Chris Messineo is an award-winning writer and director. As the owner and director of NJ Film School, he has taught the craft of independent filmmaking to hundreds of kids, teens, and adults - who have gone on to win their own awards for writing and directing. He has worked as a director, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, script reader, screenplay consultant, and even a film festival judge. He is the founder of Off Stage Films, an independent production company. Their films have played at festivals around the world and been recognized for screenwriting, acting, sound, cinematography, editing, score, and directing. In 1998, he formed the NJ Screenwriter's Group and since then, they have held hundreds of original screenplay readings. In 2002, he created MoviePoet, a free online contest and forum to celebrate the art of short scripts and help bring screenwriters and filmmakers together resulting in the production of over 300 films. Chris is passionate about filmmaking, teaching, and frequently lectures on Hitchcock, Film Noir, Chaplin and Keaton, and much more. He lives in New Providence with his wife and during the pandemic, he created a zombie video game, "Don't Get Bit", with his daughter.