Milana L. Walter
Biography
“Believe your dreams matter.” -- Milana L. Walter
In business circles, you’ll hear of two types of talent: engineers who execute plans and architects, who make them. Milana L.Walter questions the status quo and says, “Just be you.” And “you” as in Milana is one, seriously multi-talented artist with business acumen.
Thus, Milana has always purposed herself to do it all, while inspiring others to action in the process. A multitalented writer, producer and director, Walter’s enduring vision has consistently been to create relevant content, while cultivating the leadership skills and relationships to accomplish her goals. Well-traveled and globally exposed, Walter has consulted in TV and film content development, branding and entertainment marketing.
Currently, as the founder of TV-OP Festival (OP stands for opportunity); Milana has created an independent international television festival designed to be an important niche catalyst for people of color and women in concept and content. TV-OP stimulates an environment of conversation with action to accomplish distribution of these stories that cover all genres: drama, reality, comedy, sports, talk, etc., formatted to include nano-seconds to 88 min.: I.D.s, webisodes, bumpers, series, specials, limited series, movies. Her other recent successes include Zoe & Issy: The Message, a television pilot and Dreams with Sweet Deceit, a novel. She has also worked with NBC/Universal in Chicago & Miami/Fort Lauderdale.
Milana’s executive producer credits include the annual Jefferson Awards for Public Service, The NBC5/Telemundo Homework Hotline Championship Webcast, and the Torino Olympics/Chicago Olympians event, where she was the web page architect for “Community” and created NBC5 Community WebChannel. In Miami, she was an Olympic Marketing Consultant for Salt Lake Olympics and co-creator, NBC Miami’s Junior Broadcaster’s Program.
Walter’s additional production credits include:
Woman! Free Your Soul – a workout video to African drums was distributed nationally through Blockbuster Video; Dare To Dream, a talk show, aired on Manhattan, Fort Lauderdale cable and Miami radio; Delta Blues 911 – aired on A&E prime-time featuring Isaac Hayes.
Her consulting accomplishments include:
Serving as talent consultant for King World syndicated Big Break hosted by Natalie Cole (discovering R. Kelly); producing/writing/directing three McDonald’s MusicFests; producing/writing/directing two Inner-City Games Opening Ceremonies with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Glover – aired as prime-time specials on NBC Miami; creating a successful sports celebrity golf classic benefiting the United Way; producing/directing an award-winning TV pilot, Champion to Champion with Julius Erving & Chris Evert; co-authoring The Man Who Could Fly: The Bob Beamon Story and producing the screenplay for the optioned film, Naomi’s Son with acclaimed director, Charles Burnett and Oscar-winning producer, Paul Cohen.
Walter’s movie credits include:
Directed/wrote, China – about HIV/AIDS and produced Conguero! – featuring the late Mongo Santamaria.
Milana Walter earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Tennessee State University and a Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center. She has lived and worked in Manhattan, Los Angeles and Miami. Her appreciation of global trends and aesthetics were honed on trips to Montreal, Toronto, Cannes, Paris, Madrid, Athens, London, Zurich, Lausanne, Monaco, Nice, Mexico City and Sydney, Australia. Walter now lives in her native Chicago.
Today, Walter continues to create positive-content in media and business projects. At Columbia College, Chicago, her extensive entrepreneurial & executive media/entertainment production experience serves her students well. She is adjunct faculty in the Arts, Entertainment & Media Management department. Her continuing teacher education has included work with Harvard University/Project Zero through Columbia.
Milana L. Walter serves on The Salvation Army - Communications Committee, is a member of IFP (International Film Project), The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), Images and Voices of Hope, is in Who’s Who in Black Chicago and was recently honored as one of Chicago’s Phenomenal Women along with First Lady Michelle Obama.
To learn how the Chicago Urban League can help you please visit:
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