Walter Josten

Walter Josten is one of a select group of producers in Hollywood who has been involved in nearly every aspect of film and television development, production, financing, distribution, and international sales, often in the traditional roles of producer or executive producer. He studied art, photography and film at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After college, Walter began his career as an artist and then, moving to Southern California, began making films in 1984. Walter co-founded Blue Rider Pictures in 1991, and together he and Blue Rider have been involved in developing, producing, distributing and helping to provide financing for over 140 film and television productions. Walter is recognized as an industry pioneer of independent film financing, being among the first to leverage tax incentives and one of the first to introduce the concept of bridge financing to the independent motion picture community. One of Walter’s favorite projects is UNCOMMON KINDNESS, co-produced and co-written by Walter, a documentary on Father Damien of Molokai narrated by Robin Williams, which won a CINE Golden Eagle Award in 1998. THE INCREDIBLE MRS. RITCHIE, starring James Caan and Gena Rowlands, garnered Walter a 2004 Emmy award. Walter also won a Telly Award with his son Patrick in 2007 for producing THE MOSS METHOD, a documentary on former NFL superstar, hall-of-famer and current ESPN studio analyst Randy Moss. Walter wrote and executive produced the film SILVER WOLF. This Family Channel Premiere won the prestigious Star Boy Award at the 18th Oulu International Children’s Film Festival, in Oulu, Finland.