Pat Battistini
August Filmmaker of the Month- Pat Battistini
An award winning writer, director, and producer, Pat brings over thirty years of experience to the set.
Pat started his career working in front of the camera where he’s appeared in numerous films and television shows such as “The Practice”, “Malcolm in the Middle”, and “Anger Management” to name a few. Because of his years studying the craft of acting, he takes pride in his onset relationships and communication with actors where many have received stage and screen nominations and awards.
With his writing, directing, and producing, Pat has earned a reputation for developing and creating unique, funny and heart-warming stories. His twelve short films have garnered him awards across the board. His most recent films, "Tin Can", “Ms. Rossi”, “Dignity”, and Bandwidth” have screened collectively in over one-hundred film festivals across the globe landing “Best Of” and “Audience Choice” awards.
Known as a team player, no job is too small for Pat to see through from start to finish. His creative eye for detail and positive, jovial personality has earned the trust of many producers, cast, and crew who continue to want to work with him.
Tell us your backstory. How and why did you get into filmmaking?
Believe it or not, I started my professional career as a college football coach. After coaching for five years, I realized I liked my job but didn’t love it. My heart wasn’t into it 100%. Thus, I did some soul searching and headed in the direction of what wasn’t “work” to me and that turned out to be acting.
I moved to Chicago and started my new career as an actor. After years of acting in Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles, I came to the conclusion that I could get more work and exposure if I created my own projects. But after writing and directing myself in several short films, I realized that I enjoyed the writing and directing part more than acting. So now, I’ve focused on the “behind the camera” part of filmmaking and love it.
What films have been the most inspiring or influential to you and why?
I went to college near Chicago during the time when John Hughes was making his mark with his films. I would find out where locations were and try to get there while they were filming just to watch the process. I enjoyed going to the theater to see the finished products and I loved hearing the audiences react to them. “Sixteen Candles”, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, and “The Breakfast Club” all set the bar for me in the type of story and film that I strive to attain. My goal is to return to Chicago one day and make a feature film there.
What’s harder? Getting started or being able to keep going? And what drives you to continue making films?
The effort it takes to keep going is definitely harder. It’s not so much the blood, sweat, and tears sacrificed to make the film, it pretty much comes down to cost. Ideas are free. Writing is free. So when I have the inspiration to create something, I know I can do it at no cost and I can finish it. But once the script is done, it’s always harder to call in favors, scrounge up some money, and round up a bunch of people to make the film. With that said, I’ll always find a way to make the film if it’s dear to my heart. That’s what drives me. The reward of sitting in a theater and seeing people laugh or cry at your stories is priceless. I feel that we as filmmakers have a wonderful opportunity to take people out of their everyday lifestyles and launch them into a utopic mecca of imagination.
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Since my film genres are all over the board, the question I always get from people is, “Where in the heck did you come up with that idea?”. I tell them that it’s usually something very simple or an idea that has morphed in something more defined. For example, with “Ms. Rossi”, the genesis of the film was the character “Aldo”. I initially had the idea of this old man who was lovable but a little wacky. After several rewrites, the film eventually became about the character of “Maria Rossi”. For my short, “Tin Can”, it started with a friend of mine looking for a script to highlight his clowning and acting skills. I started the script with that in mind but due to the climate of immigration at the US/Mexico border at the time, it became much more than that. So ultimately, my inspiration comes from a word, a thought, a picture, almost anything as long as it can develop into a story I’m passionate about making.
What are the next project or projects you are beginning work on?
After the surprising success of “Ms. Rossi”, I’ve decided to create a series based on the initial film. I’ve written “Ms. Rossi 2” and ”Ms. Rossi 3” and will be shooting them in Italy in October (if there aren’t any new Covid restrictions). Ideally, I am hoping to piece the short films together to make a feature length comedy.
Pat Battistini | Writer/Director/Producer +1.818.445.5050 Pat@HoosierDaddyFilms.com
www.HoosierDaddyFilms.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HoosierDaddy
Twitter: @HoosierFilms
Instagram: HooszrDaddy, Hoosier_Daddy_Films
Screeners:
www.MsRossiMovie.com
www.TinCanThe Movie.com
www.DignityTheMovie.com www.Bandwidth Movie.com
