Heather Rae, producer to watch

Heather Rae

10 Producers to Watch

By Anthony KaufmayHeather Rae is known for producing "Frozen River," Courtney Hunt's 2008 Sundance winner, but she's now breaking out into more mainstream fare.

Currently heading toward production and with financing coming together is "Ass Backwards," written by Casey Wilson and June Diane Raphael ("Bride Wars"). Scribes will star along with Kate Hudson, Kristen Wiig, Amy Sedaris and David Cross.

"I call it a bitch-slap to the boy-buddy movie," she says. "It's not a big movie, but it's a big change," admits Rae, who ran the Sundance Institute's Native American program for several years. "I've been the social realism go-to girl; I've made heavy-handed documentaries and dark films like 'Frozen River.' It's a new frontier, but I'm really excited."

Despite her turn to broader comedy, Rae's steadfast commitment to her experimental and half-Cherokee roots remains. Five years ago, she moved from Los Angeles back to Idaho, and she continues to cultivate projects for Native American director Randy Redroad.Comment:  For more on the subject, see The Best Indian Movies.