Joseph Greco
Encyclopedia
Joseph Greco is a writer, director and producer living in Los Angeles. He wrote & directed the feature film Canvas.
Greco was interested in magic, entering the Society of American Magicians aged 14, but shifted his interest to film at university. He graduated from Florida State University’s School of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts in 1994. He began making short films in Hollywood, Florida
in the mid-90s, before moving to Hollywood, California in 1995. He has worked with director James Cameron
and has received awards for his short films, The Ghost of Drury Lane and Lena’s Spaghetti, which premiered in the Telluride Film Festival
’s Filmmakers of Tomorrow Program. Greco is a member of the Directors Guild of America
.
Greco has directed many plays, short films, music videos & PSAs, working with actors such as Harrison Ford, Matthew Modine
, and Cloris Leachman. He directed the music video of “Take Me Home” from the HBO series True Blood, and the music video "Hope Is a Thing" for singer/songwriter Lisbeth Scott, working alongside two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler
. Greco is a producer of Joe Pantoliano’s documentary "No Kidding, Me Too," which was released on PBS.
Canvas is Greco's first feature film, and was inspired by his own experience of living with his mother, who suffered from schizophrenia. He said that "It's like a love letter to my parents. I felt this was my way of sublimating what I had gone through. Every filmmaker has something they are passionate about, and for me, it's mental illness." It was filmed in 2006, and stars Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden
, Emmy Award winner Joe Pantoliano
and Devon Gearhart
. Canvas premiered at the Hampton’s International Film Festival, won the Alice in the City Prize (Best Feature Film) at the 2007 Rome International Film Festival, and several other awards. Canvas well-received by film critics such as Roger Ebert
and Peter Travers
of Rolling Stone. Greco was recognized by MovieMaker Magazine in their screenwriter spotlight for Canvas, and has been invited to speak about Canvas and the subject of mental health at the United Nations, Tufts University and Yale University.
Greco was interested in magic, entering the Society of American Magicians aged 14, but shifted his interest to film at university. He graduated from Florida State University’s School of Motion Picture, Television and Recording Arts in 1994. He began making short films in Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood, Florida
-Demographics:As of 2000, there were 59,673 households out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.5% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.2% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of...
in the mid-90s, before moving to Hollywood, California in 1995. He has worked with director James Cameron
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor...
and has received awards for his short films, The Ghost of Drury Lane and Lena’s Spaghetti, which premiered in the Telluride Film Festival
Telluride Film Festival
The Telluride Film Festival was started in 1974 by Bill and Stella Pence, Tom Luddy and Jim Card in the town of Telluride, Colorado, United States. It is operated by the National Film Preserve....
’s Filmmakers of Tomorrow Program. Greco is a member of the Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America
Directors Guild of America is an entertainment labor union which represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry...
.
Greco has directed many plays, short films, music videos & PSAs, working with actors such as Harrison Ford, Matthew Modine
Matthew Modine
Matthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
, and Cloris Leachman. He directed the music video of “Take Me Home” from the HBO series True Blood, and the music video "Hope Is a Thing" for singer/songwriter Lisbeth Scott, working alongside two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler
Haskell Wexler, A.S.C. is an American cinematographer, film producer, and director. Wexler was judged to be one of film history's ten most influential cinematographers in a survey of the members of the International Cinematographers Guild.-Early life and education:Wexler was born to a Jewish...
. Greco is a producer of Joe Pantoliano’s documentary "No Kidding, Me Too," which was released on PBS.
Canvas is Greco's first feature film, and was inspired by his own experience of living with his mother, who suffered from schizophrenia. He said that "It's like a love letter to my parents. I felt this was my way of sublimating what I had gone through. Every filmmaker has something they are passionate about, and for me, it's mental illness." It was filmed in 2006, and stars Academy Award winner Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden
Marcia Gay Harden is an American film and theatre actress. Harden's breakthrough role was in Miller's Crossing and then The First Wives Club which was followed by several roles which gained her wider fame including the hit comedy Flubber and Meet Joe Black...
, Emmy Award winner Joe Pantoliano
Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter "Joe" Pantoliano is an American film and television actor. He played the character of Ralph Cifaretto on The Sopranos, Bob Keane in La Bamba, Cypher in The Matrix, Teddy in Memento, Francis Fratelli in The Goonies, Guido "the Killer Pimp" in Risky Business, and Jennifer Tilly's...
and Devon Gearhart
Devon Gearhart
Devon Gearhart is an American teen actor.Gearhart was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and began acting at the age of seven, landing national commercials with Burger King, PBS, Pizza Hut and The Cartoon Network. Gearhart's movie debut came in 2004 when he landed the role of Young Bobby in...
. Canvas premiered at the Hampton’s International Film Festival, won the Alice in the City Prize (Best Feature Film) at the 2007 Rome International Film Festival, and several other awards. Canvas well-received by film critics such as Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
and Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Peter Travers is an American film critic, who has written for, in turn, People and Rolling Stone. Travers also hosts a celebrity interview show called Popcorn on ABC News Now and ABCNews.com.-Career:...
of Rolling Stone. Greco was recognized by MovieMaker Magazine in their screenwriter spotlight for Canvas, and has been invited to speak about Canvas and the subject of mental health at the United Nations, Tufts University and Yale University.