Filmmakers

Paula Eiselt

Director

Paula Eiselt is a Primetime Emmy-nominated, Peabody and duPont-Columbia Award-winning director and Sundance Jury Prize winner known for her rigorous, character-driven journalistic storytelling. Her films, including 93Queen (HBO Max; PBS POV), Aftershock (Sundance; Hulu/Disney+), and Under G-d (Sundance; PBS POV Shorts), have screened at over 100 international festivals, received theatrical releases, and been distributed globally on platforms including Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max, PBS/POV, and ARTE. Aftershock received the Sundance Special Jury Award: Impact for Change and went on to earn a Peabody Award, a duPont-Columbia Award, and a Primetime Emmy nomination. Her latest feature, We Met at Grossinger’s, premiered at DOC NYC 2025 and is slated for release in 2026.

Eiselt is a graduate of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she earned a double major with honors in Film Production and Cinema Studies. She is a member of the Television Academy, the International Association of Press Photographers, and New York Women in Film & Television.

Robert Friedman

CEO, Bungalow Media & Entertainment

Bungalow was founded by CEO Robert Friedman, a 30-year entertainment veteran, who has held an array of senior executive positions including President of Radical Media & Entertainment; President of AOL, Interactive Marketing, TV & Ad Sales; Co-Chairman of New Line Cinema in charge of worldwide Theatrical Marketing and Licensing and President of New Line Television, which he launched for the company. New Line Cinema content included Academy Award-winning Lord of the Rings, Austin Powers, Rush Hour, Dumb & Dumber, Shine as well as a wide array of television and documentary projects. Friedman was an original member of the start-up team at MTV Networks, where he spent over a decade.

His industry honors include being named one of “Media Man of the Year” by ADWEEK, named one of the top 100 marketers in the country by AdAge, being inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, and most recently, making Variety’s 2024 “The New Power of New York List.”

Mike Powers

Producer

Mike Powers is a 30 year veteran of production and development. Mike’s career started at MTV where he wrote, produced and directed a number of series and events. From 1999 through 2001, Mike oversaw “Total Request Live” as it became a cultural phenomenon. From there he went on to Executive Produce MTV’s Emmy Award winning series “Made” as well as the series “Run’s House”, “The X-Effect”, “Maui Fever”, “World Of Jenks” and “Life Of Ryan”. Before joining Bungalow Media + Entertainment in 2015, Mike was an independent Showrunner on projects for Bravo, Oxygen, H2 and A&E.

David Moore

Executive Producer

David Moore is a business executive and investor and active Jewish philanthropist. In business, he is the CEO of Moore Holdings, which owns 7 Renewal by Andersen replacement window companies operating in 16 markets throughout the United State. He is also a minority owner of the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA and Tampa Bay Lightning in the NHL. In Jewish philanthropy he is President of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York and immediate past Chair of UJA-Federation of New York. In entertainment, Moore is Executive Producer of We Met at Grossinger’s, Jeff Ross’s Broadway show Take a Banana for the Ride, Michael Rapaport’s Am I Cancelled Yet? and an upcoming documentary about former NBA star Ernie Grunfeld.

Harris Salomon

Executive Producer

Harris Salomon is a visionary innovator, elite producer, and master storyteller whose career bridges cinematic ambition with deep journalistic instinct. As President of Atlantic Overseas Pictures Television and Athenaeum Motion Pictures, he develops character-driven content with high cultural resonance.

Salomon developed the concept for We Met at Grossinger’s and serves as an Executive Producer of the cinematic documentary. He is currently developing The Mountains, a major scripted dramatic comedy series exploring the golden era of the Catskills. An ACE Award nominee with roots at CBS News and over 25 years in broadcast content development, Salomon’s extensive credits span major networks including ABC, CBS, and Lifetime.

Gabriel Merkin

Co-Founder, Red Apple Productions

Gabriel Merkin is a co-founder of Red Apple Productions. A native and lifelong New Yorker, he found his passion for film as an undergraduate at Columbia University, where he earned degrees in film business and psychology. He began his career as an Archival Producer and has spent nearly a decade telling stories across a variety of media. Alongside his work in film and media, Gabriel is co-founder of Canopy Talent, serves as President of two venture capital firms, KT² Ventures and Corner3 Ventures and is the COO of a private family office. Away from the screen, Gabriel maintains the sporting and hospitality spirit of Grossingers, always looking to hit the slopes, gets shots up in the closest gym, and then stir up some damn good manhattans and martinis.

Jack Leichtung

Co-Founder, Red Apple Productions

Jack is a born and bred New Yorker having grown up on the upper east side of Manhattan. Jack attended college at the University of Miami where he double majored in film and business law. After undergrad, Jack attended Brooklyn Law School and thereafter worked as an associate at several top-tier New York corporate law firms before transitioning his practice to entertainment law and working at the very reputable entertainment shop, Grubman Shire. Given his varied years of experience, Jack also wears the general counsel hat for Red Apple. In his spare time, Jack can be found in an aisle seat at the local theater, reading, running, hanging with his wife, Nathalie, daughter, Mia, and adorable mini bernedoodle— Vinny— or playing golf.