Joe Grisaffi!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003784

Joe Grisaffi is an actor and award-winning director from Houston, Texas. A native Houstonian, in fact. Joe graduated from the University of Houston 1993, majoring in RTV/ Communications. Shortly after graduation, Joe wrote and directed the award-winning short film Death and a Salesman and after that, he produced and directed his first feature film, Laughing Boy, both shot on 16mm film. Laughing Boy won several awards and has been seen all over the world and ended up on Netflix and the Starz network, as well as other outlets.

Joe has gone on to direct other very well received feature films: the horror film Dead of Knight, the award-winning comedy Conjoined and the highly anticipated teen dramedy Lars the Emo Kid. Lars the Emo Kid is currently being submitted to festivals, but Joe’s other films are available on DVD, streaming as well as other platforms, and more to come!

As an actor, Joe Grisaffi has appeared in over 70 independent film projects made in Houston, including Psychic Experiment, Jacob, Doll Factory, and many others, with lead and co-starring roles in Haunted Trailer, Gem of the Rainforest and Pound of Flesh. Joe also plays real life serial killer Dean Corll in the soon-to-be-released In a Madman’s World.

Joe also spent a lot of time working in the casting departments of major films such as Tin Cup, Starship Troopers and Primary Colors. Joe worked closely with Barbara Brinkley, one of Texas’ top casting directors, on films for VH-1, MTV and UPN, all filmed in Houston.

Joe went on found Southwest Casting in 2000, which quickly became one of Houston’s top casting resources, now boasting over 17,000 members with the Yahoo! Group and Facebook page combined. Joe was responsible for the Houston extras casting on the film Friday Night Lights, where he and his team were in charge of casting and maintaining 650 people a day for the three week shoot at the Astrodome. Southwest Casting has assisted dozens of Houston films including The Preacher’s Daughter, Down by the River, and many more.