Our Team

 Anthony Rhulen, Founder & Managing General Partner

Mr. Rhulen is the Founder and Managing General Partner of FilmEngine, LLC. Since founding the Company, Rhulen has played an integral role in financing and producing eleven feature films and establishing key relationships with creative talent while directing the long-term strategic vision of the company.

His first film was “O," followed by such films as “Lucky Number Slevin,"  “The Butterfly Effect” Franchise and the upcoming Butterfly Effect television show.

Anthony has recently completed production of “The Rum Diary” based on the late Hunter S. Thompson’s first novel, starring Johnny Depp. 

Mr Rhulen is now in production on “Shrapnel,” Directed by veteran Action helmer, John McTiernan (Die Hard, Predator, Hunt for Red October).

Prior to founding FilmEngine, Rhulen worked within the specialized insurance industry as Vice President of strategic mergers and acquisitions for a New York Stock Exchange listed insurance company. During that time, Rhulen developed many of the strategic planning skills he used to achieve significant commercial success for FilmEngine.

In addition, Rhulen is a partner in the Catskill Mountain Brewing Company, The Gilded Otter Brewery and a land development company.

Rhulen holds a BA in Communications from Syracuse University and M.B.A. in Finance and Marketing.

Jake Wagner, Literary Talent Manager

Jake Wagner began studying screenwriting and film while a student at the University of Michigan.  After graduation, he came straight out to Los Angeles in 2000, and has been working in Entertainment ever since.  His introduction to the business was in series production for MTV.  From there, he joined Energy Entertainment as a literary manager and producer.  He has recently joined FilmEngine to start the management division for literary and talent.  Jake manages writers, directors, actors and comic book creators. Jake’s specialty is genre material. 

Matt Eskander, Talent Manager                                                                                                    

Upon graduation from Cornell University in 2000, Matt returned to his hometown of Los Angeles to pursue a career in talent representation. He became a protege of the legendary Ed Limato at ICM, eventually being promoted to agent in the talent department. Just prior to joining Film Engine, Matt was a talent agent at Paradigm working in the Motion Picture, Television and Motion Picture Finance departments. Matt will continue the strategic growth of the management division at Film Engine.

Gerard A. Powell, Executive Producer

Gerard Armond Powell and his company Rythmia Domain Company, LLC recently partnered with FilmEngine to bring his experience and expertise to the forefront. Gerard Powell is a successful entrepreneur, owning companies ranging from leasing high quality domain names with matching vanity 800 numbers to purchasing accounts receivable, obtaining money owed, factoring, loan pool and distressed loan sales, and direct marketing/management companies. Mr. Powell's capital management strategies push his companies to the pinnacle of business factoring. Mr. Powell has invested in many facets of business for over 30 years. The majority of his career has been spent within the medical marketing and management industry. His most recent successful company, My Choice Medical, Inc., was successfully sold in 2005 for $89.4 million to a large public company. My Choice Medical, had approximately 200 employees which marketed and managed 175 plastic surgery centers throughout the nation.

Gerard has most recently invested in FilmEngine because of their unique and proven methods within the film industry.

Harold Kim Rizley, Executive Producer

Mr. Rizley has worked in the energy business for 23 years and has been instrumental in growing his family’s business from a small oil and gas leasing co. to a leader in its niche industry.  His company, Arrowhead Resources, Inc., has capitalized on changing technology such as  horizontal drilling and fracture stimulation techniques, that have changed oil and gas exploration results dramatically.  Arrowhead has acquired large leasehold acreage positions for major oil and gas exploration companies and now retains a carried interest in these horizontal and conventional drilling plays.  Rizley manages his companies substantial ownership oil and gas mineral interests and royalties, and participates in the drilling of some of the deepest and most prolific natural gas producers in the continental United States.

Preparing for our nations future energy demand, Rizley’s company has acquired hundreds of thousands of acres of wind easements in the windiest part of our continent’s mother lode of wind.  After careful testing and measurement of wind parameters over these easements, nine large wind energy projects are now in development stage. Arrowhead owns wind generated royalty interests throughout these projects.

Mr. Rizley’s intuition, his accurate evaluation of financial risks and opportunities and a passionate business philosophy have been essential to the success and continued growth of his energy company.  He embraces the opportunity to invest with FilmEngine and is very encouraged by the determination and talent of it’s leadership. Rizley holds a BS degree in Marketing and Economics from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.