Andrew van den Houten (FOUNDER / PARTNER)

Award Winning Producer Andrew van den Houten is a native New Yorker born and raised on the Upper West Side. Receiving critical acclaim from the likes of Stephen King and Roger Ebert, his work has been recognized worldwide by Sundance Film Festival, The Independent Spirit Awards, SXSW, Fantastic Fest, Deauville American Film Festival, Sitges, FrightFest and many more.

He has been involved in the development, financing, production and distribution of over eighty feature films including Independent Spirit Award Nominee "In the Family," cult classic Jack Ketchum's "The Girl Next Door," and Sundance shocker "The Woman." He also directed both "Headspace" and "Offspring" through his first production company Modernciné.

Through Hood River Entertainment he produced an array of action, horror, thrillers, including Shudder Original "The Ranger," the McManus Bros. critically acclaimed "The Block Island Sound," on Netflix and "A Day To Die," starring Bruce Willis, directed by Wes Miller on Hulu. With Wes Miller, he started BLacklight, with the mission of providing quality opportunities for people of color and other traditionally disadvantaged people in front of and behind the camera, committed to telling commercially successful stories that inspire audiences across the world. BLacklight's first production, "Call Her King," starring Naturi Naughton and Lance Gross, was for BET+ and BET followed up by "Black Heat," starring Jason Mitchell, NLE Choppa and Dreamdoll, currently in post-production.

He works on film finance, sales, distribution and corporate consulting through 79th & Broadway Entertainment and also is a partner in film distributor Kamikaze Dogfight.

HAN SOTO (Partner)

Actor and Producer Han Soto is a native New Orleanian whose work spans across the lines of genre. Whether acting in blockbuster films such as Ender's Game and Logan or television hit series such as MacGyver and The Purge, Soto brings his blend of business sense, keen eye and positive energy to whatever project is at hand.

Han's ability to bring together creative talent and resources can be witnessed by his latest Award Winning Documentary A Tuba to Cuba, an impressive documentary that follows the famed Preservation Hall Jazz Band to Cuba in a quest to uncover the roots of New Orleans Jazz. A Tuba to Cuba was received with high accolades during its premiere at SXSW 2018 and has won multiple festivals and garnered top awards during its circuit while selling out in every theater during its theatrical debut. Through Setlife Films he Executive Produced Jeffrey Reddick's directorial debut "Good Samaritan" alongside Hood River Entertainment.  

When asked during a press interview what keeps him alive in this business, Han says "All aspects of filmmaking I consider intimate.  There is a Nguni Bantu term meaning "humanity." It's called Ubuntu and loosely translates to "I am because we are." 

CANDICE BARLEY (Manager)

Candice Barley has more than a decade of acting, management, consulting and coaching experience.  Barley is a problem solver at heart, having worked on both sides of the camera and always looking to solve challenges with writers, directors, producers and everyone in between.

During her time as a member of the Geena Davis Institute for Gender Equality in Media, Barley facilitated an array of live discussion sessions and wide-ranging, socially-relevant content featuring celebrities and corporate sponsors.  Most recently Barley helped manage and program events for the Bentonville Film Festival and additionally was involved in producing media surrounding the Standing Rock protests.  Candice’s creativity, business acumen, activism and industry relationships make her an asset to the 79th & Broadway Entertainment Management team and clientele.

Allie Shaffer (Manager)

As the newest addition to the 79th & Broadway team, Allie is passionate about offering her diverse experience in helping creative professionals bring their visions to life through film. Born and raised in New York City by a renowned fashion photographer, she grew up in photo studios and on location, surrounded by artists.

Allie landed her first job right out of high school at independent record label and artist management company, Cinematic Records, where she got her first taste of contributing to the business side of a creative industry. She completed her BBA in I/O Psychology at Baruch College Zicklin School of Business and spent nearly a decade as a management consultant focusing on strategy and leadership training at BeamPines, Inc., a boutique firm in Manhattan.

In 2011 she simultaneously launched her first entrepreneurial venture, an EdTech platform utilized by Fortune 100 companies to manage global leadership skills training programs. In 2017 she took a full-time job with her consulting client, Active International, where she was quickly immersed into the media industry as SVP, Product Strategy. While at Active, she also co-founded The Ad Learning Exchange, a learning community for professional growth in the Advertising and Media industries.

In 2021 Allie took a break from building in tech to explore how she could leverage her years of corporate experience while returning to her creative roots. She moved to the west coast to co-found a small gourmet food business and began learning about film production as an assistant to Andrew at Hood River Entertainment, where she rediscovered her passion for working with artists and helping them connect with their audience.