FILM CREW
ANTHONY MARQUEZ
Producer
Anthony served in the United State Marine Corps from 2007 - 2012.
His last deployment was to Sangin, Afghanistan in 2011. During that time in Sangin, his unit, 1st Battalion 5th Marines, suffered great losses enduring over 190 WIA. Along with the wounded, 17 Marines brothers were killed on the battlefield. They are the XVII that this film is about.
Anthony’s familiarity with the 17 families and closeness to the story made him the perfect producer for our film. He is also our protagonist, and we follow him on the painful journey of remembering the fallen.
With an attitude fully motivated by completing his mission, Anthony planned the day to day logistics of our trip and was in contact with all the families we filmed along the way. He’s been instrumental in securing funds for our production, as well. Simply put, there wouldn’t of been a film without his dedication and contribution.
Ben Leiser
Executive Producer
Ben Leiser has been behind the scenes producing media in commercials & films in Los Angeles and around the globe, for almost three decades.
Raised in a small rural Illinois town outside Chicago, Ben was from the singular Jewish family in the area who started the local mercantile store (later furniture) in the 1800’s that still operates today. As a young adult he went to work at the Mercantile Exchange in Chicago before heading to California where he eventually met Manny Marquez and his future career in producing. This launched a history of projects spanning advertising, television, photography, and film.
In 2014 Ben and Manny released their first documentary Psychopath, about a group of unlikely misfits building a haunted attraction in rural Oklahoma. It was during the filming of that documentary that Ben also formed a lasting relationship with Anthony, years before Anthony’s first deployment. Ben rejoins Manny and the team to tell a much different story
Manny MARQUEZ
Director
Manny grew up in Oklahoma, and is of Mexican & Native American (Choctaw) decent. His parents were small business owners. Their dedication and work ethic, combined with his faith and ethnic background, are all elements Manny has brought to his filmmaking.
He studied film at the Art Center College of Design. It was here Manny deepened his love for cinema, and was convinced that every day people with a story to tell is where he needed to train his camera.
Manny now lives in Tulsa, OK with his wife and five children. He directs short-form documentaries for an array of clients ranging from pharmaceutical companies, financial firms, breweries, and beyond. He also directs broadcast commercials and music videos. His feature film Psychopath was released in 2014, and his award winning short film Operation Allie was runner up at the 2018 Big Sky Documentary Festival, and selected for the the GI Film Festival San Diego. He has just finished his second feature Make Peace or Die.