Biography
Srdjan Stakic is a producer. He has a doctorate degree in Health Education from Columbia University and an MFA in Television and Film Producing from USC.
Stakic was born in the former Yugoslavia. At 16, he fled to the United States where he sought refuge with an American family he had never met. The enterprising young man finished high school, brought his family to the U.S., and earned three degrees, including a B.A. in Biopsychology and Cognitive Science from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a master's and doctorate degrees in Health Education specializing in Media from Columbia's Teachers College. Stakic's groundbreaking research and intellectual curiosity earned him a Fulbright Scholarship, one of the most prestigious merit-based programs in the world. Post-doctoral work included earning certifications from Harvard Law and Stanford Law. While in graduate school, Stakic was recruited by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) after which he joined the Yale School of Public Health.
At the U.N., Stakic utilized media to positively influence social development in regions of the world experiencing disasters or in post-disaster recovery. In one of the program's most successful and innovative strategies, Stakic brokered a partnership between the U.N. and MTV International. The result was wildly popular television programming airing in over 40 nations around the globe. The story-lines included crucial health and wellness messages on culturally taboo topics like HIV/AIDS and domestic abuse. Stakic executive produced several scripted and reality shows and quickly became enamored with the creative aspect of producing and relocated to Los Angeles to attend the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC.
After earning an MFA in Film Producing, Srdjan joined YOMYOMF, a Justin Lin [Star Trek Beyond] company, where he served as the in house line producer/producer. Srdjan's first feature film (executive produced with Justin Lin) "Yellow Face" directed by Jeff Liu, based on a Pulitzer Prize nominated play by Tony Award®-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival. After opening his company, Kintsugi Productions, LLC, Srdjan embark on producing his second feature, "Newcomer" directed by Kai Barry, starring Anthony LaPaglia, executive produced by Brian Kavanaugh-Jones [Insidious]. Newcomer premiered as the Opening Night Gala presentation at London's Raindance Film Festival. Srdjan is in post-production on a feature-length documentary film shot in refugee camps on the Jordanian-Syrian border directed by Reilly Dowd. A horror feature he produced, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman [Saw II, III, IV, Spiral] is called St. Agatha. Srdjan line produced two seasons of Lionsgates' half-hour comedy Swedish Dicks starring Peter Stormare and Keanu Reeves, nominated for the Kristallen Awards for best comedy show. In 2017, a project Srdjan produced won the Gold American Advertising Award for best commercial campaign. He served as a co-showrunner and EP on an independently financed pilot episode of Valley Slice, and is currently serving as the COO and CFO of a newly formed film and TV development, finance and production company, In the Works Productions.
