Gloria Gari
Chairwoman
Ella and Ferdinand Fishman moved to the U.S. from Budapest in the 1930’s with their two sons. After getting their start in the U.S. they had a daughter that they named Gloria.
Gloria began singing at the age of five. A native New Yorker, she studied voice and piano and developed a lovely soprano operatic voice that was highly regarded by many. In fact, Gloria sang on the radio each week for many years as a child and teen. In one vocal audition in the city, Gloria met a handsome Romanian singer named… Giulio. She was 16 years old: they married three years later.
Giulio and Gloria raised two children, and were very fulfilled living a life of opera and performance for many years. Giulio Gari passed away in April 15, 1994. In 2002 Gloria set up the Giulio Gari Foundation with Licia Albanese and Stephen De Maio. The first competition ran in 2003.
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Paul Cohen
President
Gayle Gari-Cohen
Vice President
Paul Cohen and Gayle Gari married and have embraced life together since 1986.
Since the inception of the Giulio Gari Foundation Paul has served in numerous capacities: that of fundraiser, as its president, and consults on many of the Foundation’s initiatives and operations in close communication with Gloria Gari.
Paul is an independent motion picture executive who, for more than four decades, created several New York City based successful film distribution and production companies.
Paul has worked with auteur directors including Italy’s Luchino Visconti and France’s Jean-Luc Godard (Eloge de l’amour), along with Oscar winning Istvan Szabo and producers including Lorne Michaels and Mick Jagger distributing their motion picture Enigma, starring Kate Winslet. In 2007, he began a second career and continues as a level III instructing professor at the Florida State University College of Motion Picture Arts, as well as serving as the director of its Torchlight Cinematheque. Paul has mentored more than 700 FSU interning students through this program. Additionally, Paul continues to executive produce and market independent motion pictures including the released feature documentary Good Fortune, narrated by Dan Aykroyd.
Paul continues his relationship with the filmmakers and served as associate producer for Kiss The Ground narrated by Woody Harrelson, a feature-length documentary in the release as a Netflix special. Paul is Executive Producer of the award-winning feature narrative picture Life and Nothing More directed by Antonio Menendez Esparza, a former Cannes Film Festival-winning director. This independent motion picture won the John Cassavetes independent spirit award and is currently on Amazon prime per the Paul brokered the sale for the U.S. territory for theatrical distribution. The moments Paul can step away from cinema and the Foundation, he spends with Gayle assuming their role as caregiving guardians as they enjoy satisfying the demands of their numerous animals.
As an industry veteran he acquired, marketed, and distributed a wide range of motion pictures, often described as cinematic gems and contemporary classics. His filmography includes the acquisition, marketing, and theatrical U.S. distribution for: Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Language Picture, Mephisto, directed by Istvan Szabo; Oscar-nominated My Brilliant Career, directed by Gillian Armstrong and introducing Sam Neill and Judy Davis; Oscar-nominated Russian entry, The Thief, directed by Pavel Chukhray.
Gayle is the daughter of Giulio and Gloria Gari, beloved sister to Glen and spouse of esteemed FSU College of Motion Picture Arts faculty member, Paul Cohen. Gayle has been a force in supporting the Giulio Gari Foundation since its inception.
As a child, Gayle appeared in the role of “Trouble” – daughter of “Butterfly” along with her father’s portrayal of Pinkerton, in Madame Butterfly.
For decades, Gayle partnered with her husband successfully navigating cinema markets in Cannes, Milan, Berlin, and Toronto, to name a few, in search of acquiring motion picture rights for their distribution companies. Gayle is currently the owner-manager of the Red Horse Ranch in Northern Florida and shares each day with her adopted Mustangs, America’s wild horse, along with other discarded animals, to provide them with their best possible life.