Cheryl Bartlam DuBois

Cheryl DuBois, a woman of myriad talents and background, exemplifies the true Renaissance woman. Her experience, a merger of business and creative endeavors in the marketing and entertainment industries, has armed her with a wealth of knowledge and prepared her for a leadership role within the entertainment industry. In business since the age of seventeen, DuBois has learned what it takes to make a business successful, and her BFA in Fine Arts and Film from VCU & UCLA, has qualified her knowledge in the creative aspect of the entertainment industry.

During school, DuBois worked as an Art Director/Producer for a PBS station offering her talents to the demanding field of children's programming. After graduation DuBois ran her own advertising and marketing firm in the French West Indies for over six years, where she learned the ins and outs of running a business and expanded her skills in many areas of marketing. Upon her return to the U.S. she decided to return to her earlier love, film and television.

In 1986 DuBois began working with Robert Redford at the Sundance Institute in Utah, as assistant marketing director – raising funds for the U.S. Film Festival (aka “Sundance”). This naturally led her into the field of filmmaking where she worked with Mirage Entertainment for the next year in development and funding. Her entrepreneurial instincts however, drove her to strike out on her own with the creation of Feature Finance in 1989 — her own independent film financing and packaging company, which is still raising financing today for projects, books, P&A, entertainment companies, and networks.

In 1989 she moved to Los Angeles to study screenwriting and to pursue the establishment of a strong foothold for Feature Finance in the industry. Since then, DuBois has spent the bulk of her time writing, obtaining product for representation and production, raising money for numerous films, series, and entertainment ventures, and establishing the contacts vital to success in this field. She has developed and sold an impressive list of product over the years.

In 1991 DuBois secured the distribution and the P&A fund for Christopher Lambert's feature films, ‘HIGHLANDER II: THE QUICKENING,’ and ‘KNIGHT MOVES’ and also handled development, acquisitions, and distribution for the distribution companies, InterStar and InterCoast. DuBois also worked in feature development with, Christopher Lambert, and his company LAMB BEAR Entertainment and STTM Productions, for over ten years, developing and producing a slate of films and series.’

DuBois directed her first comedic TV pilot in 1995, ‘MEN ARE FROM PLUTO,’ which she also wrote and produced with Lambert. The pilot premiered in the Slamdance Film Festival at Sundance in 1996 as a short film. DuBois then decided to take time off to write and found the F.O.C.U.S. Institute of Film – a non-profit film Institute, which mentored screenwriters and developed their screenplays for production. DuBois worked as a screenwriting consultant/script doctor for the Institute for six years – developing numerous screenplays with student writers. In 1998 DuBois produced ‘ZERO’ for Dilonra Productions in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

DuBois has written more than twenty feature film screenplays, three dramatic series (one with Ted Kotcheff of ‘LAW & ORDER: SVU’), and has had several published novels – ‘WEST OF THE EQUATOR,’ with Fell Pub, and ‘SOLDIER, SPY, HEROINE,’ with Yucca/Skyhorse Pub. DuBois is also the author of a self-help guide for men — ‘A MAN’S GUIDE TO THE BMW: THE BETTER MAINTAINED WOMAN,’ as well as several self-published books. DuBois and her writing partner for historical fiction have also penned two sequels to ‘SOLDIER, SPY, HEROINE,’ to create a trilogy of female heroines in a time of war – ‘THE REVOLUTION: CAPTAIN, PIRATE, HEROINE,’ and ‘THE REVOLUTION II: SEER, SPY, HEROINE.’ They have adapted the three books as a mini series, which was optioned by, Jon Sheinberg, (‘SILENCE OF THE LAMBS,’ & ‘DANCES WITH WOLVES’). DuBois’ novel, ‘WEST OF THE EQUATOR,’ has been optioned by A-list Hollywood producers such as, Jeff Apple, (‘THE RECRUIT’ & ‘IN THE LINE OF FIRE’), Ted Kotcheff (‘LAW & ORDER: SVU’ & ‘WEEKEND AT BEARNIES’) as well as, the Godfather of Hollywood, Ray Stark, (“THE WAY WE WERE’ & ‘STEEL MAGNOLIAS’).

DuBois left F.O.C.U.S. to return to her film finance company, Feature Finance, and start a film & television production company with Jeff Apple (‘THE RECRUIT’ & ‘IN THE LINE OF FIRE’) – PARADISE PRODUCTIONS. DuBois has set up numerous movies for television — ‘THE VENUS & SERENA STORY’ at Showtime, ‘A CASE OF NYPHOMANIA’ by attorney Ellis Rubin, (books by Fell Pub) and the ‘PELLICANO STORY’ at Fox, with Executive Producer, Guy Riedel, (‘WEDDING CRASHERS’ & ‘SECOND CIVIL WAR’) and Apple. DuBois has represented numerous publishers and life rights for film and television, including Frank Abagnale’s biography, which was later adapted as ‘CATCH ME IF YOU CAN,’ as well as scripts such as, ‘WHEN STARS FELL ON HENRIETTA,’ (Clint Eastwood) and ‘CASTAWAY,’ Tom Hanks).

DuBois also produced and directed the television pilot for ‘GHOSTHUNTERS PSI’ and the reality psychic crimesolving show, ‘THE PSYCHIC INTELLIGENCE AGENCY.’ Feature Finance represents numerous television concepts and talent for both mainstream, inspirational, and New Age programming. DuBois sold her own reality show to Fuse Network, with herself as Medium and Host – “DEAD MUSICIAN’S FAN SOCIETY.”

DuBois presently works as a producer for hire, producing pilots and sizzle reels for numerous clients within the industry and has several new books in development as an author/producer – recently moving to Florida to spend more time writing. DuBois specializes in memoir adaptations to Historical Fiction.