Jon Turtle

Jon Turtle is an American film and television producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of action, comedy, horror, science fiction and drama. He is currently independently producing the Walter Hill directed crime thriller 'St Vincent' starring Pierce Brosnan, Billy Bob Thornton & Giovanni Ribisi.
His best known works including A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Nightmare on Elm Street 4, Nightmare on Elm Street 5, American Ninja 2: The Confrontation, the Emmy-nominated They Call Me Sirr starring Michael Clarke Duncan based on the true story of Sirr Parker.
Skin Deep starring John Ritter, Speedzone starring John Candy, Nightbreed directed by Clive Barker, Full Moon in Blue Water starring Gene Hackman, Kansas starring Matt Dillon and Kyra Sedgwick, My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys starring Scott Glenn, Kate Capshaw, Tess Harper, and Gary Busey, and Messenger of Death starring Charles Bronson.
As well as work on David Lynch's starring Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, and Bat 21 starring Gene Hackman and Danny Glover.
Early life and education
A New York native, Jon Turtle attended the University of Miami (Bachelor of Arts degree in History) and the University of Miami School of Law.
Post graduation Turtle was employed by the Mann Theater Corporation. Making a name for himself with his innovation of being the first executive to introduce multiple runs of midnight shows, of major theatrical releases across all Mann Theatres locations in 1974. A marketing model that was soon emulated and copied by rival cinema chains across the country, and which is still a popular marketing concept in use today.
Later in life, Turtle would subsequently go on to become a Professor at Chapman University Graduate School, California.
Companies
He has held positions at the Mann Theater Corporation, National Subscription Television, Albacore Productions, Media Home Entertainment, ASCII Picture Corporation, Rocket Pictures, Showtime Networks (for 8 years), Cappella Films and Morgan Creek before setting out on his own with Jon Turtle Productions.
Film and television production
As of 2009 Jon Turtle has produced and financed over 80 features and TV films.
And functioned in the capacity of Producer, Executive Producer, Distributor or financier for approximately sixty features, some of which are listed below for reference:
, BTK, Grand Champion, Wuthering Heights, CA, Braddock: Missing in Action 3, Hysteria, Death Wish 4, Delta Force 2: Operation Stranglehold, A Divas Christmas Carol, Snow in August, the Emmy-nominated In a Class of His Own, Freak City starring Natalie Cole, The Minion, Arrival II, Provocateur, , Cage II, Flight of the Innocent, I Come in Peace, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, 4: The Dream Master, and 5, Skin Deep, ', Meet the Applegates, Messenger of Death, , Paris Trout, Kansas, Switching Channels, The Big Town, Jagged Edge, Second Time Lucky and Prisoners.
Starting his career as an associate producer on such films as Richard Marquand's Jagged Edge (Matin Ransohoff/ Columbia Pictures) starring Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close. Switching Channels (Columbia Pictures) starring Kathleen Turner, Burt Reynolds and Christopher Reeve. Ben Bolt's The Big Town (Albacore/Columbia) starring Matt Dillon, Diane Lane and Tommy Lee Jones. And Neil Jordan's High Spirits (Trans World / TriStar) starring Steve Guttenberg, Daryl Hannah, Peter O'Toole and introduced Liam Neeson.
Many of his films were produced in association with Showtime Networks through his own company, Jon Turtle Productions. Including; Emmy nominated They Call Me Sirr starring Michael Clarke Duncan, writer/director Robert Munic's "In a Class of His Own" starring Lou Diamond Phillips, Lynne Littman's Freak City and Jimmy Kaufman's Time at The Top starring Timothy Busfield.
Turtle's work as an Executive Producer continued with the likes of Kevin Tenney's Arrival II (Taurus 7/Live Entertainment) starring Patrick Muldoon, Michael Sarrazin, and Jane Sibbett, Jim Donovan's Provocateur (Appian Way/Live) starring Jane March, Lillo Brancato, Nick Mancuso and Carey Tagawa, Richard Martini's Cannes Man (Rocket) starring Lara Flynn Boyle, Johnny Depp, Dennis Hopper, Julian Lennon and John Malkovich, Carlo Carlei's (MGM) starring Matthew Modine, Nancy Travis and Eric Stolz and Flight of The Innocent (Rocket/MGM/UA) starring Manuel Cristaldi and Frederico Pacifici.
With a working life spent solely in the entertainment industry. Jon Turtle's career has taken in and experienced every aspect of working a film or television project. From arranging financing for films and television programs, overseeing scriptwriting and concept development, production management, business affairs, formulating distribution deals and marketing strategies.
Awards
Nominated for a 2002 Daytime Emmy Award in the Outstanding Children's Category for They Call Me Sirr (2001) (TV)
Personal life
Resides in California and is an active member of a number of charities and organizations. Including the Ronald McDonald House, an organization committed to providing comfort, care and support to children and families in Southern California through a variety of wellness and educational programs. As well as the Seeds of Peace Foundation, which is dedicated to empowering young leaders worldwide from regions of conflict with the leadership skills required to advance reconciliation and co-existence.
Jon Turtle is the cousin of Film Producer & Director Jon Turteltaub
Societies and associations
*Member of the Producers Guild of America
*Member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
*Member of the Screen Actors Guild
Philanthropic activities
*Honorary Trustee - Southern California Ronald McDonald House
*Honorary Trustee - Seeds of Peace Foundation
Judging panels and committees
*Juror on the 1997 Bogota Film Festival
*Juror on the 1989 Tokyo Film Festival

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