ABOUT US.
Background of the company.
Zakatak Productions originally started as a music production company, and was responsible for multiple gold and platinum records. In 2017, the company began to explore film production as well, and is now primarily engaged in filmmaking. With two multi-award-winning productions in the last two years, Zakatak is poised to expand its reach to a wide international audience.
ABOUT THE FOUNDER.
Paul Schwartz is a writer, director and composer. His work is in the field of dramatic story-telling in all its forms, and encompasses projects in film, theatre, opera and dance. His latest film THE SEASONS has pulled in over 40 awards in the first six months of its release on the festival circuit, and has been acquired for distribution by Random Media. Other recent films include the award-winning TIME CAN BREAK YOUR HEART and A NEW YORK STORY. He is currently at work on his next film: STOP TIME, which will begin shooting in the summer of 2024.
Also active as a playwright, his play A MEASURE OF DOUBT was a standout hit at the 2020 New York Winter Festival of Plays. Other recent projects include A DATE and THE SIENA QUARTET, performed as part of the Actors’ Studio Kazan Festivals of June 2013 and 2014. Other plays in development at the Studio include BRILLIANCE and AWAKE AGAIN.
As a record producer Mr. Schwartz has sold over 750,000 of his own records world-wide, and many millions more through his collaborations: notably with Josh Groban, Carlos Santana and David Foster. He is the creator of two popular series of cds: the ARIA series, and the STATE OF GRACE series. Mr. Schwartz has composed ballet scores for New York City Ballet (twice), Milwaukee Ballet, Ohio Ballet and The Royal Ballet, as well as two operas, ORPHEUS ’68 and SNEHVIDE (Snow White). He has conducted for NYCB and Ballet Rambert, as well as serving as the musical director of several Broadway shows, including PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, SONG AND DANCE, and ON YOUR TOES.
Future Projects.
Zakatak Productions is in preparation to shoot our next film, STOP TIME, in 2024. The story concerns a photographer who is deep in reclusive grief several years after the great love of his life, a ballet dancer, was killed in a car accident. Stuck, depressed, unable to work, he meets someone who changes his perspective. The film is to be shot in black and white, except for his memories which are in lush and dreamy color.