ABOUT
MISSION
to create "entertainment with purpose."
We set out to produce high-caliber works with artistic integrity, authentic sensibility, and impassioned story-telling to build a legacy that inspires our world.
ORIGINAL CONTENT
Television - Film - Digital - Branded Content Cross-Platforms - Innovative Works
VISION
"If you lost your vision, what world would dream of seeing?" This is the defining question behind the company.
PHILOSOPHY
We believe the global spotlight of entertainment can do more than just make people turn off, but rather turn on to important messages that can better lives. Entertainment can be a powerful tool, and it's time for it be one.
We aspire to innovate audiovisual works - influenced by the arts, philosophy, world events, and spirituality - to deliver culturally rich, evocative works that deliver thought-provoking, emotionally rich, authentic, and nuanced conscious messages packaged with the entertainment value of "Blockbuster" films.
The company's feature film 13 Million Voices
is an example of this innovative approach. The film uses a hybrid story-telling model to create high fueled entertainment value attributed to Hollywood films intermixed with gritty investigative and enlightening revelations seen in documentary filmmaking.
COMPANY
Founded in 2013, Blind Knight Studios (BKS) was founded by Janelle Gueits and has represeneds award-winning producers, filmmakers, and creatives.
The company is devoted to explore the edge and push boundaries of entertaining, hopeful, dark, and unexpected reflections of humanity and create high art, which the founder defines as "something which stimulates a change in the viewer whether for a moment or a lifetime."
Today, Blind Knight forms parts of VIKARA LLC, an umbreall company for consulting and transforomative works led by Gueits.
INSPIRATION
Blind Knight Studios is inspired by the life of Gustavo A. Caballero ("Knight" in Spanish) - a blind political prisoner, immigrant single father, and community leader - who's life was torn apart and yet lived beyond human limitations, the frivolity of a distracted world. This is the grandfather of
Janelle Gueits.
DIRECTOR
JANELLE GUEITS
Janelle is a change-making artist, movie director, television producer, social entrepreneur, and international speaker featured in over 30 media outlets (AP, Variety and MSNBC).
This Cuban made and American born, renaissance woman has translated her lifetime artistic, social-political, and philosophical work to effectuate change through the platform of entertainment.
As leader of Blind Knight Studios, Ms. Gueits creates ”entertainment with purpose” and empowers other multicultural artists to be a voice for their generation. Fully launched in 2015, Blind Knight has produced for VICE, Telemundo, TruTV, ABC, Toyota and Sports Illustrated.
Audiences from coast to coast have been moved by her “rousing and impassioned film” (Variety). 13 Million Voices is the story behind the history-defining peace concert headlined by 21-time Grammy winner Juanes that attracted 1.3 million Cubans. (Top 5 largest concerts in the world and largest peace event in history). The film is an Official Selection of DOC NYC, Key West, Tiburon, and Miami Film Festival (2015-2016). Janelle won the Orson Welles Director's Award (2016) for this film.
Prior to the full launch of her company, Ms. Gueits produced and managed programs on VH1, CW, TruTV, and Discovery each averaging 700k to 2M viewers per episode. In 2013, she co-produced the "Voice" on Telemundo, working across the board on "La Voz Kids" (Seasons 1 & 2) - the highest-rated show in U.S. Hispanic television (3.M viewers).
In 2003, Janelle joined her brother Chris to connect with their roots in Cuba, which led to ground-breaking work that sparked national discourse in the U.S. They and their peers grew a network of over 100 universities, young professionals, community leaders and celebrities to empower youth, as co-founders of the non-profit Roots of Hope - "Best Grassroots Organization" - (Miami New Times in 2010) featured in NYT, AP, and beyond.
Janelle grew up exploring her artistry and first focused professionally on dance, and became member of Emmy-Winner Mia Michael’s dance company (FOX “So you think you can dance?". She was selected for New World School of the Arts H.S., where she was honored with the Juilliard Experience and won in 1998 (and later prepared a winner 2011) for Young Arts - "the exclusive nominating organization for the U.S. Presidential Scholars of the Arts.”
Before studying at New York Film Academy, she was one of the founding members of Alvin Ailey’s Bachelor in Fine Arts program at Fordham University. Her choreographic recognition resulted in a special invitation to complete her conservatory study and minor in Media, Society, and Arts at SUNY Purchase. Janelle has choreographed and cameoed for Trey Songz "Bottom's Up" (#2 on Billboard charts) and VH1's" Beverly Hills Fabulous.”
Ms. Gueits evolved from the stage to film and beyond to expand her work in the art world to inspire communities and challenge high places of power for good. She has been a speaker in over 20 cities and 7 countries, including as a featured speaker for Nobel Peace Prize Winner Lech Walesa's Institute in 2009.
