Michael Clofine
Founder and C.E.O
A 15-year veteran of Wall Street, Mr. Clofine has held numerous senior positions within institutional markets and trading groups such as Jefferies & Company, Lehman Brothers, Warburg Dillon Read, and UBS. He is particularly adept at discovering nascent opportunities in the media and entertainment space and was instrumental in the early funding of several lucrative international restaurant and entertainment ventures.
One of the most successful and well-known ventures is Sushi Samba Restaurant Group which has become a household name in many cities since opening its first restaurants in New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, and Chicago. The global brand continues to operate with flagship locations in London, Las Vegas, Singapore, Dubai, Edinburgh, and Qatar.
Since transitioning into film production, Mr. Clofine has produced multiple feature films which have all been released in theaters as well as video on demand and streaming platforms. His projects have been featured around the globe and have been in competition as well as winning prestigious awards at film festivals such as Cannes, Sundance, Tribeca, Berlin, Munich, Toronto and more. Michael’s passion is to bring authentic and impactful narratives to the screen, and to support emerging and underrepresented voices and creators. Some of his recent achievements include producing and financing “Sasquatch Sunset” starring Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough and "The Good Half" starring Nick Jonas, Elisabeth Shue, Alexandra Shipp, David Arquette, and Brittany Snow.
His newest film, "The Last Showgirl" starring Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Billie Lourd, Kiernan Shipka and David Bautista will be premiered in competition this September at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) and then the San Sebastián Festival in Spain and the Zurich Film Festival in Switzerland this October.
Mr. Clofine serves as an Executive Director of The New York Law Enforcement Foundation and is a long-standing advisor of his 100-year-old family business, Clofine Dairy & Food Products, a manufacturer and distributor of dairy and food products both within the United States and internationally. Mr. Clofine earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Ithaca College and during those years took classes at Cornell University.
Steve Bender
President
Head of West Coast Operations. A graduate of the USC film program, Steve Bender was brought in by Will Smith and Westbrook Inc in 2018 to strategize, finance and develop intellectual property to be fully exploited across all platforms in a vertically and horizontally integrated ecosystem.
After setting Westbrook on track, Steve was recruited by the late Ken Block of Gymkhana fame to build out his content farm and brand Hoonigan as a multi-platform, multi-vertical entity. Steve began his career working with Joel Silver at Warner Brothers who produced some of the biggest franchises in history such as Lethal Weapon, Die Hard and The Matrix.
After a prolific 13 year run at Warner Bros. and with such talent as Robert Downey Jr., Guy Ritchie, Sean Penn, Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Liam Neeson and many more, Steve left to work with Westbrook and the Smith family.
Steve has produced films and television series, and is credited on over 30 projects. Steve lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two children.
Ed Storm
C.F.O
Edward L. Storm is a Certified Public Accountant and currently the CFO for Digital Ignition, LLC. Mr. Storm is responsible for all accounting and operational matters including contracts, production budgets, and distribution management on our various films and projects.
Jon Zeit
V.P. of Operations
Jon Zeit is a seasoned technology entrepreneur, strategist, and entertainment industry veteran with over 20 years of experience. As the Vice President of Operations at Digital Ignition Entertainment, Jon applies his deep expertise in technology and entertainment to drive innovation in film production and investment, helping the company stay at the forefront of the industry.
Jon’s academic foundation, shaped with studies in theoretical physics and business strategy, equips him with a unique perspective that blends strategic thinking with innovative problem-solving. His multifaceted career has been marked by a profound understanding of the entertainment industry, cultivated through years as a successful touring and recording artist. This background fuels his passion for creating equitable opportunities within the film and entertainment sectors.
Before joining Digital Ignition Entertainment, Jon made significant contributions to the private and public sectors by designing cutting-edge IoT strategies and systems. Notably, Jon is thea co-founder of a music collaboration platform, VNYLab, and he also developed a large-format D.O.O.H. content delivery system utilized by leading brands such as American Eagle and Designer Shoe Warehouse. Jon’s entrepreneurial spirit is further evidenced by his roles in founding and advising startups across technology and entertainment, including MBS Music Group, Access Mobility 24, Digital Sandwich Marketing, and Em2p2, Inc.
At Digital Ignition Entertainment, Jon’s leadership is defined by his ability to seamlessly integrate finance and technology strategies within the film production and investment landscape. His vision and commitment to fostering growth and innovation are critical to the company’s mission of producing high-quality, commercially successful films while empowering creatives and investors alike.
R.J. Mitte
Advisor
Best known for his portrayal of Walter “Flynn” White Jr. for five riveting seasons of AMC’s Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning dramatic thriller “Breaking Bad,” RJ Mitte is an actor, model, advocate, and philanthropist who has carved out his niche in Hollywood by breaking down stereotypes and changing people’s mindsets with his easy-going demeanor and positive outlook. As Walt Jr., referred to by fans as “The Breakfast King,” Mitte acted as the cerebral palsy-afflicted son of Walter (Bryan Cranston) and Skyler White(Anna Gunn).
Walter Jr.’s cerebral palsy on the show was embellished, as he had to learn how to walk on crutches and slur his speech to create a more dramatic version of his own disability. R.J. recently co-produced and acted in Digital Ignition's film: Triumph, a true story, that is being distributed by Relativity Media. Through the combined efforts of Digital Ignition and RJ, the film was awarded the prestigious Ruderman Foundation Seal of Authentic Representation for diversity and inclusion in film.
Throughout the years, Mitte has been an inspiration to his peers around the world by championing his cerebral palsy in hopes of removing the stigma associated with disabilities. In order to bring awareness to his own issues with bullying and prejudice, Mitte has engaged in public speaking and serves as the official Ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy, WBC (World boxing council ) and partners with Shriners Hospitals for Children to spearhead their #CutTheBull campaign to advocate on anti-bullying measures. He’s also involved with SAG-AFTRA as a committee member of the union’s IAPWD (I Am a Performer with Disabilities) and is an active board member and President of his family’s legacy project, The Mitte Foundation.
Jean Michael Lif
Advisor
Born in the Dominican Republic, Jean Michael was educated at the University of Miami and has lived in many countries around the world affording him an impressive global experience. Having worked both in the Private and Public sectors, he began his career at the Warner TV, A television channel airing in Latin America, Europe, parts of South Asia and Southeast Asia, which is owned by Warner Bros. Currently, Jean Michael is the Financial Coordinator for European Markets for the Government of the Dominican Republic. He is constantly looking forward to new challenges on and off set.
ABOUT US
Join the Digital Ignition mailing list today!
Digital Ignition LLC will not accept or consider any unsolicited material, ideas, queries or suggestions of any nature whatsoever (“Unsolicited Materials”). You may not use this website or information obtained here to submit Unsolicited Materials to Digital Ignition LLC via any means (including, without limitation, via mail, fax or e-mail).
© Copyrights, 2024 All Rights Reserved