University of Denver alumnus knows his movies, at least according to Herb Kane, a nationally recognized film journalist who assesses film critics (in addition to films).

Kane selected Mark Sells, a 2002 graduate of DU, as one of the top film critics of 2003 on Kane’s Web site “Critic Doctor” (www.criticdoctor.com).

Kane lauded Sells’ positive reviews of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Terminator 3,” citing Sells’ emphasis on positive film reviews. Kane was also pleased by Sells’ willingness to take advantage of opportunities to view international and independant films.

Before getting a master’s degree in business administration, Sells attended Oklahoma City University, where he attained a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Sells writes for a number of print and online publications, including The Oregon Herald, The Denver Herald, The New York Daily Times, Film Threat and CineScene.

Some of the films that Sells picked as the top of 2003 include “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” “Whale Rider” and “Lost in Translation.”

Sells is a member of the Denver Film Society, the Rotten Tomatoes community (an online movie review group), the Online Film and Television Association, and the Internet Entertainment Writers Association.

In addition to writing film reviews, Sells writes his own films and teleplays. He runs his own multimedia company, called HFMedia, which specializes in film production and screenwriting. HFMedia recently produced its first film, titled “Forever.”

For more information about Sells, visit his Web site “The Reel Deal” at http://www.oregonherald.com/reviews/mark-sells/index.html