Dominique Telson is the SVP of Development and Production at Astute Films, LLC, the Los Angeles-based, privately-funded motion picture financing and production company.
Telson is a producer on Astute Films’ The Best of Enemies,currently in post-production, starring Academy Award-nominee Taraji P. Henson and Academy Award-winner Sam Rockwell, set to be released in the US by STX Entertainment. She is also a producer of Welcome to Pine Grove!, currently shooting andfeaturing an all-star cast led by Academy Award-winner Ellen Burstyn and Academy Award-nominee James Caan. Telson also co-produced An Interview with God for Astute Films and its sister-company Giving Films. All profits from Giving Films productions are donated to charity.
Prior to joining Astute Films in 2015, Telson served as a consultant for Canadian producers Chesler/Perlmutter Productions. She was instrumental in developing C/P’s “Holiday Films”, which were some of the most watched films on Hallmark Channel and Lifetime Movie Network including the record-breaking “The Christmas Cure”, “Sound of Christmas” and “Merry Matrimony”.
Prior to being an independent producer, Telson was the longtime Vice President of Original Programming for Showtime Networks where she oversaw the development and production of various award-winning and critically acclaimed Original Movies and Series featuring top talent including Robert Redford, Jamie Foxx, Dustin Hoffman, Mimi Rogers, Bernadette Peters, Michael Clarke Duncan, Ally Sheedy, Ed Harris and Ryan Gosling among others. Danny Glover’s Daytime Emmy Nomination directorial debut “Just a Dream” was guided by Telson. She also dared to discover new talent like Brittany Murphy who made her debut opposite Kirsten Dunst in “The Devil’s Arithmetic”. The film was produced by Telson and won Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Directing in a Children’s Special and Outstanding Writing in a Children’s Special.
Ever pioneering to create opportunities for minorities, Telson was instrumental in the creation of Showtime’s Black Filmmaker Showcase, which featured short films from several previously unknown filmmakers such as Malcolm Lee. In 2003, Telson received Multichannel News’ prestigious “Wonder Woman of the Year” award in recognition of her outstanding achievements as a leader in the cable television industry.
Telson’s wealth of industry experience and industry relationships make her a priceless part of the Astute team.