Michael P. DiPaolo

Michael DiPaolo has been in the room with more murderers than most police ever will videotaping more than 2000 confessions over more than fifteen years at the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office. Simultaneously, he has written, produced and directed feature-length dramatic videos based on fictionalized variations of those confessions, including BRUTAL ARDOR(1986), BOUGHT & SOLD(1988)-Certificate of Merit-1988 Chicago Film Festival and REQUIEM FOR A WHORE(1989), all distributed by Chiaroscuro Video. His first 16mm feature, TRANSGRESSION(1994) was at the NY Underground Film Fest, the Chicago Underground Film Fest, Rome's FANTAFESTIVAL, Manchester's Kinofilm '95 and is distributed by SCREEN EDGE, a division of Visionary Communications. In 1996, for a change of pace, he produced and directed a dance program for European TV entitled BALLETS WITH A TWIST. Now in post-production on his latest 16mm feature, SERPENT'S BREATH (1998), which he hopes to have it ready for 1999. Born and raised in Niagara Falls, NY, DiPaolo graduated from the University of Rochester with a B.A. in Fine Arts and later received an M.A. in Fine Arts with a concentration in Video, from Hunter College in NYC, studying with video art pioneer, Juan Downey. His first job out of school was producing, shooting and editing a feature-length, shot on video, improvised movie called SOPHA by David Shepherd, "the guru of improv" and the Co-founder of COMPASS, the forerunner of SECOND CITY in Chicago. A long working relationship, that continues today. After a couple of years of free-lancing he began producing and directing fashion videos from 1977 to 1985. During this time he also produced and directed numerous dance, music and short dramatic videos. In 1987, he produced and directed a hidden camera documentary that examined New York City's hustlers and homeless after midnight in WHERE NO SUN SHINES.