Director Michael Corrente began his film career in theater. In 1978, at the age of 18, he entered a two-year degree program at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. He entered as an acting student, but after reading Shakespeare and Chekov, he worried that this was not for him. Luckily, directing teacher Larry Arrick introduced him to plays by Sam Shepherd, Edward Albee and a play called AMERICAN BUFFALO by David Mamet. When Corrente looked at the cover of AMERICAN BUFFALO, he thought, "Oh good, a Western!". Although the play was far from being a Western, Corrente fell in love with it and decades later realized his dream of directing it as a film starring Dustin Hoffman.

Corrente strongly believes that his twenty-plus years of theater experience- writing, directing, and acting- have taught him how to converse with actors and get a performance from them. According to Corrente, directing theater taught him how to "drive the story" and "get to a moment quicker." After studying at Trinity Rep, Corrente moved to Boston for a few years and then to New York in 1984. From 1984 to 1990, Corrente produced, wrote and directed over thirty plays for the theater. His one-act play, NOT FOR NUTHIN’, became the full-length play, LEDGE STREET, which became his first feature film, FEDERAL HILL, in 1995.

Corrente recently wrapped a film formerly titled THE CUP, written by Dennis O’Neill (THE RIVER WILD) and starring Robert Duvall and Michael Keaton. In the film, Duvall plays a Scottish soccer coach with one last season in him. Keaton plays a Wall Street guy who comes to Scotland to buy the team. Together, the two battle it out to bring the team to the Scottish Soccer Cup finals. Corrente says the film is a lot like HOOSIERS, but set in Scotland. This was Corrente’s first time shooting outside of Rhode Island, and although he missed filming in his home state, reports that the experience was "pleasant."

When asked whether he would ever shoot a film on digital video, Corrente said "he can’t wait." He is looking forward to a time when he does not have to "wait four hours to light a scene." He warns, though, that it is essential to write a story that works for this medium. He comments that few people noticed that HOOP DREAMS was shot on video because it was the right story for it. Corrente also thinks that the future of film distribution on the internet is inevitable. "One day that little monitor will replace your TV set and there will be a bazillion movies available for it," he says. In fact, Corrente’s production company, Eagle Beach, is joining the internet distribution game.

Corrente has been extremely generous about educating young artists. Last year, Corrente took the senior class at the Rhode Island School of Design through the whole production process of OUTSIDE PROVIDENCE. The students had the opportunity to witness various stages of writing, raising money, rehearsal, working with the director of photography and shooting the film. Corrente is working on plans to convert the Cranston Street Armory in Providence into a sound stage. His plans include allowing area students access to feature filmmakers in production at the sound stage. On March 7th, Mr. Corrente will be sharing his experiences as a filmmaker at Harvard University’s Dudley House.

Corrente shares the following advice with beginning filmmakers, "Spend a lot of time working on your screenplay, because it is the only thing you’ll do for free when making a film." He emphasizes doing the best job you can casting the film and warns to always remember the business in movie business. "If you are taking money from friends, family and other investors, be responsible. Don’t be so self-indulgent as to make a movie that only you and twelve of your friends will watch in your basement. If you want to make a second movie, give your investors their money back." Corrente is currently working on the screenplay for his next film, which takes place in Las Vegas.

Valerie Weiss is a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University and is the coordinator of the Drama and Film Program at Dudley House. She has directed eight plays in the last several years, including Edward Albee’s THE AMERICAN DREAM for Koinonia Theatre last June. Valerie has also directed three shorts on video- THE DATE, CHAPSTICK SKIT, and CHESSPOSE.