producer, Director and co-Editor on both the English and Spanish versions of The Mexican Revolution, a documentary for the History Channel, and Iván handled the photo restoration for the many archival images used in that film. Also, for the A&E Network’s Biography, Iván combined editing and photo restoration with his responsibilities as Post-production Manager for Eric Clapton: Just the Messenger and Pete Townsend: Can’t Explain, two documentaries broadcast on that channel. Iván produced, directed and edited national direct response commercials for Más joven que nunca, a health and beauty book from Rodale Press.

On an award-winning independent documentary titled, Yo soy Hechicero / I am a Sorcerer, Iván produced, sound engineered and co-edited this film that broke new ground in exploring one of the fastest growing but least known religions, Santeria. More recently, Iván was co-director, co-editor, sound engineer and sound designer for Eternity was Born in the Village, a poetic exploration of people in a rural Romanian village.

Born in former Czechoslovakia and raised in Boston, Massachusettes, Marika’s Hungarian parents decided to combine Maria and Katrin into one nickname, Marika (a traditional way to say “little Marie” in Hungarian). The daughter of a pediatrician father and an artist mother, Marika calls herself a poet above all.

The acting bug bit early, at age seven, when Marika accompanied a friend to a children’s drama club. The following year, she enrolled in ballet school where she studied dance for several years. Marika began the seventh grade in Massachusettes when her family emigrated to the USA, reuniting with her mother’s family in New York City.

Fluent in several languages (English was her sixth), Marika reignited her passion for literature. She joined the Drama Club in high school and, in her senior year, took on her first starring role in English. Marika turned her focus toward studying drama and film, graduating with a BA in liberal arts. She then studied at the Lee Strassberg Institute in New York and began working in voiceovers with small parts in TV and film as well as writing screenplays, stage plays and now, a novel.

Allen Krantz, a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory and Stanford University, has received acclaim as a composer, solo guitarist, and chamber musician.  His performances throughout the United States have included appearances at Carnegie Hall, Saratoga Performing Arts Center and the Phillips Collection in Washington, with his diverse programs often featuring original compositions. 

Recent premieres have included “Three Pieces for Chamber Orchestra”; “Passacaglia” for trombone, guitar and piano, premiered by Joseph Alessi of the New York Philharmonic; and “American Document” commissioned by the Martha Graham Dance Company and premiered at the Joyce Theater in NY. Other recent pieces  are "Sacred Places" for solo guitar;  "A Musical Walk", a children's piece  commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra;  a symphony entitled "In the Air", and "Under One Roof", a trio for trumpet violin and piano in celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 

Allen is composer in residence for the Philadelphia based chamber ensemble, 1807 & Friends, which has premiered many of his works.  He has received support from the American Composers Forum, Meet the Composer, Chamber Music America, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Philadelphia Cultural Alliance among others.

Allen heads the guitar program of The New School Institute at Temple University.  He also gives occasional courses on music history and is a lecturer for the Philadelphia Orchestra.

With a deep passion and an inherent talent for art and design that began at an early age, Jorge completed his education and enhanced his skills at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. He began his professional career in print design and typography, working on numerous projects for health and medical materials for professional and consumer education. Jorge applied his particular talent as an illustrator par excellence to various scientific and anatomical illustrations, working with physicians and medical professionals to accurately capture and simplify complex medical concepts.

As an Art Director, Jorge moved into film/video and web design with ease, helping to create digital experiences for global pharmaceutical clients and brands. His mastering of video AfterEffects allowed Jorge to add animation and motion media to his artistic toolbox. Bringing a natural curiosity and intelligence to his work, Jorge’s art direction, design and illustration always tell a visual story.