Source: The Grove Group on behalf of Ron Krauss

LOS ANGELES--July 16th, 2003--April 1997 -- They sit together in a trailer -- Ron Krauss, a young director working on his first short film, and the grand master, Academy Award Winner Jack Lemmon. The two discuss Ron's vision, shot for shot. "Puppies for Sale" would become a "little masterpiece" as Lemmon best described it. So moved by Krauss was yet another Academy Award Winner, film composer Elmer Bernstein, who masterfully provided his own finishing touches creating a classic score.

"Puppies for Sale" was awarded "Best Short Film" in over twenty film festivals worldwide including the Berlin, Giffoni, Aspen, Rimouski and Heartland film festivals. In addition, Krauss was the recipient of the Kodak Vision Award for excellence. It was then theatrically released accompanying special holiday screenings of Disney's "The Little Mermaid." This would only be the first act for Ron.

Krauss went on to write, direct and co-produce the acclaimed television series, "Chicken Soup for the Soul," with a distinguished cast that includes Martin Sheen, Charles Durnning, Rod Steiger and Teri Garr. "We tapped into an exceptional filmmaker and storyteller with Ron," recalls Lloyd Weintraub, the show's producer. Ron's participation led to the show's continued success and positive reviews.

With building momentum comes Ron's next break -- He would write and direct his first feature film -- "Rave." "I felt the need to make a film that speaks a language that communicates to young adults who have to make difficult decisions in a constantly changing and confusing environment riddled with peer pressure, substance abuse and family demands," Krauss relates. "Rave" becomes a film festival favorite and a Showtime Network premiere.

Ron's most ambitious project was soon to come . . . This time around he would be working with critically acclaimed actor James Spader ("Sex, Lies and Videotape," "Stargate") on the science fiction thriller, "Alien Hunter." The script calls for a five level underground Arctic facility, twenty-five foot ice block, and aliens. Krauss envisions a gritty, claustrophobic, underground Cold War structure, equipped with new technology -- an environment that would add tension to the already taut story. "I want the aliens to be scary, but with a hint of intelligence. The audience will not initially know if they are killers like in the film 'Alien,' or gentle beings like the ones in 'Close Encounters Of The Third Kind,'" explains Krauss.

Ron assembles an impressive supporting cast for "Alien Hunter" that includes Leslie Stephenson ("The General's Daughter," "The Hunted"), John Lynch ("In The Name Of The Father," "Sliding Doors"), Aimee Graham ("Timecode," "Brokedown Palace") and Kier Dullea, best known as astronaut Dave Bowman in Stanley Kubrick's classic film, "2001: A Space Odyssey."

But beyond even the impressive cast and the special effects is the story: a complex suspenseful drama exploring the human heart at the center of the quest for life beyond our own, told by its visionary director Ron Krauss.

"Alien Hunter" premieres on the Sci-Fi Channel, Saturday, July 19 at 9:00 pm.