Since I was 7 years old, all I ever wanted to do is make movies. That year, Star Wars and Close Encounters of
the Third Kind came out in theatres and everything suddenly became clear to me. Before that, I had already
read lots of science fiction, and had been writing my own stories and illustrating them, drawing aliens, robots,
and spaceships - lots and lots of spaceships. So when Star Wars came out, it was like my imagination was
coming to life up there on the big screen. But it wasn't until Close Encounters that I realized my imagination
literally could take shape on a movie screen. When I read the credit "written, produced, and directed by Steven
Spielberg" at the end of that movie, something clicked in my 7-year-old brain. Before that I didn't know how
movies came to be, I just took their existence for granted. But now, I realized someone made this. And I wanted
to be that someone from then on.
Bachelor's of Art from State University of New York at Buffalo
Paul DeNigris, Phoenix Film Festival’s 2007 Arizona Filmmaker of the Year and an Emmy-nominated television
producer, has over 16 years of professional experience in film and television production.
His feature film The Falls (which he wrote, produced, directed, and edited) played to critical acclaim in a number
of film festivals in 2003 and 2004, including Dances with Films, the IFP Market, and the Phoenix Film Festival.
The film is currently in release worldwide on DVD through Allumination Home Entertainment.
Before making The Falls, Paul worked for 5 years at Phoenix-based Rainbow Studios as a Supervising Artist,
overseeing digital animation projects for clients such as Sony Pictures Television (Roughnecks: The Starship
Troopers Chronicles), Microsoft (Age of Empres II), and LucasArts (Star Wars: Racer Revenge).
Paul serves on the Board of Directors of the Phoenix Film Foundation and was one of the executive producers
of that organization's weekly TV series, “Screen Wars,” which during its 2 seasons was nominated for 13 Rocky
Mountain Southwest Emmy Awards (including Best Arts & Entertainment Program in 2007).
Paul is currently developing several feature films, and has recently produced and directed a number projects
including the short film “Cowboy Dreams” starring action movie icon Danny Trejo and comedian Bill Engvall,
video installations for the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and a video for the current worldwide
"farewell tour" of international rock band The Scorpions.
More information about Paul may be found at www.pauldenigris.com
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