HEAD OF UNSCRIPTED
ADRIAN BASCHUK
Adrian Baschuk is an award-winning producer and journalist with over 10 years experience. His specializes in unscripted series for network television and documentaries produced worldwide, as well as, breaking news in conflict zones and disaster areas. Adrian today heads productions at Blind Knight Studios and formerly sold shows to networks as co-owner of Beach Pictures. Baschuk has executive produced, produced, directed, and edited network series for CW, Spike TV, VH1, Logo, Planet Green, TruTV, MTV, and TLC in partnership with, such companies as, Rakontur, Propagate Content, Electus, Radical Media, and Bodega Pictures. He co-created and executive produced CW's "Catalina" and produced over 100 episodes of TruTV's "South Beach Tow." More recently, Baschuk has shot and edited series for FYI, DIY, and Spike TV with Rakontur. On the digital side, Baschuk has produced various mini-docs for Discovery, MSNBC, VICE, and AJ+ garnering more than 8 million views of his works. His journalistic work has appeared in various news outlets including CNN, The Weather Channel, NBC News, MSNBC, The New York Times, Fusion, and AJ+. He was an integral part of the expansion and success of Current TV, started in part by Al Gore in 2005. The Vanguard Unit afforded him over 75 assignments in 20 countries. He's also produced national branded content spots for clients such as Starbucks, Coppertone, Sports Illustrated, and Cadillac. He is bilingual, affluent in English and Spanish, has a working knowledge of Hebrew and studied Arabic. Adrian has garnered Emmy nominations, Peabody nominations, DuPont nominations, New York Film Festival honors, and Golden Cine Eagle honors.
MEET OUR PRODUCING PARTNERS IN OTHER ORIGINAL WORKS:
JOE CARDONA
Joe Cardona has directed 17 feature length documentaries and two feature-lengthalso for broadcast excellence. His work has appeared in film festivals throughout the world 3-time Emmy winner (13-time Emmy nominated), amassed 9 Aurora Awards for television excellence and 6 Telly Awards independent feature films. He is a including: NYC, Venice, Vancouver, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Tokyo, Miami and Sao Paolo among others. Some of Cardona’s work includes: “The Day it Snowed in Miami” (Emmy-Award winning film depicting LGBT struggle for rights); Bouke (Emmy Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize finalist filmed in Haiti days after the 2010 catastrophic earthquake); and Café con Leche (Telly and Aurora Award-winning, Emmy-nominated film, defining first-generation Cuban-Americans). In 1999 his documentary film, “The Flight of Pedro Pan” earned him the Wolfsonian Award for distinction in visual arts. His independent feature film “Bro” won the 2000 Flickapalooza Best Script Award. Twelve of Cardona’s films have been aired nationally on PBS and several of the works have been broadcast internationally (Japan, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, England, Poland, Germany). In 1999, the filmmaker was awarded the Johnnie Walker Order of Distinction. And in 2014, he was awarded the prestigious Champion of Equality Award from SAVE (Safeguarding American Values for Everyone). Joe Cardona is also a regular contributor to the Miami Herald editorial pages as an at-large columnist. The scope of his work entails what he describes as the “multicultural tectonics of America’s most exciting city,” as well as, cultural, historical and political commentary. Joe is also the proud father of an eight-year-old daughter, aptly named Celia.
ZUZY MARTIN LYNCH
Zuzy Martin Lynch is an award-winning filmmaker and marketing consultant with New York roots, currently based in San Francisco. She is known for her big ideas, collaborative spirit and motivation to make a project come to life by ‘making things happen’ and executing flawlessly. Zuzy is driven by a strong entrepreneurial spirit and desire to maximize the potential in every situation. Her experience spans across several industries including healthcare, advocacy, sports, non-profit, women-focused markets, food and entertainment/film with her directorial debut as the director/producer of the award-winning documentary film, Craving Cuba.
Zuzy has led teams through several global healthcare product launches, strategic and tactical planning, market research, brand planning, and tactical execution (collateral and event-driven). Zuzy is a passionate creator/producer/director behind award-winning projects including: Craving Cuba (documentary) and Cooking for the Clueless (web series/DVD). She is a seasoned spokesperson, host and interviewer with on-camera and media relations experience. She has been interviewed and featured in news outlets around the country. Specialties: Marketing, Medical Communications, Branding, Advertising, Social Media, PR/Media Relations, Spokesperson, Writer
She
MORE BIOS COMING SOON OF THE MANY FILMMAKERS WE'VE SUPPORTED
MEET OUR ADVISORS:
ELIZABETH GUEITS REY
CEO, Old Mutual Latam
Elizabeth is a North American national, who oversees an international enterprise. Elizabeth Rey is a business leader in the international health insurance and financial services with over 25 years of global business experience. She has held several executive positions for known carriers and has been with AIVA - a member of Old Mutual Group - for over 16 years. The scope of her professional experience includes: business development, recruitment, sales force growth, team development, product design, strategic development, implementation, risk and compliance, and marketing, as well as, reengineering and restructuring of operational platforms. Elizabeth has a strong background in efficiency and budget control. She has an Associates in Arts degree and pursued a Bachelors in Education at the University of Florida. Mrs. Gueits-Rey continued her education in leadership, public speaking, channel management, and coaching from well-known institutions, such as: Dale Carnegie, Proctor Gallagher and Insead Business School. Elizabeth enjoys motivational speaking at forums, such as, “Uncommon Women on Common Ground” and is a member of NAPO, National Association of Professional Women. Elizabeth began with AIVA with the objective of managing their Miami-based operations for the Northern part of Latin American region and the Caribbean and soon began directing the health insurance division. In 2006 she was relocated to headquarters in Uruguay as joint director, where she cooperated in the restructuring of the service and operational platforms. Today, she works first-hand across countries and continents, as Chief Operating Officer for Old Mutual Operations in Latam and AIVA's acting CEO.
