After graduating Cal Arts Film School (Peewee Herman & Ed Harris were among her graduating class), Cutler-Rubenstein started her career as assistant to legendary Agent-turned-Producer Jerome M. Zeitman at 20th Century-Fox, where she assisted in the development of numerous projects including her first produced studio feature, the sci-fi thriller DAMNATION ALLEY.
Following her experience at 20th-Fox, she held various executive positions including Director of Literary Acquisitions for Mona Moore & Associates, Director of the Story Department for Marble Arch Productions, Director of Literary Affairs for Columbia Pictures Television and Vice-President, Promotion and Marketing for Connoisseur Video.
Always the filmmaker, she completed several short films while still a studio executive, including TEA BREAK FOR MRS. PENROSE starring Annie Potts (DESIGNING WOMEN). Her first foray into indie producing was a series of international and domestic theatrical premieres, including a revival of A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Odyssey Theatre starring Ed Harris. Her production DUSA, FISH, STAS & VI was lauded by L.A. Times critic Sylvie Drake as one of the year_s best productions in Los Angeles. Turning to film, her first indie feature, she partnered with actor turned director John Saxon co-writing the feature thriller DEATH HOUSE for Nick Moreno Productions. The film starred John Saxon, Dennis Cole and Tony Franciosa.
Cutler-Rubenstein teamed with producer Steven Bakalar to form H2 Productions, responsible for four produced films including THE SUBSTITUTE a $15 million-feature for Live Entertainment. She served as Executive Producer for the action-drama which starred Tom Berenger, Ernie Hudson, Diane Venora and William Forsythe. The movie garnered the number two spot its opening weekend. THE SUBSTITUTE was directed by Robert Mandel (FX, SCHOOL TIES). She was also Executive Producer for HBO's SUBSTITUTE 2, starring Treat Williams. On the heels of exec producing the successful SUBSTITUTE franchise, Cutler-Rubenstein co-wrote and directed PEACOCK BLUES. The short film was shot on 35MM for ShowTime_s' prestigious Discovery Program starring William Forsythe (THE UNTOUCHABLES) and Poppy Montgomery (BLONDE, WITHOUT A TRACE) that won Best Film and Audience Favorite at Moondance International Film Festival 2000. Following her success with PEACOCK BLUES, she was hired by Academy Award nominee
ampicillin bacteria Ross Spears to help produce & direct multiple narrative sequences for the award winning PBS documentary TELL ABOUT THE SOUTH.
She exec produced and wrote NOT AFRAID TO LAUGH, co-produced with Emmy award winning producer Roberta Cantow. The innovative documentary won an Award of Distinction from the Communicator Awards 2000 and was invited to be archived at the Museum of Broadcasting. As a celebrity guest, her comedy writing & performing for THE POWER TO HEAL contributed to the program winning two coveted Tellys in 2002.
A respected screenwriter, she has collaborated with Emmy and Academy Award winning writer-producers Roger Lewis (THE PAWNBROKER, SHAFT) and comed veteran Everett Freeman (MARJORIE MORNINGSTAR,
SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY).
Her produced writing credits include episodic TV where among others she worked with Heather Locklear and William Shatner on ABC's TJ HOOKER. Her feature and television writing projects have been optioned by numerous companies, including INTERSCOPE COMMUNICATIONS,
CHARLES FRIES ENTERTAINENT, and TRIMARK PICTURES. Most recently she has been hired by Acropolis Entertainment to write the family feature BEST FOR LAST which she is also attached to direct.
Cutler-Rubenstein has extensive creative and business relationships within the industry worldwide. These include relationships with acquisitions executives at major and minor distribution companies, including Dreamworks SKG, Miramax Films, Columbia-TriStar Motion Picture Company, Twentieth Century Fox-Searchlight, TNT, USA Films, and HBO among others. Most recently, she developed and produced a reality show for the FX Channel which was filmed on location in Los Angeles and Vegas. Additionally, she travels around the world, lecturing, speaking and teaching at film festivals and film markets about the creative and business aspects of moviemaking. Cutler-Rubenstein is an Adjunct Professor teaching screenwriting at USC and at California State University at Northridge.